Paddy Pimblett had a front-row view of Conor McGregor’s abrupt return at UFC 329 and didn’t hide his shock as the former champion’s comeback ended in just 69 seconds due to a leg injury against Max Holloway.
The UFC released a clip of Pimblett reacting live to the finish, where he exclaimed, “What’s happened?” before adding, “Oh my God, McGregor’s done already? Well, he’s finished, the new boy is in town. The main man’s here. I can become the face of the organization now.”
Speaking later at the post-fight press conference, Pimblett struck a more sympathetic tone about McGregor, who was returning from a five-year layoff. “It was sad to see,” Pimblett said. “But that’s the thing with this sport, you’ve got to stay consistent, you’ve got to keep fighting, and I think where he hasn’t fought in so long, his body couldn’t keep up with it. Coming out and throwing a crazy kick like that, first thing, his knee just collapsed underneath him.”
“I feel bad for him. He’s put so much into coming back and getting back in the octagon and that happens in the first five seconds, you’ve got to feel for him,” Pimblett added.
Pimblett is riding momentum of his own after submitting Benoit Saint Denis in 52 seconds on Saturday, extending a UFC run that began in 2021 and saw him win his first seven fights in the promotion, including victories over Michael Chandler, King Green, and Tony Ferguson.
“I want to be a world champion,” Pimblett said. “I want to be undisputed champion of the world. I want to be the first-ever world champion from Liverpool and I’m going to do that. I know that’s in my destiny, I know that’s in my fate, whether it’s in the next fight or the next 10 fights. I’m going to be a world champion. It’s that simple.”
Looking ahead, Pimblett listed several names he’s willing to face. “If you want me to fight Justin next, if you want me to fight ‘Posh Boy’ [Arman Tsarukyan] next, if you want me to fight ‘Chorizo’ [Ilia Topuria], if you want me to fight Charles [Oliveira] next, anyone can get it.”
