UFC 282 Will Give Paddy Pimblett Another Chance to Show He’s Not a ‘Dollar Store Conor McGregor’

Fight fans around the world will undoubtedly be getting excited as Paddy Pimblett gets ready to make his next appearance in the Octagon, this time against Jared Gordon at UFC 282 in the middle of December. Another bonus for Pimblett’s vast legion of support is that if the latest betting MMA betting markets for UFC 282 are anything to go by, this is a fight that the Liverpudialn is being heavily tipped to win.

What The Sportsbooks Say

Indeed, the most recent sports bettings odds for the event in Las Vegas price Pimblett at just 1/2 to beat his American opponent. 

More good news is that fans who feel confident that Pimblett can make it four wins from four in the Octagon can access a string of free bet offers from Paddy Power in the build-up to this fight. Needless to say, all the signs point towards a night of fireworks in Vegas as Pimblett takes another step towards becoming the face of the UFC. 

UFC announces a lightweight bout between Paddy Pimblett and Jared Gordon at UFC 282 in Las Vegas 🎰 pic.twitter.com/aL7XDrCxKZ

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) October 22, 2022

Could Pimblett Become the Face of the UFC?

The 27-year-old will naturally have to keep winning to achieve this goal, but you get the feeling that the world is about to see if Pimblett has what it takes to dominate opponents of a higher standard, with a step up in class scheduled against Gordon.

At least, Dana White and Pimblett have, until now, been selective in picking opponents for the 27-year-old since signing with the UFC in 2021. This is, after all, an age-old way of ensuring that a fighter’s stock rises as they mature into the best version of themselves. Of course, the more cynical fight supporters would say that promoters select opponents that they know their fighters can beat.

Unsurprisingly, this trend does repeat itself in every weight category during the early days of a fledging career but as initially touched on, Pimblett is now at the stage where he will have to beat fighters of a far higher pedigree so that he is taken seriously in the UFC. Right now, it should be said, the jury remains out on how talented Pimblett really is.

Paddy the Baddy Taunted by AEW Star 

Ultimately, this is why it was interesting to watch a recent confrontation unfold between AEW star Maxwell Jacob Friedman and Pimblett on Instagram after the wrestler suggested that the Liverpudlian was a dollar store Conor McGregor. It was undoubtedly a cheap jibe that was intended to make headlines, but at the same time, there is an element of truth to Friedman’s claim. Given that for all the talk of Pimblett rising to the top of the MMA industry, he is yet to truly leave his mark on the sport in a way that some of the past big-name champions have.

PADDY PIMBLETT GETS IT DONE IN ONE! 🔴

WHAT A KNOCKOUT! 💥

TAKE A BOW, @PaddyTheBaddy! 🙌#UFCVegas36 pic.twitter.com/chshpTEXsD

— #UFC281 on BT Sport (@btsportufc) September 4, 2021

The Time For Action Is Now For Pimblett 

The reality is that sooner or later, being a man of the people or entertaining the world’s media in a press conference won’t be enough for Pimblett to climb to the summit of the sport. This is why UFC 282 presents a golden opportunity for the Liverpudlian to silence critics who see his role in the company as a sideshow.