Paddy Pimblett placed the biggest bet of his career on himself.
Shortly before signing with UFC back in late 2021, “The Baddy” had a more lucrative offer from Cage Warriors, one of the most prominent combat sports promotions in the UK. Pimblett took less money for the chance to prove himself inside the Octagon, a gamble that continues to pay off well into 2025.
“When I got offered the first (UFC) contract, I got offered a new Cage Warriors’ deal, and that deal was worth more than the base contract for the UFC — and I’ve done a lot with that money,” Pimblett told Full Send ahead of his upcoming return at UFC 314. “I saved that money over the years to get a house deposit myself and pay my mom’s mortgage off. I’ve done a few things like that, and that money’s done a lot for me over the years.”
Pimblett, now 30, remains perfect inside the Octagon, racking up six straight wins with four nasty finishes and four “Performance of the Night” bonuses. His next assignment comes against former Bellator MMA lightweight champion, Michael Chandler, in the UFC 314 co-main event this weekend in Miami.
“I’m very thankful for Cage Warriors,” Pimblett continued. “They set me up for the start of my adult life really, because that’s when I was 21 when I first started to get that wage. When I first signed with the UFC, I took a pay cut. The UFC standard deal is ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win). I signed for a pay cut at first. My first two fights were 10/10 and then 12/12, and obviously after I won my second fight we got a new deal, and it went up.”
It will continue to go up if Pimblett can defeat Chandler and earn a lightweight title shot.
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
