There’s still more than a month before Paddy Pimblett returns to the Octagon to face Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324. The winner, of course, will earn a shot at Ilia Topuria’s championship. But ahead of the January 24 bout, Pimblett has surprised fans by briefly stepping into a different combat sport—making his debut in boxing.

The appearance comes over seven months after ‘The Baddy’ knocked out Michael Chandler in the third round at UFC 314. While Pimblett has taken heat for jumping ahead of No.1 contender Arman Tsarukyan in the title queue, his latest move won’t draw any criticism. Instead, he earned praise after taking part in a disability boxing show. 

Who did Paddy Pimblett fight? 

The event took place on Wednesday at The Dome at Grand Central Hall in Liverpool, hosted by the No Limits gym. Paddy Pimblett stepped into the ring with George Goetzee, a fighter with Down syndrome who goes by the nickname ‘GGG’ in tribute to Gennady Golovkin. Ashley from Not Just Boxing shared a clip from the exhibition, offering a glimpse of the exchange.

It wasn’t a competitive bout, of course—Pimblett volunteered to help Goetzee fulfill his dream. The two went back and forth for a couple of light-hearted rounds before Pimblett was playfully knocked out. Ashley captioned the clip, “George ‘GGG’ Goetzee proved too much tonight knocking out Paddy the Baddy. Lovely work to the body champ.”

The No Limits gym has hosted similar events before. Former WBA lightweight champion Derry Mathews fought Goetzee in 2017. And established a boxing class to help people with disabilities stay active—eventually creating a ‘disability boxing squad’ that includes individuals with a range of conditions.

Regardless, Pimblett’s participation was widely praised, with fans flooding the comment section to applaud the gesture.

George Goetzee watched David Benavidez before the fight

It’s rare for fighters to fight for free, especially in a promotion like UFC, where pay has long been an issue. So, it didn’t take long for the public to praise Paddy’s gesture. “Really nice to see someone giving back like [Paddy Pimblett], big heart,” the user commented. Notably, Brazilian mixed martial artist Jailton Almeida did something similar in his country in early 2024. 

Meanwhile, Goetzee’s moves appear to have reminded this user of an active boxer. “GGG definitely watched Benavidez the other week 🔥 nice work [Paddy Pimblett],” the user commented. Last month, David Benavidez defended his WBC belt against Anthony Yarde in a thrilling boxing match in Riyadh. 

Someone else joked about Pimblett’s beating. “He took a beating. God bless him. Wishing him a quick recovery,” the user commented. After all, ‘The Baddy’ has a pretty big fight coming up, and this one will go on his record. 

The boxing match reminded this user of Ilia Topuria. “Damn, Paddy should really stay away from Ilia then,” the user wrote. ‘El Matador’ is known for his boxing skills—some even consider him the best boxer in the promotion. 

Another user even had an opponent in mind for Goetzee. “We’ve seen enough. Give him Jon Jones,” the user remarked. Well, Dana White doesn’t want Jon Jones to fight on the UFC White House card. Perhaps Jones would accept the challenge to fight in Liverpool.

That being said, it appears Paddy Pimblett has won over fans with his appearance in the disability boxing match. But can he win his upcoming fight?