Dana White Snubs Paddy Pimblett in Favor of Khamzat Chimaev After Previous Conor McGregor Statement

Published 08/12/2022, 5:30 AM EDT

UFC President Dana White recently appeared in a fun interview with ‘GQ Sports’. He answered several questions related to the UFC. This included talking about Conor McGregor, Khamzat Chimaev and drawing a comparison between them.

A fan wanted to know which fighter had the potential to have the same impact as Irish fighter Conor McGregor. White had an interesting answer. He said, “Maybe Khamzat Chimaev. We’ll see.”

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This might be surprising as the promoter previously drew a comparison between McGregor and rising lightweight star, Paddy Pimblett. As reported by ‘MMA Junkie‘, Dana White had said, “To talk about championship stuff now it’s a little too soon, but he’s got that Conor McGregor vibe.”

Thus, it would be fascinating to see how Pimblett responds to this statement by White.

Chimaev has remained undefeated in professional MMA. Moreover, he has performed well against welterweight and middleweight fighters. He jumped up in the rankings to number three after defeating Gilbert Burns in a close fight at UFC 273.

On the other hand, Pimblett had been compared to ‘The Notorious’ several times. Both the athletes have been champions at Cage Warriors and have mutual respect for each other.

Why Is UFC’s Biggest PPV Star Conor McGregor Not in the Hall of Fame Yet? What Are the Criteria for Entering the Hall of Fame?

In fact, many fans also want to see McGregor versus Pimblett. When the Irish fighter was asked about facing Pimblett in the future, he was open to such a possibility. However, with McGregor eyeing the welterweight division, this fight might not take place.

Can Conor McGregor become a champion again?

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‘Mystic Mac’ defeated Jose Aldo to become the UFC featherweight champion. Almost a year later, he also beat Eddie Alvarez to become the lightweight champion. Thus, he created history by becoming the first double champ.

After such a huge achievement, the fighter aspires to dominate the welterweight division. Kamaru Usman, who is the champion of the division, has spoken about McGregor a couple of times. However, in a recent conversation, ‘The Nigerian Nightmare’ revealed he does not think the 22-6 record holder can become champion again.

Thus, if McGregor returns to the Octagon, his skills and future with the promotion will be under a lot of speculation. Further, it would also be interesting to see whether Paddy Pimblett or Khamzat Chimaev achieve his level of success in the UFC. What do you think?

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Watch this story: 5 Insane Records Set by UFC Superstar Conor McGregor

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Written by:

Rohini Kottu is a UFC Writer at EssentiallySports. She is also a Psychologist and has a Master's degree in Clinical Psychology. Rohini, in her role as a UFC writer, combines her admiration for the mental resilience that MMA fighters have and her love for analysis.

Edited by:

Sreeda U M

Dana White Snubs Paddy Pimblett in Favor of Khamzat Chimaev After Previous Conor McGregor Statement

Can Conor McGregor become a champion again?

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