Since his UFC debut, Paddy Pimblett found massive success, going 7-0 in the promotion while beating seasoned veterans like Michael Chandler, Tony Ferguson, and King Green. However, at UFC 324, ‘The Baddy’ suffered his first loss in the Octagon, dropping his eighth UFC bout to Justin Gaethje. Even so, Pimblett continues to draw praise for putting on a Fight of the Night performance on the first Paramount+ CBS card, elevating his stardom. During the post-fight press conference, Dana White looked genuinely pleased with how the main event played out.

While the UFC CEO was slightly critical of ‘The Baddy’s performance, he also could not stop himself from saying, “I didn’t know Paddy Pimblett had a chin like that till tonight, and yeah, absolute dogfight and a war.” As White spoke, his expression made it clear that even in defeat, Pimblett did not lose any star power. A strong show of admiration, right? For the English lightweight, it felt like a fairytale moment he once promised White when he was just 16 years old.  

16-year-old Paddy Pimblett’s message to Dana White resurfaces after UFC 324 loss

“@danawhite hi Dana, I’m 16 years old, 5-0 NASC amateur and a bantamweight champ in the UK, guess we’ll be doing business in the future,” popular social media account DovySimuMMA posted, resharing Paddy Pimblett’s message from 15 years ago, from 2011, that foreshadowed his future with the UFC.

When ‘The Baddy’ was 16 years old, he was competing on the United Kingdom regional amateur scene. There, he won the bantamweight championship while maintaining a perfect 5-0 record. Because of his confident nature, the British MMA standout eventually lived his dream and made it to the UFC years later.

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Following an impressive Cage Warriors run, Pimblett joined Dana White’s promotion in 2021. Fighting in front of his home crowd in London, ‘The Baddy’ defeated Luigi Vendramini in the first round, marking the start of his rise. Pimblett went on a seven-fight winning streak and came close to winning the interim title, which could have pushed him to the peak of his popularity. However, Justin Gaethje’s forward approach and experience propelled him to become the two-time interim champ.

Now, as the Liverpudlian continues to receive heavy praise for his performance, not everyone is impressed. After his loss to ‘The Highlight,’ one of Paddy’s bitter rivals had some strong words for him.

Ilia Topuria flips ‘The Baddy’s given nickname to take a shot 

Paddy Pimblett has definitely made some enemies in the UFC, both because of the competition and his outspoken nature. As rivalries with Arman Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker took shape, the Liverpudlian’s animosity toward champion Ilia Topuria reached another level. The two share a history of altercation, and after ‘El Matador’ won the title, they even went face-to-face at UFC 317, hinting at a future clash.

However, Pimblett’s dream of fighting Topuria for the lightweight belt in a grudge match watched by millions of UFC fans around the world came crashing down on January 24, 2026. In a grueling five-round matchup, Justin Gaethje defeated the Englishman via unanimous decision, a performance the Georgian-Spaniard found underwhelming. ‘El Marador’ used the very nickname Paddy once gave him to fire back, mocking his bitter rival for failing to beat a 37-year-old opponent.

“Little sausage, the only thing you had to do was beat a 38-year-old guy. You just lost the biggest paycheck of your life. You were going to get rich if you won. Justin, all I can say is congratulations… and I’d like to tell you to get ready, but you’re screwed no matter what,” Ilia Topuria posted on X immediately after UFC 324 ended.

For the unversed, ‘The Baddy’ had given ‘El Matador’ the nickname ‘El Churizo,’ the Spanish word for sausage. This time, the 155-pound kingpin turned it back on Pimblett, calling him out for losing the fight and missing his chance to unify the belt and finally settle the bad blood between them.

That said, as the Liverpool native looks ahead to making a strong comeback, do you think his stock has taken a hit? Or will Dana White still line him up with a marquee matchup in the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.