Just weeks out from the biggest fight of his career, an unexpected loss suffered by Paddy Pimblett far from the Octagon gave fans plenty to chew on. What’s worse is that it happened where reputations are supposed to be safest: at home.

It happened during ‘King of the Mat,’ an annual in-house jiu-jitsu gauntlet at Next Generation MMA, the same gym ‘The Baddy’ trains out of. It’s a brutal free-for-all contest with everyone on the mat at once. Get tapped, you’re out. Survive, you stay in. Last man standing wins.

According to the post shared by Red Corner MMA on X, “After ruling the room for four to five years straight, Pimblett’s run came to an end this time around. A reminder that even at the highest level, iron sharpens iron and no crown lasts forever in a room like that.” And timing made it louder.

‘The Baddy’ is weeks away from headlining UFC 324 against Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title. The stakes couldn’t be higher. So when fans saw Pimblett tap in his own gym, the reaction wasn’t subtle. But to be clear, context matters.

Pimblett didn’t lose in competition against another UFC contender. He was caught by a calf slicer from Aaron Jordan, a BJJ black belt, after already admitting he was exhausted.

“I’m not gonna lie, I don’t know if I can be a— tonight,” Pimblett had said beforehand. “I’ve gotta beat Justin Gaethje up in five weeks. I’ve sparred five rounds today, did pads before it, and did 10×3 on boxing pads.”

Yet, he still made it to the final, still shook hands, and still watched the £720 prize go to charity. Inside a gym culture built on iron sharpening iron, that’s normal. Online? Not so much.

This loss didn’t exist in a vacuum. It collided with UFC lightweight politics. The outspoken fighter from Liverpool has been vocal, even dismissive, about Arman Tsarukyan, who was passed over for the interim title fight.

In a previous interview with ESPN Deportes, Pimblett claimed that the snub was Tsarukyan’s own fault, with, “Ilia’s the man, so Ilia’s who I’m going to fight. Arman just talks a big game, and he’s sh—. Arman’s made his own bed, and he can lie in it. He dug his own grave and pulled out of a title fight the night before, punched a fan on his walkout, head-butted someone at a weigh-in.”

It also brushed up against the looming shadow of Ilia Topuria, the undisputed champ seemingly waiting on the other side of this interim bout while he deals with a storm in his personal life. So, while ‘El Matador’s name didn’t need to be mentioned, fans brought him into the conversation themselves, and that’s when the reaction floodgates opened!

Fans back Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria as Paddy Pimblett loses in a grappling competition

One fan wrote, “Light work for Arman.” That line isn’t really about this gym loss. It’s about hierarchy. Tsarukyan’s supporters see any grappling stumble as validation of their belief that his pressure-heavy style would overwhelm Pimblett in a real fight inside the Octagon.

It’s less analysis, more long-memory payback after months of being sidelined. And with Tsarukyan recently showing off his grappling chops in an exhibition against Sharaputdin Magomedov, it makes sense why the fans would be making such claims!

Another fan joked, “Not a good look losing to some random civilian lmao.” Harsh? Absolutely. Accurate? Not really. Aaron Jordan isn’t a “random civilian.” He’s a trained grappler in a gym known for producing killers. But online, nuance dies fast. The word “tap” carries weight, even when it happens in a room designed for learning.

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One fan predicted, “Arman will sub him within 3 rds if they ever fight.” This reaction ties directly to Pimblett’s reputation. Fair or not, fans still see grappling as both his weapon and his potential weakness against elite technicians. Tsarukyan’s top control and submission chains make him a nightmare matchup on paper, and moments like this reinforce that narrative.

Another pointed out, “He’s got some b*lls to be doing this so close to fight week lmao.” That’s the flip side. Some fans didn’t mock Paddy Pimblett. They respected him. Stepping into a brutal gym gauntlet deep into a Justin Gaethje camp isn’t cautious. It’s old-school. It signals confidence, not fear, even if the result didn’t go his way.

One comment summed up the rivalry angle perfectly with, “Light work for Arman & Ilia. Good thing Gaethje can’t do BJJ.” That line connects all three names, Tsarukyan, Topuria, and Gaethje. Fans are already matchmaking beyond UFC 324, imagining what Pimblett’s style looks like against each threat. And in that mix, Gaethje is still viewed as the most winnable stylistic test, despite his violence.

So what does this loss really mean? Gym taps happen. They’re part of growth. But perception is everything in fight culture. And when you’ve talked as loudly as Paddy Pimblett has, moments like this are sure to backfire. The question now becomes, will he be able to break through the wall that is Justin Gaethje and set up the long-awaited showdowns with Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan? Let us know in the comments below!