A rivalry is brewing between Paddy Pimblett and Colby Covington, but it seems “The Baddy” isn`t giving it much thought.
Following his victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 314, Paddy Pimblett had an unexpected verbal run-in with Colby Covington backstage. Covington questioned Pimblett`s opponents, while Pimblett retorted by pointing out Covington`s recent losses.
Pimblett discussed the incident on an ESPN post-fight show, referring to Covington dismissively.
“He only acts up when cameras are around,” Pimblett stated. He recounted a previous encounter where Covington avoided eye contact when no cameras were present. Pimblett`s response to Covington`s backstage confrontation was to mockingly threaten him, referencing Covington`s past police report against Jorge Masvidal.
Colby Covington has only secured one victory since 2021, a win against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272. Masvidal later assaulted Covington, leading to Masvidal`s arrest and misdemeanor battery plea.
Paddy Pimblett, now boasting a 7-0 UFC record after defeating Chandler, is prioritizing a shot at the lightweight championship. He considers Covington a minor distraction.
“He’s insignificant,” Pimblett declared, adding that Covington is trying to gain relevance by using his name. Pimblett confidently stated he could defeat Covington easily but has more important goals in the lightweight division.
Looking ahead, Pimblett mentioned top lightweight contenders such as Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, and Arman Tsarukyan as potential future opponents. He also brought up Ilia Topuria and Conor McGregor as possible matchups.
“And then there’s Conor McGregor, who bet on Chandler,” Pimblett noted. He suggested a potential fight with McGregor, playing on their shared Irish connections, if McGregor is willing.
