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Paddy Pimblett has been an asset to the UFC since his debut five years ago.
The fan favorite entered the octagon with a wealth of experience, having fought 19 times outside of the UFC before joining. ‘The Baddy’ also had championship experience and a huge following, which helped him adjust to the bright lights of the sport’s premier promotion more seamlessly. A competitor always aiming to finish the fight, Pimblett is a great addition to the roster, but Dana White has extended his praise for the Brit.
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Praising him for his grit, Dana White insists fans finally saw what he was all about during his loss to Justin Gaethje.
“So, what happened was: In that fight too, Paddy Pimblett gained more followers in that loss than in his last win, which was incredibly spectacular,” White said. “Because people realize what a dog—and how tough—he really was. And what a chin he has.”
Dana White firmly believes that, if you want fans to invest their weekend to stay in and watch your product, you need fighters like Paddy Pimblett—likening him to Arturo Gatti.
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“This was sort of my philosophy going into the UFC business when we bought it. I noticed that Arturo Gatti kept signing HBO deals even when he lost. You know why? Because when we stay home on Saturday night, there’s a lot of things. Forget the cost of the fight, right? The pay-per-view or whatever it was back in the day. More importantly, you guys have sh*t to do on Saturdays, right? You got to take your girl out. You got to take your kids. You’ve got things.”
“To invest a Saturday night is a big deal. And when you invested a Saturday night in an Arturo Gatti fight, you were never disappointed when you turned the TV off. People want to see guys f***ing go to war.”
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This story was originally published September 11, 2026 at 12:30 PM.