Daniel Cormier gave his gut reaction to the unanimous decision win by Paddy Pimblett in the co-main event of UFC 282.
The UFC 282 event that was held on Saturday night was a hugely successful one. The card began with ten straight finishes. TKOs, KOs, and submissions back-to-back-to-back gave the fans what they came for. Then it came time for the co-main event. This bout was one that many of the fight fans were most looking forward to. Paddy Pimbeltt was facing Jared Gordon in a lightweight matchup. After a good back and forth, the bout went the distance and the judge’s scores were called upon for the first time all night.
Pimblett scored the unanimous decision on the scorecards and walked away happy, however right away fans on social media began calling it robbery. While robbery might be too strong a word, many believed that Gordan had done enough to win the fight, Daniel Cormier included.
Daniel Cormier thinks Paddy Pimblett lost his UFC 282 bout to Jared Gordon
Daniel Cormier was on the desk at UFC 282. He was able to see all the action up close and personal. He took to his YouTube channel immediately following the conclusion of the night and gave his thoughts on the event as a whole and spoke about the co-main event.
“I thought Paddy Pimblett lost, I really did. I thought Jared Gordon won the third round. I thought Jared Gordon won the first round. I don’t have those scorecards in front of me. I don’t know how to judge the scored the Pimbeltt fight honestly,” he said. “But they’re putting a lot less emphasis on Octagon control, especially against the side of the cage. Jared Gordon did not land much in the third round when he was clinching Paddy Pimblett and I don’t know why.”
Cormier thought that Gordon had done enough to warrant the win, but then alluded to the massive star power of Pimblett. He spoke about the fan following and how he thought that the crowd was more for Pimblett that anyone else on the card that night. Coming into the bout, Pimblett had said just that. He believed that fans were there to see him and him alone.
“The crowd went crazy when Paddy Pimblett hit the curtain and he showed that he was game, but there were some mistakes. His chin is too high up in the air still, he’s looping far too many of his punches,” he said. “But he’s a star and honestly the reaction and the reception that he got, hasn’t been seen this early since Conor McGregor. But here’s the difference, Conor McGregor won and Conor McGregor won at a championship level.”
Now, whether Cormier was alluding to the fact that fanfare could have swayed the judges, he did not say, but there are many people out there that think that could be the case. Pimblett is defiantly a rising star and he continues to win. This win could launch him up near the top fifteen of the division.
