John McCarthy wants to see Paddy Pimblett against better competition.
Pimblett is coming off a first-round submission win over Kazula Vargas at UFC London this past weekend.
Many felt Vargas was a gimme opponent and if that was the case, Pimblett didn’t win scratch-free. Vargas caught Pimblett and was in his guard for the initial moments of the fight.
However, Pimblett got to his feet before taking Vargas down. The Liverpool native would eventually sink in the rear naked choke to get the tap and victory.
“The Baddy” improved to 2-0 in the UFC as a result and many — including Dana White — were convinced he was worth the hype and the real deal.
John McCarthy: Pimblett Faced Better Fighters In Cage Warriors
Not everyone is convinced, however.
After all, Pimblett is yet to face any top level fighter and going by his recent comments, doesn’t appear to anytime soon until he gets a more lucrative contract.
While McCarthy understands the need to give Pimblett favorable matchups, he would still like to see a step up in competition.
Especially as he feels he’s seen Pimblett face tougher guys at Cage Warriors than he has in the UFC so far.
“I understand why they put him against someone like Kazula Vargas, an older fighter,” McCarthy said on his “Weighing In” podcast (via MMA Junkie). “He’s got a good record even though he hasn’t really fought that many quality opponents. I’m not a Paddy hater. I love when you have a guy like Paddy who talks the way he does, who has that game. I don’t want to say he’s flamboyant, he is boisterous, he’s out there, he’s gonna push the envelope. If you want to talk about how great you are, I want to see you against other great fighters so you prove it.”
“… I just want to see him against better competition. I’ve seen him against better competition in Cage Warriors than I’m seeing him in competition in the UFC. Tell me I’m lying.”
It’s certainly hard to argue with that.
Perhaps the Ilia Topuria fight should happen next and shut some of Pimblett’s doubters? That’s assuming he defeats Topuria who will not be an easy opponent whatsoever going by his win over Jai Herbert.
