Paddy ‘the Bady’ Pimblett is the ‘kid next door’ with the iconic fringe who is taking UFC by storm

He sports a blond fringe and describes himself as looking like ‘the kid next door’, but Paddy Pimblett is defying the doubters to take the UFC world by storm.

Dubbed the new Conor McGregor, ‘Paddy the Baddy’ made headlines at the weekend by picking up his fourth consecutive win in the ring, this time over American Jared Gordon in Las Vegas.

Some felt his triumph was unjust, with the Nevada crowd booing as he edged a 29-28 victory on all three judges’ cards.

Not that it will bother the Liverpudlian who has never been shy to speak his mind, including declaring his hatred for the ‘establishment’ – specifically, ‘the Royal Family and the Tories‘.

Paddy Pimblett has been with childhood sweetheart Laura Gregory for more than a decade

Pimblett (left) first got into MMA at the age of 15, a year before he started dating Gregory

The Liverpudlian has never been shy to speak his mind, including declaring his hatred for the ‘establishment’ – specifically, ‘the Royal Family and the Tories ‘

Dubbed the new Conor McGregor, ‘Paddy the Baddy’ made headlines at the weekend by picking up his fourth consecutive win in the ring, this time over American Jared Gordon in Las Vegas 

The 27-year-old (pictured eating an ice cream) has previously claimed he’s rather be ‘fat and happy than ripped’ 

Pimblett’s win on Sunday caught the eye of Irish star McGregor – who once planned to turn up at his front door and surprise him on a previous visit to Merseyside – only to discover he’d gone to the wrong house.

But despite the mutual respect, the outspoken Scouser is hell-bent on eclipsing McGregor’s achievements in mixed martial arts, insisting he will be ‘a billionaire eventually’, and will use the fortune to help children in his city using foodbanks.

He told the Guardian earlier this year: ‘I see myself being bigger than that, because the sport has evolved even more than when Conor made it mainstream. He had twentysomething lads following him where I’m getting kids from the age of five. 

‘Kids look at McGregor and see a big, hard fella with loads of tattoos. Kids have got long, floppy hair, they haven’t got tattoos. They can identify with me.’

Pimblett grew up in Huyton, Merseyside, attending St Margaret Mary’s Primary school and Cardinal Heenan Catholic High school.

He first got into MMA at the age of 15, a year before he started dating childhood sweetheart Laura Gregory.

The couple got engaged in the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand, just before lockdown restrictions came into effect in February 2020, before moving into their ‘perfect home’ later that year.

Gregory boasts more than 50,000 followers on Instagram and regularly shares pictures of the couple together, as well as shots of Pimblett – who claimed he’d rather be ‘fat and happy than ripped’ – in the ring.

The 27-year-old has used his platform to highlight a number of issues close to his heart, most notably this summer when he broke down in tears as he revealed the recent death of his friend by suicide.

Pimblett defeated Jordan Leavitt in the second round of the UFC 277 at The O2 in July, before announcing after the bout that he was informed of his friend’s death just five hours before his weigh-in.

Gregory boasts more than 50,000 followers on Instagram and regularly shares pictures of the couple together, as well as shots of Pimblett – who claimed he’d rather be ‘fat and happy than ripped’ – in the ring

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Pimblett (pictured as a baby) grew up in Huyton, Merseyside, attending St Margaret Mary’s Primary school and Cardinal Heenan Catholic High school

Pimblett visiting Alfie Evans in hospital. He frequently uses his platform to highlight issues close to his heart

Paddy Pimblett left the Octogon in tears after his emotional speech about men’s mental health

He told the crowd: ‘I woke up to a message at 4am on Friday that one of my friends from home had killed themselves, so Ricky, that’s for you.

‘There’s a stigma that men can’t talk, but if you’re a man and you’ve got a weight on your shoulders, speak to someone. Speak to anyone.’

Ahead of their fight on Sunday, Gordon accused Pimblett of outright lying about a training session they once had together four years ago.

Paddy ‘The Baddy’ claimed to have submitted the US fighter twice in the space of five minutes during a session at MMA legend Renzo Gracie’s New York gym in 2018.

But when Gordon was questioned on the session ahead of their Vegas bout, he refuted the claims and insisted that the pair had even ever had physical contact until this week.

Pimblett has also developed a fierce rivalry with Ilia Topuria after he threw a bottle of hand sanitiser at his head during an altercation in March. 

He nearly came to blows with the Georgian fighter during a press conference on Thursday, with security staff forced to keep the pair apart.  

‘When I saw him last time, he got a hand sanitizer bottle bounced off his [head],’ Pimblett said. ‘Hand sanitiser boy! You’re known as hand sanitiser boy, you little mongrel.’ 

It came just weeks after he was in the news under more bizarre circumstances, when he shocked a woman by turning up to her house to ask for water to wash away an accident caused by his dog.

Pimblett arrived at the house to ask for water to wash away the mess, and was recognised instantly by the homeowner, who he spoke to through a video door bell.

The woman laughed as she dismissed his request, kindly letting him know she would sort things out when she got home. 

UFC star Paddy Pimblett spoke to a woman through her video doorbell after turning up to her house to ask for water

Paddy ‘the Baddy’ Pimblett poses with boxing legend Mike Tyson

The couple got engaged in the Phi Phi Islands in Thailand, just before lockdown restrictions came into effect in February 2020, before moving into their ‘perfect home’ later that year

‘Alright love, it’s just that my dog has done a sloppy s*** outside, I was just wondering if you’ve got some water, I don’t want to leave it outside your front path’, Pimblett said when the woman answered the door.

‘Is that Paddy the Baddy?’ the women asked instantly. ‘It is!’ came the response.

‘I’m five minutes away from home, don’t worry, I’ll clean it’, the woman replied.

‘Are you sure? I feel terrible, you know what I mean?’ Pimblett said

‘No, it’s alright!’ said the woman, laughing.

‘It’s just he’s done a sloppy s*** and I can’t even pick it up with a poo bag, you know what I mean?’ Pimblett repeated.

‘No, don’t worry, I’ll clean it when I get in’, the response.

‘Ta, thank you very much once again. I’m sorry about that, I hate doing stuff like that, that’s why I knocked on.’ Pimblett said before finally walking away.