Israel Adesanya praises the confidence of Paddy Pimblett

UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya has praised the confidence of rising lightweight star Paddy Pimblett.

Ever since joining the UFC roster last March, Paddy Pimblett has been on a mission to let the world know who he is. So far he’s done a pretty good job, with the masses dubbing him one of the most exciting prospects we’ve seen in MMA for years.

Of course, he’s quite a polarising figure too, as his recent interaction with Ilia Topuria showcased – but if anything that’s going to do even more for his brand in the long run.

Someone who knows a thing or two about making waves in the Ultimate Fighting Championship is Israel Adesanya. From his initial debut to the present day, we’ve seen ‘The Last Stylebender’ rapidly establish himself as a true force of nature in the 185-pound division.

When it comes to ‘The Baddy’, Adesanya believes there’s a chance he could have similar success.

“He’s good, and they’re gonna push him because he’s gonna sell. He can do very well and that kind of confidence shakes a lot of dudes, I just know this because I know fighting. It shakes a lot of dudes, even a lot of veterans. 

“When they’re under the lights, what that guy has created like Pimblett, or what I created when I did it myself, they just [freeze]. It’s like Brunson at MSG.

“He can shake a lot of veterans with his confidence but like I’ve said he’s a bit green, so he needs to work on his skills.”

Pimblett returns to the cage at UFC London this Saturday night as he prepares to take on Kazula Vargas. The encounter will mark the second time that the Liverpudlian has made the walk to the octagon, following his successful debut against Luigi Vendramini last September.

With a capacity crowd behind him at the O2 Arena, now is the time for