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‘The new boy is in town’: Paddy Pimblett had 2 very different reactions to Conor McGregor’s UFC 329 injury

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‘The new boy is in town’: Paddy Pimblett had 2 very different reactions to Conor McGregor’s UFC 329 injury

Paddy Pimblett experienced a range of emotions when he saw Conor McGregor go down at UFC 329.

McGregor's highly anticipated return from a five-year layoff ended in disaster Saturday as he suffered a leg injury that resulted in him suffering a loss to Max Holloway in just 69 seconds. At no point was McGregor able to show even a hint of the two-division champion he once was and the anti-climactic result left fans wondering whether the soon-to-be 38-year-old will ever regain his prime form.

The UFC released a clip of Pimblett reacting live to McGregor's loss, and he seemed enthusiastic about possibly replacing McGregor as one of the faces of the promotion.

“What's happened?†Pimblett said. “Oh my God, McGregor's done already? Well, he's finished, the new boy is in town. The main man's here. I can become the face of the organization now.â€

Speaking to reporters at the evening's post-fight press conference, Pimblett took on a more sympathetic tone when asked about McGregor.

“It was sad to see,†Pimblett said. “But that's the thing with this sport, you've got to stay consistent, you've got to keep fighting, and I think where he hasn't fought in so long, his body couldn't keep up with it. Coming out and throwing a crazy kick like that, first thing, his knee just collapsed underneath him.

“I feel bad for him. He's put so much into coming back and getting back in the octagon and that happens in the first five seconds, you've got to feel for him.â€

Pimblett has been one of the UFC's rising stars ever since he joined the promotion in 2021. He won his first seven UFC fights, including notable wins over veterans Michael Chandler, King Green, and Tony Ferguson, but fell short in an interim lightweight title fight opportunity against Justin Gaethje this past January. On Saturday, he bounced back in dramatic fashion, needing just 52 seconds to submit the top 10-ranked Benoit Saint Denis.

There's no questioning the Las Vegas crowd was giving Pimblett a raucous reception all week, so it's understandable he sees himself as a star that could someday be on the level of McGregor. For now, he's focused on booking another big fight and eventually claiming UFC gold.

“I want to be a world champion,†Pimblett said. “I want to be undisputed champion of the world. I want to be the first-ever world champion from Liverpool and I'm going to do that. I know that's in my destiny, I know that's in my fate, whether it's in the next fight or the next 10 fights. I'm going to be a world champion. It's that simple.

“If you want me to fight Justin next, if you want me to fight ‘Posh Boy' [Arman Tsarukyan] next, if you want me to fight ‘Chorizo' [Ilia Topuria], if you want me to fight Charles [Oliveira] next, anyone can get it.â€

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Noche UFC weigh-in video: Silva vs. Delgado

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Noche UFC weigh-in video: Silva vs. Delgado

At the Noche UFC weigh-ins, all 26 fighters on Saturday's fight card step on the scale Friday in Glendale, Ariz. Watch ceremonial weigh-ins live at 7 p.m. ET and highlights of the official morning weigh-ins below.

In the main event, top featherweight contender Jean Silva takes on short-notice replacement Jose Miguel Delgado. Both fighters can weigh no more than the 146-pound limit for their non-title fight.

Silva is currently No. 6 at 145 pounds in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, having won six of his seven UFC fights. The unranked Delgado (4-1 in UFC) steps in to Saturday's main event on less than a month's notice for an injured Yair Rodriguez.

Watch official weigh-ins of the top 2 fights below.

In the co-main event, former flyweight champion Brandon Moreno looks to snap a two-fight skid when he fights The Ultimate Fighter 33 winner Joseph Morales.

Official weigh-ins begin at 12 p.m. ET.

Ceremonial weigh-ins begin at 7 p.m. ET.

Check out the Noche UFC weigh-in results below.

Main Card (Paramount+ at 5 p.m. ET)

Jean Silva (145) vs. Jose Miguel Delgado (145.5)

Brandon Moreno (125.5) vs. Joseph Morales (125.5)

Tommy McMillen (145) vs. Marwan Rahiki (145.5)

Manon Fiorot (125) vs. Alexa Grasso (125)

Waldo Cortes-Acosta (262) vs. Curtis Blaydes (260)

David Martinez (135) vs. Dan Ige (135.5)

Preliminary Card (Paramount+ at 2 p.m. ET)

Tim Elliott (130) vs. Edgar Chairez (130)

Ignacio Bahamondes (170) vs. Muslim Salikhov (170.5)

Yousri Belgaroui (185.5) vs. Djorden Santos (185)

Drakkar Klose (155.5) vs. Tommy Gantt (155.5)

Rafa Garcia (155) vs. Rongzhu (155)

Sean King (145.5) vs. Jessie Rosas (145.5)

JJ Aldrich (125) vs. Regina Tarin (125)

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UFC champion Justin Gaethje provides update on possible MMA retirement

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UFC champion Justin Gaethje provides update on possible MMA retirement

UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje has provided a new update on his future retirement from mixed martial arts.

Following on from his championship triumph at UFC Freedom 250, there were plenty of questions regarding what exactly would be next for Justin Gaethje. Now, it seems that the path forward includes a possible rematch against Ilia Topuria, or maybe a showdown with the winner of the upcoming Arman Tsarukyan vs Mauricio Ruffy fight.

RELATED: Justin Gaethje surprisingly supports Arman Tsarukyan's long wait for UFC title shot

Alongside that, some have suggested that Justin Gaethje should ride off into the sunset and retire, given that he has now finally achieved his ultimate goal. Up to this point, there hasn't been a concrete answer one way or the other from the champ.

In a recent interview, Justin Gaethje had the following to say on the subject.

Justin Gaethje discusses retirement

“I've fought twice this year, I have deep bone bruise in my knee, I can't punch with my hand still so I really need to recover and I know for a fact I won't fight again this year,†he said on the MightyCast YouTube channel.

“I do know I've just performed better than I've ever performed and statistically that shouldn't have happened… I have a family, I've always trusted and told my parents, my brothers, my sister, my coaches, that I need them to have a conversation with me whenever the time needs to come.

“I really rely on them and lean on them to help me through this choice, I think it's a big choice. But I do think I'm a business and I need to approach this like a business… I need to have different conversations and see what life looks like. I haven't made a decision, I don't know (whether I will return),†he continued.

Quotes via Bloody Elbow

Do you want to see Gaethje retire from mixed martial arts? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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Lerone Murphy proposes judging rule change following Movsar Evloev loss

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Lerone Murphy proposes judging rule change following Movsar Evloev loss

UFC feathereweight Lerone Murphy has given his thoughts on a possible rule change in judging following his defeat to Movsar Evloev.

Earlier this year, Lerone Murphy lost his undefeated record in mixed martial arts when he suffered a majority decision defeat to Movsar Evloev in London. Now, Evloev will challenge Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333 for the UFC featherweight championship.

RELATED: Aaron Pico thinks he'd ‘dominate' Lerone Murphy in UFC rematch: “When that time comes, I'll be readyâ€

Lerone Murphy hasn't been back in the cage since then, but he has certainly made his voice heard, particularly regarding the judging of the fight, which included a point deduction for Evloev.

In a recent interview, Lerone Murphy spoke about that in more detail.

Lerone Murphy on judging after Evloev loss

“It's a weird fight because nothing much happens in the first round,†Murphy told FightersAdvice. “The first round is a toss-up, nothing happens and I think, I'm sorry go away from the subject, but I think that the judging shouldn't need to always be 10-9 because if nothing happens in a round, you can't just give it to one guy because you favor him. If nothing happens in a round, it's 10-10 or 9-9 or whatever. I think that should be brought in.â€

Quotes via Bloody Elbow

Regardless of whether or not there will be changes to judging, it will be interesting to see how Lerone attempts to bounce back from this as he continues his pursuit of UFC gold.

As for Evloev, he knows that he faces the biggest test of his career when he goes up against Volkanovski for the belt – but given his ability to edge past tough opponents, it wouldn't be at all surprising to see him get the job done.

Do you agree with Murphy's idea of scoring a round as a draw? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, BJPENN Nation!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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