Paddy Pimblett didn’t lose a fight, but he did tap out. The moment came on the mats in Liverpool, captured on video and shared online, just weeks before his interim lightweight title clash at UFC 324.
The clip shows Paddy Pimblett submitting during his gym’s annual Brazilian jiu-jitsu tournament, a tradition he chose to take part in despite being deep into the toughest fight camp of his career.
With a date against Justin Gaethje looming later this month, the timing alone was enough to get fans talking.
The submission happened at Next Generation’s ‘King of the Mat’, a last-man-standing grappling event held each year at Next Generation MMA. It is an internal competition, stripped of hype, where teammates test themselves against each other over multiple rounds.
Pimblett knows the format well. He took part last year and ended up as a joint winner alongside training partner Matty Holmes after the pair cancelled each other out in a marathon final. This time, though, his body was already carrying the load of a full UFC camp.
Before stepping on the mat, Pimblett made it clear he was not feeling fresh.
Pimblett admits he was not feeling fresh
“I’m not gonna lie, I don’t know if I can be arsed tonight,” he said.
“I’ve gotta beat Justin Gaethje up in five weeks. I’ve sparred five rounds today, did pads before it, and did 10×3 on boxing pads.”
Despite that, Pimblett still pushed through the tournament and reached the final, where he came up against BJJ black belt Aaron Jordan. Jordan locked in a calf slicer and forced Pimblett to tap.
The submission left Pimblett clearly uncomfortable on the mat, but he recovered quickly. The two shook hands moments later, and the atmosphere stayed respectful. Jordan went on to claim the title and donated his £720 prize money to a local charity.
There was no sense of panic from Pimblett’s camp, and no attempt to dress the moment up as anything other than what it was. A tired fighter entered a gym tradition and paid the price against a specialist.
Justin Gaethje fight remains the focus
The bigger picture remains unchanged. Pimblett is set to face Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 on January 24, in what he has already described as his toughest test to date.
He has also been open about what could come next if things go his way. Speaking recently, Pimblett suggested a future super-fight could even tempt Alexander Volkanovski back up a division.
“I think if I win and he wins, and I get upgraded to undisputed champ, it wouldn’t surprise me if he thinks that’s the perfect opportunity to win the lightweight belt,” Pimblett said.
