A rivalry is brewing between Paddy Pimblett and Colby Covington, and it seems Pimblett has no interest in escalating it anytime soon.
Following his victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 314, Pimblett was unexpectedly approached backstage by Colby Covington. Covington questioned the level of Pimblett`s opponents, while Pimblett retorted by highlighting Covington`s recent losses.
Pimblett further discussed the incident on an ESPN post-event show, downplaying Covington`s actions.
“Oh yeah, that little pest,” Pimblett commented, suggesting Covington only acts up when cameras are present. He recounted an earlier encounter at Power Slap where Covington avoided eye contact. Referring to their backstage meeting, Pimblett said he threatened to slap Covington but also accused him of being a “grass” (snitch), referencing Covington`s past police report against Jorge Masvidal.
Covington`s recent fight record shows only one win since 2021, a victory against Jorge Masvidal at UFC 272. Subsequently, Masvidal attacked Covington outside a restaurant, leading to Masvidal`s arrest and misdemeanor battery plea.
With a 7-0 UFC record after defeating Chandler, Pimblett is focused on pursuing a lightweight title shot, viewing Covington as a minor distraction.
“He can eat dirt,” Pimblett stated dismissively. He mocked Covington for hiring models for appearances and labeled him a “nobody” and “irrelevant” due to his losing streak. Pimblett added he could easily beat Covington but has more significant goals.
Looking ahead, the fighter from Liverpool mentioned top lightweight contenders like Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, Dustin Poirier, and Arman Tsarukyan as potential future opponents. He also included his long-time rival Ilia Topuria, who is moving to lightweight, and Conor McGregor in his list of possible matchups.
“And there’s Conor McGregor, who even bet on Michael Chandler,” Pimblett noted. Highlighting a supposed “Scouse-Irish connection,” he suggested McGregor should support his own and offered to fight him if McGregor wants to return to the octagon.
