UFC lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett was asked which two footballers he would fight, and ‘The Baddy’ needed no time to pick his targets.
In a clip that circulated on social media this week, the 31-year-old named Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes and former Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold. His explanation was short:
“Bruno Fernandes or Trent Alexander-Arnold… I hate the pair of them, I’d love to knock them out.”
Check out Paddy Pimblett‘s comments below:
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For a Liverpool fan, the two names mean different grudges. Alexander-Arnold came through the academy at Anfield, was once talked about as the next Steven Gerrard, then ran down his contract and joined Real Madrid on a free transfer in the summer of 2025.
Pimblett was furious at the time and has not softened since. The grudge stays fresh while Alexander-Arnold struggles in Spain. He has made six La Liga appearances this season under José Mourinho, started four times and dropped behind Denzel Dumfries and midfielder Federico Valverde at right-back.
Fernandes is a simpler kind of dislike. He is Manchester United’s captain, and for a Liverpudlian the Old Trafford side is the natural enemy. The Portuguese star has struggled this season, like most of his Manchester United teammates, and has recently been dropped from the starting line-up by manager Michael Carrick.
Paddy Pimblett’s last fight against Benoit Saint Denis
Inside the cage, Paddy Pimblett has had a long wait. His last outing came in the co-main event of UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where he needed 52 seconds to put Benoit Saint Denis to sleep with a D’Arce choke.
Saint Denis came in on a four-fight win streak and shot for a takedown early. Pimblett defended, latched onto the neck and squeezed until referee Marc Goddard stepped in with the Frenchman unconscious.
The win lifted him four places to fifth at lightweight and took his record to 24-4, six months after his first UFC defeat, a decision loss to Justin Gaethje for the interim title at UFC 324 in January.
He has no opponent or date yet. Pimblett said this month that he is “not close” to a booking and expects to fight in March or April, with Ilia Topuria the name he wants.
‘El Matador’ lost his last fight to Justin Gaethje, which took place at UFC Freedom 250.
Edited by Saiyed Adeem Karim
