Ronda Rousey says she would love to poachPaddy Pimblettfrom the UFC for an MVP fight event.Ronda Rouseyheadlines the MVP MMA event this Saturday on Netflix. She faces Gina Carano in themain eventat Intuit Dome in Los Angeles.
The card stacks up with Francis Ngannou against Philipe Lins at heavyweight,Nate Diazversus Mike Perry at welterweight, and Junior dos Santos taking on Robelis Despaigne. Salahdine Parnasse meets Kevin Cross at lightweight, while prelims include Adriano Moraes, Jason Jackson, and Aline Pereira. Rousey called the lineup a dream already, with those names on board.
In a Complex interview, Rousey named her topUFC fighterto bring over to MVP MMA: Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett. She pointed to his draw beyond wins or titles. “I just think that he’s an incredible character on his own. Yeah, and he doesn’t need a belt. He doesn’t need a brand. People will watch him just for him,” Rousey said.
Pimblett holds a 23-4 record in the UFC lightweight division, with wins over Tony Ferguson, King Green, andMichael Chandler. The 31-year-old from Liverpool trains at Next Generation MMA and fightsorthodox. He mixes Brazilianjiu-jitsublack belt submissions with power from boxing training.
Friends who skip MMA events text Rousey about Pimblett’s entrances. “I’ve had friends of mine that aren’t even that interested in MMA hit me up and be like, ‘Oh my god, did you see his entrance?’ And an entrance giving people chills is something you can’t teach, and something that he has in spades,” she added.
Carano enters with a 7-1 record, her last fight a 2009 loss toCris Cyborgin Strikeforce. Rousey, a former UFC champion, returns after years away. MVP uses a hexagonal cage and Unified Rules for the five-round featherweight bout at 145 pounds.
Rousey sees value in pulling talent like Pimblett, even if they stay in the UFC for better pay leverage there. “Even if they stay in the UFC, to have the leverage to get compensated more fairly,” she noted. The event starts prelims at 6 p.m. ET on YouTube and Tudum, main card at 9 p.m. on Netflix.
Source: LowKickMMA.com