Drew Dober says Paddy Pimblett and his “protectors” shot down a potential fight: “It was a hard no from Paddy and a hard no from those protecting him too”
Drew Dober says Paddy Pimblett and his ‘protectors’ shot down a potential fight.
Drew Dober (26-11 MMA) is preparing for his upcoming lightweight bout with Matt Frevola (10-3 MMA) this coming Saturday, May 6th at UFC 288 which takes place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Prior to the Frevola fight being booked, it was rumored that a Dober vs. Pimblett match-up could be next.
It was during a recent appearance on ‘The MMA Hour’ that Dober spoke about the interest he had in getting in the cage with Pimblett saying:
“The talking was all on my end. I wanted to fight him, that would be fun…but it was a hard no from Paddy and a hard no from those protecting him too.”
Concluding, when asked if UFC officials and Pimblett’s team shut down the idea, the 34-year-old said (h/t MMANews):
“Yeah, pretty much. It was one of those internet fantasies where everyone wanted me to fight Paddy, but he’s gonna call the shots and that’s a ‘no’.”
Pimblett (20-3 MMA) last fought in December of 2022 at UFC 282 where he defeated Jared Gordon (19-6 MMA) via unanimous decision. Since joining the UFC, ‘The Baddy’ is now 4-0 with victories against Luigi Vendramini (9-3 MMA), Jordan Leavitt (11-2 MMA) and Rodrigo Vargas (13-5 MMA).
Currently, the 28-year-old Brit is out of commission due to an injured ankle which required surgery.
Pimblett gave a status update to ‘Sky Sports’ on April 20th and when asked about how long he’ll have to remain on crutches and the length of his recovery he replied:
“Could be another six weeks. I’ve already been on them for six, six and a half… I’ll be lucky to fight this year.”
So whether it was a one-sided interest on the part of Dober or not, it looks like Pimblett may not be fighting anyone this year.
Would you like to see a Paddy Pimblett vs Drew Dober fight in 2024? Do you think Dober could defeat ‘The Baddy’?
Will you be watching Dober vs. Frevola Saturday night?
Share your thoughts in the comment section PENN Nation!
