Kurt Holobaugh explains why Paddy Pimblett “needs to fight me” after winning TUF 31

Kurt Holobaugh has called out Paddy Pimblett following his TUF 31 win.

Holobaugh has already had two stints in the UFC as he lost his debut to Steven Siler at UFC 159 in 2013 and was released. He then earned a contract on the Contender Series, but he lost three straight fights to Raoni Barcelos, Shane Burgos, and Thiago Moises and was cut again.

So, entering TUF 31, Kurt Holobaugh wasn’t surprised when he was the fourth-ranked UFC veteran on the show as he expected it.

“I actually did think I was going to be the last seed,” Holobaugh said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “I actually thought me and Jason would be the bottom two seeds. It didn’t bother me, I thought I already was, I thought Roosevelt and Austin were the two best guys there and me and Jason were fighting for three and four because of the fact we had been out of the UFC a lot longer. For me, I also wasn’t able to get it done in the UFC. It didn’t bother me, I still had to go in and show these guys.”

Holobaugh ended up beating Lee Hammond, the top-ranked prospect in the first round and then TKO’d Jason Knight in the semi-finals.

Entering the finals, Kurt Holobaugh knew this was likely his last chance to fight in the UFC again but he said he didn’t feel any pressure on himself.

Kurt Holobaugh calls out Paddy Pimblett

“Man, I took every bit of pressure off my shoulders. What’s the worst that can happen? I already lost, I’ve already lost several times in the UFC, I’m grateful to be here and have this chance,” Holobaugh said.

In the TUF 31 finals at UFC 292, Kurt Holobaugh scored a second-round submission win over Austin Hubbard to win TUF 31 which he saw was a surreal feeling.

“It’s one of the greatest feelings ever because I know how hard I worked. I didn’t want to let all my hard work go to waste. So, for me to finally get over that hump, get that win, and get that feeling, I got my coaches going crazy, I even got the crowd going crazy. It was awesome,” Holobaugh said.

After the win, Kurt Holobaugh called out Paddy Pimblett which is a fight he expects to get. Holobaugh thinks it makes perfect sense for the UFC to book the scrap and hopes it does happen in December in Las Vegas.

“I don’t see why not. Here’s the thing, I’m not just a low-level random name guy, which nobody is low-level. But, I’m up there right now, I have a name and I have a title by my name being The Ultimate Fighter winner, not only did I win TUF but I won TUF against guys who were UFC vets… I just feel like it’s a good fight. Paddy needs a little bit more of a step up, he did fight Jared Gordon, which is a pretty good name in the UFC, a high-level guy but everyone saw how that fight went. I think Paddy needs to come up a bit more so he needs to fight me.”