Paddy Pimblett On The Time He Turned Down The UFC

Published by Paul Browne on April 10, 2025

“The Baddy” Rejected The UFC Back In 2016

As he gears up for the biggest fight of his career this weekend, Paddy Pimblett has been reflecting on the moment he turned down a UFC contract earlier in his journey.

The British standout Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) is set to take on Michael Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) in the co-main event of UFC 314 this Saturday. Before joining the UFC in 2021, Pimblett made a name for himself competing under the Cage Warriors banner, where he wore the promotion’s signature yellow gloves for much of his professional career.

After capturing the Cage Warriors featherweight title in 2016, Pimblett was offered a UFC deal—but he declined. The Liverpool native felt he needed more time to grow as a fighter and decided to continue developing within the Cage Warriors system.

According to Pimblett, the choice wasn’t just about growth—it made financial sense too. He revealed that the contract offered by Cage Warriors was significantly better than what the UFC had proposed at the time. Looking back, he has no regrets about sticking with the UK-based promotion.

“When I got offered the first (UFC) contract, I (also) got offered a new Cage Warriors’ deal, and that deal was worth more than the base contract for the UFC – and I’ve done a lot with that money,” Pimblett said during this week during an appearance on the Full Send Podcast. “I saved that money over the years to get a house deposit myself and pay my mum’s mortgage off. I’ve done a few things like that, and that money’s done a lot for me over the years.

“I’m very thankful for Cage Warriors. They set me up for the start of my adult life really, because that’s when I was 21 when I first started to get that wage”.

Pimblett Reveals He Took A Pay Cut To Join The UFC

Pimblett eventually joined the UFC five years later and has maintained an undefeated record ever since. With every appearance in the Octagon, he’s continued to improve and has quickly become a fan favorite. Still, he recently shared that getting to this point required a leap of faith—he took a pay cut when he signed with the premier MMA organization, betting on himself to rise through the ranks.

“When I first signed with the UFC, I took a pay cut”, the 30-eyar old revealed. “The UFC standard deal is ($10,000 to show, $10,000 to win). I signed for a pay cut at first. My first two fights were 10/10 and then 12/12, and obviously after I won my second fight we got a new deal, and it went up.”