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Lightweights
NR | Paddy Pimblett (16-3, 0-0 UFC) vs. NR | Luigi Vendramini (9-2, 1-2 UFC)ODDS: Pimblett (-140), Vendramini (+120)
It is time for Pimblett’s long-awaited Octagon debut. Long one of England’s top prospects, Pimblett was realistically talked about for a potential UFC entry as far back as 2016, though a 2018 debut in his native Liverpool seemed like perfect timing. Pimblett is probably better off having waited the extra three years to make his first UFC appearance. Up to that point, Pimblett’s approach was fairly clear, looking to implement his wrestling early and hunt for a submission; and while that worked more often than not, things quickly went south once Pimblett was taken into deeper waters against an opponent he could not take down. That led to a deflating loss to Soren Bak in late 2018, and Pimblett has been surprisingly inactive since, with only two fights in the last three years. To his credit, Pimblett looks to have turned some sort of a corner since the Bak loss. While both of his wins have been quick, he has looked better in his brief moments on the feet and—most importantly—is obviously in much stronger physical shape. That all sets up well heading into this fight.
Sign up for ESPN+ right here, and you can then stream the UFC, PFL, Dana White’s Contender Series and “The Ultimate Fighter” live on your smart TV, computer, phone, tablet or streaming device via the ESPN app.
Vendramini came to the UFC without a particularly strong resume in 2018 but impressed in a rough situation for his UFC debut, stepping up a weight class on late notice against the much more potent Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos. Vendramini put in a strong round before suffering a second-round defeat, and after missing two years due to injury, he announced his return with a quick knockout of Jessin Ayari. However, Vendramini’s last fight was a disappointing performance. He was cautious to the point of being ineffective against Fares Ziam for two rounds, at which point he turned up the pressure only to fall short on the scorecards. Vendramini has a puncher’s chance and some grappling chops, but he looks set up to charge right into the best parts of Pimblett’s game. The pick is Pimblett via first-round submission.
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