Jon Anik ‘pretty confident’ Paddy Pimblett re-signs with UFC — maybe before UFC 304

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

While Paddy Pimblett revealed he’s about to compete in the final fight of his UFC deal, lead play-by-play commentator Jon Anik is quite confident Pimblett’s long-term fighting future is inside the octagon.

Pimblett will face King Green in the featured bout of UFC 304 this Saturday in Manchester, England. “The Baddy” entering free agency with a win against a top-15 fighter in the sport’s toughest division would give him some leverage. Anik sees Pimblett re-signing with the organization, and wouldn’t be surprised if he does so before making the walk this weekend.

“I don’t know if it’s something we should lean all that heavily into,” Anik told MMA Fighting. “I think the business that Patty Pimblett is trying to accomplish as a mixed martial arts athlete is going to happen in the UFC.

“So I’m pretty confident that they can strike a deal, and maybe they would even do something before the fight with King Green on July 27.”

Pimblett is 5-0 competing for the UFC, but Green — who dominated Jim Miller via unanimous decision at UFC 300 in April — will certainly be the toughest test of his career to date.

While Pimblett has a lot of detractors, Anik certainly isn’t one of them, as he has seen Pimblett’s hunger for knowledge, and overall improvement.

“I just believe in him — maybe more than some of the MMA masses do — I believe in his appetite for improvement,” Anik explained. “I do think as he gets older, I think there will be a greater commitment and maturity that’s only going to unleash an even greater beast. He’s got a lot of athletic gifts, he’s got a lot of power, he is a very good grappler, and he’s a big game player.

“I think that the Jared Gordon fight and other appearances maybe have him in an underrated capacity right now relative to his skills because the style points haven’t always been there, relative to the hype. But I can’t wait to see what he does against King Green — who looked so fast against Jim Miller. Take it from my broadcast partners: We were wowed at UFC 300. So I think it’s going to be an interesting matchup, and I hope Paddy Pimblett’s future, long term, is in the UFC.”