‘He’s become the Karen of MMA’: UFC newcomer Paddy Pimblett rips Khabib and claims McGregor has ‘tarnished his own legacy’

Paddy Pimblett hasn't yet competed in the UFC but the brash Liverpool fighter has wasted no time in targeting some of the sport's biggest stars, claiming that Khabib Nurmagomedov is far from being MMA's greatest of all time.

Pimblett, 26, has long been thought of as one of the top young prospects outside of the UFC, owing to a series of sensational showings in the Cage Warriors promotion.

He will have his first opportunity to prove that the hype is justified when he takes on Brazil's Luigi Vendramini inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on September 4. 

The blonde-haired submission ace, though, clearly doesn't plan on on being a shrinking violet in his new home, and has reserved some harsh words for both Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor – the two biggest names that the UFC's lightweight division has ever seen.

And when it comes to Khabib, Pimblett was especially critical.

"He’s become the 'Karen' of the MMA scene," he told Australian outlet Submission Radio. 

"See him on the podcast with Mike Tyson the other day? He’s going, 'can you put this fast food away and this weed?'

No, lad – it’s his podcast, he’ll do what he wants. Shut up. You’ve been invited on as a guest, lad – do as you’re told, you divvy."

Pimblett also reserved some harsh words for Khabib's legion of global supporters, describing the fandom aimed at the undefeated former world champion as "embarrassing".

"The Khabib fans online are worse than the Conor fans now. It’s embarrassing," he said.

"You can’t say a bad word about him. I said that he’s not the GOAT [greatest of all time], but said he is that 155 GOAT, and people took no notice of that and just, 'oh, you said he’s not the GOAT, this and that'.

"I started getting called a Muslim hater because I said he wasn’t the greatest of all time. And he’s not. I don’t care what anyone says, he’s not the GOAT.

"You’ve got to have longevity in this sport to be the GOAT, and he hasn’t had longevity. He had three title defenses. Jon Jones has had, what, 12?"

It wasn't just Khabib who was the subject of Pimblett's vitriol, as he also had some harsh words for Conor McGregor – and said that a fight between the two inside Liverpool's Anfield stadium would be a record-breaker.

"I'll be honest, [he's] the one who tarnished his own legacy. An Irishman versus a Scouser. I feel like that would be f*cking rowdy," said Pimblett.

"That would be next level. It would be ridiculous, to be honest. He is a money type of guy. And fighting at Anfield, in front of, like, 60-70,000 people is where the money’s at.

"So that’s why I could see that happening. But [I could fight] anyone. It doesn’t matter. I’m going to be that big of a star that you could f*cking put me in there against a hobo and I’d fill it out."

As for how a potential Pimblett vs. McGregor fight might go down, the Englishman is confident that he would add the former two-division champion to his list of submission victims. 

"I still say to this day, lad, get me in there with Conor McGregor and I’ll submit him in two or three rounds,” Pimblett predicted.

"If he wouldn’t have ever come back, if he would have retired after beating Eddie Alvarez, you could probably have him in your top 10, you know what I mean? You probably could. But I don’t know where it happens now. Like, top 15, top 20, maybe? He’s half tarnished it."