UFC 282: Paddy Pimblett outpoints Jared Gordon in co-main event

The bout was Pimblett's first decision win in the UFC

Paddy Pimblett earned his third win inside a year as he beat Jared Gordon via a unanimous decision at UFC 282 in Las Vegas.

Pimblett 27, was the busier striker as he edged the judges' scorecards in a close lightweight co-main event.

The win follows victories at UFC London in March and July, capping a fine year for the popular Liverpudlian.

"Was that fight of the night or what? Who's a hype train?" said Pimblett in the post-fight interview.

Pimblett's performances inside the octagon, coupled with his vibrant personality, have seen him grow into one of the UFC's biggest stars.

His fight in the prestigious co-main event slot at a UFC numbered event, despite being unranked, illustrates the star power the promotion see in him.

In 34-year-old American Gordon, Pimblett was facing his most experienced opponent in the UFC with many pundits seeing the bout as a true test of his ability.

Pimblett received an incredible reception as he danced towards the octagon with pockets of fans inside the T-Mobile Arena donning wigs, emulating his floppy hair.

During announcer Bruce Buffer's introductions, Gordon was booed, despite being on home turf, while Pimblett received a huge cheer from the Las Vegas crowd.

Although it was a unanimous decision, all three rounds were closely fought.

Gordon found success with his left hook early on and out-grappled Pimblett, with the Briton responding via intermittent combinations.

Pimblett had a better second round, landing a number of punches and leg kicks as the fight wore on, prompting him to raise his arms in the air as the crowd chanted his name.

Gordon pushed forward in the third, controlling Pimblett against the cage and landing a takedown, but the Briton ended the fight in the dominant position, looking for a rear-naked choke.

"That wasn't close, not at all," said Pimblett.

"I won the first two rounds then coasted in the third, I knew for a fact I won."

Pimblett, who extends the unbeaten start to his UFC career to four, says he is unsure when he will return to the octagon after suffering an injury during the fight.

"We'll see. I'm not gonna lie, I hurt my right foot in the first round. I'll need that X-rayed," he said.

Till loses to Du Plessis

Darren Till has won one of his four fights since moving up to middleweight in 2019

On the undercard, Britain's Darren Till suffered defeat as he was submitted by rear-naked choke in the third round in a middleweight fight with Dricus du Plessis.

The Liverpudlian, 29, is a former UFC welterweight title challenger but came into the bout with South Africa's Du Plessis following two successive defeats.

Cornered by fellow Briton and new PFL featherweight champion Brendan Loughnane, Till ran to the octagon during his ring-walk, echoing the actions of UFC star Khamzat Chimaev, who Till has developed a close friendship with in the past year.

In Till's previous fight against Derek Brunson just over a year ago, he was out-grappled, and Du Plessis employed similar tactics as he went for a takedown early in the first round.

Pinned against the cage, Du Plessis dominated Till, landing a remarkable 60 unanswered strikes before Till reversed the position towards the end of the round.

Till had more success in the second, landing some clean left hands and elbows on Du Plessis, but was taken down again in the third and submitted.

Till, who has a history of injury problems, said he hurt his Achilles during the fight, which perhaps explains the lack of kicks he threw and compromised movement in defending Du Plessis' takedowns.

Till has now suffered five defeats in his past six bouts.

Blachowicz and Ankalaev ends in split draw

Blachowicz was attempting to become a two-time champion, while Ankalaev entered the fight on a nine-fight win streak.

In remarkable scenes, the light-heavyweight title fight between Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev ended in a split draw, leaving the division without a champion.

The fight was promoted to the main event last month after former champion Jiri Prochazka pulled out of his bout with Glover Teixeira with injury and vacated his title.

Poland's Blachowicz attacked with leg kicks in the early rounds, with Russian Ankalaev dominating the latter part of the fight on the ground.

Following the decision, Blachowicz acknowledged he should have lost the fight, and told the UFC to give Ankalaev the belt.

Ankalaev expressed his dismay at the decision.

"I don't know what to say, I won that fight. Why did I not get my belt? Give me my belt," he said.

"I don't know if I'll fight for this organisation again after what just happened."

Elsewhere, Raul Rosas Jr became the youngest UFC fighter in history as the 18-year-old earned a superb first-round submission over Jay Perrin.

California's Rosas Jr, who was already the youngest athlete to be signed by the UFC at age 17, showed excellent jiu-jitsu as he took 29-year-old Perrin's back and secured a rear-naked choke in the first round.

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