UFC London sees the return of Paddy Pimblett in his second fight for the promotion. The Liverpool native takes on Kazula Vargas in what will be his fourth fight in the UFC. There are many strong opinions on the fight and most of them have to do with Pimblett's haircut. To be quite frank, the fight is supposed to set up Pimblett in order for him to break out and become a big star in the promotion. The Liverpool native has been compared to Conor McGregor and is expected to have a similar career trajectory if he can win his fights. Vargas will be hoping to prove everyone wrong and derail the hype train in front of his home country.
Paddy Pimblett was a big star in Cage Warriors before coming over to the UFC last year. There was a lot of talk about when the promotion would actually bring him over. Right now, the promotion is looking to build him up slowly. That has been criticized by many including Israel Adesanya. It's unfair for Kazula Vargas to have so many people write him off but that's what happens when you face someone so popular. Pimblett won his UFC debut with a big knockout. He doesn't normally finish people via strikes and normally relies on his slick submission game for most of his finishes. Vargas will present a tricky test on the feet with his knockout power.
Kazula Vargas is flying under the radar heading into the event and will look to make a big statement. Part of him flying under the radar has to do with Paddy Pimblett, the other part has to do with him only fighting once a year. He had big knockouts on the regional scene but has had trouble translating that over to the UFC. Vargas is coming off of a big win over Rong Zhu by decision. There's a good reason the UFC matched him up with Pimblett and they won't be expecting him to shock the London card. He has some holes in the grappling game and that will be a problem against the Englishman. Vargas will have the power on his side and it will be something to watch.
Here are the UFC odds, featuring our Pimblett-Vargas prediction, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC Odds: Pimblett-Vargas Odds
Paddy Pimblett (-590)
Kazula Vargas (+440)
Over: 1.5 rounds (-112)
Under: 1.5 rounds (-112)
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How Paddy Pimblett Wins The Fight At UFC London
Paddy Pimblett is known for his grappling and this is the right fight for him to show it off. Kazula Vargas showed some big holes in grappling back in his UFC debut in 2019. Pimblett has some issues in his standup and that could be an issue with Vargas' sneaky power. The path to victory for Pimblett is by getting the fight to the ground and finding a slick submission. He'll probably look to score a big knockout in front of the London crowd but that would be a risky move for the Liverpool native. Vargas' power and Pimblett's defensive issues on the feet could spell trouble if the fight stays on the feet too long. Pimblett most likely tests Vargas on the feet before finding a slick submission in the second round.
How Kazula Vargas Wins The Fight At UFC London
It was hinted at but Kazula Vargas has to get the knockout. Simple as that. Paddy Pimblett has some holes in his defense on the feet. Vargas has power but he has struggled to get things going in the UFC. Staying off of the ground and keeping the fight on the feet is going to be very important for Vargas. He was out grappled in his UFC debut and there is a good chance it could happen here if he doesn't stop the takedown. He has to earn Pimblett's respect on the feet and look to capitalize on moments of chaos where the chin goes up and the hands go down. It's a tough fight but there is a path to victory for Vargas. He most likely wins by knockout in the second round.
Final Pimblett-Vargas Prediction & Pick
Paddy Pimblett is a huge favorite for good reason. The Englishman is expected to put on a big show at UFC London and win in an emphatic fashion. Kazula Vargas will be able to land some big punches and could provide a scary moment for Pimblett. The grappling will be an important point in the fight as there is a clear advantage for Pimblett. The first round will be an interesting one and the second round should be where there is a finish for the Liverpool native. Pimblett finds a submission using his superior grappling.
Final Pimblett-Vargas Pick: Paddy Pimblett wins by submission in the second round.
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