- Paddy Pimblett has opened as the -140 favorite to beat Jared Gordon (+120) in a rematch.
- Pimblett was the +125 bottom dog when the betting lines for their bout last weekend opened at the top UFC betting sites.
- Pimblett defeated Gordon 29-28 across all three scorecards despite 23 of 24 media outlets calling it a win for Gordon.
Paddy Pimblett has opened as the betting favorite in a potential rematch with Jared Gordon.
Online sportsbook BetOnline has listed the Paddy as the -140 favorite to repeat over Gordon, who opened at +120 odds.
Paddy Pimblett opens as a favourite in a potential rematch with Jared Gordon:
Paddy Pimblett -140 (5/7)
Jared Gordon +120 (6/5)(odds via @betonline_ag) đź‘€ pic.twitter.com/ImA4S7Jkmv
— Chamatkar Sandhu (@SandhuMMA) December 14, 2022
Let’s Run it Back
Those odds are a complete reversal from their first bout where Gordon opened as the -140 favorite and Pimblett the +125 bottom dog. The British fighter, however, closed at -275 to -240 odds while Gordon entered the UFC 282 co-main event with odds ranging from +200 to +225, depending on which of the top UFC betting sites you were looking at.
Pimblett defeated Gordon in a controversial unanimous decision where all three judges scored the bout 29-28. Judges Doug Crosby and Ron McCarthy both gave Pimblett the first two rounds while judge Chris Lee awarded the Baddy the final two rounds of the fight. The judges’ decision was a stark contrast from media scores, where 23 out of 24 outlets had Gordon winning, including 11 which gave the American all three rounds.
Despite the controversy surrounding the outcome, Pimblett told Joe Rogan during the post-fight interview that he was confident that he won the first two rounds and just coasted in the third round. Pimblett also added that damage outweighs control, the reason why he got the judges’ nod. Looking at the official fight stats, however, Pimblett managed to outland Gordon by a mere 5 significant strikes but Gordon completed 3 of 6 takedown attempts and racked up six-and-a-half minutes of control time.
Jared Gordon Wants a Rematch
In the aftermath of the decision, Gordon told MMA Fighting that the loss was “heartbreaking” and that he was “devastated”. Gordon says that he is still trying to process what happened. However, the 34-year-old from Queens, New York has called out Pimblett for a rematch at UFC 286 at the O2 Arena in London on March 18, 2023.
While he entered the Octagon as the betting underdog, Gordon controlled the majority of the exchanges in the opening round as he repeatedly landed big left hooks on Pimblett during the first two rounds of the fight. No question, Pimblett fired back and landed his own punches on Gordon but most fans and experts agree that the American got the better of the exchanges through the first two rounds. The judges did not agree with everybody.
Gordon suffered his second loss in his last six bouts as he dropped to 7-5 SU all-time in the UFC and 19-6 overall. The former Duelo De Gigantes lightweight champion and Cage Fury Fighting Championships featherweight champion has closed as the betting underdog in each of his last three losses.
Paddy Pimblett Annoyed With Criticism
Meanwhile, Pimblett said that he was annoyed at those who think he lost. The Baddy says that he felt “baffled” at why many called his win a “robbery”. According to Pimblett, he did more damage and that was evinced by the marks on Gordon’s face after the bout. However, most MMA personalities don’t agree with Paddy the Baddy.
Daniel Cormier, Henry Cejudo, Sean O’Malley, Umar Nurmagomedov, Big John McCarthy, Gilbert Burns, Dillon Danis, Derek Brunson, Phillip Rowe, Lando Vannata, Paul Felder, Brian Kelleher, Mike Perry, Casey O’Neil, Ben Askren were just a handful of those who felt that Gordon did enough to stop the Paddy the Baddy Hype.
With the win, Pimblett improved to 4-0 in the UFC. The former Cage Warriors featherweight champion has an overall record of 20-3 with six knockouts and 9 submission victories. Paddy the Baddy had won his first three UFC assignments via stoppage and won Performance of the Night honors in all three bouts. He, however, struggled against the 34-year-old Gordon.
