Paddy Pimblett rooted against Chimaev due to Tsarukyan cornering him

Paddy Pimblett revealed on his YouTube channel in the days following UFC 328 that he was actively rooting against Khamzat Chimaev during the middleweight main event — not out of admiration for Sean Strickland, but because Arman Tsarukyan was standing in Chimaev's corner. Pimblett admitted that Tsarukyan's presence alone was enough to make him want Chimaev to come up short.

Pimblett, 31, is currently ranked sixth in the lightweight division with a 23-4-0 record. The Liverpool native fights out of Next Generation MMA and has built a reputation as one of the more vocal personalities on the roster, landing significant strikes at a rate of 5.49 per minute with 52 percent accuracy. His comments appear to stem from personal animosity toward Tsarukyan rather than any direct competitive crossover with Chimaev.

Chimaev, the number one middleweight contender at 32 years old, entered UFC 328 carrying a 15-1-0 record and a top-ten pound-for-pound ranking. The UAE-based Swede is one of the most dangerous wrestlers in the sport, averaging 5.29 takedowns per fifteen minutes alongside a 60 percent striking accuracy mark.

Strickland, the reigning middleweight champion at 35, holds a 31-7-0 record and fights out of Xtreme Couture. The American is known for relentless forward pressure, pouring out 6.04 significant strikes per minute, and carried his title into the UFC 328 headliner.

Why it matters

• The comments highlight a simmering personal rivalry between Pimblett and Tsarukyan, two lightweights who could realistically meet in the near future given Pimblett's divisional ranking.
• Tsarukyan's role in Chimaev's corner signals an alliance that could factor into lightweight politics down the line.
• Pimblett's willingness to publicly voice his loyalties keeps him at the center of the conversation even when he is not competing on the card.