Paddy Pimblett wants to see the UFC change one rule in particular, and his preference leans toward a more brutal version of the sport.
The lightweight from Liverpool is set for his first title shot when he faces Justin Gaethje for the interim belt at UFC 324. Both fighters are known for their aggressive styles, with Gaethje already close to hitting $1 million in performance bonuses over his career.
In that context, ‘The Baddy’ suggested that his fights could be even more brutal and enjoyable for fans. Speaking to Tom Aspinall in a YouTube video, he shared a rule change he would implement if he were in charge of the sport, indicating his strong preference for it.
Paddy Pimblett calls for return of knees and kicks to grounded opponents
During the same conversation, Aspinall floated the idea of an ‘eye for an eye’ rule following his experience with Ciryl Gane, while Pimblett shared his own thoughts. He is in favour of bringing back knees to the head – Mark Kerr-style – and soccer kicks, but still feels that stomps should remain off-limits.
When asked what rule change he would want to see by 2026, Pimblett did not hesitate: “Soccer kicks and knees to the head of a grounded opponent.”
He later expanded on his point after having a laugh about the eye poke suggestion.
“I don’t agree with stomping because your head’s got nowhere to go. But a soccer kick where someone is sitting in guard lets you move the legs and kick them there.
“Then knees to the head of a grounded opponent? If someone shoots a sloppy takedown just to get a break, you should be able to knee them in the head Mark Kerr-style… I like the new rule where if your hands are down it’s okay, but it’s still a bit confusing.”
Aspinall added that he finds the current wording around knees so unclear that he avoids throwing them altogether when an opponent looks even close to being grounded.
But according to Paddy, it is something he specifically trains for and adjusts based on where he is fighting and under which commission.
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