Paddy Pimblett was sunning himself in Mexico when the UFC rolled into Liverpool for the first time. It was assumed in some quarters, and by Pimblett (14-2), that he might be the essential homegrown figurehead, with the requisite sheen of stardust, to finally compel the promotion to land their carnival in a city that has long since been an incubator for some of Europe’s elite fighting talent. Instead, it was another Liverpudlian, Darren Till, who in May brought a capacity Echo Arena to its feet – unforgettably bellowing out a rendition of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” appropriated from the bleachers of nearby soccer stadiums – and took a controversial decision win over welterweight Stephen Thompson. Of course, next weekend in Dallas, at UFC 228, Till will look to unseat Tyron Woodley as the 170-pound champion and become just the second Englishman in history to wear UFC gold. Related Watch Paddy Pimblett's impressive flying triangle finish, wild celebration at Cage Warriors 90 The closest Pimblett got to the action on the night of UFC Liverpool was watching friend and Next Generation teammate Molly McCann lose her promotional debut to Gillian Robertson on Facetime. The thing is, Pimblett’s absence was more than a simple of case of just not getting that coveted call from the UFC.
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