Paddy Pimblett unlikely to fight at UFC 286 in London after revealing he needs ankle surgery

Paddy Pimblett will undergo surgery in March.

Pimblett (20-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC), who’s coming off a controversial decision win over Jared Gordon this past December at UFC 282, says he hurt his right ankle on the first kick he threw in the fight.

With the promotion returning to London on March 18 for UFC 286, many people believed it’d be the perfect time for the British star to return. But it appears that won’t happen after revealing in a YouTube video that he will go under the knife for his ankle injury in the same timeframe.

“Looks like you have got a small amount of cartilage lost in this bit, and that’s exactly where you’re sore,” Pimblett’s doctor said after examining him. “The other thing you’ve got is all this white stuff around here. That’s all fluid, so that’s what all the swelling is. Now when we look at your ligaments that joins from your fibula, you probably got what we call a Grade 2 injury to that.”

Prior to beating Gordon, Pimblett competed on back-to-back UFC London shows in 2022, where he submitted Rodrigo Vargas and Jordan Leavitt. He earned Performance of the Night bonuses for both finishes.