Jared Gordon vows do his talking inside the Octagon in UFC 282

MANILA, Philippines – A lot of the traffic from the co-main event of UFC 282 has come from across the Atlantic Ocean and now is now is Las Vegas.

British mixed martial arts Paddy Pimblett (19-3-0), who is 3-0 in the UFC, has been making all sorts of noises in vowing to knockout his American opponent Jared Gordon (19-5-0) when they compete in a lightweight match at the T-Mobile Arena coming Sunday, December 11 (11 a.m. Manila time).

Twelve of Pimblett’s wins have come by way of knockout with nine others via submission. Only six of the Briton’s matches have gone the distance. 

Gordon, on his part, has elected not to talk. 

“I do my talking inside the Octagon,” he told this writer. “Paddy is no different from other fighters who love to talk. It’s good for the fight. 

Gordon is like a pit bull who loves to scrap. Eight of his 11 UFC matches have gone the distance with five wins coming unanimously. 

UFC legends Michael Bisping and Daniel Cormier have warned Pimblett not to be overconfident because Gordon is no pushover. And Gordon is no stranger to challenges.

Much has been documented about him turning his life around from a crippling drug addiction to becoming a mixed martial arts champion in Duelo de Gigantes in Mexico and Cage Fury Fighting Championships in the United States where he has won championships in the lightweight and featherweight categories respectively. 

The goal is now the UFC lightweight gold. 

Gordon is currently ranked 25th in the UFC lightweight rankings while Pimblett is 34th. A win by either will put one to a higher rank and a couple of fights away from the Top 15. 

“I am mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually ready for this match,” declared Gordon. “Yes, I believe that anything is possible as long as you work on it and have faith. You have to believe in something bigger than yourself. I believe that in the sport itself, consistency and sticking to the basics, and hard work cannot be denied. “

“I believe I am on the right path — co-main event spot — and my opponent is very popular and a lot of eyes are on us. Maybe without him, I wouldn’t be in this spot. But God put me in this spot. I just have to seize the opportunity and I will.”

“So this is my 25th professional fight. He is not the first guy who said I will get knocked out and he won’t be the last. Words are words and he has to live up to his persona and offer click bait headlines. That is part of his shtick. It is nothing new.”

“I’ll do my talking inside the Octagon.”

UFC 282 will be televised in Manila via the Premier Sports Channel on Skycable and Cignal as well as the on the TapGo TV streaming application.