British UFC lightweight top contender Paddy Pimblett, who ranks fifth in the division, came out with a radical proposal to change the promotion's rules. In a recent podcast episode on the YouTube channel of his fellow countryman—interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall—Pimblett stated that he would legalize knee and foot strikes to a downed opponent.
"I'm against stomps because the head simply has nowhere to go," Pimblett explained. "But a 'soccer kick' when the opponent is in the guard—there, you can shift your legs and strike. And knees to the opponent's head? If someone shoots for a takedown just for a breather, they should be punished with a knee to the head Mark Kerr style!"
According to the Briton, such changes would make fights fairer and take away fighters' ability to "drag out pauses" with unsuccessful takedowns without the risk of harsh punishment. Pimblett referred to the PRIDE FC era, where such strikes were allowed and made the matches more dynamic and spectacular.
This statement came as Paddy prepared for one of the most important fights of his career: on January 24 at UFC 324, he will face Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title. A victory could bring the Briton a fight against the full champion Ilia Topuria.
