Fighter who Paddy Pimblett refused to release after choking him speaks out after 'straightener' goes viral

The fighter who took on Paddy Pimblett in an unofficial bout at his gym in Manchester has responded after claims 'The Baddy' refused to let go off the victory-scoring choke.

Pimblett, who is 22-3 in MMA, has not fought since he defeated Bobby Green at UFC 304 in July last year. But he has very much remained active and on Saturday, footage emerged of the 30-year-old squaring off against Oktagon MMA fighter Denis Frimpong, whom he had been beefing online.

After a fan said they hoped to see Pimblett back in UFC for the upcoming UFC London card in March, Frimpong replied: "He won't be fit for the Vegas event let alone the London one."

Pimblett responded and the two engaged in a war of words before eventually agreeing to settle their dispute in the only way they know how by fighting.

Pimblett turned up at Manchester Top Team gym and the two put on the gloves and got into it, with many fighters and coaches filming the bout on camera phones and posting it online.

The Liverpudlian fighter managed to take 'The Menace' to the ground and in a video widely circulated, managed to lock in an expertly applied rear naked choke.

Frimpong felt he had to tap out but Pimblett looked to keep the submission going for a few seconds longer before others quickly intervened.

The two appeared to show respect by shaking hands afterwards and Frimpong has now broken his silence, addressing claims about Pimblett "refusing to let go of the choke".

On social media, Frimpong said: "To everyone chatting s**t about @PaddyTheBaddy not letting the choke go, chill out. It’s a f***ing choke, I didn’t even go unconscious, and it was a straightener scrap. I went in fully expecting that if he caught a choke he was gonna try put me out, don’t chat s**t you don’t know."

Pimblett has his say on the submission

Pimblett is 6-0 in UFC and currently 13th in the lightweight rankings. He has no problem settling scores in unofficial capacities, having beaten up an internet troll in his gym and dispatched multiple marines in a video on his YouTube channel.

He hit out at the backlash he received for allegedly holding on to the choke and had one final dig at Frimpong.

Taking to X, Pimblett said: “He agreed to no tapping beforehand," began Pimblett. "All you butthurt idiots who don’t know what you’re talking about just pipe down don’t talk when you don’t know the context."

He added: “Not my fault he tapped like a (dog) when he was saying he was going to KO me on the feet and got out struck."