“The array of finishes, across 2 divisions, with champion status in 1, Anderson Silva is No.1 MMA GOAT.” Conor McGregor jumped on Twitter (now X) back in May 2020 and dropped his personal GOAT list. And guess who he put at the top? Anderson Silva. And honestly, how could he not? Silva isn’t just a legend, fans see him as the MMA greatness. McGregor, for all his bravado, was a fan just like the rest of us. And if that didn’t prove it enough, Paddy Pimblett once told a story that took the Irishman’s admiration for Silva to a new level.

Paddy and Conor might have something in common—they both came up through Cage Warriors—the promotion that’s built a reputation for churning out top-tier European talent. The Liverpudlian once shared a wild story from back in the day, right before his own Cage Warriors debut. He along with Conor, John Kavanaugh, and others were all hanging out one night when Chris Weidman shocked the world by knocking out Anderson Silva at UFC 162. The sight of watching his #1 fighter fall like that visibly agitated the Irish superstar, who proceeded to take his anger out on a nearby wall.

‘The Baddy’ revealed to Adam Catterall at One on One YouTube channel, “It was crazy because I had my Cage Warriors debut and Conor has just being signed. So, Conor was there when I had my debut, he was in Philip Mulpeter’s corner when finished Warren Kee. I’ll never forget that night after it was the night when Anderson Silva got knocked out by Chris Weidman, and I watched it with Conor, John Kavanagh, Adam, me, Danny Roberts, and couple of other, Ian Dean was there. And I’ll never forget Conor after Anderson got beat, he is a big Anderson fan, I’ll never forget him man leg kicking the wall!”

Conor McGregor was, and still is, a die-hard student of the fight game. Say what you want about the guy, but his passion for MMA runs deep. Over the years, he’s taken shots at plenty of fighters, legends included. But, ‘The Notorious’ never wavered when it came to honoring ‘The Spider’s legacy inside and outside the UFC. After the verbal assault against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, the former two-division champion famously compared his leg break to Anderson Silva’s leg break that occurred at UFC 168, during the rematch with Chris Weidman.

Paddy Pimblett is all set to face Michael Chandler in the co-main event of UFC 314. This is going to be the most important fight of his career because it’s not only just a fight, it’s also a chance to climb the lightweight ladder and take on the division’s even more prominent names. His opponent’s rank is also at stake, so he also can’t afford to lose. So, ‘The Baddy’ needs to perform his best to show the world and also to Conor McGregor, who has expressed interest in this bout.

Paddy Pimblett responds to Conor McGregor before his fight vs Michael Chandler

Conor McGregor recently dropped a video on social media titled, “I am interested in the Chandler/Pimblett fight this weekend.” The video was caption under him hitting training pads in the gym. He didn’t say a word about a comeback though. A lot of people believe his fighting days are behind him, but that clip still turned heads, especially Paddy Pimblett’s. Once the video hit his radar, Paddy couldn’t help but react to it.

At the UFC 314 Press Conference, Paddy Pimblett said, “I’d welcome that fight, that’s where the money is at. But I can’t look past Michael. I’ve got to fight Michael on Saturday night and get the win here. That’s all that matters.”  That’s a very plain, simple, yet effective response from the Liverpudlian. He is focusing on his own mission right now and not thinking about something that is almost unlikely, considering the current scenario.

So, what do you think about Paddy Pimblett sharing Conor McGregor’s ultimate fan moment? Please comment your thoughts below.