UFC 304: Paddy Pimblett reveals unlikely connection to late Australian footballing icon

Paddy Pimblett is a football fanatic, and a UFC star on the rise. What isn’t as well known is the Englishman’s connection to a legendary Australian footballing figure.

Paddy Pimblett speaks about his late uncle ahead of UFC 304. Picture: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Paddy Pimblett is so Scouse he should come with subtitles.

Which is why I ask the staunch Liverpudlian to repeat what he’s just said about his uncle being an Australian footballing legend.

Pimblett, 29, fights Bobby ‘King’ Green at UFC 304 in Manchester this weekend, but it’s clear he loves talking about football as much as he loves talking about fighting – maybe even more.

He has Liverpool’s fixtures for next season memorised (Ipswich away in round one) and idolises recently departed manager Jurgen Klopp. In his Instagram profile picture, his 2.9 million followers see him draped in a flag commemorating the 97 people killed in the Hillsborough disaster.

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What isn’t as well known is the rising star’s close connection to Queensland soccer royalty.

“I found out a couple of months ago that Ange (Postecoglou) used to play football with my uncle,” he tells this masthead in the first time he’s spoken publicly about the unlikely Aussie connection.

“My uncle lived in Australia for years, he’s a football legend for Brisbane – Frank Pimblett.”

Frank Pimblett is indeed a Queensland footballing icon.

An age-group prodigy, he represented England at schoolboys’ level alongside future Chelsea and Manchester United legend Ray Wilkins.

He played for Aston Villa in the FA Cup at just 17, and eventually made 11 top flight appearances for the side.

Frank Pimblett in his Aston Villa days before moving to Brisbane pic.twitter.com/r03vr5xlLF

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But success came too quickly for the teenager, who loved a pint, and in 1977 Pimblett relocated to Australia and joined Brisbane City for the inaugural National Soccer League.

While working as a steel fixer, he scored the side’s first ever NSL goal in its first league win, and was a cornerstone in midfield as Brisbane City won the first two NSL Cup knockout competitions in 1977 and ’78.

‘Pimmo’ cemented his legacy by captaining Brisbane City and the Queensland state team and was named the Courier Mail’s Best and Fairest in 1989.

He even played against a young Ange Postecoglou in the mid-1980s.

Frank passed away just last month, and his nephew beams when speaking about him, even if they didn’t know each other well.

“I only met him a couple of times, and he died just a couple of months ago,” Paddy says. “He played for Aston Villa when he was 16 or 17 in the first division.

“From what I’ve been told, he was the best young footballer anyone’s ever seen.

“Then his attitude got in the way, and he loved a drink, so he ended up ruining his career over here.

“Then he moved to Australia and was playing until he was about 35.”

“He was the captain and he played with Ange – that’s what my dad told me. My dad me he (Postecoglou) was good mates with our Frank.”

Pimblett and the flag commemorating the 97 people killed during the Hillsborough disaster. Picture: Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Pimblett most recently beat Tony Ferguson. Picture: Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Paddy can probably empathise with parts of uncle’s downfall in English football.

Few UFC debuts were as hyped as his 2021 fight against Luigi Vendramini.

But Pimblett shrugged off the pressure, scored a first round knockout win and claimed three consecutive Performance of the Night bonuses as his star continued to rise.

This weekend, he’ll make the 40 minute drive down the M2 to Manchester to fight American loudmouth Green.

A win could propel him into the top 15 of the lightweight rankings, with bigger fights on bigger stages likely to come in the future.

Bobby Green has legally changed his name to “King”. Picture: Carmen Mandato/Getty Images

Green (32-15) has legally changed his first name to “King”, and has been hounding Pimblett for months.

He has also leaned into the footballing culture in the north of England, buying a Manchester United shirt for fight week.

Dangerous areas, says Pimblett.

“He’s probably trying to get a few local fans on his side, what a weirdo,” he says. “But he’ll turn all the City fans, Everton fans, Liverpool fans, Arsenal fans against him.

“If he wants to wear a United top, that’s on him!”