Paddy Pimblett’s teammate insists only one thing stands in the way of Liverpool-mad UFC star selling out Anfield

Surging lightweight prospect Shem Rock believes his superstar team-mate Paddy Pimblett is more than capable of selling out Anfield.

Pimblett has been campaigning for MMA’s premier promotion to stage an event at the home of his beloved Liverpool FC since joining the organisation in 2021.

He even contacted the club about the possibility earlier this year, and claims they are more than open to the idea.

However, nothing has come to fruition as of yet, which Rock claims is entirely down to UFC president Dana White.

“I honestly don’t think UFC Anfield is far-fetched. I think it is very realistic,” he told talkSPORT.com.

“I think we have the names in this city to have Paddy [Pimblett] main event, Molly [McCann] on the main card, maybe you bring back Darren Till.

“And maybe you bring in a few Mancs like Lerrone Murphy and a few other guys that are coming up.

“You sign Nathan Fletcher, Adam Cullen, Luke Riley and you throw them on the card.

“I don’t think it is far-fetched because you have got c**** like Taylor Swift and Pink selling out Anfield and they are not scousers lad.

“There is more than 50,000 people in this city lad, let them tell you. There is a good half a million.

“Why can’t we sell 50,000 tickets amongst us all? It’s not that unheard of lad.

“Paddy was selling out Echo Arena when he was with Cage Warriors, what would he do now?

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“Do you think Americans wouldn’t fly over to watch him?

“100 per cent they would. I think he could sell out Anfield no problem.

“It’s whether the UFC want to do a stadium. That’s the problem, the UFC don’t want to put a f****** show on a stadium.

“Dana [White] says it a lot that he doesn’t like stadiums, he likes arenas.

“But if Paddy keeps doing what he is doing then it is going to be undeniable to give him something and I think UFC Anfield makes a lot of sense.”

The UFC have only staged a handful of shows in stadiums with notable examples being UFC 193: Ronda Rousey vs Holly Holm at the Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia and UFC 198: Fabricio Werdum vs Stipe Miocic at the Arena da Baixada in Curitiba, Brazil.

However, both of those stadiums have roofs, which Anfield does not.

White has made it clear on several occasions that he isn’t a big fan of stadiums due to concerns about unpredictable weather coupled with the ‘less intimate feeling’ in comparison to arenas.