UFC 304 Showdown: Paddy Pimblett Submits King Green
Paddy Pimblett turned his UFC 304 matchup with King Green into a first-round submission victory at Co-op Live in Manchester. On the July 27, 2024, event schedule, the Liverpool lightweight secured a triangle choke at 3:22 of round one, ending the fight when Green lost consciousness.
A veteran test with clear stakes
Pimblett entered after five consecutive UFC victories, most recently a decision over Tony Ferguson at UFC 296. Green brought substantially more UFC experience and had beaten Jim Miller at UFC 300. That made the bout a useful test of Pimblett’s progression against an established lightweight, rather than simply another appearance before an enthusiastic British crowd.
Green’s boxing and willingness to work at striking distance created an obvious challenge. Pimblett’s submission game offered a different threat. The interesting question was how the fight would move between those areas, because the fighter initiating a grappling exchange does not necessarily control what happens once it reaches the floor.
The decisive transition
After an opening period of range finding and kicks, Green attempted a takedown. Pimblett immediately looked for a guillotine, then changed attacks when that opportunity did not develop. His transition to a triangle choke became the decisive sequence.
The finish is recorded as a technical submission because Green went unconscious rather than tapping. It was not a knockout or a decision. The speed of Pimblett’s adjustment mattered more than any extended spell of positional control: he recognized the available submission and committed before Green could escape.
What the win demonstrated
The result moved Pimblett to 6–0 in the UFC at the time. It also gave him a finish against a veteran who had entered the matchup as a ranked lightweight. That was stronger evidence of his progress than a prediction based on popularity, home support or historical betting prices.
The tactical lesson is specific. A takedown can expose the attacking fighter to immediate submission danger, especially when the opponent can switch between threats. Pimblett did not need to force a prolonged wrestling match to make his grappling matter; he used the opening Green presented.
A milestone in its historical context
The victory was a significant step in Pimblett’s UFC career, and the submission highlighted his ability to change attacks during a scramble.
For Green, the defeat came after his win over Miller and interrupted that momentum. For Pimblett, it supplied a convincing answer to an important veteran test. The bout’s lasting image is the transition from guillotine threat to triangle, a short sequence that resolved a matchup expected to ask considerably more questions.
Sources
- UFC July 2024 preview and matchup background
- UFC’s review of Pimblett’s triangle-choke finish
- UFC retrospective on Pimblett’s first six appearances
- UFC 304 results and technical-submission classification
Tags
MMA, Combat Sports
