Paddy Pimblett had harsh words for Renato Moicano following his loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 this past weekend.
"The Baddy" criticized Moicano for tapping out to a D’Arce choke midway through the opening round, rather than enduring the submission and passing out. Pimblett took to social media, repeatedly urging Moicano to “go to sleep” and accusing him of tapping “after like two seconds like a b*tch.”
Veteran fighter Matt Brown weighed in on the controversy, attributing Pimblett’s remarks to a desire for attention while speaking on MMA Fighting's The Fighter vs. The Writer podcast.
I’m betting it’s just Paddy trying to talk and be in the news and get his voice out there and just say things.
Brown, a seasoned jiu-jitsu practitioner, dismissed the notion that going to sleep in a submission proves anything.
You start seeing the tunnel close — that’s what happens when you almost go to sleep. What’s the point at that stage? We all do jiu-jitsu. We know when we’re caught and when the end is inevitable. You either tap or go to sleep. Just tap. There’s no shame in it. You got caught. That’s it.
Brown also suggested Moicano likely understands where he went wrong and doesn’t need criticism for choosing to tap. He called the Liverpool native's remarks “utter nonsense,” emphasizing that there’s no added respect or benefit to losing consciousness in a fight.
In training, you’re working to avoid getting caught in a submission—not testing how long your joints can hold out,” Brown explained. “It’s just silly. I think Paddy’s trying to start something with Moicano, maybe angling for a fight. Which is fine, but he knows better. When you’re caught, you’re caught. Tapping or going to sleep doesn’t change that.
Brown concluded by reiterating that there’s no advantage to enduring a submission.
No one respects you more for going to sleep. You’re not getting a bonus for it. There’s literally nothing you gain by not tapping.