{"id":355975,"date":"2026-06-25T02:25:44","date_gmt":"2026-06-24T20:55:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=355975"},"modified":"2026-06-25T02:25:45","modified_gmt":"2026-06-24T20:55:45","slug":"paddy-pimbletts-teammate-was-warned-hed-be-iced-out-by-ufc-if-he-didnt-accept-fight-while-injured","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/06\/25\/paddy-pimbletts-teammate-was-warned-hed-be-iced-out-by-ufc-if-he-didnt-accept-fight-while-injured\/","title":{"rendered":"Paddy Pimblett’s teammate was warned he’d be iced out by UFC if he didn’t accept fight while injured"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Shem Rock seemingly received questionable advice from his management before the fight that ultimately cost him his UFC job.<\/strong><\/p>\n

A variety of fighters who train on the Next Generation MMA gym in Liverpool have made it to the game\u2019s biggest stage, essentially the most outstanding being Paddy Pimblett.<\/p>\n

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The previous interim UFC lightweight title challenger has gone 7-1 within the UFC to this point, together with his one loss coming against then-future undisputed champion Justin Gaethje this past January.<\/p>\n

However the Scouser\u2019s teammate, Shem Rock, couldn’t find similar success within the promotion, having didn’t win a single fight before being cut.<\/p>\n

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You\u2019re Dana White for the day. Who\u2019s the primary fighter you sign to the UFC? \ud83d\udc40<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
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Dana White speaks on the UFC 313 post-fight press conference. Credit: Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/section>\n

Paddy Pimblett\u2019s teammate Shem Rock was practically forced into UFC London fight<\/h2>\n

Rock was a part of a UFC roster purge that also included veteran bantamweight contender Pedro Munhoz back in April.<\/p>\n

The choice to release the Next Gen MMA product got here shortly after he had fallen to 0-2 contained in the Octagon after a house defeat to Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady.<\/p>\n

Security needed to scramble at UFC London after Rock threw a punch after the ultimate horn in March, marking the Brit\u2019s final act contained in the Octagon before being fired.<\/p>\n

Now, nonetheless, the 32-year-old has suggested he shouldn’t even have entered the cage on that night at The O2 given the injuries he was carrying.<\/p>\n

\u201cI tore my LCL, six weeks out,\u201d Rock said during a recent interview with JNMEDIAUK<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe following day I woke up and I got a call off my manager, \u2018Do you wanna fight on UFC London?\u2019 I said, \u2018I can\u2019t even train; I want to rehab my knee.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u201cI used to be told if I don\u2019t accept the fight, perhaps I don\u2019t get any fights in a protracted time, perhaps I don\u2019t get any favorable matchups coming forward.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2018It\u2019s gonna be tough for us, either fighting or sitting on the bench.\u2019 And I\u2019m like, \u2018I can\u2019t even spar\u2026\u2019 But I believed, \u2018I\u2019ve done this before.’\u201d<\/p>\n

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Photo by Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Rock has yet to book his first fight since leaving the UFC.<\/p>\n

Before being signed by MMA\u2019s leading promotion, Pimblett\u2019s teammate went undefeated under Europe\u2019s OKTAGON banner.<\/p>\n

During his recent public tirade against the UFC, Colby Covington suggested that fighters have little say over their careers and should not have the choice to show down fights, unless they need their status within the promotion to be negatively affected.<\/p>\n

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