There was a whole bunch of hype surrounding the debut of UK star Paddy Pimblett at UFC Vegas 36, and he certainly delivered on the promise in his first outing in the Octagon.

Although things eventually went well in the end for the former Cage Warriors champion, it didn’t seem promising at first. Early in the fight, opponent Luigi Vendramini landed a big shot on the 26-year-old that stunned him. After being hurt, it took the Liverpool native about a minute to get his confidence back. Once he got back into a groove and regained his confidence, Pimblett started to land more frequently on the Italian-Brazilian talent.

Paddy Pimblett starches Luigi Vendramini in UFC Vegas 36 debut

With a minute left in the opening round, he landed a slick uppercut and several heavy right hands that badly hurt Vendramini and sent him into survival mode. However, after about 10 seconds of being battered then buckled, the referee jumped in to stop the fight and hand Pimblett a technical knockout debut victory at 4:25 in the first.

BLITZED HIM 💥@PaddyTheBaddy finished his debut with style at #UFCVegas36 pic.twitter.com/p4NYQ49o1F

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 4, 2021

Despite the rough waters early in the round, the win was a major statement for the much-ballyhooed Englishman. Because not only did he win in a big way, but he did it with striking, which is his second-best skillset.

The victory moves Pimblett’s overall record to 17-3.

The loss is a second straight inside the Octagon for Vendramini and moves his record to 1-3 in the UFC.