UFC lightweight fighter and lifelong Liverpool supporter Paddy Pimblett has dedicated his recent fight to late Liverpool forward Diogo Jota and his younger brother André Silva, who both tragically lost their lives in a car accident in Spain in July 2025.
Diogo Jota, 28, and André Silva, 26, died following a fatal crash on the A-52 motorway near Palacios de Sanabria in Zamora, northwestern Spain, after a reported tyre blowout caused their Lamborghini to veer off the road and burst into flames. Jota had recently undergone lung surgery and was travelling back to England by road and ferry after being advised not to fly. The Liverpool forward had married Rute Cardoso just 11 days before the tragedy and left behind three young children.
Following his bout, a video shared by CBS Sports Golazo on Facebook captured Pimblett paying tribute, despite not winning the fight.
In his exact words, Pimblett said:
Obviously am a liverpool fan and ther are lots of liverspool fan here and and the liverpool legend who passed away the past few months diogo jota and his brother Andre silva. i like to dedicate the performance to them even do i did not win
The gesture quickly sparked widespread reactions online, with fans divided over the dedication.
One fan, Phillip Fielding, reacted sarcastically, commenting:
“Haha dedicated the loss…. I’d like to dedicate Liverpool’s loss aswell”
However, others defended Pimblett’s actions, praising the respect shown to the late footballers. Mandy Still wrote:
“Us Liverpool fans love & respect you win lose or draw, does it matter how long ago they died in such awful circumstances, he’s paying tribute to them out of respect, shame other people have no respect. YNWA 🫶💔🫶”
Softfootball gathered, Pimblett, whose full name is Patrick Mark Pimblett, is a former Cage Warriors Featherweight Champion and currently competes in the UFC Lightweight division. A professional fighter since 2012, he is known for his outspoken personality and strong connection to Liverpool and its fanbase.
While the dedication surprised many, especially given the result of the fight it highlighted the lasting emotional impact of Diogo Jota’s death on the Liverpool community and beyond.
