Paddy Pimblett has not yet finalized his next opponent, but he is confident it will be a significant name in the sport.
As a popular lightweight contender holding a perfect 7-0 record in the UFC and ranked within the top 15 globally, “The Baddy” presents an appealing challenge for many fighters. His most recent performance was a dominant TKO victory over Michael Chandler in April.
Currently, two names sit atop Pimblett`s list: the undefeated Ilia Topuria, who is set to face Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in the main event of UFC 317 on June 28th, and former interim champion Justin Gaethje.
Pimblett has a long-standing rivalry with Topuria and hopes “El Matador” will call him out if he emerges victorious against Oliveira. However, he is also eager for a potential matchup with the perennially exciting Gaethje.
Speaking to BBC Sport, Pimblett shared his plans: “I`m hoping to fight in Abu Dhabi in October. I think that`s when I`m going to be back in the cage.” He added, “I was thinking Ilia might call me out if he wins [against Oliveira]. I`d love to beat him if he gets the belt. I`d love to fight him anyway, but he`s booked, so I think it`s more than likely Justin Gaethje.”
While the UFC has not officially announced an event in Abu Dhabi for October, the promotion has consistently held a pay-per-view event there during that month every year since 2020.
Pimblett and Topuria`s animosity dates back years, manifesting both in person and across social media platforms. A fight between them was previously impractical due to their different weight classes – Pimblett at 155 pounds and Topuria at 145 pounds. However, with Topuria vacating his featherweight title to pursue lightweight gold, the rivals are now potentially on a collision course.
Should Pimblett need to face another contender before a potential fight with Topuria, he expressed a strong preference for Gaethje over Arman Tsarukyan, who is officially ranked as the No. 1 contender in the UFC lightweight division.
Pimblett was blunt about Tsarukyan: “No one [cares] about Arman Tsarukyan and people actually want to watch Gaethje fight.” He believes a fight with Gaethje would be exciting, stating, “People know it`ll be an exciting fight, me versus Gaethje.” Dismissing Tsarukyan as “an absolute tool,” Pimblett reiterated that beating someone like Gaethje would place him “one win away and I`ll be fighting for the belt. Yeah, that`s always been the aim. It`s the only aim that we have.”
The original text mentions Tsarukyan was scheduled to challenge then-champion Islam Makhachev but withdrew due to injury. UFC CEO Dana White reportedly indicated Tsarukyan is not guaranteed another title shot.
Looking ahead, Pimblett intends to deliver a memorable performance in his next bout to persuade Dana White to host a UFC event in his hometown of Liverpool, England, ideally at the iconic Anfield stadium, home of Liverpool F.C.
“It needs to be Anfield [stadium],” Pimblett insisted, calling it “the only the only viable place to do it.” Acknowledging Dana White`s hesitation regarding stadium shows (despite holding one in Australia), Pimblett argued Anfield is different. He urged White to experience the atmosphere firsthand during a major match day, such as a Champions League night or a fixture against rivals like Manchester United or Everton, predicting White would be utterly impressed: “You need to come and watch because you`d be like, `Wow, this is unbelievable.`”
