Paddy Pimblett has yet to confirm his next fight, but the popular lightweight contender is confident he`ll face a major opponent.
Known as “The Baddy,” Pimblett boasts a perfect 7-0 record in the UFC and holds a top 15 spot in the rankings. He is coming off a decisive TKO victory over Michael Chandler from April.
Pimblett is currently focused on two potential big names: the undefeated Ilia Topuria, who is set to fight Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317 on June 28, and former interim champion Justin Gaethje.
Given their history, Pimblett hopes Topuria, “El Matador,” will challenge him if he wins the title against Oliveira. However, Pimblett also looks forward to a potential clash with the 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.”
“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.”
Although an October UFC event in Abu Dhabi hasn`t been officially announced, the promotion has consistently held a pay-per-view event there during that month since 2020.
Pimblett and Topuria`s rivalry spans several years, involving confrontations both in person and on social media. A fight was previously impractical because Pimblett competed at 155 pounds while Topuria was at 145 pounds. However, with Topuria vacating his featherweight title to compete at lightweight, a matchup between the rivals is now a much more realistic possibility.
Should Pimblett need another fight before potentially facing Topuria, he expressed a strong preference for fighting Gaethje over Arman Tsarukyan, who holds the number one contender spot in the UFC`s official rankings.
Pimblett explained his reasoning:
“No one cares about Arman Tsarukyan and people actually want to watch Gaethje fight. People know it’ll be an exciting fight, me versus Gaethje.”
“Tsarukyan, he’s just an absolute tool, and then it’s me and Gaethje. 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.”
Tsarukyan was originally scheduled to challenge then-lightweight champion Islam Makhachev at UFC 311 in January but withdrew due to a back injury. UFC CEO Dana White has indicated that Tsarukyan is not guaranteed a future title opportunity. Meanwhile, the original text states Makhachev is reportedly moving up to welterweight to face champion Jack Della Maddalena.
Looking ahead, Pimblett is determined to deliver a performance in his next fight significant enough to convince Dana White to host a UFC event in his hometown of Liverpool, England. His ideal venue is none other than Liverpool F.C.`s historic stadium, Anfield.
Pimblett emphasized the uniqueness of the location:
“It needs to be Anfield [stadium]. That’s the only the only viable place to do it. And I know Dana doesn’t like doing stadiums, he’s done it in Australia, but Anfield is different. He needs to come to Anfield on a Champions League night or when we play Manchester United or something like that, or even the blue shirt [Everton].”
“You need to come and watch because you’d be like, ‘Wow, this is unbelievable.’”
Wesley Dunham 
Marcus Blakely