UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett is weighing his options for a path to the championship. While he is interested in a potential fight against Justin Gaethje as a means to earn a title shot, Pimblett recognizes that a victory for his rival, Ilia Topuria, in the lightweight title fight scheduled for June might offer a more direct route to challenging for the belt.
Fresh off a dominant performance and stoppage victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 314, Pimblett holds a promising position in the highly competitive lightweight division. With Topuria set to face Charles Oliveira for the vacant title at UFC 317, and Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway scheduled for the BMF title fight at UFC 318, Gaethje appears to be the leading contender available for Pimblett`s next bout.
In a conversation with UFC broadcast partner TNT Sports, Pimblett shared his thoughts on the potential Gaethje matchup and his strategic perspective on the division`s landscape.
“Yeah, that’d be nice [to fight Gaethje],” Pimblett commented. “But I was thinking about it the other day: It’s probably better if Ilia wins the belt, because he’ll probably call me out and then I could just fight him. Maybe I wouldn’t even fight Gaethje, [and I could] just fight Topuria.”
He elaborated on why a Topuria victory would be strategically advantageous for him, stating, “It’d be far better for my career if Ilia wins because I’d, more than likely, be his first title defense.”
Justin Gaethje was himself hoping for a title shot following his impressive win against Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313 in March. However, he will now have to wait and see the outcome of the Topuria-Oliveira championship clash.
Even if the UFC determines that Pimblett needs one more fight before challenging for the title, “The Paddy” expressed eagerness for the opportunity to face the former interim champion. He sees it as a chance to emphatically prove his readiness for a title shot and aims to secure another finish.
Pimblett confidently asserted, “I know for a fact if I beat Gaethje, I’m next in line [no matter who is champion]. It could be [my next fight], it’s just if he says yes or not, because he’s fighting down the rankings again.”
Drawing confidence from his recent dominant victory, Pimblett concluded with a prediction for a potential clash against Gaethje: “After what I just did to Chandler, I think I finish Justin Gaethje.”
