Paddy Pimblett is looking for his next big fight and is hoping it happens against former UFC lightweight title challenger Justin Gaethje this October in Abu Dhabu.
In case you didn’t know, Pimblett is one of the hottest fighters in the sport right now after handily knocking off fan favorite Michael Chandler with a bloody TKO at UFC 314 this past April. “Baddy” pushed his undefeated UFC record to 7-0 in the process and instantly launched himself into the upper echelon of contenders in a stacked 155-pound division.
Given the fact that Chandler was the gatekeeper into the division’s top five, Pimblett has a short list of names that make sense for his next trip to the Octagon. One of which is former UFC lightweight contender, Dustin Poirier, but “Diamond” is meeting Max Holloway in a retirement “BMF” title fight at UFC 318 this July. Another name would be former UFC lightweight champion, Charles Oliveira, but “do Bronx” is getting another shot at UFC gold in a vacant title fight against former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria at UFC 317 this summer.
That leaves Gaethje as the only top contender that doesn’t have a dance partner over the next two months. “Highlight” is coming off his second win over lightweight striker Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313 this past March. It was his first fight back since his epic knockout loss to Holloway back at UFC 300. Gaethje looked good in his return to the cage and makes for a perfect opponent for Pimblett’s next fight.
“Baddy” recently spoke to UFC on TNT about his next fight and the state of the UFC lightweight division. Check it out below and let us know your thoughts on a Pimblett vs. Gaethje matchup:
“If I beat Gaethje I’m next in line. He could be [next], it’s just if he says yea or not… Abu Dhabi, October. That’s when I want to fight.”
