Paddy Pimblett believes he can fight for the lightweight title in 2026, and has a path in mind to get there.
The first step is this Saturday when he meets Michael Chandler in the highly anticipated five-round co-main event of UFC 314 in Miami. When asked what the perfect 2025 would look like for him, Pimblett laid out his ideal situation.
“First or second round knockout or submission over Michael Chandler [on Saturday],” Pimblett said on the UFC 314 Weigh-In Show. “I can’t look past him. That’s the first thing that I’ve got.
“Then I’d love to fight a legend like Charles [Oliveira], to be honest, in Abu Dhabi in October. Everyone says that Charles is the best submission artist the UFC’s ever seen — and by numbers, he is. He’s got more finishes, more submissions than anyone, so I’d love to fight him: Former UFC undisputed champion, two defenses.
“[I] beat Charles Oliveira, prove I’m the best submission artist in the UFC, and then fight for the title in 2026.”
Pimblett is undefeated in the UFC, posting a perfect 6-0 record inside the octagon. The most recent outing for “The Baddy” was his breakout performance, quickly submitting veteran King Green at UFC 304 this past July.
Proving people wrong has been a top goal for Pimblett since entering the UFC, and now that he sees the path towards a world title, getting the belt would certainly shut up the doubters.
“The roadmap is there,” Pimblett said. “I just got to follow the GPS.”
