Paddy Pimblett Sees Topuria as Path to UFC Title
UFC Shake-Up: Pimblett Targets Lightweight Title in Post-Makhachev Era
With Islam Makhachev officially moving up to welterweight, Paddy Pimblett sees a clear path opening toward a UFC lightweight title shot.
UFC President Dana White confirmed this week that Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) will relinquish the 155-pound championship he’s held since 2022 to pursue a new challenge at 170 pounds. He’s expected to face newly crowned welterweight king Jack Della Maddalena later this year.
As a result, the vacant lightweight belt will be up for grabs at UFC 317 on June 28, where undefeated former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) will square off against Charles Oliveira (35-10 MMA, 23-10 UFC) in the main event.
Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who has history with Topuria stemming from a heated exchange before UFC London in 2022, sees the title picture becoming more accessible. The Liverpudlian believes a top contender bout with Justin Gaethje may be next on his agenda—but he’s also open to jumping straight into a title fight, particularly if Topuria walks away from UFC 317 as the new champion.
“It’s probably better for me if Ilia wins the belt, because he’ll probably call me out,” Pimblett told TNT Sports. “Then I could just fight him. I don’t even have to fight Gaethje. I could just end up fighting Topuria. But I don’t know who I want to win. I’m a fan of Charles, so I think I want Charles to win, but probably better for my career if Ilia wins, because I’ll more than likely be his first title defense.”
Paddy Pimblett is riding the momentum of the most impressive performance of his UFC career to date. At UFC 314, the Liverpool native dismantled former Bellator titleholder Michael Chandler, capping off a dominant showing with a third-round finish. With that statement victory behind him, Pimblett now has his sights set on a marquee clash with Justin Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC), which he believes could serve as a No. 1 contender fight in the lightweight division.
“I know for a fact if I beat Gaethje, I’m next in line,” Pimblett said. “Definitely. It could be (the next fight). It just if he says yeah or not. Because he’s fighting down the rankings again.
“Abu Dhabi. October. That pay-per-view. That’s when I want to fight. That’s what I’ll be gearing towards. After what I’ve done to (Michael) Chandler, I think I finish Justin Gaethje.”
Paul Browne is a professional mixed martial arts commentator, feature writer and podcaster based in Dublin, Ireland.
