Paddy Pimblett names three options for next UFC fight as he eyes summer showdown

Paddy Pimblett wants to fight Benoit Saint Denis on his UFC return, but is also open to two other mouth-watering clashes.

‘The Baddy’ suffered the first defeat of his UFC career to Justin Gaethje in late January, before Saint Denis moved above him in the lightweight rankings by stopping Dan Hooker at UFC 325.

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Despite looking bruised and beaten up after his main event war at UFC 324, Pimblett is already fully recovered with a summer comeback in his sights.

The 31-year-old even believes the contest that crowned Gaethje the interim lightweight champion should’ve been a draw if fairly scored due to the two eye-pokes he dealt with in the fight.

Speaking on his YouTube channel this week, Pimblett rewatched his fight with Gaethje in full for the first time before explaining what he wants next.

Paddy Pimblett: I’ll be back this summer

“I’ll be honest with you all, it p****d me off that Saint Denis moved above me for beating that bum Dan Hooker,” Pimblett said.

“Why has Saint Denis moved above me for beating the bum Dan Hooker, who’s f****** s***? What’s going on there?

“I’ll fight anyone, as you know, whatever name that gets sent to me on a contract, I sign it, and I’ll fight them, but Saint Denis sounds like a good fight to me.

“Europe’s two best lightweights going at it against each other.”

Pimblett then detailed two other possible routes to welcome him back to Dana White‘s promotion.

“I won’t get the winner, but the loser of Max [Holloway] vs Charles [Oliveira],” he said.

“F***, I’ll fight Arman [Tsarukyan] if you want me to. I don’t give a f***.

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“I’ll fight anyone, but I’ll be back in the summer. Just let me know when and where. Dana, [Hunter] Campbell (UFC CBO), Sean [Shelby] (UFC matchmaker).

“I’m ready to go. I haven’t got any injuries. People keep saying, ‘the damage he took, he’s going to have to take months off.’ 

“I wanted to spar on Thursday, but [my coaches] wouldn’t let me.

“I didn’t even have a concussion; I had no headaches after it. All I had was a marked face and sore eyeballs from getting poked in them.”

Aside from Saint Denis and current lightweight king Ilia Topuria, who looks set to face Gaethje next to unify the division, Tsarukyan, Holloway and Oliveira are the only names above Pimblett in the rankings.

Holloway defends his BMF title against Oliveira in the main event of UFC 326 next month, while Tsarukyan, who has previously engaged in a war of words with Pimblett, defeated Hooker in his last fight in November.

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Pimblett will have to prove his status as a top-ranked lightweight in his next bout.

The Liverpudlian still holds the main objective of becoming a UFC champion.

He said he ‘probably felt the pressure a little’ headlining the UFC’s opening show of 2026—the first of its $7.7billion broadcast deal with Paramount+—but admitted that five championship rounds with one of the very best will only do him a world of good.

Having not lost in nine fights since a defeat under the Cage Warriors banner in 2019, Pimblett is also enjoying having a clear goal of things to work on in training.

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