Paddy Pimblett offered comeback fight by top 10 ranked contender after defeat

Mateusz Gamrot is keen to take on Paddy Pimblett next after his brutal defeat to Justin Gaethje.

Pimblett was looking to secure the biggest victory of his career to date in an interim title clash with Gaethje, but was dropped twice and beaten.

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It saw the Liverpudlian lose for the first time in his UFC career, and fall away from a potential title clash with bitter rival Ilia Topuria.

After the loss, he fell to sixth position in the UFC rankings but is still firmly in the mix if he chooses to return promptly in 2026.

Naturally, ‘The Baddy’ will need to rebuild his reputation if he is to make a renewed push for UFC gold.

And No.7 ranked Gamrot believes he is now a realistic option to take him on in his return bout.

He said: “I think it would be a great situation if I could face him and get the chance to fight Paddy.

“Because firstly, it would be a great fight for me, but not necessarily for him. I think then I could verify all those gaps in his game.

“I think now they’ve brought him back down to earth, and he’ll be more accessible for other fighters, meaning for us to fight him, and also show where his place really is.

“If you’re asking about the technical aspect, it wasn’t top level [Pimblett vs Gaethje].”

Gamrot hasn’t fought since losing to Charles Oliveira in October 2025, but will be hoping to get back to winning ways.

And he would fancy his chances in claiming a scalp in Pimblett, a commercial superstar, which would provide himself with a significant career boost.

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When could Pimblett be back?

Pimblett was left battered and bruised after the savage striking shootout with Gaethje.

He suffered several facial injuries and took some time to recover, but has already returned to training.

Many believed that the 31-year-old would take some time away from the cage to gather his thoughts.

But Pimblett is not about to be pushed away, and is anticipating a return in the summer.

He said: “I had big puffy eyes, but as you can see now, it’s a week later, there’s nothing wrong with me.

“The only thing that’s up with me is I’ve probably got a scratched cornea here.

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“I’ll be back in the gym, I’ll be back training.

“People think I’m going to have to take the rest of the year off — I’m not.

“I’ll be fighting in the summer.”