Paddy Pimblett believes its possible that he could become lightweight champion without having to fight Ilia Topuria.
Pimblett’s path to the 155 pound belt has already felt surreal. “The Baddy” had standout
popularity but few felt he had what it took to become a legitimate title contender. But a one-sided beatdown of Michael Chandler in April 2025 changed that. All of a sudden Paddy was ranked No. 8, and then he just kept inching up the rankings as if by magic.
Nine months later, and Pimblett is ranked No. 5. He’s fighting No. 4 ranked Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324 on January 24th. If he wins the belt, he’ll face Ilia Topuria to unify the titles sometime in summer 2026.
Or will he?
“[Ilia has] got a lot going on in his personal life,” Pimblett said in a new interview with ESPN Deportes. “I wish him nothing but the best, that has got nothing to do with me and him fighting. That’s his family, and I hope everything goes well. I hope that goes perfectly for him.”
“All I care about is getting him in that octagon and fighting him,” he continued. “But you never know … if he doesn’t come back by June, July, then he might have to vacate his belt. I’ll become undisputed champion without even fighting.”
Topuria is taking time off from fighting to deal with what’s looking like a contentious divorce that doesn’t just involve money but custody of his two children as well. It would be hard for him to focus on a fight with that hanging over his head, and who knows how long that could take?
With the magic horse shoe Pimblett has wedged up his arse continuing to shine, you never know what circumstance is going to work out in his favor next.
