Paddy Pimblett may not be receiving the next Lightweight title shot, but “The Baddy” has options.
Pimblett is 7-0 inside the UFC’s Octagon (sorry Jared Gordon), and he’s become one of the sport’s biggest stars in the process. Equally impressive is his consistent improvement. Pimblett struggled a bit with some of the unranked fighters earlier in his UFC career, but he smoked the two best fighters he’s faced in Bobby Green and Michael Chandler to really assert himself into the title picture.
Suddenly, the guy with the funny haircut is a genuine contender. Unfortunately, Lightweight has a lot of those right now, as there’s a bit of a logjam amongst the elite. The title will get rolling again when Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira face off in June, but a lot of contenders are arguing for their shot at gold. Namely, Justin Gaethje and Arman Tsarukyan have reasonable arguments for the next opportunity.
Tsarukyan recently called out “The Baddy,” but it would appear Pimblett isn’t interested. According to the English standout, fight fans would much rather see him fight “The Highlight” instead.
“I’m hoping to fight in Abu Dhabi in October. I think that’s when I’m going to be back in the cage,” Pimblett told BBC Sport. “I was thinking Ilia might call me out if he wins [against Oliveira]. I’d love to beat him if he gets the belt. I’d love to fight him anyway but he’s booked, so I think it’s more than likely Justin Gaethje.”
He continued, “No one [cares] about Arman Tsarukyan and people actually want to watch Gaethje fight. People know it’ll be an exciting fight, me versus Gaethje … Tsarukyan, he’s just an absolute tool, and then it’s me and Gaethje.”
Since those comments, Tsarukyan has responded. The almost-Lightweight title challenger isn’t impressed with Pimblett’s trash talk, and he accuses him of ducking the match up after previously calling him out.
“It was obvious you were talking trash with zero intention of backing it up,” Tsarukyan replied on X. “Your UFC career is built on handouts, hype, and shortcuts to the top.”
This story originally appeared on MMA Mania
