Paddy Pimblett Feuds with Top Contenders as UFC Lightweight

Paddy Pimblett is at the center of a heated lightweight title picture, trading barbs with top contenders Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria while a potential fight with either looms. The landscape shifted after Tsarukyan's knockout win at UFC 331 and champion Justin Gaethje's hand injuries, which could keep him out until 2027.

Fresh off a vicious first-round knockout of Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331, Arman Tsarukyan cemented his status as the number one contender. Pimblett, watching from home, was not overly impressed. On his YouTube channel, the Liverpool fighter gave Tsarukyan credit for a "naughty elbow" but criticized his overall performance before the finish. "I thought he looked pretty sh*t up until the point of the elbow," Pimblett said. He argued Ruffy had chances and concluded, "I'd still punch his head in, though."

Tsarukyan fired back in an interview with Ariel Helwani. "It's his personal opinion," Tsarukyan said. "I know Ruffy that night wouldn't beat me anywhere." He dismissed Pimblett's critique and claimed if the Brit had fought Ruffy that night, he would have lost. This public spat puts a potential fight between the two volatile personalities firmly on the table.

Pimblett's trash talk wasn't reserved for Tsarukyan. He also blasted former champion Ilia Topuria for how he's handled his loss to Gaethje. At UFC Freedom 250 in June, Gaethje stopped Topuria on the stool after breaking both of the Georgian's orbital bones. Topuria later accused Gaethje of loading his gloves, a claim Pimblett finds ridiculous.

"Ilia is trying to say that he had stuff in his gloves, which he definitely never," Pimblett stated. "The commission watch you get your hands wrapped. I think Ilia's just being a sore loser, lads, being a little b*tch about it." This animosity makes a Pimblett vs. Topuria matchup a compelling narrative for the UFC, especially with Gaethje sidelined.

The path forward depends heavily on Justin Gaethje's recovery. The champion is dealing with injuries to both hands sustained in his win over Topuria and may not return until 2027. This has opened the door for other contenders. UFC president Dana White has already mentioned Pimblett as an intriguing option to fight Topuria if an immediate rematch isn't booked.

MMA legend Henry Cejudo agrees. On the Pound 4 Pound podcast, Cejudo told Kamaru Usman that if Gaethje is truly hurt, the promotion should make Topuria vs. Pimblett. Pimblett last fought at UFC 329 in July, where he scored a sensational first-round technical submission win over Benoit Saint Denis. That victory, following his loss to Gaethje for the interim belt at UFC 324 in January, put him back in the conversation.

Pimblett's victory over Saint Denis was preceded by a monumental physical effort. The fighter known for his weight fluctuations revealed he cut a staggering 46 pounds to make the lightweight limit. In a YouTube video, he said he weighed 202 pounds on April 10. Three months later, he hit 156 pounds for the official weigh-ins before UFC 329. That extreme cut makes his first-round finish all the more remarkable.

• Pimblett submitted Benoit Saint Denis in the first round at UFC 329 in July.
• He is embroiled in verbal feuds with both Arman Tsarukyan and Ilia Topuria.
• Champion Justin Gaethje is injured and may not defend his title until 2027.
• Pimblett cut 46 pounds to make weight for his last fight.