Paddy Pimblett believes its possible that he could become lightweight champion without having to fight Ilia Topuria.<\/p>\n
Pimblett\u2019s path to the 155 pound belt has already felt surreal. \u201cThe Baddy\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
Nine months later, and Pimblett is ranked No. 5.<\/a> He\u2019s fighting No. 4 ranked Justin Gaethje<\/a> for the interim lightweight title at UFC 324<\/a> on January 24th. If he wins the belt, he\u2019ll face Ilia Topuria to unify the titles sometime in summer 2026.<\/p>\n \u201c[Ilia has] got a lot going on in his personal life,\u201d Pimblett said in a new interview with ESPN Deportes. \u201cI wish him nothing but the best, that has got nothing to do with me and him fighting. That\u2019s his family, and I hope everything goes well. I hope that goes perfectly for him.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAll I care about is getting him in that octagon and fighting him,\u201d he continued. \u201cBut you never know \u2026 if he doesn\u2019t come back by June, July, then he might have to vacate his belt. I\u2019ll become undisputed champion without even fighting.\u201d<\/p>\n