Exclusive: Interview with UFC’s Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett
Posted on: June 24, 2025, 12:54h.
Last updated on: June 24, 2025, 01:22h.
- Paddy Pimblett weighs in on Topuria-Oliveira at UFC 317 on Saturday
- Pimblett coming off decisive win over Michael Chandler at UFC 314
- Predicts next fight against top-ranked UFC Lightweight Division contender
Is there anyone with a higher profile on the UFC stage right now than Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett, a rising star in the Lightweight Division, matching out-of-the-Octagon bravado with a strong chin, grappling and submission skills, as well as his power?
Currently ranked No. 8 in the UFC’s Lightweight Division, Pimblett (23 wins, 3 losses, 0 draws) last fought in April at UFC 314, knocking out Michael Chandler at 3:07 of the third round for a statement win after out-grappling and out-striking Chandler. The win also earned him “Performance of the Night” honors. That win moved Pimblett into the top 10 in the division where he has the second-longest active streak.
After beating Chandler, Pimblett told Joe Rogan he next wants to fight anyone in the top 4-5 in the Lightweight Division, and has his eyes set on a world title.
The Lightweight Division is loaded. No. 1 ranked Makhachev (also the current pound-for-pound top-ranked UFC fighter), No. 1 Arman Tsarukyan, followed by Charles Oliveira, Justin Gaethje, Max Holloway, and Dustin Poirier, to round out the top-ranked challengers.
Pimblett: “Genuine Hatred” for Topuria
The Lightweight Division will become even more interesting on Saturday at UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with Ilia Topuria taking on Oliveira. (Topuria vacated the Featherweight title to move up a weight class.) DraftKings has Topuria at -455 and Oliveira at +350.
A Pimblett-Topuria fight would be massive in terms of interest and buzz, but Topuria told Ariel Helwani this week he doesn’t see a fight with Pimblett in the near term future, depending on what happens against Oliveira. Not yet, anyway.
Casino.org caught up with Pimblett, a native of Huyton, UK, where he spoke about UFC 317 and what’s next on the UFC front for him.
Ilia Topuria has recently called you a ‘hypocrite’ and said that he has a sheer hatred toward you. Have you seen his comments and what do you make of them?
“I’ve got a genuine hatred for Topuria; I think he’s a bellend. I’m not in denial, I still think he’s a good fighter, but I know that I’d beat him. Why did he call me a hypocrite? Is it because I called him a little fat midget? He’s about 5-foot-6 and can’t make featherweight.
I don’t know how he can keep calling me fat. He’s f&%#@&% tiny but can’t even make featherweight. I make weight every time, I don’t miss my weights. Call me fat all you want; I don’t give a f&%#. I like to enjoy my life. You’re only fat if you can’t make your weight division anymore.”
How do you see Ilia’s fight with Charles Oliveira playing out?
“I hate making fight predictions; I know better than anyone, once you’re in the cage and the door shuts, anything can happen. If Ilia wins, I think he has to knock Charles out. That’s Ilia’s only route to victory, catching him on the chin. Charles is a bit ‘chinny’ these days, he’s had a lot of fights and got some wear and tear on his body.
Ilia has power, but Charles has the experience. Max Holloway had a lot of wear and tear before Ilia knocked him out, so did Alexander Volkanovski, and he’d just been knocked out three or four months earlier. The fight could pan out in his favor, but I could also see Charles using his size and submitting him or getting a decision by frustrating him for a couple of rounds.
It’s probably a genuine 50/50 fight for me; I can’t really pick a winner. I’m a fan of Charles, even though I want to fight him. I’ve always been a big fan of his.”
Looking Toward the Future
Would you want the winner and, if Ilia wins, how does a fight with him play out in your mind?
“If Ilia wins, I can see me fighting for the belt next. I’d never usually have said that if it was anyone else, as I’m only ranked 8, but the fact that he keeps talking about me and saying things about me, he’s basically telling the world he wants to fight me.
I’m going to be there in Las Vegas on June 28 cage side. If he mentions me, I’ll be getting pulled into the cage and I’ll be laughing my head off. It’ll be quite funny. I’d beat him just like I beat Michael Chandler. Ilia thinks he’ll knock me out, but he won’t get close to me. I wouldn’t let him get in range, I’d kick him everywhere and more than likely T/KO him with a punch or a kick. I could even ground him and stop him that way.
I think people overestimate Ilia. He’s had a good run, I’m not saying he hasn’t, but Jai Herbert hit him with a head kick a few fights ago and he almost didn’t survive that. If Jai would have been a bit quicker after he dropped him, he would have finished him.
He was very, very lucky to survive that. I’m a lot bigger than Jai, if I’d have hit him with that head kick, I’m snapping his chin, never mind knocking him out. He’s overestimated and had a nice easy run up the featherweight division. I know everyone says that about me, that I’ve fought people at the right time, and I probably have, but he’s fought everyone at not just the right time, but the perfect time.
“I’d beat Ilia however the fight goes, and whenever it happens.”
You recently said, you’d love to fight Justin Gaethje in October, but his manager said he could retire if he’s not handed a title fight next. What do you make of that?
“His manager talks shit. His manager is the craziest helmet in all of MMA, and that’s saying something because there are a lot of helmets in the sport. It’s a load of shit. It’s scare tactics into giving him a title shot – I don’t believe any of it.
I respect Gaethje, he’s a brilliant fighter, but he’s just beat the No.12 ranked fighter by decision, whereas I’ve just knocked out the No.7. I stopped Chandler in round 3, Gaethje couldn’t even finish him. He had to take him to a decision.”
‘I Don’t Cause Trouble’
You’re in Vegas for fight week. Are you going to be around causing any trouble in the days building up to Topuria versus Oliveira?
“I don’t cause trouble; I just turn up! The time in London when Ilia got the hand sanitizer bottle bounced off his head, I was on my own and he tried to jump me with about nine people. It’s not me who causes mischief; I’ll just be there with my manager and cameraman.
If I see him and it goes off, you never know, I might knock him out and he might not even be able to fight Oliveira. I’m not one of those who turns up to try and cause mayhem. If he wants to try and start something though, I’ll finish it, just like I did last time.
I’ll be there from Wednesday, so we’ll see what happens.
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