UFC lightweight star Paddy Pimblett says if he could choose he would take a rematch against UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
Pimblett is coming off a first-round submission victory over Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329 in July to get back in the win column after a decision loss earlier this year to Gaethje in a failed attempt to become the new UFC interim lightweight champion.
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Now that Gaethje has unified the belts with former lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, a fighter Pimblett reportedly fought, Pimblett wants to fight Gaethje for the undisputed belt next.
Paddy Pimblett wants Justin Gaethje
Speaking to Jeremy Piven, Pimblett made it clear that while he would love to finally get his hands on Topuria, ideally he wants Gaethje next.
“I would take a rematch against Gaethje before Ilia because I want to be world champion. I hate Ilia, don’t get me wrong. Obviously I’d rather beat Ilia then beat Justin, but Justin has the belt,” Pimblett said.
What fight will the UFC fight?
At this point, the UFC has yet to indicate which lightweight matchups they would consider booking next.
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While Pimblett could very well make a strong case for fighting Gaethje next in a rematch, it will likely depend on whether the lightweight champion fights again or not, as “The Highlight” is reportedly considering retiring and walking away from the sport at the peak of his fighting career.
While this may seem crazy to most, since Gaethje is expected to make a lot of money in his next fight, the fact is that he has been in so many wars over the years and suffered so many injuries that it may not be worth it for him to fight again.
If Gaethje fights again, then matchups against Arman Tsarukyan and Alexander Volkanovski seem to make a lot more sense than a Pimblett rematch, but considering Pimblett’s importance to the UFC, you’ll never be able to completely count him out of the fight for the belt again.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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