Paddy Pimblett’s next fight has not been confirmed, but the options around him are beginning to narrow. The Liverpool lightweight is coming off a rapid submission win over Benoit Saint Denis and remains firmly inside the UFC’s top five at 155lb. Any future markets for Pimblett will be available through the latest UFC odds once his next opponent is confirmed.
For now, the name that keeps coming back is Ilia Topuria.
Pimblett has said he is not close to announcing his return, but with several other leading lightweights already moving in different directions, a long-awaited fight with Topuria suddenly makes more sense than it has at almost any point in their rivalry.
When Is Paddy Pimblett Fighting Next?
Paddy Pimblett does not currently have a UFC fight booked.
He most recently competed at UFC 329 on 11 July 2026, submitting Benoit Saint Denis with a D’Arce choke in just 52 seconds.
That win put him straight back on track after his defeat to Justin Gaethje earlier in the year.
Pimblett has since said that he is “not close” to announcing another fight and may not return until March or April 2027 if the UFC does not book him before the end of this year.
He has also made it fairly clear that January is not his preference after previous experiences preparing through Christmas.
So while a late-2026 appearance cannot be completely ruled out, spring currently looks more realistic.
Anyone looking further ahead can follow every confirmed event through our UFC schedule 2026.
Who Will Paddy Pimblett Fight Next?
Ilia Topuria looks like the most obvious option. That is not because the UFC has announced anything. It is because the rest of the lightweight division is starting to fill up.
Justin Gaethje currently holds the lightweight title after beating Topuria, while Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira are both still involved in the title conversation. Max Holloway also has his own possibilities, leaving Pimblett with fewer realistic opponents ranked above him.
Pimblett has even acknowledged that himself, saying there is effectively only Topuria left among the names above him if other expected matchups go ahead.
The UFC currently ranks Topuria No.1 and Pimblett No.5 at lightweight.
That makes the fight easy to justify on sporting grounds before you even get into the rivalry.
Paddy Pimblett vs Ilia Topuria Latest
Pimblett and Topuria have been circling each other for years.
The rivalry started long before either man became a serious UFC lightweight contender and has only become more relevant as both climbed towards the top of the division.
Pimblett has repeatedly said he wants the fight. Earlier this year, he openly admitted that Topuria was one of the names he still wanted after his return against Saint Denis, alongside Charles Oliveira, Arman Tsarukyan and Max Holloway.
Since then, the picture has changed. Topuria lost to Gaethje and is no longer champion, while Pimblett bounced back strongly from his own Gaethje defeat by submitting Saint Denis.
That has brought the two much closer together in the rankings.
Pimblett has also been increasingly confident about the matchup, recently claiming he believes Topuria’s first defeat could affect him mentally when he returns.
Whether that is true is another matter, but the rivalry certainly has not cooled.
Has Dana White Spoken About Pimblett vs Topuria?
Yes. Dana White has previously said he likes the idea of Pimblett fighting Topuria, although no bout agreement has been announced.
There has even been discussion about the pair potentially coaching against each other on The Ultimate Fighter before finally meeting in the Octagon.
Nothing around that has been confirmed either. Still, the fact the UFC has openly entertained the matchup is important.
This is no longer just two fighters calling each other out. It is a fight the promotion can realistically make if the lightweight calendar lines up.
What Happened in Paddy Pimblett’s Last Fight?
Pimblett’s last fight could hardly have gone much better. He faced Benoit Saint Denis in the co-main event of UFC 329 and won by submission inside the first minute.
The finish came through a D’Arce choke just 52 seconds into round one, giving Pimblett one of the quickest victories of his UFC career. It was also a useful response to his loss against Gaethje.
Pimblett had gone five rounds with Gaethje at UFC 324 but lost by unanimous decision in an interim lightweight title fight. Gaethje then went on to stop Topuria and become undisputed champion, which made Pimblett’s performance look considerably better in hindsight.
The Saint Denis win took Pimblett to 24-4 professionally and restored his momentum immediately.
Our latest UFC results page tracks the major winners, finishes and cards throughout the year.
Where Is Paddy Pimblett Ranked?
Pimblett is currently No.5 in the UFC lightweight rankings.
The division presently looks like this at the top:
- Ilia Topuria
- Arman Tsarukyan
- Charles Oliveira
- Max Holloway
- Paddy Pimblett
Justin Gaethje holds the championship.
That position leaves Pimblett in a very useful spot.
He is high enough that another major win could push him straight back into the title conversation, but there are still several contenders between him and Gaethje.
The latest movement across every weight class can be found in our UFC rankings 2026 guide.
Could Paddy Pimblett Get Another UFC Title Shot?
Yes, but probably not immediately. Pimblett has already challenged for interim lightweight gold once, losing to Gaethje in January.
Since then, Gaethje has gone on to become undisputed champion, while Pimblett has picked up an important win over Saint Denis.
The issue is the queue ahead of him. Topuria wants another route back to the belt, Tsarukyan remains one of the strongest contenders in the division and Oliveira is still firmly involved.
Pimblett therefore probably needs another win. Beating Topuria would solve that problem very quickly.
Topuria is still ranked No.1 and remains one of the biggest names in the division. If Pimblett beat him, it would be difficult to argue against putting the Liverpool fighter back near the front of the title queue.
Could Paddy Pimblett Fight Justin Gaethje Again?
Eventually, yes. Pimblett and Gaethje already fought for the interim lightweight championship at UFC 324, with Gaethje winning by unanimous decision.
Their paths could cross again because Gaethje now holds the undisputed belt.
Pimblett has made no secret of the fact he still wants to become UFC champion, so a rematch would immediately become relevant if he earns another title shot. There is plenty that needs to happen first.
Gaethje’s own future remains slightly uncertain, while Tsarukyan, Oliveira and Topuria all have arguments around the championship picture.
For Pimblett, there is little point worrying about Gaethje until his next opponent has been sorted.
Could Paddy Pimblett Fight Max Holloway?
Holloway is another possible name, although it currently feels less likely than Topuria.
He is ranked directly above Pimblett at No.4 and would obviously represent a huge fight. The problem is timing.
Holloway continues to have other options available to him, including a potential third fight with Conor McGregor.
Pimblett has referenced that possibility himself while discussing why there are so few names left for him at lightweight.
If Holloway goes in another direction, Topuria becomes the obvious choice.
Paddy Pimblett Next Fight Prediction
I think Pimblett fights Ilia Topuria next. It is difficult to see a cleaner matchup at the moment.
Both men are available, both sit near the top of the lightweight rankings and they have enough genuine history for the UFC to build a major event around them without needing to manufacture anything.
It also makes sense competitively. Topuria needs a strong win after losing the lightweight title, while Pimblett needs one more elite-level victory if he wants another crack at championship gold.
The only real question is when. Pimblett does not sound desperate to rush back, and he has already suggested March or April 2027 if nothing happens before the end of this year.
If that timeline holds, the UFC has plenty of time to build the fight properly.
For Pimblett, beating Saint Denis kept his title ambitions alive. Beating Topuria could put him right back at the front of the queue.
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