Lightweight Challenger Seeks Summer Return: “There’s Nothing Wrong with Me”
Paddy Pimblett (23-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC) is going to be entering some uncharted seas when he makes his return to the fabled Octagon later on in 2026. For the first time since joining the UFC’s active roster in September of 2021, he’ll be making the walk looking to shake off a defeat inside the cage. […]
Paddy Pimblett (23-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC) is going to be entering some uncharted seas when he makes his return to the fabled Octagon later on in 2026. For the first time since joining the UFC’s active roster in September of 2021, he’ll be making the walk looking to shake off a defeat inside the cage.
If, by chance, you didn’t watch UFC 324 a week ago Saturday, Pimblett sustained his first defeat under the UFC banner by way of unanimous decision at the hands of “The Highlight,” Justin Gaethje (27-5 MMA, 10-5 UFC) after 25 minutes of action inside T-Mobile Arena in Enterprise, NV. During the fight, Paddy Pimblett sustained a pair of knockdowns.
It’s been less than two weeks since Pimblett fought Gaethje. Already, he’s looking ahead to the future, including another shot at his last opponent.
Paddy Pimblett Takes to YouTube for Positive Update
During his fight against Justin Gaethje on Jan. 24, Paddy Pimblett suffered some cuts and bleeding from his opponent’s strikes. If the recent comments from “The Baddy” are any indication, his recovery time was short.
He took to his YouTube channel this past weekend to bring his fanbase up to speed on the aftermath of his latest trip to the cage and mentioned that he was already in the gym just days after the fight.
“Everyone thought my face was a mess, Paddy Pimblett began. “I’m only a week out from the fight. My face is sound, got a little bit of bruising. The only thing wrong with me is my eyeballs. My fingernails are scratching my eyeballs, but you know, we get on with it. I’ve had a nice little week of chilling. I was back in , lifting some weights.”
Pimblett mentioned that he used the week after UFC 324 to get away from the rigors of the fight game. He also took in 90 minutes (plus stoppage time) of the beautiful game of soccer this past weekend.
“I’ve had a nice week with my family,” he said. “ just been chilling with my kids and my wife, been eating some nice food, been enjoying my food, and obviously I went to the match to watch Liverpool slap Newcastle 4-1 and had some lovely food at the match.”
Paddy Pimblett in Good Spirits After First UFC Loss
In combat sports, there’s an old adage about fighters which goes thusly: “You’re only as good as your last fight.” Paddy Pimblett has been rolling with the punches in the aftermath of his first defeat in the world’s top MMA promotion.
“People are feeling sorry for me and this and that,” he said. “I’m great. In our sport, you can’t win every fight, you know what I mean? It’s one of them where you don’t lose, you learn. I’ve learned a lot from that fight already. I haven’t watched it back yet, still quite annoyed with myself and a lot of things surrounding the fight, but we’ll watch it back on the channel. I’ll watch it back with everyone.”
Paddy Pimblett Hungry for Revenge Against Gaethje
In the wake of his first UFC defeat, revenge is on Pimblett’s mind. While he believes Justin Gaethje’s time in the Octagon is short, Paddy Pimblett is hoping that a rematch can happen.
“There’s a couple of things in that fight have pissed me off, but we get on with it,” he mentioned. “There’s nothing we can do. There’s nothing we can go back and change. I just hope that, in the future, he can step up and have a rematch with me, but it’s one of them.”
Pimblett, however, acknowledges that a rematch with Justin Gaethje may not happen.
“If he does end up fighting Ilia or fighting Max or something and retiring, it’s one of them,” he said. “I’ll have learned a lot from losing that fight, so we crack on.”
As for a targeted return date to competition for Paddy Pimblett?
“People think I’m going to have to take the rest of the year off,” he told his audience. “I’m not. I’ll be fighting in the summer.”
Final Thoughts
There’s a proverb that’s most apropos with Pimblett’s recent comments: “Revenge is a dish best served cold.” There’s no doubt that he wants to get revenge on the man who handed him his first loss in the UFC.
At the same time, however, Gaethje is 37 years old, six years the elder of Paddy Pimblett. Thus, in this case, a rematch might not be in the realm of possibility. If a Gaethje rematch doesn’t happen, it won’t be that big a deal, but Pimblett’s next opponent might be in for a rude awakening.
