Paddy Pimblett Eyes Welterweight but Explains Why He’s Staying at Lightweight for Now

Pimblett competes at 155 lbs, and despite the cut, he looks bigger for lightweight standards. Also, shortly after his fights, the Scouser balloons up to 200 to 210 pounds. 

Thus, the possibility of Pimblett moving up to a higher division is always discussed. He recently addressed these speculations quite clearly. 

Paddy Pimblett Speaks On a Welterweight Move

During an episode of the Green Light podcast with Chris Long, Pimblett said, "I think I will eventually move up to 170. But for now, I can still make 155. Why would I go up and fight some much bigger men, right?" 

It appears to be an absolutely sensible choice since the weight is manageable and opportunities are plenty, moving up to‌ welterweight to compete against naturally larger guys is not the best option.  

The Scouser has said it before: he wants to capture the lightweight title and then jump to the welterweight division to chase a second belt. 

Interestingly, Pimblett might just be one fight away from the title, since he has only lost one of his nine UFC fights. 

Pimblett’s Current Position in The Lightweight 

The 31-year-old lost his interim lightweight title opportunity against Justin Gaethje in January, which was his first-ever UFC loss. 

However, Pimblett has bounced back into the win column with a spectacular first-round finish over Benoit Saint Denis in July. 

Following his victory, Pimblett has now requested a championship match, or at least a fight that will move him closer to a title shot. Notably, he has called out both top contenders, Ilia Topuria and Arman Tsarukyan. 

Tsarukyan, however, has already been scheduled to face Mauricio Ruffy in a title eliminator bout at UFC 331 next month. Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria is on the sidelines following a title defeat against Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250. 

Gaethje has already rejected a rematch with Topuria. As a result, the Spaniard will need to take up a tune-up fight to return to the title picture. 

The Pimblett fight thus makes sense. Furthermore, Topuria and Pimblett have a long-standing feud, which provides an interesting angle for the viewers. As a result, there are also rumors that the UFC may schedule this bout shortly.