Paddy Pimblett Eyes McGregor Matchup at Welterweight

Fresh off his first UFC loss, Paddy Pimblett isn’t dwelling on defeat—he’s already looking at his next big move. The British fighter is set to face Benoit Saint-Denis on July 11, but his real target extends far beyond that bout. Speaking with TMZ Sports, Pimblett made it clear he wants a shot at Conor McGregor, and he’s got a specific vision for how it could happen.

The proposal is intriguing: fight McGregor at welterweight, 170 pounds. For Pimblett, the appeal is twofold. Eliminating the weight cut would mean entering the octagon fresher and stronger, a tactical advantage. But more importantly, McGregor represents something bigger—a payday unlike anything Pimblett has experienced in his career. As he put it, it would be a showdown with the biggest fighter the UFC has ever seen, and the financial stakes that come with that profile.

Pimblett’s path to this dream fight runs through Saint-Denis first. He’s not mincing words about that matchup either: he expects violence. Both fighters are coming to scrap, not hold back, and he’s predicting either a bloodbath or a quick finish with his hand raised. It’s the kind of confidence that sounds cocky until you remember he’s a legitimate title contender hungry to bounce back from a setback.

Interestingly, Pimblett hasn’t completely closed the door on a rematch with Justin Gaethje, the man who handed him that January loss. But he’s pragmatic about the path forward. He understands that working toward a title shot likely means taking on bigger names along the way—and if McGregor is available at 170 pounds without a brutal cut required, the opportunity is impossible to ignore. For Pimblett, it’s not just about fighting one of combat sports’biggest names. It’s about the biggest payday of his life and cementing his status as a legitimate player in the UFC’s welterweight conversation.