TLDR
- Henry Cejudo believes Paddy Pimblett has the tools to become UFC lightweight champion after changing his initial assessment
- Cejudo warned Pimblett that his drastic weight cuts will eventually catch up to him and cause his body to shut down
- Pimblett bounced back from his first UFC loss to Justin Gaethje with a 52-second knockout of Benoit Saint-Denis
- Pimblett denied receiving an official offer from the UFC for a rumored December fight against Ilia Topuria
- The 31-year-old is open to fighting Arman Tsarukyan, Justin Gaethje, Mauricio Ruffy, or Charles Oliveira next
Sources: givemesport.com | sherdog.com
Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo has backed Paddy Pimblett to win the lightweight title but warned the Liverpool fighter about his drastic weight cuts. Cejudo told Pimblett to watch his weight before it catches up to him.
Pimblett suffered his first UFC loss in January when he fell short in his bid for the interim lightweight championship against Justin Gaethje. The bout at UFC 324 ended in a unanimous decision victory for Gaethje.
The 31-year-old bounced back quickly with a 52-second knockout victory over Benoit Saint-Denis. The win put him back in the title picture at lightweight.
Cejudo Changes Mind on Pimblett’s Title Chances
Cejudo admitted he initially doubted Pimblett’s championship potential but has changed his assessment. In an exclusive interview with GIVEMESPORT, the Olympic gold medalist explained why he now believes Pimblett has the tools to become champion.
🚨HENRY CEJUDO SUGGESTS ILIA TOPURIA VS PADDY PIMBLETT & USMAN NURMAGOMEDOV VS ARMAN TSARUKYAN TO DETERMINE THE NEXT TITLE CHALLENGER 👀🔥
🗣️ “If Justin Gaethje is really that hurt, you do Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett and Usman Nurmagomedov vs. Arman Tsarukyan, and whoever… pic.twitter.com/Mr9yNQvzNJ
— FightLuck (@FightluckBet) September 21, 2026
“Yeah, he could. At first, I didn’t believe it,” Cejudo said. “But he has the tools. He’s a big 55er too. He’s the biggest 55er I’ve ever seen.”
Cejudo referenced Pimblett’s dominant performance against Michael Chandler in 2015. He pointed to how Pimblett was able to tower over Chandler on fight night due to his size advantage.
The former champion suggested Charles Oliveira as the right next opponent for Pimblett. Cejudo advised against adding Diego Lopes to the mix at this time.
Weight Management Warning From Former Champion
Despite his confidence in Pimblett’s abilities, Cejudo issued a serious warning about weight management. The former flyweight and bantamweight champion spoke from personal experience about the dangers of extreme weight cuts.
“Watch your weight. It’s going to catch up to you, man,” Cejudo warned. “If you get too big, it’s going to… Your body’s going to shut down eventually, and you’re probably not going to recover.”
Pimblett joined the UFC from Cage Warriors, where he held the featherweight title. He moved up to lightweight after punishing weight cuts at featherweight became too difficult.
However, Pimblett still undergoes drastic weight cuts to make the 155-pound lightweight limit. He is known as one of the biggest fighters in the division on fight night.
Cejudo praised Pimblett’s fighting style and ability to mix his techniques well. “He’s got his own damn fighting style. He’s able to mix his fighting very well, actually,” Cejudo said. “Like I said, I used to be a hater.”
Rumors recently circulated about a potential matchup between Pimblett and Ilia Topuria in December. Sean O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch claimed to have heard about the fight being in the works.
Pimblett denied receiving any official offer from the UFC for a Topuria fight. “I’d love to smash [Ilia’s] head in, lad, but we need to wait and see. No one spoke to me about it,” Pimblett told Eze Obasi.
The British fighter expressed interest in returning to the octagon in December if the timing works out. He listed several potential opponents including Arman Tsarukyan, Justin Gaethje, Mauricio Ruffy, and Charles Oliveira.
Pimblett and Topuria have a longstanding rivalry dating back several years. Pimblett threw a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria at a London fighter hotel in 2022, earning Topuria the nickname “sanitizer boy” from Pimblett.
The two fighters have clashed at press conferences and publicly mocked each other for their title losses to Gaethje. Both men have expressed interest in settling their rivalry inside the octagon, though no official date has been set.
