TLDR
- Paddy Pimblett is willing to fight Conor McGregor at welterweight before the end of 2025
- Pimblett faces Benoit Saint Denis in the UFC 329 co-main event on July 11 in Las Vegas
- He acknowledges Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira are ahead of him for a lightweight title shot
- Pimblett says moving to 170 pounds won’t be difficult as he typically weighs 185 pounds on fight night
- McGregor headlines UFC 329 against Max Holloway in a welterweight rematch
Sources: mmajunkie.usatoday.com
Paddy Pimblett is ready to move up a weight class if it means fighting Conor McGregor later this year. The lightweight contender made the offer while acknowledging he may need to wait for his title shot at 155 pounds.
Pimblett faces Benoit Saint Denis in the co-main event of UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The event will stream on Paramount+.
The Liverpool fighter holds a record of 23-4 overall and 7-1 in the UFC. Saint Denis comes in at 17-3 overall and 9-3 in the promotion.
Title Shot Will Have to Wait
Pimblett understands that beating Saint Denis won’t be enough to earn an immediate lightweight title shot. Top contenders Arman Tsarukyan and Charles Oliveira both won their recent fights and sit ahead of him in line.
“I want to win this lightweight belt, defend it, and then I’m going to eventually move up to welterweight,” Pimblett told former UFC champion Demetrious Johnson. “I’d love to get the rematch with Justin (Gaethje).”
👀‼ Ariel Helwani thinks the UFC could end up booking Paddy Pimblett vs Conor McGregor.
(via @arielhelwani) pic.twitter.com/8SK5cu4KyK
— Full Mount MMA (@MMAFullMount) January 26, 2026
The 30-year-old fighter acknowledged his place in the queue. “Arman’s probably in front of me. I know he wants a rematch with Charles, so Charles is probably in front of me,” Pimblett said.
Pimblett wants to stay active and fight again before 2025. That’s where McGregor comes into the picture.
“I would like to fight again before the end of the year,” Pimblett said. “If Conor McGregor needs a welterweight opponent before the end of the year, I’m game.”
Weight Cut Won’t Be an Issue
McGregor headlines UFC 329 in a welterweight rematch against Max Holloway. McGregor holds a 22-6 record overall and 10-4 in the UFC, while Holloway stands at 27-9 overall and 23-9 in the promotion.
Pimblett said moving up to 170 pounds wouldn’t be a problem for him. He gains a lot of weight between fights and cuts back down to lightweight.
“I normally get to 190-195, but as I say, I get back to the octagon at 185,” Pimblett explained. The fighter has become known for his dramatic weight fluctuations during training camps.
He detailed his weight-cutting process for lightweight bouts. “(When) I cut to 155, I’ll do about 12 pounds overnight, something like that, and then within an hour or two hours of the weigh-in, I’m back up to 170 off just drinking,” Pimblett said.
By the time he steps into the octagon on fight night, Pimblett typically weighs around 185 pounds. This means he already fights at a weight close to the welterweight limit of 170 pounds.
Pimblett first needs to get past Saint Denis at UFC 329. The French fighter is a dangerous opponent who has won multiple fights by knockout and submission.
McGregor returns to the octagon after a long layoff from competition. The Irish superstar last fought in July 2021 when he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264.
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