Paddy Pimblett opens the door to a fight with Conor McGregor (Image: undefined)
rising star Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett is setting his sights high and eyeing a blockbuster battle with none other than .
The Liverpudlian sensation has shared his ambitions of clashing with the former two-division UFC champion, saying that a triumph over Michael Chandler could pave the way to the iconic octagon encounter. Paddy is gearing up for an explosive in Miami, scheduled for April 12. This thrilling fight takes place on an already electric pay-per-view headlined by Alexander Volkanovski versus Diego Lopes for the featherweight title.
With a flawless UFC record of 6-0, Pimblett recently notched the most significant victory of his career at UFC 304, securing a submission win against King Green in the opening round. Meanwhile, Chandler is bouncing back from a loss to Charles Oliveira last November, after a two-year hiatus fueled by aspirations to square off with McGregor, which ultimately fell through due to the Irishman’s injury withdrawal from UFC 303.
Both warriors are envisioning the match-up with McGregor as their prize for victory, with Pimblett remarking on the potential clash: “Sounds very tasty,” and confidently adding: “A lot of people have said this to me already. ‘Beat Chandler, take the McGregor fight.’ Obviously, it’s the biggest fight in the sport, the biggest fight we’ve ever seen.”
McGregor has been out of action since his defeat to Dustin Poirier in 2021 but is rumoured to be eyeing a dramatic comeback this year. Despite being called out by numerous fighters, McGregor seems to be exploring opportunities beyond the UFC, showing interest in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).
At a recent BKFC event in Italy, McGregor declared: “Yes. Yes. The warrior spirit burns strong inside me. For sure. If you think I’m up here giving these speeches and leading these men into battle and I won’t step in there myself, think again. For sure. Conor McGregor will fight in Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship – mark my words.”
He expressed his ambition within the BKFC, stating: “I’d like a world title in this company. I would wish to be the Bare Knuckle world champion. That is a significant belt to hold in your career. Nobody from boxing to mixed martial arts can speak nothing bad on a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship world champion. So for sure, I’d be coming in looking for the world title.”
McGregor also hinted at potential matchups, saying: “There are many bouts, showcase bouts you could say, Mike Perry. You could say Jeremy Stephens. You could say a rematch against Eddie Alvarez. You could say many matches. But the lightweight title, who is the champion right now, lightweight or welterweight? Let’s see. I’m open. We’ll see when it comes.”