Pimblett targeting Topuria or Gaethje fight in October

Paddy Pimblett claims he would love to fight Ilia Topuria in Abu Dhabi in October, but Justin Gaethje is most likely to face him.

Before calling his next fight against a player ranked among the top five, Liverpool’s Pimblett won a statement victory over Michael Chandler last month.

After Islam Makhachev dropped his belt and moved up to welterweight, Topuria will face Brazil’s Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 on June 28.

American Gaethje is third in the lightweight UFC rankings, five places ahead of Pimblett, despite not having a fight scheduled.

A potential date for this year’s UFC show has not yet been determined, despite the fact that the UFC typically holds a numbered event there in October.

I’m hoping to fight in Abu Dhabi in October. When will I likely be back in the cage, Pimblett said to BBC Sport.

If he wins [against Oliveira], I was concerned that Ilia might criticize me. If he wins the belt, I’d love to beat him.

I’d love to fight him anyway, but he’s already booked, so I’d guess it’s more likely Justin Gaethje.

After the two met at a hotel before UFC London in 2022, Pimblett and former featherweight champion Topuria had a history.

Topuria, 28, switched to lightweight earlier this year, allowing for a potential fight with Pimblett.

Gaethje, by contrast, won his last fight in March against Rafael Fiziev, and he still commands respect as one of the roster’s most well-known fighters, with 20 knockouts in 26 appearances.

The only other fighter in the top five who hasn’t been ranked in the top five is Armenia’s Arman Tsarukyan, who Pimblett has no interest in fighting against in fourth-ranked Max Holloway and fifth-ranked Dustin Poirier on July 19.

People actually want to watch Gaethje fight, and nobody seems to care about Arman Tsarukyan. Me versus Gaethje is a fight that people are aware of, said Pimblett.

Tsarukyan, he’s just a complete tool, before Gaethje and I.

Pimblett has won all seven of his UFC fights and gained popularity as a promotion fighter since making his UFC debut in 2021.

Pimblett has long desired to headline a show in his hometown of Liverpool, but since 2018, the UFC has decided to stage shows in London and Manchester.

Premier League champions Liverpool’s stadium Anfield has been suggested as a potential location because M&amp S Bank Arena, Liverpool’s largest arena, can only hold 11,000.

However, UFC President Dana White has frequently chosen not to host events in stadiums due to the lack of atmosphere and potential rain.

To change his mind, Pimblett has suggested that White should go to Anfield to watch a Liverpool game.

“It must be Anfield,” he said. Only that location is a good one to do it in. And while Dana has done it in Australia, Anfield is unique, according to Pimblett.

He needs to attend Anfield on a Champions League night or when Manchester United or something similar plays, or even when Eddie Vedder wears the blue shirt.