Justin Gaethje gets brutally honest about potential Paddy Pimblett fight next: "I know that sounds petty or whatever"

Justin Gaethje recently shared his thoughts on a potential Paddy Pimblett fight. The former BMF champion strongly dismissed the idea and made it clear that he's looking for a title shot against Ilia Topuria next.

Gaethje is coming off a unanimous decision win over Rafael Fiziev at UFC 313 in March. After the fight, 'The Highlight' called for a title opportunity. He has doubled down on his demands over the past few weeks and even threatened to retire if they weren't met.

With Topuria and Pimblett facing off in the octagon after the Georgian-Spanish fighter's lightweight title win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 last month, many expect the Englishman to be next in line for a 155-pound title fight. However, with the path still unclear, some have suggested a title eliminator fight between Gaethje and Pimblett.

In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, 'The Highlight' addressed the possibility of a potential Pimblett fight and slammed the UFC's matchmaking. He said:

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"Absolutely not. If that’s the route they want me to take, I don’t believe they need me anymore. I know that sounds petty or whatever, but I’m No.3 [ranked], I’m 3-1 in my last four. The champion was calling to fight me, but then he vacated, and they brought a new guy in and gave a guy [Oliveira] that’s 2-2 [in his last four] the fight."

He continued:

"So, if their algorithm and their math tell them to just use me until I get beat, then I’m really going to have to re-evaluate what I’m doing here. I signed up for a merit-based system."

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When Paddy Pimblett picked Justin Gaethje over Arman Tsarukyan for a potential title shot

While Justin Gaethje is disinterested in a fight against Paddy Pimblett, the Liverpudlian would rather fight 'The Highlight' for a title opportunity than Arman Tsarukyan.

In an interview with BBC Sport in May, 'The Baddy' claimed that a fight against Gaethje would excite the fans and said:

"I'm hoping to fight in Abu Dhabi in October. I think that's when I'm going to be back in the cage. I was thinking Ilia [Topuria] might call me out if he wins [against Charles Oliveira]. I'd love to beat him if he gets the belt. I'd love to fight him anyway, but he's booked, so I think it's more than likely Justin Gaethje."

He continued:

"No one [cares] about Arman Tsarukyan, and people actually want to watch Gaethje fight. People know it'll be an exciting fight, me versus Gaethje... One win away and I'll be fighting for the belt. Yeah, that's always been the aim. It's the only aim that we have."

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Edited by Nishant Zende.