After finishing Michael Chandler at UFC 314, British lightweight superstar Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett has finally established himself among the top 10 contenders. With everyone wondering who the Scouser will face next, UFC Hall of Famer and former two-division champion Daniel Cormier feels Pimblett’s road to a title fight isn’t going to be that long. He thinks that if Pimblett plays his cards right and uses time to his advantage, we may see him holding the lightweight title.
On the Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast with co-host Chael Sonnen, ‘DC’ put himself in the shoes of UFC President and CEO Dana White to speculate how White should book Paddy Pimblett’s next fight and set him up for a future lightweight title fight after another victory.
“I would try to fight him in there with Charles Oliveira. Let me tell you why, because matchup-wise, I think it’s a decent matchup for Paddy. I think it’s good match interns of—if he can win, what it would do for him. But more than anything—Charles Oliveira, sure. But for me it’s about buying time for Paddy Pimblett.”, Cormier said.
He further added, “Islam Makhachev would be a nightmare of a matchup against anyone. Time is your friend with Paddy Pimblett because if Belal Muhammad does not get the job done, Islam says he’s going up, right? The moment Islam is gone, put him in a title fight, whoever he’s fighting, put him in a title fight, I’m not saying Paddy cannot fight Islam and beat Islam. I’m saying if there’s anyone in that weight class that’s a real-life problem, it’s the champion.”
In Cormier’s words, Islam Makhachev will aim to go for the welterweight title soon. When he does that, it will be the correct time for Paddy to face an opponent for the lightweight title. However, it’s not that ‘DC’ thinks ‘The Baddy’ can’t beat Makhachev. He believes that at this moment, Islam stands arguably unmatched in the division, with only Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira as the true challengers for the Dagestani.
UFC 314 – Volkanovski vs Lopes MIAMI, FL – APRIL 12: Michael Chandler and Paddy Pimblett meet in the octagon for a 3-round bout at UFC 314 – Volkanovski vs Lopes at Kesaya Center on April 12, 2025 in Miami, FL Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages Miami, FL Kesaya Center MIAMI, FL United States Copyright: xLouisxGrassex
He further stated that Dana needs to recognize Pimblett’s star power and the money the Scouser can bring for the organization, which is why the UFC needs to maneuver Pimblett’s path to glory according to that of Makhachev’s welterweight run. From Pimblett’s TKO win over Chandler to his iconic post-fight speech, with a giant crowd behind him, ‘The Baddy’ must be on cloud nine.
While Cormier readied a path for Pimblett’s UFC glory, many other veterans who were stunned by The Baddy’s performance were also left with no options but to speculate what the future holds for the Scouser who has just dominated a two-time title challenger. Let’s find out what they had to say.
Veterans predict future opponents for Paddy Pimblett
After a successful event of UFC 314 full of exciting outcomes and moments, UFC Hall of Famer and former MW Champion Michael Bisping had some pretty high praise for the Scouser while he discussed his future. Bisping seemed impressed not just by Paddy’s performance but how he took over the show with his callouts.
While talking about Pimblett, Bisping said: “We know he called everyone out on the microphone afterwards. I love it, I love the fact that he called out all the top guys, Dustin, Justin, Charles or the little posh boy Arman. He ain’t going to get a title fight against Islam Makhachev. I think that’s going to go to Ilia but he did call out Charles Olivera, Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier.”
A great callout indeed, Bisping also seemed excited over Pimblett’s potential fight with Oliveira, saying: “A special emphasis on Charles Oliveira. I think that’s the fight that’s got to get made. Paddy Pimlett’s jiu-jitsu is fantastic, Charles Olivera is the submission king, he’s got the most bonuses he’s got the most finishes he’s a former champion. Charles Olivera doesn’t have a fight booked right now and this would be it, I mean who knew we’d be having this conversation. Paddy Pimblett versus Charles Olivera, a number one contender matchup that would be incredible.”
Now, Pimblett has left the whole MMA community apologizing for counting him out. His performance had Dustin Poirier calling the Scouser legit, who he previously thought would lose to Chandler. While talking about Pimblett’s victory over Chandler, Poirier said: “He’s legit! How can I deny him any more? Chandler’s a tough guy. I don’t think Chandler looked great.”
With the whole community now looking over to see who he will fight next, we may see the rise of the next UFC mega-star in Paddy Pimblett. A title shot seems inevitable considering he beats a top 5 lightweight in his next bout with fans and veterans lining his opponents up. Who do you think Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett will face next? Let us know in the comments.
The post Daniel Cormier Makes Dana White’s Job Easy as Paddy Pimblett Pushed Against #2 Ranked Lightweight After UFC 314 appeared first on EssentiallySports.
