Pimblett targeting Topuria or Gaethje fight in October
Paddy Pimblett says he would love to fight Ilia Topuria in Abu Dhabi in October but his opponent is most likely to be Justin Gaethje.
Liverpool's Pimblett earned a statement win over Michael Chandler last month before calling for his next bout to be against an opponent ranked in the top five.
Spain's Topuria faces Brazil's Charles Oliveira for the lightweight belt at UFC 317 on 28 June after former champion Islam Makhachev vacated his belt to move up to welterweight.
American Gaethje doesn't have a fight booked and is third in the UFC's lightweight rankings - five places above Pimblett.
The UFC usually hosts a numbered event in Abu Dhabi in October but a potential date for this year's show is yet to be set.
"I'm hoping to fight in Abu Dhabi in October. I think that's when I'm going to be back in the cage," Pimblett told BBC Sport.
"I was thinking Ilia might call me out if he wins [against 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."
Pimblett has history with former featherweight champion Topuria after the pair clashed at a hotel before UFC London in 2022.
Topuria, 28, vacated his belt earlier this year to move up to lightweight, opening the door to a potential fight with Pimblett.
Gaethje, meanwhile, last fought in March with a win over Rafael Fiziev - and with 20 knockouts from 26 bouts, he remains one of the most popular fighters on the roster.
With fourth-ranked Max Holloway facing fifth-ranked Dustin Poirier on 19 July, the only other fighter without a fight booked in the top five is Armenia's Arman Tsarukyan, who Pimblett has no interest in.
"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," said Pimblett.
"Tsarukyan, he's just an absolute tool, and then it's me and 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."
Since his UFC debut in 2021 Pimblett has won all seven fights and grown into one of the most popular fighters in the promotion.
Pimblett has long wanted to headline a show in his hometown Liverpool but the UFC hasn't held an event in the city since 2018, instead choosing to put shows on in London and Manchester.
Because Liverpool's biggest arena, the M&S Bank Arena, only has a capacity of 11,000, Pimblett has suggested Premier League champions Liverpool's stadium Anfield as a potential venue.
UFC president Dana White, however, has often opted against hosting shows in stadiums, citing a lack of atmosphere and potential rain as the reasons why.
Pimblett has suggested White should visit Anfield to watch a Liverpool game to change his mind.
"It needs to be Anfield. That's the only the only viable place to do it. And I know Dana doesn't like doing stadiums, he's done it in Australia, but Anfield is different," said Pimblett.
"He needs to come to Anfield on a Champions League night or when we play Manchester United or something like that, or even the blue shirt [Everton].
"You need to come and watch because you'd be like 'wow, this is unbelievable'."
MMA schedule and results 2025
Watch every Born to Brawl episode
Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
28 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Boulder Attack Videos Show People Being Set on Fire
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Eight people were injured after a man hurled makeshift incendiary devices into a crowd at a pro-Israel event in Boulder, Colorado, on Sunday. The 45-year-old suspect, identified as Mohamed Sabry Soliman, allegedly shouted "Free Palestine" as he threw Molotov cocktails into the crowd of people gathered to remember the Israeli hostages still being held captive in Gaza. Soliman was reportedly shirtless and holding makeshift flame-throwers in each hand when he was arrested at the scene. More video of the terrorist in Boulder Colorado who attacked a pro-Israel event that was bringing awareness of American and Israeli hostages being held by Hamas. — Breaking911 (@Breaking911) June 1, 2025 Footage of the incident shows the chaos following the attack, with bystanders tending to the victims. One person can be seen lying on the ground, as others attempt to beat out the flames. Mark Michalek, an FBI special agent, said on Sunday: "It is clear that this is a targeted act of violence and the FBI is investigating this as an act of terrorism." Four women and four men, aged between 52 and 88, were wounded and hospitalized, according to Boulder Police. Newsweek has contacted Boulder Police for comment outside of regular working hours. Police officers investigate the attack in Boulder, Colorado, on Sunday. Police officers investigate the attack in Boulder, Colorado, on Sunday. David Zalubowski/AP This is a breaking story. More to follow.
Boston Globe
30 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Can elite universities remain global?
One reason the schools have arguably been caught off guard is less so: They have misread the nation. Advertisement Large and influential swaths of America The globalization of America's universities began decades ago. When Richard Levin assumed the presidency of Yale in 1993, in his inaugural address he stated that 'as we enter the 21st century, we must aspire to educate leaders for the whole world. … We must focus even more on global issues … if we are to be a world university.' For Levin, the mission was clear. In the early 18th century, Yale's mandate was to educate leaders and citizens for the region. 'By the mid-nineteenth century, our compass had become the whole nation,' he said. Now the work would be global. And Yale was far from alone in such ambitions. Advertisement From the establishment of campuses overseas to the creation of research centers and collaborations worldwide and the embrace of international students, many universities have changed dramatically in the years since Levin made those remarks. Today, For years, this embrace of international students was largely seen as in accord with the national interest. Despite pockets of protests, globalization on campus was treated as inevitable — and desirable — in many quarters. Meanwhile, the federal government maintained expansive investment in these universities — to the tune of The assumptions driving the internationalization of America's universities, however, have now changed. Many people no longer believe globalization is good for America. That change is most obvious in the MAGA movement. But the anti-Israel protests tinged with anti-American, anti-Western, and anti-capitalist messages that some international students have helped lead have alienated other Americans as well. Advertisement As a result, many universities have been caught out over their skis. Some now see a heavy international student presence less as a virtue and more as something suspect when it comes to university leaders' motives and wisdom. On university campuses, many faculty would undoubtedly disagree and argue that globalization is still a positive force for America. But with seats scarce at exclusive universities, filling them with international students is seen through a zero-sum lens. Universities may now face a decision. Do they want internationalization or federal support? Both may no longer be an option. The compact between universities and the federal government can only continue if the work of the university is seen as being in lockstep with the national interest. This isn't to say this is the end of global universities. Or of research universities. Minerva University, where I serve on the board of trustees, is unabashedly global. Eighty-five percent of students hail from countries other than the United States. All students live outside the United States for three of their four years. But Minerva doesn't take any federal money, nor is its model built around research. On the other hand, the Highly selective universities may choose to fight to retain federal support and remain global in the hopes that they can weather the next few years. Advertisement But with alternative models and the ascendance of skepticism around the merits of globalization, it seems less clear if this will be a viable strategy.
30 minutes ago
What to know about Karol Nawrocki, Poland's newly elected conservative president
WARSAW, Poland -- The final result of Poland's presidential election only became clear after a long, nail-gripping night of counting as both candidates were locked in a near dead heat in the first exit polls after voting ended. Poles awakened Monday to a clear albeit close result that returns a nationalist politician to the presidency who has pledged to hinder the centrist, pro-EU government for the remainder of its term. Here's what to know about Karol Nawrocki, Poland's newly elected conservative president: Nawrocki is a 42-year-old historian who had no political experience prior to the campaign and who was not even a party member until he was tapped by the conservative Law and Justice party that governed Poland from 2015 to 2023. Nawrocki heads the Institute of National Remembrance, which embraces nationalist historical narratives. He led efforts to topple monuments to the Soviet Red Army in Poland. Russia responded by putting him on a wanted list, according to Polish media reports. Nawrocki's supporters describe him as the embodiment of traditional, patriotic values. Many of them oppose abortion and LGBTQ+ visibility and say Nawrocki reflects the traditional values they grew up with. He was also the preferred favorite of U.S. President Donald Trump, with the American conservative group CPAC holding its first meeting in Poland last week during the campaign to give him a boost. Kristi Noem, the U.S. Homeland Security Secretary and a prominent Trump ally, strongly praised him and urged Poles to vote for him. His campaign echoed themes popular on the American right. A common refrain from his supporters is that Nawrocki will restore 'normality,' as they believe Trump has done. U.S. flags appeared at his rallies. Nawrocki performed better in the first round than expected, an indication he was underestimated in the polling. Nawrocki's quick political rise has not been without controversy, with reports linking him to underworld figures whom he met while boxing or working as a hotel security guard in the past. Nawrocki has also been linked to a scandal involving the acquisition of a Gdansk apartment from an elderly pensioner named Jerzy. Allegations suggest Nawrocki promised to care for Jerzy in return but failed to fulfill the commitment, leading the man to end up in a publicly funded retirement home. His shifting explanations raised questions about his transparency and credibility. After the scandal erupted he donated the apartment to a charity. It recently emerged that Nawrocki took part in a 2009 Gdansk brawl involving about 140 rival soccer fans, some later convicted of crimes. Nawrocki described the fight as a form of 'noble' combat. Polish media have also reported on his connections to gangsters and the world of prostitution. His critics say all of these things make him unfit to represent Poland as the head of state but many right-wing voters don't believe the allegations and accuse the media of using its power to hurt him, creating what appears to be a rallying effect around him.
