Paddy Pimblett is waiting on a phone call from the UFC to set up a title fight with Ilia Topuria.
Pimblett dominated No. 12-ranked lightweight Michael Chandler in his last bout at UFC 314 in April to edge one step closer to his first shot at gold in Dana White‘s promotion.
‘The Paddy’ then had front row seats for the main event of UFC 317 in June, where he witnessed Topuria knock out Brazilian fan-favourite Charles Oliveira in one round to claim the vacant belt at 155 lb.
Pimblett was brought into the octagon after the bout and came face-to-face with Topuria, as he is one of the front-runners to face ‘El Matador’ in his first lightweight title defence.
On Thursday, Pimblett took to social media to provide fans with a fresh update on his next fight.
“Just waiting on that call,” Pimblett wrote on Instagram alongside an image from his victory over King Green at UFC 304 in Manchester last July.
“El chorizo I’m coming for you.”
Pimblett was, unsurprisingly, referring to Topuria as ‘El Chorizo,’ based on the pair’s longtime hatred for one another.
The Liverpudlian also often calls the UFC lightweight champion ‘hand sanitiser boy’ from a time when the pair first came to blows at a London hotel in 2022.
Topuria has since gone on to claim two belts in the UFC, having held titles at both featherweight and lightweight.
The 28-year-old won the strap at 145 lb by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski in February 2024 and defended it once against Max Holloway eight months later.
He then decided to vacate the belt to move up to lightweight and has since gone on to kill off another UFC legend in Oliveira.
Pimblett, however, isn’t the only fighter wanting a crack at Topuria’s lightweight title.
Who is Ilia Topuria fighting next in the UFC?
No. 1-ranked lightweight Arman Tsarukyan has declared this week that he is ’70 per cent’ confident of getting the next shot at Topuria’s title.
“I’m number one in the rankings, but the UFC can do whatever they want,” he said.
“Even if I won’t get a title shot next, if I keep winning, they won’t have a choice but to give me one.
“I think there is a 70 per cent chance I’ll fight Topuria next.”
Tsarukyan boasts a pro MMA record of 22-3 and had a 155 lb title fight with ex-lightweight champion Islam Makhachev fall through in January due to illness.
He also recently made weight as the back-up fighter for Topuria vs Oliveira.
Justin Gaethje, meanwhile, who is the No. 5-ranked UFC lightweight, has insisted he will retire if he doesn’t fight Topuria for the belt next.
“Absolutely not,” Gaethje told ESPN, when asked if he would fight ‘The Baddy.’
“If that’s the route that they want me to take, then I don’t believe that they need me anymore.
“I know that sounds petty or whatever, but I’m No. 3, I’m 3-1 in my last four, the champion was calling to fight me, and he vacated.
“They bring a new guy in and give a guy who is 2-2 the fight. If their algorithm and their match tell them to use me until I get beat, then I’m going to have to re-evaluate what I’m doing here.”