At UFC 329, Paddy Pimblett made quick work of Benoit Saint Denis in the co-main event, submitting the Frenchman with a D’Arce choke just 52 seconds into the opening round. Yet, ‘The Baddy’ has now revealed that his self-belief wasn’t at its highest heading into the fight, to the point where he even considered retirement if he lost against ‘BSD’. However, the Englishman admitted it was the man who handed him his first UFC loss, Justin Gaethje, who ultimately stopped him from making that decision.

After the fight, Pimblett revealed in a UFC interview that Gaethje’s upset victory over Ilia Topuria at UFC White House, defying the odds spectacularly to hand Topuria his first defeat and win the lightweight championship, lit a “fire underneath” him to dominate his opponent.

“About four weeks ago, five weeks ago, I turned to (my coach) and was like, ‘Listen, if I don’t win this fight, what’s the point in fighting anymore?” Pimblett told the UFC. “I might as well retire. If I can’t beat BSD, then what’s the point in fighting?’ If I can’t beat BSD, then I’m never gonna be a world champion, and that’s what I do this for. I do this to be the best in the world.

“And then two days later, Justin Gaethje beat Ilia Topuria, and it was one of the biggest kicks up the a– I’ve ever had in my life. It set a fire underneath me. I’m ready to k— anyone. Put anyone in front of me, and I will k— them. I could’ve literally k—— Benoit Saint-Denis tonight. I had to say to Marc, ‘Lad, he’s out, he’s unconscious.'”

Before Gaethje went on to face Ilia Topuria, it was ‘The Baddy’ who entered UFC 324 as the betting favorite. However, Gaethje shattered those expectations by defeating Pimblett on the UFC’s first Paramount+ card, becoming a two-time interim lightweight champion. Following the defeat, the Liverpudlian faced criticism from fellow fighters, with Arman Tsarukyan quickly labeling him “undeserving” of a title shot.

However, watching Justin Gaethje dismantle Ilia Topuria with a masterclass game plan, despite entering the fight as a massive underdog, reignited Pimblett’s belief.

The Englishman, who was ranked No. 9 in the lightweight division, stepped up to face top-five contender Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329. Even if he had lost to the Frenchman, Pimblett likely would have had plenty of opportunities to work his way back into title contention. Still, it’s his fiercely competitive nature that drove him to make a statement by finishing Saint Denis.

After putting together such an impressive comeback performance, Pimblett wasted no time calling out several marquee names for his next fight. 

Paddy Pimblett names several high-profile fighters as potential opponents

During his Octagon interview, Pimblett first demanded a rematch with Justin Gaethje before expressing his desire to finally settle his long-running feud with Ilia Topuria. He then rounded off his callouts by naming the winner of the Conor McGregor vs. Max Holloway clash as another opponent he would gladly welcome next. 

“Sub of the year. I’m like a spider. When I’ve got hold of you, you don’t get out and it’s as simple as that,” Pimblett said.

“Everyone counted me out. Everyone said I was finished because I lost to Gaethje, but what now? Am I finished? Who wants it next? I’ll beat Ilia [Topuria] up, I’ll rematch Justin [Gaethje], I’ll fight Conor [McGregor] or Max [Holloway] next. Give me everyone, and I’ll punch their head in.”

However, getting a rematch against Gaethje may not be so easy. Topuria immediately called for a rematch against the new lightweight champion in his very first statement after the loss. The promotion could also be interested in that matchup.

Then there’s Arman Tsarukyan, who is on a five-fight win streak and has been asking for a title shot for over two years now. Tsarukyan also has a long-standing rivalry with Pimblett. So the UFC could very well pit the two against one another to determine the #1 challenger for Gaethje.

Meanwhile, Max Holloway became a viable option for Paddy after the McGregor fight ended with the Irishman getting injured.

That said, the 31-year-old clearly has plenty of big fights ahead of him, making retirement the last thing he needs to think about, at least for now.