After Dana White’s halftime announcement, Paddy Pimblett found himself on cloud nine as he gets ready to take on Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title in the UFC 324 main event. So ‘The Baddy’ gets a dream start to 2026, and a win over ‘The Highlight’ on January 27 will put him right in line for an Ilia Topuria grudge match. However, Pimblett’s road to lightweight gold might not go as smoothly because he’s already stirring things up with Arman Tsarukyan.

Just a week ago, the Armenian ran through Dan Hooker at UFC Qatar main event with a dominant second-round finish, and for a moment, it looked like his title shot was pretty much secured. But once Pimblett became the UFC’s first pick, he instantly tossed out a little troll on X, saying, “You like apples? @ArmanUfc 🍎🤣” to keep that feud simmering. Now he’s pushed it even further by calling out the Armenian again.

Paddy Pimblett claps back at Arman Tsarukyan, this time with a callout

“2026 is gonna be the biggest year of my life. Coming for that interim title, then I’ll make it to the undisputed title when I come and beat Ilia Topuria and take the undisputed title. And the little posh boy, if he manages to fight in that time. Because he likes sitting out because he has a sore back. If that little posh boy fights in that time and keeps his ranking, I’ll punch his head in as well,” Pimblett told UFC in a recent interview.

While the UFC lightweight scene keeps heating up, Ilia Topuria announced he’ll take a break for a quarter of next year to deal with personal issues. That means we could actually see Paddy Pimblett defending the interim belt against Arman Tsarukyan if the UFC decides to book it, at least until the champ finally returns. So 2026 really looks like the biggest turning point of the Liverpudlian’s career. But to get those dream fights, Pimblett needs to watch one thing: his weight.

“First ever time when we fought in January. The earliest I’ve ever fought. It’s gonna ruin my Christmas dinner and my birthday because I’m 31 like three weeks before it. But it’s all gonna be worth it when I lift that world title above my head and Paddy The Baddy is world champion,” Pimblett added in the UFC interview.

Now, Paddy Pimblett hasn’t missed weight in the UFC yet, but his weight struggles aren’t a mystery to anyone. Even in his recent fight with Michael Chandler at UFC 314, Paddy came in at 156 lbs and later admitted he ballooned past 190 pounds after the fight because of binge eating. So he’ll need to stay disciplined to shave off that extra pound against Justin Gaethje, especially with a title fight on the line. If not, then his championship dreams might get shattered.

Moreover, Pimblett could use that extra bit of motivation to get himself smoothly onto the scale this time, after boldly promising to prove his doubters wrong.

‘The Baddy’ shrugs off doubters ahead of UFC 314 showdown

Throughout his career, Paddy Pimblett has dealt with his fair share of doubters, people pointing at him for not beating opponents of his calibre. The criticism shot sky-high after the Jared Gordon fight ended in a split decision, and it didn’t cool down even after he beat Tony Ferguson, King Green, and Michael Chandler back-to-back. Ahead of the Justin Gaethje clash, those doubts have fired up again, and this time, Pimblett doesn’t seem to care much.

“Me and Gaethje now for the world title. It’s interim. People are gonna say ooh, it’s only interim, this and that, but I’m fighting for the world title, lad. People said I’ll never be ranked. People said I’d never do this and I’ll never do that. The goalpost always gets moved. For me, it’s normal. Once I finish Gaethje, it’s gonna be, ‘Oh he was 37, he was retiring anyway, he’s on his way out, he’s been handed the title shot, all this bull—t.’” Pimblett added in the interview.

Well, even though Justin Gaethje is definitely entering the final stretch of his career right now, he’s still one of the most dangerous lightweights and can crack a chin at any moment. Because of that, if Paddy actually beats ‘The Highlight,’ it’ll be a solid win that sets him up perfectly for a showdown with Ilia Topuria.

That said, as Pimblett gears up for the interim title, do you think he can actually beat Justin Gaethje? And if he does, would he defend the belt against Arman Tsarukyan or go straight for the champion? Let us know in the comments.