Paddy Pimblett may be getting too confident ahead of his interim title clash against Justin Gaethje at UFC 324. The two are set to compete for the interim lightweight title. The winner, of course, could earn a shot at the division’s champion, Ilia Topuria, and it appears the Spaniard already has plans of his own.

‘El Matador,’ who hasn’t competed since his knockout of Charles Oliveira in June, told fans on X that he is targeting a return in “April-June.” He added that his preferred opponent would be the winner of Pimblett vs. Gaethje. That timeline coincides with the June 14 UFC White House card, an event Topuria is interested in. But Pimblett doesn’t seem keen on that scenario.

When does Paddy Pimblett want to fight Ilia Topuria?

The No. 5 lightweight appears to be under the impression that he is already the champion of the division. “Yeah, he’s not getting me back in April, lad,” the 31-year-old said confidently, assuming he would beat Justin Gaethje.

Speaking to TMZ Sports when informed about Topuria’s projected return date, he said, “He’s gonna have to wait. I mean, he made me wait. He can wait a few months. April’s not happening, lad.”

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To his credit, Pimblett enters the fight as the betting favorite this weekend. According to Action Network, Pimblett is listed at -230 to win, while Gaethje comes in as a +190 underdog. Pimblett has youth and an unbeaten streak in the promotion on his side, but Gaethje is far from an easy assignment. 

He rebounded from his loss to Max Holloway by defeating 32-year-old Rafael Fiziev in March, and his resume is stacked with some of the toughest names in the sport. Still, when asked about a potential showdown with Topuria, Pimblett offered a notably delayed timeline. 

“No, I’m not fighting in April, lad. He can eat s—t. You know what I mean? I’ll fight in, like, July. June, July,” Pimblett told Michael J. Babcock of TMZ Sports. Now, the real question remains: can Pimblett actually get past Justin to earn a shot at Topuria’s gold?

Dustin Poirier reveals Pimblett’s fate against Justin Gaethje

Dustin Poirier has made his stance clear on how he believes the fight between Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje would unfold, and his prediction does not favor the rising star. Speaking ahead of the fight, Poirier backed Gaethje to hand Pimblett his first UFC loss.

“I think Justin stops him,” Poirier said bluntly, pointing to Gaethje’s experience in championship-level bouts. “He’s been in those 25-minute fights. He’s been in those dogfights before,” Poirier explained on The Ariel Helwani Show. 

According to Poirier, Paddy Pimblett would struggle to control Gaethje, especially on the feet. “I don’t think Paddy is going to get him down, so he’s going to have to fight with him,” he added. Despite Pimblett’s unbeaten UFC run, Poirier remains unconvinced, even questioning his recent win. 

“If he beats Justin, I’m a believer then,” Poirier said, making Gaethje the ultimate test of Pimblett’s legitimacy.

Safe to say, even with the betting odds in his favor, not everyone thinks Paddy Pimblett would just get handed the Ilia Topuria fight. But do you think Pimblett is making a mistake by rejecting Topuria’s date?