Pimblett hints at welterweight move — but only after conquering lightweight

UFC lightweight No. 5 Paddy Pimblett (31, Britain) has again signaled that a future move to welterweight is on his mind — but said he intends to stay at his current weight class for now.

Pimblett carries one of the largest weight differentials in the UFC. He typically walks around at 85 to 88 kilograms between camps and has been as heavy as 95 kilograms, meaning he cuts up to nearly 25 kilograms to make the lightweight limit of 70.3 kilograms.

Such extreme short-term cuts take a heavy toll on the body and shorten a fighter's career. He has said he now tries to maintain a walking weight of around 85 kilograms. Cuts only grow harder and more punishing with age — one of the main reasons veteran fighters eventually move up in weight.

Pimblett recently appeared on the podcast of former NFL star and host Chris Long, where he floated the possibility of a future welterweight move. "I think eventually I'll go up to 77 kilograms — welterweight," he said.

He made clear, however, that the move is not imminent. "Right now I can still make lightweight. Why would I go up and fight guys who are way bigger than me?" he said. The logic mirrors that of fighters across all divisions who endure grueling cuts — often described as harder than the fight itself — to compete at the lowest weight they can manage.

Pimblett has outlined this plan before: win the lightweight title, then move up and chase a second title at welterweight.

He remains one of the leading lightweight title contenders. After suffering the first loss of his UFC career against Justin Gaethje in an interim title fight in January, he bounced back by submitting Benoit Saint Denis in the first round in July.

In the meantime, Gaethje claimed the undisputed lightweight title in June by defeating then-champion Ilia Topuria at a White House event. The contender picture now includes former champion and No. 1-ranked Topuria, Arman Tsarukyan, and Tsarukyan's opponent Mauricio Ruffy — the two meet at UFC 331 next month — as well as Pimblett.

In that landscape, Pimblett is increasingly likely to face Topuria next. If the Briton, considered the underdog on paper, were to beat Topuria, a title shot could follow. Should Topuria win, a rematch with Gaethje appears the more probable outcome.