Paddy Pimblett Next Fight: Who should he face after UFC 324 loss to Justin Gaethje?
Paddy Pimblett’s first UFC loss came the hard way. On January 24 he dropped a five-round interim lightweight title fight to Justin Gaethje by unanimous decision at UFC 324 in Las Vegas. Gaethje scored multiple knockdowns and won on the cards (49-46, 49-46 and 48-47) also outlanding Pimblett in total strikes, 200-170 (per ESPN)
So what is the smartest next fight for Paddy Pimblett, and which opponent best matches his strengths?
Paddy Pimblett stats after UFC 324: record, finishes, and UFC run
Even with the setback, Pimblett is still a proven finisher. He sits at 23-4 overall with 7 wins by knockout or TKO and 10 by submission.
He entered UFC 324 unbeaten in the promotion at 7-0, which is why the Gaethje leap made sense from a business standpoint. At 31, Pimblett is not in a rebuild stage, but he should avoid another five-round war for his return in the next few months.
UFC 324 numbers that matter: takedowns, volume, and game plan
The clearest stat from UFC 324 is the one that should guide the matchmaking. ESPN’s fight stats show Pimblett went 0-for-5 on takedowns, meaning his ‘best win’ condition never got going for long stretches against such a strong striker like Gaethje.
That supports Dana White’s post-fight critique that Pimblett needed to adjust earlier and lean into wrestling and submissions when the striking exchanges really turned against him.
Where Pimblett fits now: lightweight ranking and matchmaking reality
Pimblett remains a top-10 level name and a divisional draw. Tapology’s post-UFC 324 lightweight rankings list him at No. 7, which is high enough to justify another ranked opponent, but low enough that a title eliminator is in no way guaranteed.
Best next fight for Pimblett: Dan Hooker as the right kind of test
If the UFC wants the cleanest measuring stick, Dan Hooker is the fight (depending on what happens when he faces Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 325). That bout would answer the exact question that UFC 324 raised: can Pimblett win minutes against an elite striker while building real takedown threats instead of forcing late shots?
Hooker also fits the practical lane for a fighter coming off a punishing loss: big name, high stakes, but not an immediate No. 1 contender. If Hooker loses to Saint-Denis then it makes complete sense, and if Hooker wins then it’s a good fight to put ahead of him before a Tsarukyan, Holloway or Oliveira at 155lbs.
High-risk options: Arman Tsarukyan or the Holloway vs Oliveira winner
If Pimblett wants the fastest route back to a belt, Arman Tsarukyan is the high-risk shortcut. The rivalry is already public, but it would be a brutally difficult comeback assignment. A safer star-driven alternative is the winner of Max Holloway vs Charles Oliveira, another option discussed as a potential next step once Pimblett has time to recover by many pundits.
Paddy Pimblett next fight prediction
The best blend of realism and upside is Pimblett vs Hooker. It gives him a genuinely ‘winnable’ ranked fight and a chance to prove the lessons from UFC 324 were learned.
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