Being a champion isn’t easy, and Islam Makhachev knows it pretty well. After all, the lightweight champion has received quite a few challenges from his fellow lightweights, while doing his best to stay on top of the division and entertain his supporters. Along with the many challengers, Paddy Pimblett was also out to take on the Dagestani champ.

Taking to his YouTube channel, ‘The Baddy’ reflected back at the press conference for UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov, where a reporter asked Makhachev about his thoughts on fighting the British mixed martial artist. Needless to say, ‘The Baddy’ was a good match for the Dagestani, provided he wanted to fight someone new and Pimblett has been on a rise lately. Makhachev answered, “When he deserve, why not? If he won the next couple of match, and when he’s gonna be like top 10, why not? Because I don’t have some exciting fight in my division, so we need some new name.” 

The Britisher wasn’t going to leave such an opportunity go. After all, he had successfully caught the undisputed lightweight champion’s attention, and he was also ready to fight. All that ‘The Baddy’ now needed was a bit more time to climb to the top 10. Pimblett quoted, “He [Makhachev] said, ‘He’s an exciting fighter,’ and that ‘if he keeps winning, you never know, he could fight for the belt,’ and that. You know Islam, we’re coming. We’re coming brother, we’re coming.” 

However, Islam Makhachev wasn’t the only UFC champion that Paddy Pimblett targeted. Let’s see who ‘The Baddy’ has in his crosshairs, shall we?

Paddy Pimblett targets yet another champion before taking aim at Islam Makhachev

After Ilia Topuria defeated Max Holloway via a KO at UFC 308, ‘The Baddy’ commended ‘El Matador’ for the kind of performance he showed in the Octagon. However, there was a challenge waiting for the featherweight champion for when he decided to step back into the lightweight realm. Pimblett said, “He is good, but I still beat him. Styles make fights. People can laugh all they want, but all I hope is that one day we get to fight, and then I can say, ‘I told you so.’ Just like I did after I saw Bobby Green in the first round. I have too much range on him. He wouldn’t be able to get near me. If he did, I’d sub him. Keep doubting me.”

However, there was a time when Pimblett put forth a plan for his climb. Naming Renato Moicano and Charles Oliveira, the British fighter declared that he wanted a route to the title just like the one Sean O’Malley traveled. But there are more hurdles to that than we can think of. Even though Pimblett promised not to go to another MMA promotion, earning millions by boxing YouTubers wasn’t out of the question for ‘The Baddy’. 

But Pimblett’s story was cut short when Moicano opened up on Ariel Helwani’s podcast. He simply wasn’t sure the UFC would let him fight Pimblett. He said, “I don’t know, I don’t know, doesn’t matter you know… UFC is going to protect him. That’s one hundred percent. He’s not fighting ‘Money’ Moicano. No.” Nevertheless, ‘Money’ sent a vivid warning to the Britisher.

Moicano warned Pimblett against accepting the fight. He claimed that he would “elbow” ‘The Baddy’s “skull” if he did. Pimblett, with 6 wins and no defeats in the UFC, has aimed pretty high in the lightweight division. And now, his challenge has been accepted by Moicano. All that the world needs is to wait and watch for the showdown.

What are your thoughts about Pimblett’s words for Makhachev? Who do you think would win if Pimblett and Makhachev ever happened to land against each other in the Octagon? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.