As the UFC gets ready to head to London on March 22, 2025, Paddy Pimblett has made waves in the MMA sphere with a massive update about his return to action! With the Liverpool native expected to be a part of the show in his home country, the fans have been wondering, who will take on ‘The Baddy’? After all, at the UFC 304 event in Manchester earlier this year, Pimblett had made a resounding statement by choking out Bobby ‘King’ Green in the first round.

Known for his swagger inside and outside the cage, the no. 13 ranked lightweight recently shared a glimpse of what’s to come in a video on his YouTube channel. A clip of Pimblett’s announcement was later shared on X by Championship Rounds where he stated, “Nice end to the year, to be honest. I’m in good shape. About 84, 85 kilo. People have been speculating about who I’m fighting. This and that. I’m coming for that belt, so I’m looking for higher-ranked fighters and I’m sure you’s will see fight announcement soon enough.”

With a ‘Performance of the Night’ worthy performance against Green, Pimblett made short work of the veteran who many had predicted would test the young star’s skills inside the Octagon. So, who’s next up in ‘The Baddy’s crosshairs? He further shared, “I’ve said yeah. The opponent’s said yeah, just need to get stuff signed. So you’s know the score everyone. Like, comment, subscribe and I’ll see you at the top.”

With an unblemished UFC record of 6-0, Pimblett has significant momentum on his side as 2025 approaches. But even through the cryptic hints being thrown their way, the fans have come out with their prediction for who the opponent is going to be! Here’s a look at what the MMA sphere had to say.

Fans target Dustin Poirier as Paddy Pimblett sends a rumble online with a cryptic hint about his next opponent

The fans didn’t waste any time in throwing out Dustin Poirier’s name into the mix! Since his submission loss to Islam Makhachev at UFC 302, fans have speculated whether ‘The Diamond’ would hang up his gloves soon or not. Because though he had teased retirement, Poirier has confirmed he’d return for one last ride which adds more intrigue to the mystery surrounding Pimblett’s next opponent.

“It’s Dustin”

For others, this next fight is Paddy Pimblett’s chance to break into the top 10 and cement himself as one of the top contenders in the lightweight division. As mentioned above, ‘The Baddy’ is 6-0 in the promotion so far, but hasn’t faced an opponent the caliber of someone like Dustin Poirier.

“I have to imagine that it’s going to be against someone in the top 10.”

Even though Pimblett didn’t drop his name, it didn’t take long for fans to start firing off shots against ‘The Diamond’ in the comments. But the Louisiana native has been impressed by Pimblett’s incredible rise as he shared in an interview with MMA Junkie after UFC 304, “He’s another one of those guys whose trajectory is like, if he keeps doing what he’s doing, he’s going to be – not that he’s not massive, but he’s on the right track.”  

“We are coming for that loser Dustin Poirier”

However, some fans were quick to point out that ‘The Baddy’ ended the clip by using Michael Chandler’s iconic sign-off phrase. So, could the calls for a Poirier fight end up being just smoke and mirrors? After all, in a recent interview with Lucky Block, ‘Iron’ had indicated, “Paddy versus myself is gonna happen at some point, I’m not sure when but that’s a fight that interests me. It’s a fight that would be fun for the fans… It will definitely happen… That would be absolutely huge”.

“no one realized what he said “See you at the top.” def mike chandler”

As such, some fans hedged their bets by claiming that Dustin Poirier, Michael Chandler, and Mateusz Gamrot could all be the rumored opponents for Pimblett’s return in 2025. Chandler is currently ranked no. 7, Poirier at no. 4 and Gamrot holds the no.8 spot just behind the former Bellator champion. So, with Pimblett indicating that he’s gunning for the title now, Poirier remains the highest-ranked opponent he could face out of the three!

“Dustin chandler gamrot the only three it can be”

To wrap things up, Paddy Pimblett’s next fight could mark a turning point in his UFC career. With fans rallying behind names like Dustin Poirier, the anticipation has hit a fever pitch. The timing couldn’t be more poetic. As Poirier edges closer to his farewell, Pimblett inches toward his ascent. Could their paths collide? If so, it’s a narrative the UFC would gladly sell—a veteran looking for one last hurrah versus a brash contender chasing glory. Will ‘The Baddy’ seize his moment under the spotlight if it becomes a reality rather than a rumor? Or will Poirier, the battle-tested warrior, ride off into the sunset with one final victory? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!