Paddy Pimblett reveals his next prospective opponent after brutal Justin Gaethje loss, eyes summer UFC return

Paddy Pimblett already knows the opponent he wants for his comeback. The Liverpool lightweight has called for a fight against France’s Benoit Saint-Denis after suffering his first UFC defeat at UFC 324. Pimblett lost by a unanimous decision to Justin Gaethje in a tough five-round battle. It was a damaging night for the British fighter, who later showed his bruised face and revealed how much weight he gained after the bout. Now back in training, Pimblett says he wants a major European matchup.Saint-Denis also comes into the discussion in strong form. The French fighter recently knocked out Dan Hooker and moved up to fifth in the UFC lightweight rankings. Pimblett dropped to sixth after the Gaethje fight, which clearly frustrated him. The two fighters have never met before, but the ranking change and recent results have made the bout appealing. Pimblett believes the matchup would excite fans and help him rebuild his momentum heading into the summer schedule.Paddy Pimblett admitted that losing was difficult but insisted it would motivate him to improve. Speaking on his YouTube channel, he explained that sometimes a setback is needed to come back stronger. He also questioned why Benoit Saint-Denis jumped above him in the rankings after defeating Dan Hooker. Pimblett said he is ready to sign any contract offered but feels a fight with Saint-Denis makes the most sense because it would pit Europe’s top lightweights against each other.The Englishman also listed backup options. He mentioned he could face the loser of Max Holloway versus Charles Oliveira. He even said he would accept a fight with Arman Tsarukyan if the UFC wants it. Pimblett plans to return in the summer and insisted he has no injuries. According to him, coaches stopped him from sparring even though he felt fine and had no concussion symptoms.Pimblett reviewed the Justin Gaethje fight and described how the knockdown happened. He said the American struck his sternum during an attempted uppercut, which left him unable to breathe. He claimed the knockdown was due to that pain rather than a punch hurting him. Pimblett also believed an earlier eye poke should have led to a point deduction, which in his view could have changed the final result. He stated that he was never seriously hurt during the fight.