Paddy Pimblett had a grudge match with Ilia Topuria sitting right there on the table, the kind of feud that sells itself, and he slid it to the side to ask for Justin Gaethje again. I’ve spent a day trying to decide whether that’s cowardice or common sense. I’ve landed on common sense, and it isn’t especially close.
The news broke Thursday. Spinnin Backfist posted on X that Pimblett said he’d prefer the Gaethje rematch over a fight with Topuria, pulling the clip from @HOWULIVINJPIV. Bloody Elbow’s headline added the part that matters for the calendar: Pimblett revealed an injury delay while prioritizing the Gaethje rematch over the Topuria feud. So he’s hurt, he’s waiting, and when he comes back he wants the man he’s already shared a cage with.
I’ll be honest about my bias. I can’t stand fighters who duck, and on paper this has some of the outline of a duck. Topuria is the scarier name, the feud has heat, and Paddy made a career out of talking loud. If he’d called out Gaethje because Topuria terrifies him, I’d be the first guy writing the roast.
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That’s not what the evidence says, though. Look at the clock.
Gaethje’s Window Is Closing
On the same morning Paddy’s comments landed, an account called @DovySimuMMA posted a list of ages that reads like a retirement home sign-in sheet. Conor McGregor, 38. Alex Pereira, 39. Kamaru Usman, 39. Israel Adesanya, 37. Alexander Volkanovski, 38. And Justin Gaethje, 37. Spinnin Backfist quote-posted it with the reminder that Joshua Van is 24, which is a fun way to make every fan over 30 feel their knees.
Gaethje at 37 is a fight with an expiration date printed on the carton. Every month Paddy spends rehabbing is a month closer to Gaethje deciding he’s done. Topuria will still be there next year. Gaethje might be on a golf course.
And people are openly talking about Gaethje’s exit. Volkanovski told Ariel Helwani that if Gaethje retires, he’d give up featherweight and move up to fight Arman Tsarukyan for the lightweight title.
“I’ll vacate the featherweight belt and fight Arman for the title. There it is,” Volkanovski said. He went further: “If Gaethje doesn’t wanna [fight Arman], I’ll do it. That excites me.”
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When a two-division conversation starts with the phrase “if Gaethje retires,” the smartest move for anybody with unfinished business against Gaethje is to get in line now. Paddy read the room correctly.
Topuria Doesn’t Need Paddy
Here’s the other half. Topuria has options that have nothing to do with Liverpool. Volkanovski told Brett Bradford he’s open to running it back with Topuria before he retires, with one condition.
“That would be great too. If it’s gonna be for a lightweight title then yea,” Volkanovski said. “To get that win back would be great. I’m a competitor and I’d love to test myself against him.”
Topuria is getting asked for by a former champion who wants revenge. He also got mobbed by fans in Georgia on Tuesday, per Championship Rounds, which tells you how big he is at home. He doesn’t need a Pimblett feud to stay relevant. If anything, Paddy calling him out right now, while injured and without a date, would be a guy shouting at a train that’s already left the station.
Compare that to the Gaethje rematch, which is a fight both men can actually make happen on Paddy’s timeline. It’s personal history, it’s a known commodity, and it has a ticking clock attached. Promoters love a ticking clock.
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The Part Where I Roast Him a Little
This is still Paddy, so I’m contractually obligated to point out that three days before the injury news hit, Championship Rounds caught him at the Ballon d’Or ceremony. Nothing says “deep in recovery” like a suit and a seat near the best footballers on the planet. I’m not saying a man can’t heal in a tux. I’m saying the optics are very Paddy.
And I want him to understand the cost of this choice. Passing on Topuria now means the feud cools, and manufactured heat that never reaches a face-off is the most disappointing product in combat sports. If Paddy wants Topuria later, he’ll have to earn the noise all over again.
But as a matter of sequencing, he’s right. Beat Gaethje while Gaethje is still around to be beaten, then go chase the bigger monster with a fresh win in hand. That’s how you call your shot instead of just yelling at one.
The ball is in two places now: Paddy’s rehab and Gaethje’s decision on whether 37 is the year he hangs them up. If Gaethje walks first, Paddy’s plan dies, and Volkanovski is already waving his hand for the lightweight belt.
