It could have been Paddy Pimblett fighting on the South Lawn in June if he had won the UFC 324 main event against Justin Gaethje. Instead, Pimblett will watch Gaethje and his biggest rival, Ilia Topuria, clash in the main event on the UFC White House card on June 14. And he has a “sneaky suspicion” about how the fight will play out.

After much anticipation, the entire card was announced on Saturday night during UFC 326. Later, Pimblett hopped on his YouTube channel on Monday to share his candid thoughts about the bout. 

“My two mates in the main event, Ilia vs. Justin,” Pimblett said. “Ilia did say he was going to come back around this time. So June, perfect for him. And, obviously, Justin Gaethje said himself when he was fighting me, he wants to beat me and then go on to fight in the White House, and he’s done it. Hats off to him. That’s a scrap. They’re going to come out, and they’re going to try to take each other’s heads off. 

“But everyone’s already counting Gaethje out, and we’ve already learned you can’t do that,” Pimblett added in the video. “I’ve got a sneaky suspicion that Gaethje might pull off an upset and surprise everyone. But as you know, it’s a fight. It can go either way. Anyone could beat anyone in the White House. [Gaethje]’s probably going to have a little bit more motivation to go out there and win because it’s in front of his president and his home country.” 

Pimblett feels the outcome of the fight will have major implications for the division’s future. However, the most pressing matter for him remains his own next fight, which he hopes will come around the same time in June or July. He’s, of course, coming off a decision loss at the hands of ‘The Highlight’ at UFC 324 in January, which helped Gaethje land the Topuria fight. 

Many expected Pimblett to walk through Gaethje, given the Brit’s grappling credentials and Gaethje’s history of getting submitted in two undisputed title fights. But the Arizona native came up with a better game plan, avoiding his characteristic reckless abandon and patented leg kicks. He had Paddy almost out on his feet on multiple occasions, which highlighted a skill gap. But Topuria is a whole different story.

While Paddy Pimblett hasn’t fought Ilia Topuria, he has had a long-standing rivalry with the Spaniard. The pair had several online back-and-forths and even a near-physical confrontation, which fueled a potential fight between them. However, with a loss to ‘The Highlight’, Pimblett will have to work his way back up to a title shot, which shouldn’t be too difficult since the UFC has overlooked No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan for the interim fight. 

Speaking of Arman, the Armenian has also chimed in with his prediction for the fight. 

Arman Tsarukyan can’t see Justin Gaethje beating Ilia Topuria

The No. 2-ranked lightweight was present for UFC 326, where he watched Charles Oliveira beat Max Holloway to claim the BMF title. And after the fight, Tsarukyan was asked about the upcoming lightweight title unification bout between Topuria and Gaethje. He acknowledged it’s an exciting matchup, but Tsarukyan believes the champion holds a clear advantage.

“Ilia versus Gaethje is a good fight,” Tsarukyan said. “But like, [I give] no chance to Gaethje. Ilia has better boxing, and I think he’s gonna knock him out.”

Arman Tsarukyan also used the moment to reiterate his desire for a title opportunity against Topuria.

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“They just waste time, you know? Waste my time,” he added. “They’ve got to put me against Ilia, and I’ll take his belt. Easy money for me.”

While it’s true the UFC overlooked him, it’s not like he never had the opportunity to fight for the title. In early 2025, Tsarukyan had the opportunity to face then-lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, but a last-minute back injury forced him to withdraw from the fight. In addition, Tsarukyan’s repeated aggression outside the Octagon appears to have irked the UFC top brass. 

For now, both Arman Tsarukyan and Paddy Pimblett will have to watch from the sidelines as Justin Gaethje tries to defy the odds to beat Ilia Topuria. Do you think he can?