After losing his first UFC fight against Justin Gaethje at UFC 324, fans remained doubtful about Paddy Pimblett’s comeback. Following the 25-minute showdown, the Liverpudlian showed visible damage on his face, which signaled he could be out for a while. However, the lightweight standout now appears perfectly fine as Pimblett plots a return against a top-ranked fighter.

‘The Baddy’ Paddy Pimblett revealed in a recently uploaded video that he has no injuries from the clash against ‘The Highlight’. With any injury scare out of the way, he is now targeting a fight with No. 5-ranked lightweight Benoit Saint-Denis in the summer to determine who rules the European 155 lbs scene.

Paddy Pimblett eyes Benoit Saint-Denis in the summer

“I’ll be honest with you, which all pissed me off, that Saint Denis moved over me for beating that bum Dan Hooker,” ‘The Baddy’ said in his YouTube video. “Why did Saint Denis move above me for beating the bum Dan Hooker? Who’s f—ing s—! What’s going on there? You know I’ll fight anyone. As you know, whatever name gets sent to me on a contract, I sign it, and I fight them. But Saint Denis sounds like a good fight to me, Europe’s two lightweights going against each other.

Or I get the winner or the loser of Max and Charles. F—, I’ll fight Arman if you just want me to. I just don’t give a f—. I’ll fight anyone, but I’ll be back in the summer. Just let me know when and where. Hunter, Dana, Sean, I’m ready to go. I don’t have any injuries. People keep going on that, ‘Oh, the damage he took, he’s gonna have to take months off.’ I wanted to spar on Thursday, but Paul Ellis wouldn’t let me. I didn’t even have a concussion. I have no headaches after it,” the Englishman added.

After Benoit Saint-Denis defeated Dan Hooker at UFC 325, the French fighter took Paddy Pimblett’s previous No. 5 position. So, as the rankings have been exchanged, they naturally line up for a clash. But as the interim lightweight title hopeful eyes bigger opportunities, things could become complicated because Saint-Denis has plans of his own.

Following the win in Australia, the French lightweight called out the winner of Max Holloway vs Charles Oliveira’s BMF showdown, which is going down at UFC 326 in March. On top of it, Saint-Denis also sought a potential clash against Arman Tsarukyan. The Reason? He believes beating those star 155ers would cement his shot against the champion Ilia Topuria. In that case, would he actually risk his position against Pimblett?

Moreover, Arman Tsarukyan, previously sitting near the top of the lightweight ladder, is also eyeing the winner of UFC 326 scheduled for March 7, with a preference for a rematch against Charles Oliveira. However, the Armenian could still entertain Pimblett’s callout because there is bad blood between them, which could turn the matchup into a high-profile showdown down the line.

Now, with all these possibilities surrounding Paddy Pimblett’s next opponent, there is another fight that both he and UFC fans would love to see. At this moment, that matchup would be logical for both fighters.

‘The Baddy’ should face ‘The Hangman’ next

Out of Paddy Pimblett’s star list of potential opponents, Dan Hooker is another very tempting option. Both lightweight standouts have been throwing verbal hooks at each other, setting up a much-anticipated grudge match. ‘The Baddy’ and ‘The Hangman’ have been on a collision course for a while, but recently it reached another level.

In an interview with MMA Guru, the Liverpudlian made some crass comments about the Kiwi’s mother to justify a claim over Hooker’s wrestling. The Auckland native did not like what Pimblett had to say, so he fired back with harsh words of his own, even bringing up the Englishman’s late teammate. Once the spark was lit, the fire quickly followed, and ‘The Baddy’ decided to issue Hooker a stern warning of confrontation ahead of his UFC 325 clash.

Also, beyond the bad blood, Paddy Pimblett vs Dan Hooker makes perfect sense from a stylistic perspective as well. Both of them like to throw down with malicious intent, although the Englishman holds a clear edge in grappling. But with that much animosity intact, ‘the Baddy’ might choose the violence route just as he did against Justin Gaethje at UFC 324.

That said, do you actually think Paddy Pimblett’s return against Dan Hooker makes more sense than a fight over some other lightweight contender? Let us know in the comments section below.