Paddy Pimblett targets Dan Hooker, hopes to ‘jump right up to rank 5’

Following a big win over King Green at UFC 304, Paddy Pimblett is a ranked man. He comes into the lightweight rankings at No. 15, and expects to creep up a little higher before making a few big jumps to the title.

In a new interview with Action Network, Paddy “The Baddy” plotted out his current path to a lightweight title shot and who he’d like it to go through.

“[UFC] haven’t reached out to us about a potential next fight,” Pimblett said. But Dos Anjos has got a fight.. He’s fighting Jeff Neal at welterweight. I think I’m gonna move up the rankings anyway because Dos Anjos has said he won’t fight at lightweight again, and he’s gonna fight welterweight from now on. So probably gonna get moved up to 14.”

Short term, his goal hasn’t changed: fight Renato Moicano en route to a title shot. But why fight four more times for a title shot when you can do it in two?

“Now I wanna fight Renato Moicano. He wants to fight me. I wanna fight him. I think it’d be a fun fight for everyone involved. We’d end up having a good fight. Yeah. If it was up to me, it’s Moicano. It’s a good scrap.”

The timing may not line up on that one, though. Moicano is set to fight Benoit Saint-Denis on September 28th in Paris, France. And besides, why fight the winner of No. 11 and No. 12 when you could fight the No. 5 ranked lightweight?

“If I get offered Dan Hooker I’ll take it,” he said. “Jump right up to rank 5, and then it probably will be in a title eliminator next. So, yeah, I’m game for any of them. As I say, any name gets sent to me, that’s all sound. I’m not shying away from fighting anyone.”

Pimblett may not be shying away from anyone, but he wants to make moves to the top of the division with as few fights as possible.

“I was thinking the other week, the perfect route to the title would have been Moicano and then Charles Oliveria. He’s like rank 2. That’s what O’Malley did. O’Malley went from, like, rank 11 to rank 1 or something.”

Pimblett’s matchmaking reflects a new reality in how the rankings seem to work within the UFC. Gone are the days where a No. 11 ranked fighter beats a No. 5 ranked fighter and creeps up to No. 8. These days, if you beat No. 5, you take their place at No. 5. Loser slides down any number of slots depending on how bad they lost.

That’s what happened when Dan Hooker beat Mateusz Gamrot, and now No. 15 (possibly No. 14) Paddy Pimblett is hoping to do the same thing off “The Hangman.” Unless, that is, the UFC calls “The Baddy” up after UFC France and offers him a Ultimate Fighter coaching job across from Moicano or Saint-Denis. TUF U.K. vs. France, anyone?