Paddy Pimblett is open to a switch to 170lbs if he can become UFC lightweight champion.
‘The Baddy’ is on a hot streak at 155lbs and secured the biggest win of his career last time out against Michael Chandler in April.
Now Pimblett is pushing towards a shot at the crown, and has been heavily linked with a blockbuster clash against new champion Ilia Topuria.
The pair faced off after ‘El Matador’ emphatically stopped Charles Oliveira to win the belt, and things became very heated.
It is likely Pimblett will be next in line, and he believes he can look to a new weight class in the future as soon as he wins.
He said: “Eventually when I win the belt, then go up and win another belt.
“There’s a few fights there at 170 that do interest me. They could be good fights.
“But for now, I’m just focused on winning the lightweight belt.”
Topuria has suggested he could also follow the same path to chase Islam Makhachev, but not before he receives the challenge of Pimblett.
The pair have been bitter rivals for some time now, and it has potential to be one of the biggest fights in UFC history.
For Pimblett, a move in weight could benefit him in the long-term.
The 30-year-old is no stranger to having to perform harsh weight cuts for lightweight fights.
He typically balloons in weight outside of camps, and relies on his intense training regime to burn the pounds before fight night.
A move to 170lbs would give him a far less drastic cut, and he would certainly not look out of place at 170lbs.
First his eyes are on the prize of UFC lightweight gold, but he will face an uphill battle against thunderous striking superstar Topuria.
And Pimblett believes despite the champion’s undefeated record, he has the tools to be the first one to dismantle him.
He added: “He gets emotional with me. As you know, in a fight, emotion can play a big factor on how you fight.
“I just think I’m his kryptonite and people can laugh at me all they want when I say it but I genuinely believe I’d finish him.
“He’d come out and try and absolutely knock my head off and he wouldn’t be able to.
“The amount he’s spoken about finishing me in the first round, when that first round ends, if he hasn’t finished me by then and I’m still there, it would be a mental thing in his head.”
