The UFC should strip Ilia Topuria of his lightweight title if he fails to return to action by July, says Paddy Pimblett.
Topuria is on hiatus from the sport as he deals with personal issues following his divorce, and Pimblett and Justin Gaethje will contest the interim title in his absence on Saturday in Las Vegas.
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Tom Aspinall waited 19 months to be upgraded from interim heavyweight champion as Jon Jones toyed with the idea of retirement last year, but Pimblett said he will not be in the same situation as his fellow Briton should he become interim champion.
“Ilia isn’t going to get the same breathing space as Jon Jones,” Pimblett told BBC Sport.
“If Ilia is not back by June-July, I think I’ll become undisputed.
“In an ideal world I beat Justin. Then I beat Ilia for the undisputed title, and then before the end of the year defend it against someone.”
Topuria said on social media this week that he intends to make his comeback in “April or June” against the winner of Gaethje v Pimblett.
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Pimblett was a surprise choice for a title fight with neither he nor Gaethje in the top three of the lightweight rankings.
But with the UFC set to kick off their new broadcast partnership with Paramount at UFC 324 and Pimblett on a seven-fight winning streak, the organisation decided to go with two of their biggest lightweight stars.
Pimblett, 31, brushed away criticism that number one challenger Arman Tsarukyan or those above him, like Charles Oliveria and Max Holloway, should have been given the nod before him.
“It makes sense given the situation,” he said.
“We don’t know when Topuria is coming back and we can’t hold the division up. There’s been interim belts made for less.
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“They know we aren’t boring. We want to entertain and it’s what we’ll do for however long we last.”
Pimblett has enjoyed a meteoric rise through the UFC despite few people tipping the former Cage Warriors champion as a future title contender when he joined the promotion in 2021.
Having beaten every fighter the UFC has put in front of him and built a massive fanbase along the way, Pimblett now has the chance to make history as Liverpool’s first UFC title holder.
Aspinall, Michael Bisping and Leon Edwards are the only UK fighters to have won a UFC belt.
“I don’t see Justin getting past the third round,” Pimblett said.
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“Justin’s a brawler. He’s a boxer – a boxer with leg kicks – and doesn’t really grapple much at all.”
