Paddy Pimblett is targeting another fight in 2026 following his bout with Benoit Saint Denis and has expressed willingness to move up in weight to face Conor McGregor. The potential super-fight between the two Irish and British fan favorites would represent a significant weight-class jump for Pimblett.
Reports emerged on June 26 that Paddy Pimblett is open to moving up in weight to take on Conor McGregor in 2026, a matchup that remains unconfirmed but has generated immediate attention across the sport.
Pimblett, ranked sixth in the UFC lightweight division, carries a 23-4 record and is coming off his scheduled bout with Benoit Saint Denis. The 31-year-old Liverpudlian fights out of Next Generation MMA and has built his reputation on an aggressive, high-volume attack — landing 5.49 significant strikes per minute at 52 percent accuracy, while also averaging 1.2 submission attempts per 15 minutes. Standing five-foot-ten with a 73-inch reach, he would be moving above his natural lightweight home to pursue the reported matchup.
Saint Denis, his most recent opponent, is no easy name to have on a resume. The 30-year-old Frenchman sits ninth in the lightweight rankings at 17-3 and is one of the division's more dangerous grapplers, averaging an imposing 4.19 takedowns per 15 minutes alongside 5.62 significant strikes landed per minute.
McGregor, meanwhile, holds a 22-6 record and last competed at welterweight. The 37-year-old Irishman from SBG Ireland stands five-foot-nine with a 74-inch reach and has historically fought at featherweight and lightweight, making a meeting with Pimblett a cross-divisional affair depending on where any bout is eventually made.
Why it matters
- Pimblett is currently ranked sixth at lightweight, and a win over McGregor — even at a catch weight — would dramatically raise his profile.
- McGregor's divisional status remains unconfirmed in available data, adding uncertainty to where any potential fight would be sanctioned.
- The stylistic matchup pits Pimblett's submission pressure against McGregor's southpaw precision striking, with both men averaging over five significant strikes landed per minute.
- As an unconfirmed report, no official announcement or promotional agreement has been disclosed.
