Paddy Pimblett has opened up about his UFC interim lightweight title loss to Justin Gaethje, admitting that his ego played a significant role in the defeat. The British fighter fell to Gaethje via unanimous decision in January, suffering his first UFC loss and snapping a nine-fight winning streak.
Reflecting on the bout, Pimblett said on his YouTube channel: "I think it was a little bit of my ego got in the way. I wanted to knock him out. I wanted to show everyone I can strike. I wanted a war."
He acknowledged that abandoning his game plan and trying to stand and trade with Gaethje, a proven knockout artist, was a mistake. "Back to fight IQ. Back to the gameplan and not just swinging recklessly," he added.
The fight saw Gaethje land 200 strikes to Pimblett's 170, with two knockdowns en route to securing the interim belt. The 37-year-old American is now set to face Ilia Topuria at UFC White House on June 14.
Pimblett, 31, has already begun training camp for his return, targeting a comeback at UFC 329 in July. French contender Benoit Saint-Denis, who is on a four-fight winning streak, is rumored to be his next opponent.
Despite the setback, Pimblett remains confident and is already eyeing a rematch with Gaethje. "I hope he beats Ilia so I can fight him again. That's all I'm hoping for. He's got a big ask, beating Ilia Topuria," Pimblett said.
"I've got to show everyone why I deserved to get that title shot and that I'm going to be getting another one in the near future."