Despite losing the interim lightweight title to Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 in January, many fans still believe Paddy Pimblett could eventually become the undisputed king at 155 pounds. After all, the Liverpudlian went the full five rounds with Gaethje, while Ilia Topuria, a two-division champion in his own right, was forced to retire after four rounds against the American at UFC Freedom 250.
Pimblett also made a statement in his comeback at UFC 329, submitting Benoit Saint-Denis in just 52 seconds to remind everyone that he remains a major player in the lightweight division.
Whether or not the Englishman eventually captures UFC gold remains to be seen, but Pimblett has already made one thing clear: he would rather vacate the title than fight one of his closest teammates for it.
Paddy Pimblett Rules Out Fighting Next Generation MMA Teammate George Staines in the UFC
During Week 8 of the 10th season of Dana White’s Contender Series last month, George Staines made headlines when he knocked out Loai Abushaar with a massive slam just 61 seconds into their fight. It was the first slam finish in DWCS history, and Pimblett and Luke Riley were both in attendance at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas to support their teammate.
GEORGE STAINES WITH THE INSANE SLAM KNOCKOUT… HOLY SH*T 🤯
Paddy Pimblett’s reaction too 😭 #DWCSpic.twitter.com/6Fq4JbwHHL
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 30, 2026
For the unversed, the 26-year-old lightweight trains at Next Generation MMA Liverpool, the same gym where Pimblett has built his career. And the Englishman recently revealed that he would rather move up a weight class than face his teammate for UFC gold.
When asked about a potential fight with Staines, Pimblett told Kolos MMA: “No, we’d never fight. Nobody in our gym does that.”
He added, “We train together every day. More family than teammates. So, we’d never do it. If I had a few defences and he was next, I’d move up and vacate it.”
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Hull-born Staines is now officially part of the UFC and will look to build on his impressive start to his professional career. His stunning slam finish of Abushaar moved him to 11-0 as a professional, and it will be interesting to see how far the 26-year-old can go inside the Octagon.
Meanwhile, Pimblett has his eyes on a return to the lightweight title picture and could be heading toward a grudge fight with Topuria. With Gaethje potentially facing Arman Tsarukyan in the first quarter of 2027 and Topuria already back to sparring, Pimblett could have a massive fight waiting for him toward the end of 2026.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
