Dan Hooker Backs Paddy Pimblett for Title Shot Against Justin Gaethje
Dan Hooker backs Paddy Pimblett to jump the queue and face Justin Gaethje next – and he might not be wrong.
The New Zealander has watched the lightweight division twist itself into knots over the past year. Upsets, interim belts, shock submissions – 155 has been chaos. Out of that chaos, Hooker sees a clear promotional play: Gaethje vs. Pimblett II, this time with the undisputed title on the line.
From favorite to underdog – and back again
Back in January at UFC 324, the script was supposed to belong to Paddy Pimblett.
The Scouser walked into the main event as the favorite against Justin Gaethje, a veteran with miles on the clock and a reputation for wild brawls rather than long reigns. Instead, Gaethje tore up the script. He outworked Pimblett over five rounds, took a unanimous decision, and left with the interim lightweight belt – plus a date with then-champion Ilia Topuria.
That win was meant to be a stepping stone for Pimblett. It became Gaethje’s rebirth.
Gaethje then carried that momentum into UFC Freedom 250 and stunned Topuria in a performance that shook up the division again. He didn’t just edge the champion; he upset him in style, completing a remarkable run from interim spoiler to undisputed king at 155 pounds.
Pimblett, meanwhile, had to swallow the first real derailment of his UFC rise. The response was ruthless. At UFC 329, he submitted Benoit Saint Denis in emphatic fashion, yanking himself straight back into the conversation at the top of the division.
That’s the context Hooker is looking at. One star champion, one rehabilitated contender, one unfinished story.
“They’re just sliding Paddy Pimblett into a title fight”
Speaking to Submission Radio, Hooker didn’t dance around it. He believes Gaethje’s status and Pimblett’s name value make the rematch almost inevitable.
“He’s the champ, he can do whatever the (expletive) he wants… Some champs can’t, but Justin Gaethje can… For sure they’re just sliding Paddy Pimblett into a title fight, that’s probably what they’re gonna do,” Hooker said.
That’s the crux of it. Gaethje has become the rare champion with both leverage and fan backing. If he points at Pimblett, the UFC has every incentive to nod along.
Merit vs. marketing
On pure sporting merit, the path looks different.
The co-main event at UFC 331 between Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy carries a strong case. The winner should, on form and rankings logic, be next in line for the lightweight title. If that route doesn’t materialize, a rematch with Charles Oliveira – who has quietly stacked two straight wins – fits the traditional merit-based narrative.
But lightweight has never been just about merit. It’s about moments, money, and momentum.
Pimblett brings all three. He’s one of the biggest names in the division, a fighter the UFC has openly tried to shepherd toward a title shot for years. Even his loss to Gaethje at UFC 324 didn’t fully cool that push; it simply delayed it. His submission of Saint Denis gave the promotion exactly what it needed: a highlight, a reset, a justification.
The pressure finally told the moment Pimblett’s hand was raised at UFC 329. The conversation snapped straight back to the top of the division.
The rematch the UFC wants?
Fans might bristle at the idea. Many will argue Tsarukyan, Ruffy, or Oliveira have done more of the hard yards. They’d be right, in a strict sporting sense.
But this is the UFC. History is littered with title shots that went to the fighter with the bigger name rather than the cleaner résumé. When the organization has a favorite, the road often bends to meet them.
Right now, Gaethje is the champion with the power to choose, and Pimblett is the marketable foil with a ready-made storyline and a score to settle.
Hooker sees that clearly. The question now is whether the UFC leans into the chaos again and books Gaethje vs. Pimblett II – and if it does, who really walks into that cage as the favorite this time?
