Paddy the Baddy teases sensational fight with Conor McGregor and outlines terms for UFC bout

Paddy Pimblett says he would relish a UFC fight with Conor McGregor - and insists he would even move up to welterweight to make the bout happen.

'The Baddy' extended his impressive record in the promotion to 6-0-0 when he submitted American Bobby Green in the first round of the lightweight bout at Manchester's Co-Op Live Arena in July.

Following the success, the 29-year-old - who made his UFC debut in September 2021 - became a ranked fighter in the lightweight division, joining the likes of Max Holloway, Michael Chandler, Dan Hooker, Charles Oliveira and champion Islam Makhachev.

It was expected that he would fight Renato Moicano next at the end of the year, but those plans were shelved after the Brazilian sustained a serious shoulder injury during his recent victory over Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC Paris.

As a result, the Liverpool-born MMA star is not anticipated to return to the octagon until the New Year as he waits for Moicano to recover.

However, Pimblett says he would make changes to those plans if he had the chance to fight former two-weight UFC champion McGregor.

"Any MMA fighter who says, ‘No, I wouldn’t fight him’ is lying. Simple as that," Pimblett told the MEN's sister site, the Liverpool ECHO. "I saw Ilia [Topuria] saying it the other day. Lad, you would. Stop lying.

"Every single person in this sport, if you get offered Conor McGregor, you’re fighting Conor McGregor. I actually said that to my manager. It’s too late now to make lightweight for the UFC events at the end of the year - I’d rather not kill myself trying to make weight - but if they want to get me Colby [Covington] or McGregor at welterweight, I’d do it."

All six of Pimblett's UFC fights have come in the lightweight division, while McGregor has fought across featherweight (145lbs), lightweight (155lbs) and welterweight (170lbs) since making his UFC debut more than ten years ago.

"I’d fight either at welterweight because they aren’t massive welterweights. I don’t think many welterweights are that big compared to me," added Pimblett. "I only realised how big of a lightweight I am when I fought Bobby [Green]."

McGregor has two fights remaining on his contract with the UFC but hasn't fought since sustaining a fractured tibia in a first-round defeat to Dustin Poirier in January 2021.