UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett likes his chances against the elite of the 155-pound division. 

The Liverpool man, who is a perfect 6-0 (22-3 overall) since entering the UFC ranks in September 2021, is still awaiting his next assignment in the Octagon after scoring an impressive submission win over King Green in late July. Now ranked 13th at lightweight, one can expect the strength of Pimblett’s opposition to increase in the coming months but if and when that happens, he says he is confident of beating anyone in the division — up to and including the champion, Islam Makhachev.

“Of course, people always say, ‘Do you think you’d beat Islam Makhachev?’” said Pimblett on the StillTalkingShow podcast, as noted by MMA Fighting.  “I’m like, ‘Obviously.’ You’ve got to. Do you think I’m going to sit here and just be like, ‘No, he’d beat me?’ Then I’m not a fighter. I’m a coward.”

However, the former Cage Warriors featherweight champion made clear that he sees Makhachev as one of the world’s best fighters — but such is the Liverpudlian’s confidence, he is going to back himself against anyone.

“I respect Islam,” he said. “He’s a great champion. People will probably laugh at me for saying this, but obviously, I think I’d beat him. I don’t think any man on this planet would beat me if we got in a cage, I think I’d beat everyone.

“I always say, anyone in your division or anyone that you’re rivals with can beat you, you’re in the wrong sport. Go and do footy or rugby or cricket or basketball or hockey, where you’ve got a team, you can say, ‘It was fault, it was his fault.’ In a fight, it’s only going to be your fault, no one else’s fault.”

In the aforementioned victor over Green earlier this year, Pimblett became the first man to defeat the veteran American via submission — the tenth such win of his career. He has not been defeated in mixed martial arts competition since a September 2018 decision loss to Soren Bak under the Cage Warriors umbrella.