Pimblett targets McGregor at MSG if both win at UFC 329 in July

Paddy Pimblett has set his sights on a welterweight clash with Conor McGregor at the UFC’s annual Madison Square Garden card, provided both men emerge victorious at UFC 329 on July 11 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

McGregor (22-6) headlines UFC 329 in his first UFC appearance in five years, taking on Max Holloway (27-9) in a welterweight main event. Pimblett (23-4) co-headlines the same card at lightweight against Benoit St. Denis (17-3), giving the Liverpool fighter a front-row seat to McGregor’s long-awaited return.

“The perfect fight for me would be Conor… Mad being on the same card as Conor McGregor. The biggest name in the sport, it’s nice for him to be back. This is probably going to be the most-watched UFC of all time,” Pimblett said. “I’m not gonna be the star of the show on this one, definitely not. Conor is. But probably gonna be the second star of the show. If Conor wins and I win… I wanna fight again before the end of the year. I’ll fight him at welterweight, in MSG?”

Although Pimblett is a natural lightweight, he has made clear he is willing to move up to 170 pounds to make the fight happen. The UFC’s New York card at Madison Square Garden is typically held in November, fitting neatly into his stated timeline of returning before the year is out.

The two fighters share a notable history as former Cage Warriors champions, and Pimblett was frequently compared to McGregor when he first joined the UFC roster. While he initially embraced the parallel, he has since carved out his own identity in the promotion — building a seven-fight winning streak before falling short in an interim lightweight title fight against Justin Gaethje in January.

Whether the proposed matchup materialises depends entirely on what happens in Las Vegas next month, but Pimblett has made his preference unmistakably clear.