Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett is scheduled to fight for the interim UFC lightweight belt against Justin Gaethje.

Quick Scoop: What belt is Paddy fighting for?

Paddy isn’t going straight for the undisputed title; instead, he’s been booked in an interim title fight at lightweight. The matchup is set against former interim champion Justin Gaethje, with the winner positioned to move on toward a unification bout.

Why it’s an interim belt

  • The lightweight title picture has been chaotic after Islam Makhachev’s move up to welterweight, which left the lightweight belt situation disrupted.
  • An interim belt is being used to keep the division moving while the full championship status is sorted out.
  • A win for Paddy would set up a future fight to unify the belts, likely against Ilia Topuria, whom he has openly targeted.

What this fight means for Paddy

  • It’s being framed as the biggest year of his career, with Paddy saying he plans to win the interim belt and then become undisputed champion.
  • The UFC has faced criticism for giving him a title shot so quickly, but his undefeated UFC run and growing star power have clearly influenced the matchmaking.

In forum-style discussions and fan chatter, you’ll often see it summed up as:
“Paddy’s fighting Gaethje for the interim lightweight strap first, then chasing the real gold if he wins.”

TL;DR: Paddy Pimblett is fighting for the interim UFC lightweight title at 155 lbs , not the full undisputed belt (yet).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.