Mar 22, 2025; London, England, United Kingdom; Paddy Pimblett, UFC Lightweight fighter, watches as Jai Herbert (red gloves) fights against Chris Padilla (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

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Paddy Pimblett Comes Clean As Dricus Du Plessis Might Have Leaked His Next Fight!

Dricus Du Plessis leaks vital information on Paddy Pimblett's next fight, the Liverpool native gives his response!

UFC fighters usually keep their upcoming fights under wraps until the promotion makes official announcements. It’s part of the business deal between athletes, managers, and matchmakers. But sometimes, information slips through the cracks in unexpected ways, especially when fighters start chatting casually on podcasts or social media.

The latest drama involves two fighters who probably weren’t even supposed to be connected in this story. Dricus du Plessis apparently let slip some major news about the lightweight division during a casual appearance on a YouTube channel. Meanwhile, Paddy Pimblett, the Liverpool fighter known for his colorful personality and unbeaten UFC record, found himself at the center of speculation he never asked for.

Dricus Du Plessis Drops The Bombshell News

The middleweight champion was making a routine appearance on content creator Ahmed Amwell’s YouTube channel. That is when he casually mentioned that Paddy Pimblett vs Justin Gaethje as the co-main event for UFC 319. In the MMA world, this kind of leak can send shockwaves through the community.

The timing of du Plessis’s revelation made it particularly interesting. UFC 317 had just wrapped up with Ilia Topuria knocking out Charles Oliveira to claim the lightweight title. Everyone was speculating about who would get the first title shot. Pimblett had his heated face-off with Topuria after the fight, while Gaethje was also present at the event. This added fuel to the speculation fire. Du Plessis’s comments suggested that instead of either man getting an immediate title shot, they would need to fight each other first to determine the next challenger.

Did Dricus du Plessis leak the co-main event of #UFC319 in August 👀👀

“It’s gonna be a big card. The co-main event is Paddy Pimblett and Justin Gaethje.”

🎥 YT / Ahmed Amwellpic.twitter.com/wbgPzW1NHt
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 30, 2025

The leak gained even more credibility because Du Plessis had no obvious reason to make up such specific information. He’s focused on his own upcoming fight against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 31. So casually mentioning the co-main event details seemed like an honest slip rather than some elaborate publicity stunt. The fact that neither Pimblett nor Gaethje had been officially announced for any upcoming fights also made the timeline work perfectly for an August showdown.

Paddy Pimblett Sets The Record Straight

Paddy Pimblett didn’t take long to address the swirling rumors once they started gaining traction online. The Liverpool native took to social media,posting his thoughts on the matter on X.

“Yous Are Mad If You Think I’m Fighting In August”

Yous are mad if you think I’m fighting in August 🤣🤣
— Paddy Pimblett (@PaddyTheBaddy) July 1, 2025

Pimblett’s quick denial threw cold water on the speculation, but it also raised new questions about the accuracy of du Plessis’s information. Either the South African champion got his wires crossed, or perhaps the UFC‘s plans changed after word leaked out. It’s also possible that negotiations were ongoing but hadn’t been finalized, making Pimblett’s denial technically accurate while still leaving room for the fight to happen later.

(Image Credit: Peter van den Berg – Imagn Images)

Dricus Du Plessis

Justin Gaethje

Paddy Pimblett

UFC 319

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!