Ahead of UFC 319 Card in Chicago, Dricus Du Plessis Drops Major Co-Main Lightweight Teaser With Paddy Pimblett In Tow

Per champ Dricus Du Plessis, Paddy Pimblett has a lightweight fight booked for the UFC 319 PPV Chicago lineup, but it's not what fans would think!

Ahead of UFC 319 Card in Chicago, Dricus Du Plessis Drops Major Co-Main Lightweight Teaser With Paddy Pimblett In Tow

Dricus Du Plessis drops major leak ahead of UFC 319 PPV card, feat. Paddy Pimblett (Source: X)

Dricus Du Plessis, reigning UFC 185-pound king, is two months removed from meeting his stiffest test to date. A similarly weirdly stylistic berserker; a fast-paced, limited-round wrestling juggernaut, and 185-pound top seed for gold: Khamzat Chimaev.

The UFC 319: “Du Plessis vs. Chimaev” PPV title spot has recently been booked and finalized, with both fighters starting camp approximately 7-8 weeks out, focusing on functional fight training. However, per the Afrikaner, lightweight Paddy Pimblett should also save a date for UFC 319!

UFC Execs and matchmaker Mick Maynard won’t be happy if this is true. New lightweight king Topuria and ‘Baddy’s altercation, gimmicky and suddenly prepped or not, would have many believe that this is the PPV lightweight title scrap to make! However, it’s not what everyone would think; per champ Dricus Du Plessis, No.8-ranked lightweight, Paddy Pimblett has a different assignment this August 16, United Center in Chicago, Illinois.

In a recent pre-fight media guest appearance on content creator Ahmed Amwell’s YT Channel, Du Plessis stated that the UFC 319 PPV co-feature is a bout between Pimblett and #3 lightweight on the official athletes’ listings, Justin Gaethje!

The human ‘Highlight’ is 3-2 in his last five fights and is fresh off a win against Rafael Fiziev in a rematch. Recently, Team Gaethje and Rep. Ali Abdelaziz even said UFC Execs need to show him some love with a title shot, otherwise he isn’t making championship weight at 155.

Before all this, Topuria did hint that the next top contender needs to log at least one more win to cement his standing as a PPV title challenger. His fiery faceoff with the Scouser threw a monkey wrench into it; however, Pimblett vs. Gaethje could be the way to go as an interesting brawl and a 155-pound title eliminator.

No Country For Old Men? Justin Gaethje trails behind as ‘new blood’ Paddy Pimblett is ‘it’ guy for gold

Top lightweight contender Justin Gaethje left UFC 317 PPV T-Mobile fighters’ area cageside empty-handed: a disappointing outcome for the athlete and fans. After winning few last fights, the former BMF Champion and interim titleholder believes he is owed in the form of a 155-pound top shot.

Paddy Pimblett treads ahead of top lightweight, who has been proper company man
Paddy Pimblett treads ahead of top lightweight, who has been proper company man (Source: X)

Upset by the title shot snub, the Elevation Fight Team’s top crop even threatened to retire unless he fought for undisputed gold. However, UFC CEO and headman Dana White could give less of a hoot, after his “whacky” title shot demands:

Listen, …everybody has their opinions on, listen, if you’re thinking about retiring, you know how I feel about that, you should probably retire — We love Justin Gaethje and Justin Gaethje did step up and he’s been an exciting and fun fighter to have here in the UFC…but to say unless you give me a title shot otherwise I’m retiring, …that’s pretty whacky!

Dana White during UFC 317 PPV post-fight backstage fighter interviews

Unlike his hostility and run-up with lightweight Paddy Pimblett, new two-division champ and proper top PPV draw Topuria was welcomed by Gaethje at UFC 313 PPV Media Day fighter interviews. However, Topuria does not return the same courtesy to an old name like Gaethje over new blood and now-155-peer like Pimblett.

Gaethje has thus been termed the natural and biggest loser of this Saturday’s UFC 317 PPV fallout, with some fans sadly retorting on socials to “never be a company man” and step up. For now, Paddy Pimblett treads ahead; however, Gaethje might just have his chance against the hard-smacking Liverpudlian.

As of this writing, UFC litigators and media crew have yet to formally announce the full PPV lineup for UFC 319. Including what will fill the co-main event slot. Paddy Pimblett and Gaethje have both kept their recent UFC bookings hush-hush until the hustle, signaling that Dricus Du Plessis and his claims might just be proven true.

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