Michael Johnson sets his sights on Paddy Pimblett matchup

After the dust settled on Paddy Pimblett's controversial win over Jared Gordon on Saturday night, Michael Johnson has now set his sights on the scouser and sent a fight proposal for a co-main event at UFC 286 next year.

Despite raising expectations ahead of the fight, 'The Baddy' had a less-than-spectacular performance in his PPV debut but still walked away victorious. The Brit struggled with his opponents' grit and heavy grappling against the cage, which opened up problems for the rising star on multiple occasions.

While shooting his shot on social media, Michael Johnson proposed that the UFC book Paddy Pimblett against him at the forthcoming UFC 286 on March 18, which would supposedly serve as the co-headliner for the event. Johnson tweeted his callout to 'The Baddy':

"Me & @UFCpaddy @UFC London in March Co main event"

Me & @UFCpaddy😏 @ufc London in March Co main event 🤑🤑!

It's a big step up for Pimblett and would give Johnson the exposure he deserves, making it a huge win for the man who manages to get his hand raised. Despite the callout, Dana White will still have to have meetings with his team in the coming weeks before making anything official.

'The Menace' has just two wins in his last seven outings. However, it seems that the veteran has once again found his footing inside the octagon and has put his five-fight losing streak behind him. Last time out, the 36-year-old earned a decision win over Marc Diakiese in a closely fought battle between the two lightweights.

While he likes to stay active, it is unclear whether Paddy Pimblett will want to take a short break from the octagon after fighting four times in a little over a year since joining the UFC.

Alongside Paddy Pimblett vs. Michael Johnson, who else is rumored to fight at UFC 286?

While no fight has officially been confirmed as of yet, the UFC intends to bring a title fight to the UK and will most likely put newly crowned welterweight king Leon Edwards to the test against a vengeance-seeking Kamaru Usman.

Belal Muhammad has firmly placed himself into title contention but isn't ready to wait for his shot. The wrestling-heavy athlete wants to fight on the same card as the championship matchup, with his ideal opponent being Khamzat Chimaev.

Although no matchups have been released publicly, Casey O'Neill and Arnold Allen have already stated their interest in being on the card, alongside many other top UK talents.

🇬🇧 𝙒𝙀. 𝘼𝙍𝙀. 𝘽𝘼𝘾𝙆 🤩

#UFC286. March 18. O2 Arena. London 🔥 https://t.co/Ldhrde0DlQ