Paddy Pimblett is locked in for his co-main event fight against Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in Miami ... but the MMA star can't help but dream about what could come next -- including a potential mega-fight with Conor McGregor!
TMZ Sports caught up with Paddy "The Baddy" ahead of his big-time showdown with the seventh-ranked fighter in the lightweight division ... saying their scrap is what many consider the true main event.
"I don't think anybody has more entertaining fights than Michael Chandler," Paddy said.
"He's a chaos of man himself. When he gets in the cage, he just wants to throw down. He just starts to knock your head off. So obviously, the main event's a brilliant fight as well. But you know, you could say this is the people's main event."
If he does walk out with the win against the highest-ranked opp he's faced, the 30-year-old envisions himself fighting someone in the top five ... though when asked, Pimblett couldn't overlook the magnitude of a scrap with McGregor.
"You'd have to do a stadium for me versus Connor," Paddy said. "I have to do Anfield [Stadium] in Liverpool. We'd absolutely fill it out be about 70,000 there be the best atmosphere that the UFC have ever seen."
Speaking of McGregor ... he's no stranger to Chandler. Mike and Conor, who coached opposite one another on TUF, were set to throw down at UFC 303 in June 2024 before a broken toe forced The Notorious out of his comeback fight, eventually leading Iron Mike to Paddy.
Chances are McGregor will be keeping a close eye on whoever comes out victorious on April 12 in South Beach!