Paddy Pimblett’s next move has become less clear.The two frontrunners to face the Liverpudlian when he returns to the Octagon, Justin Gaethje and Dan Hooker, have both insisted that they have no interest in fighting the lightweight contender. Pimblett is likely one win away from a title shotGettyGaethje was the first to draw the line in the sand when he made a retirement ultimatum to the UFC should he not get a shot at the 155lbs belt next.“Absolutely not (fighting Pimblett),” Gaethje told ESPN. “If that’s the route that they want me to take, then I don’t believe that they need me anymore. “I know that sounds petty or whatever, but I’m No.3, I’m 3-1 in my last four, the champion was calling to fight me, and he vacated.“They bring a new guy in and give a guy who is 2-2 the fight. “If their algorithm and their match tells them to just use me until I get beat, then I’m going to have to really reevaluate what I’m doing here.”On Sunday, Hooker also made his stance on fighting Pimblett crystal clear during a recent interview with Submission Radio.“I don’t wanna, no,” Hooker said of squaring off with Pimblett. “I don’t think the guy’s that good, and it brings out the best of me when I fight an actual good fighter. “Like, when they give me someone that I think I can beat, or I think someone’s s***, then I fight s***. “Like, my mind subconsciously relaxes because I think they’re s***, and then I do s***, then they beat me.”Hooker has been touted as a possible opponent, but he has no interest in fighting PimblettGettyNeither does Gaethje, who only has eyes for the titleGettyPimblett is angling for an immediate shot at newly minted champion Ilia Topuria having faced off with his bitter rival in the cage at UFC 317.However, Pimblett admitted it was likely he would have to come through Hooker or Gaethje first.That is because it is more plausible that the UFC will pick Arman Tsarukyan, the highest-ranked active contender, to face Topuira in his first defence.The Armenian saw a title fight with Topuria’s predecessor, Islam Makhachev, collapse earlier this year, while he made weight as the back-up fighter for the vacant title fight between Topuria and Charles Oliveira in June.Pimblett is expected to return to action at an event in Abu Dhabi in October, which would theoretically fit into Hooker and Gaethje’s schedules if they were interested in the fight.At present, Pimblett is ranked No.9 in the UFC lightweight rankings – three spots behind Hooker and four behind Gaethje.