Australia’s Jamie Mullarkey is eyeing off a UFC run that will make him a “household name” Down Under – but only after first answering a call out issued on social media.

Having already established himself among the nation’s most entertaining fighters, Mullarkey now wants to “catapult” towards the lightweight division’s top 15 against German Nasrat Haqparast in Las Vegas this Sunday.

Should he earn a win on the UFC Apex card, which also features fellow Aussie Shannon Ross, the 29-year-old expects to then pick from a host of exciting options, including English cult favourite Paddy Pimblett.

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Speaking with Fox Sports Australia this week, Mullarkey stressed there was little separating himself and Haqparast, and predicted “a war” with the rival who called him out via social media.

However, should the fighter dubbed ‘Hooligan’ also get up in said war, he agreed it would then pitch him into fights with the likes of Pimblett, Bobby Green and Jared Gordon.

“Paddy is definitely a name that could be next,” Mullarkey said of the popular Liverpool product, who faces Tony Ferguson at UFC 296 on Sunday week.

“Obviously I have to win this fight first, but after that there are a bunch of names that would make for a great fight.

“Guys like Jared Gordon, Bobby Green, Grant Dawson … I want to fight all of them.

“There are so many guys I want to fight, so many names I’m looking at, because it’s such a stacked division.

“I was only looking at the numbers earlier, we’ve got 92 (lightweight) fighters on the roster, and the next closest has 60.

“There are just so many hungry young fighters and I’m looking to really breakthrough and become a household name

“But first I need to perform this weekend.”

Asked about Haqparast, who was initially supposed to face him at UFC 284 in Perth, before withdrawing with injury, Mullarkey said: “Funnily enough, we set this fight up ourselves.

“Originally I had something come up on social media, showing Nasrat had mentioned me in a story.

“Because they disappear within 24 hours I hadn’t seen it, though. So instead, it came up in my message requests.

“So when I finally saw it a day later I messaged him and said ‘I didn’t see what you said bro’.

“He just said ‘I want to get that fight rebooked, let’s do it’.

“I said ‘f… yeah’ let’s both hit up the matchmakers and get it done, ask them for a date.

“That was back before the Sydney card, where we both fought different people. So then we just got on messenger again and sorted it.”

So as for how the fight goes against the German, who is looking for his third straight win?

“I think we’re pretty evenly matched in most areas,” Mullarkey continued.

“So it’s going to be a case of who establishes themselves first, who dictates the pace, takes centre ring and establishes their fight.

“And that’s what I plan to do.

“Although this is going to be a great fight, man.

“A war.

“And with a win this weekend, it puts me in a good position to at least get a fight that catapults me into the top 15 against a ranked opponent.”

The fight will be the fourth Octagon appearance of the year for Mullarkey, who has wins over John Makdessi, Francisco Prado and Michael Johnson, plus the one “stumble” – losing via TKO against Muhammadjon Naimov in June.

Asked what the loss taught him, Mullarkey replied: “Pay more attention, be more present in fights.

“That loss was because of a lack of concentration.

“I made a mistake which cost me pretty big.

“One little slip up in a fight that I was dominating.

“So that fight taught me to be 100 per cent in the moment.”