Paddy Pimblett, known for his outspokenness and rising star power, stirred the pot again. This time it is Ilia Topuria who finds herself in Pimblett’s fantasies. The England fighter wasn’t holding back when discussing his thoughts on Topuria’s potential title defense against Max Holloway.
Old Conflicts Resurface
The animosity between Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria dates back to their pre-UFC days. Nearly two years ago, the two fighters nearly fought outside a UFC host hotel in London. When Pimblett was preparing to fight Rodrigo Vargas and Topuria was scheduled to meet Jai Herbert, their feud was more about personal beef than labor and they subsequently separated, but Pimblett’s contempt the Topuria is noteworthy.
With the stunning 15-0 defeat, Topuria headlined and moved up big through the featherweight division. His victory over Alexander Volkanowski in February, as well as his title win, cemented his status as a dangerous contender. But Pimblett believes Topuria’s success won’t last.
Pimblett’s Bold Statement
On his channel, Paddy Pimblett expressed his doubts about Topuria’s ability to defend his title against Max Holloway. Pimblett’s words were sharp and cynical, calling into question Topuria’s willingness to challenge the war effort.
“I think I’ve got the same thing as everybody else. Everyone picked Max, you know what I mean?” Pimblett said. “The ‘hand sanitizer boy’s’ afraid to pick a fight, he doesn’t want to pick a fight with Max because he knows what’s going to happen.”
Pimblett’s comments suggest he believes Topuria will avoid fighting Holloway because of the anticipated complications. According to Pimblett, Topuria’s victory over Volkanowski was a happy outcome, when Volkanowski wasn’t the best. This criticism confirms Pimblett’s belief in the transience of Topuria’s kingdom.
Pimblett’s Way Up
While criticizing Topuria, Pimblett also focuses on his own career path. Pimblett has been going from strength to strength after earning a first-round victory over Rodrigo Vargas on the same night that Topuria defeated Herbert. Currently on a seven-fight win streak, including five in the UFC, Pimblett is targeting the top contenders in the lightweight division.
Pimblett’s next challenge is against Bobby Green, who he will face at UFC 304 in Manchester on July 27. The fight is an important step for Pimblett, who aims to break into the UFC lightweight Top 15. Moicano is watching to see what he does no way to face Pimblett Renato in this next fight , a matchup he has wanted for a long time.
The Way Forward
Pimblett’s ambitions go beyond his immediate battles. He has expressed interest in challenging reigning light heavyweight champion Islam Makhachev to prove himself against the best in the world. While many fighters dream of a profitable fight with Conor McGregor, Pimblett’s focus is squarely on competing for the lightweight title.
“Once I get through Bobby, we’ll see what happens with Moicano,” Pimblett said. “Everybody wanted to see me and Moicano, so once I beat Bobby let’s see where Moicano is.”
He continued, “I think, obviously, everyone is saying they just want to fight Conor McGregor [as a dream fight] because of the money involved. For me personally, it’s Islam Makhachev. Who has the belt, and who do you want to fight for? You want to prove you’re the best in the world.”
