Following an impressive victory at UFC 314 in Miami, Paddy Pimblett, a rising star in lightweight division, has certainly made his mark.
In the co-main event at the Kaseya Center, Pimblett secured a dominant win over Michael Chandler, signaling his serious intentions in the division.
Despite a prior backstage confrontation with Colby Covington, attention quickly turned to whom Pimblett might face next.
While former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira is high on Pimblett`s list of desired opponents, one notable name was absent from his post-fight considerations: Ilia Topuria.
Topuria, a former featherweight champion who has now moved up to the 155-pound division, has a history of rivalry with Pimblett, making a potential clash highly anticipated.
Pimblett Claims He Overlooked ‘Irrelevant’ Topuria in Post-Fight Interview
The rivalry between Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria has been brewing for years, sparked by an altercation in London. With both fighters undefeated in the Octagon, a lightweight showdown would be a major event.
Although Pimblett mentioned names like Justin Gaethje and Charles Oliveira as possible future opponents, Topuria was surprisingly not in the discussion.
When questioned about this absence at the post-fight press conference, especially after achieving a significant win that propelled him into the lightweight top 10, ‘The Baddy’ offered an explanation.
Pimblett stated that while he is open to fighting Topuria, he simply didn`t think of him when considering his next steps in the 155-pound weight class.
Topuria`s next opponent is currently unknown after his move to lightweight, with Charles Oliveira and champion Islam Makhachev being potential targets.
“Honestly, I just forgot about him,” Pimblett admitted. “If I had remembered, I would have mentioned him in the cage. I don’t even call him ‘Sanitizer Boy’ anymore, now he’s ‘El Chorizo,’ but seriously, he just slipped my mind. That’s how unimportant he is. I am ranked higher than him at lightweight, so I’d gladly welcome him to the division, but it seems he’s waiting for a title shot.”
Pimblett Confident of Victory Over Topuria Similar to Chandler Fight
Despite some judges scoring the first round in favor of Michael Chandler, Paddy Pimblett`s dominance grew as their fight progressed.
Pimblett believes he could replicate his victory over Chandler against Ilia Topuria. In the post-fight press conference, Pimblett suggested Topuria`s stature would make him an even easier opponent than Chandler, emphasizing Topuria is even shorter.
“What I did to Chandler is essentially half the strategy to beat him. He’s even smaller than Chandler. I’d do the same to Ilia as I did to Chandler, but as I said, I’m ready for anyone I mentioned.”
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