Paddy Pimblett respects Ilia Topuria as a fighter, but that's where the buck stops.
'The Baddy' created another viral moment at UFC 317, stepping inside the Octagon immediately following Topuria's spectacular first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira, and going face-to-face with the newly minted lightweight world champion. After sharing a few unsavory words, Topuria shoved Pimblett, eliciting a laugh from the Liverpudlian.
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The incident immediately got the world talking about a potential clash between the two, with oddsmakers already favoring 'El Matador' to come out on top by a margin of 5-to-1.
Considering how impressive Topuria has looked in his last three outings, KO'ing Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and 'Do Bronx' in back-to-back bouts, the -500 odds are by no means surprising, but Pimblett believes that the lack of respect Topuria has for his skill set could end up being the Georgian's downfall.
He’s a very good all-round fighter—I respect him as a fighter, and he doesn’t respect me," Pimblett said during an appearance on
. "I genuinely think if he fought me, he wouldn’t train as hard. He just thinks he’d beat me. But I’d kick him everywhere
Of course, all this talk about Topuria vs. Pimblett may be for nought.
Will Paddy Pimblett Have to Make a Highlight Out of 'The Highlight' Before Getting to Ilia Topuria?
Shortly after their faceoff inside the Octagon, UFC CEO Dana White expressed frustration over the incident, suggesting that Pimblett has some more work to do before earning a shot at the 155-pound crown.
Interestingly, reigning middleweight titleholder Dricus du Plessis was caught on camera claiming that Pimblett would co-headline UFC 319 in August, facing Justin Gaethje in what would likely be a lightweight title eliminator. Pimblett recently shot down the rumor on X, but it's possible that the Scouser could be trying to deflect after 'DDP' let the cat out of the bag a little to early.
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Only time will tell which is the case.