Paddy Pimblett during UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

‘He’s Not Conor McGregor’ – Paddy Pimblett Weighs In On Ilia Topuria Moving Up

Paddy Pimblett reacts to Ilia Topuria’s move up, sparking excitement and intrigue about future matchups and rivalries!

Paddy Pimblett during UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The UFC’s dual-champion era kicked off when Conor McGregor shocked the world in 2016, becoming the first fighter to hold two belts simultaneously. The Irish superstar’s leap from featherweight to lightweight glory sparked a trend that changed the game forever. Fans have watched champions like Amanda Nunes dominate two divisions, Daniel Cormier make history at heavyweight, and Henry Cejudo dance between weight classes.

Fresh off his spectacular run at featherweight, newly crowned champion Ilia Topuria has been making waves about moving up. After dethroning Alexander Volkanovski and defending against Max Holloway, ‘El Matador’ has set his sights on lightweight king Islam Makhachev.

But not everyone is buying the hype train tickets just yet, especially not Liverpool’s own Paddy Pimblett. The timing of this call-out is particularly interesting, considering Makhachev just broke the UFC lightweight record with his fourth title defense, submitting Renato Moicano at UFC 311.

Also Read: Dustin Poirier Goes Back And Forth With Nate Diaz And Paddy Pimblett For His Last Dance

Paddy Pimblett Puts The Brakes On Topuria’s Plans

The always outspoken “Baddy” isn’t convinced Topuria has earned his shot at lightweight greatness. Pimblett, who’s built quite a following with his charismatic personality and impressive 6-0 UFC run, pointed out that one title defense isn’t enough to warrant such a bold move.

He argues that the traditional path required around three successful defenses before even considering a weight class jump. Unlike McGregor, who had the star power to bend these unwritten rules, Pimblett believes Ilia Topuria needs to put in more work at featherweight first.

“I can’t see Ilia fighting Islam. He’s only defended the belt once. Normally you need to defend the belt like three times, and he’s not that big of a star to jump. He’s not (Conor) McGregor to just jump right up and fight for the other belt,” Pimblett said on the Blood Red podcast.

The Liverpool fighter’s skepticism isn’t without merit. History shows that rushing into champion-versus-champion fights doesn’t always pan out. Even the mighty Max Holloway found the lightweight waters too deep when he faced Dustin Poirier. Plus, with Islam Makhachev’s dominant reign and impressive record against smaller fighters, including two wins over Volkanovski, the challenge seems particularly daunting.

Honest Opinion Or Bad Blood Boiling Over?

The tension between these two fighters goes beyond just professional critiques – it’s personal, really personal. Their rivalry ignited in 2022 during a heated altercation in London that nearly turned the hotel lobby into an impromptu octagon. The bad blood reached new levels at the UFC 282 press conference, where security had to work overtime to keep them separated. These weren’t the typical UFC promotional antics; the animosity between them is as real as it gets.

Their history of confrontations adds an extra layer to Pimblett’s comments about Topuria’s champion-champ aspirations. The timing couldn’t be more perfect for their rivalry to heat up again, especially with both fighters trying to make their mark in what’s shaping up to be a pivotal year for the UFC’s lighter weight classes. One thing’s for sure though. If these two end up in the same building again, the UFC’s security team better bring their A-game!

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Ilia Topuria

Islam Makhachev

Paddy Pimblett

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!