UFC lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett ripped former champion Ilia Topuria, calling him a “fat featherweight.”
Topuria lost the UFC lightweight title to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 last month. After spending most of his MMA career at featherweight, Topuria moved up to lightweight last year and won the belt when he knocked out Charles Oliveira. But against Gaethje, he looked like the much smaller man, and he eventually got worn down in the fight and was finished by TKO.
Pimblett, who is notorious for gaining weight in between his fights, believes that Topuria is fighting at the wrong weight class and that it was proven by his loss to Gaethje.
Paddy Pimblett Rips ‘Fat Featherweight’ Ilia Topuria
Speaking to Spinnin Backfist in an interview ahead of his UFC 329 bout next weekend against Benoit Saint Denis, Pimblett ripped Topuria for fighting in the wrong weight class. According to the Scouser, if Pimblett does ever fight Topuria, it will encourage the Georgian to move back down to featherweight because he will realize against Pimblett just how small he is for lightweight.
“I always say it: We have weight classes for a reason. Ilia Topuria is a fat featherweight. He’s not a lightweight. If I ever fight him, people will realize that. If he fights me, he will move back down to (featherweight). Because he will realize how small he is for the weight,” Pimblett said (via MMAFighting.com).
Will Paddy Pimblett Fight Ilia Topuria Next?
After suffering a beating against Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250, Topuria is likely going to need some time off to rest up and recover due to all the damage he absorbed in that fight.
Should Pimblett get past Saint Denis at UFC 329, then many fans will want to see the two lightweights collide inside the cage later this year. But according to Pimblett, he doesn’t believe that Topuria will be fighting again anytime soon, and he doesn’t want to wait around for him, so he thinks he will fight someone next instead.
“Everyone keeps saying, ‘Fight Ilia next. That man’s face is mashed up. He’s not coming back before the end of the year and I’d like to fight again before the end of the year. So we’re just going to see what happens As you know, everything unfolds crazy in MMA. You don’t know what’s going to happen next. So let’s just see what happens next,” Pimblett said.
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