A former UFC champion doesn’t believe now is the time for Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett.
Topuria captured the UFC Lightweight Championship by knocking out Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 317. After the bout, Pimblett entered the Octagon and had a staredown with “El Matador.” Topuria shoved “The Baddy” before security separated the two men. It had appeared the UFC was angling for that matchup, but Dana White later told reporters that he wasn’t happy about Pimblett being allowed inside the Octagon.
So, who will ultimately be Topuria’s first title challenger? During a recent edition of the “Pound 4 Pound” podcast, Kamaru Usman explained why it shouldn’t be Pimblett (h/t MMAJunkie).
“It’s not Paddy’s fault. Paddy has done a great job with the opposition he’s been given to even put himself in this conversation,” Usman said on his “Pound 4 Pound” podcast with Henry Cejudo. “Paddy’s done a phenomenal job. But if we look at the lightweight rankings, you’ve got Ilia Topuria, and I’m assuming next you’ve got Arman Tsarukyan.
“It makes sense. If you’re not going to do Arman Tsarukyan or you’re not going to do Justin Gaethje, you’ve got Dan Hooker there, Mateusz Gamrot, Beneil Dariush in front of Paddy Pimblett. So to skip all of these guys just to give him a title shot, that kind of spits in the face of the merit of the best fights the next best guy.”
Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje were also in the crowd to witness Topuria’s 155-pound title win. Both men have been pounding the table for the next crack at the lightweight gold. Tsarukyan has claimed Topuria is ducking him, while Gaethje has threatened to retire if he doesn’t receive the next lightweight title opportunity.
At the moment, it isn’t known who Topuria will be fighting against next. BJPenn.com will keep you updated.
