Technology
Islam Makhachev Names Two UFC Lightweights More Deserving of Ilia Topuria Fight Than Paddy Pimblett
The UFC lightweight division has changed a lot since Islam Makhachev left the throne. After the Dagestani champ moved up to 170 lbs, Ilia Topuria succeeded him as the new king of the 155 lbs division by flatlining Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. Now, ‘El Matador’ is looking forward to making his comeback. His opponent? Paddy Pimblett has been a frontrunner to become a solid contender to actually face the Georgian Spaniard on the early Paramount card. But the former champ thinks otherwise.
Recently, Pimblett revealed to Marca that he’s “struggling to get a fight,” claiming everyone has been ducking him, along with Topuria. Going further, the Liverpudlian also mentioned that Justin Gaethje didn’t answer his call to fight in Abu Dhabi, leaving only the title fight against ‘El Matador’. Surprisingly, Topuria also seemed very interested in fighting Pimblett, as he stated during an interview with Diario AS, “If it were up to me, I think I’d rather fight Paddy because there’s a history.” However, as the fight actually picked up some steam, Makhachev made it clear that Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje both deserve the title shot more than Pimblett.
Islam Makhachev names Tsarukyan and Gaetjhe as Ilia Topuria’s next opponents
The former lightweight champ told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, “Oh man, I don’t know it’s the first time it’s… Arman was the back up fighter for the Charles Oliveira and Topuria. He cut weight, he show it. And after that he have to fight for the tile, you know. But I don’t know, I think Arman have to be next. Because this guy deserve you know. He did like mistake when he was supposed to fight with me. He injured, he not come to like weigh-in. But, he still number one in the division and he have to fight for the title.
Makhachev has a point here. The UFC actually had Arman Tsarukyan as the backup fighter for the Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira showdown during International Fight Week, which made fans believe that the Armenian was next in line for a title shot. However, the promotion has now matched him against Dan Hooker as the main event of UFC Qatar, further complicating the lightweight contender picture. Still, there’s no clear sign from Dana White that the winner of this fight will get a chance to fight Topuria for the 155 lbs gold.
So, while the Dagestani legend believes the #1 lightweight rightfully deserves to fight Topuria next, he also mentioned Justin Gaethje’s chances as well. But, Makhachev clearly doesn’t want to see Paddy Pimblett fighting for a championship just for beating Michael Chandler—someone he believes anybody in the division is capable of defeating.
The UFC lightweight division has changed a lot since Islam Makhachev left the throne. After the Dagestani champ moved up to 170 lbs, Ilia Topuria succeeded him as the new king of the 155 lbs division by flatlining Charles Oliveira at UFC 317. Now, ‘El Matador’ is looking forward to making his comeback. His opponent? Paddy Pimblett has been a frontrunner to become a solid contender to actually face the Georgian Spaniard on the early Paramount card. But the former champ thinks otherwise.
Recently, Pimblett revealed to Marca that he’s “struggling to get a fight,” claiming everyone has been ducking him, along with Topuria. Going further, the Liverpudlian also mentioned that Justin Gaethje didn’t answer his call to fight in Abu Dhabi, leaving only the title fight against ‘El Matador’. Surprisingly, Topuria also seemed very interested in fighting Pimblett, as he stated during an interview with Diario AS, “If it were up to me, I think I’d rather fight Paddy because there’s a history.” However, as the fight actually picked up some steam, Makhachev made it clear that Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje both deserve the title shot more than Pimblett.
Islam Makhachev names Tsarukyan and Gaetjhe as Ilia Topuria’s next opponents
The former lightweight champ told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, “Oh man, I don’t know it’s the first time it’s… Arman was the back up fighter for the Charles Oliveira and Topuria. He cut weight, he show it. And after that he have to fight for the tile, you know. But I don’t know, I think Arman have to be next. Because this guy deserve you know. He did like mistake when he was supposed to fight with me. He injured, he not come to like weigh-in. But, he still number one in the division and he have to fight for the title.
Makhachev has a point here. The UFC actually had Arman Tsarukyan as the backup fighter for the Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira showdown during International Fight Week, which made fans believe that the Armenian was next in line for a title shot. However, the promotion has now matched him against Dan Hooker as the main event of UFC Qatar, further complicating the lightweight contender picture. Still, there’s no clear sign from Dana White that the winner of this fight will get a chance to fight Topuria for the 155 lbs gold.
So, while the Dagestani legend believes the #1 lightweight rightfully deserves to fight Topuria next, he also mentioned Justin Gaethje’s chances as well. But, Makhachev clearly doesn’t want to see Paddy Pimblett fighting for a championship just for beating Michael Chandler—someone he believes anybody in the division is capable of defeating.
