Ilia Topuria: Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje 'easy' UFC wins for Paddy Pimblett
Ilia Topuria: Conor McGregor, Justin Gaethje 'easy' UFC wins for Paddy Pimblett Ilia Topuria surprisingly backs rival Paddy Pimblett in multiple big matchups.
Ilia Topuria surprisingly backs rival Paddy Pimblett in multiple big matchups.
Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) and Pimblett have been trading barbs for years, and are closer than ever to being able to settle their beef after Topuria vacated his UFC featherweight title for a move up to lightweight. Pimblett emerged as a top contender after running through Michael Chandler in a TKO finish at UFC 314 this past Saturday.
Topuria wants a direct shot at UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, and thinks Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) should face Justin Gaethje next – a fight he sees him winning handily.
"I would put Justin Gaethje against Paddy Pimblett, me against Islam," Topuria said on "The Joe Rogan Experience." "Once I pass him, I get the title, and you put me against Paddy. I think he's going to (beat Gaethje) easy. He doesn't know how to grapple, and Paddy knows how. Did you ever see him submitting someone? What everyone likes is to dominate people and to win as soon as possible. If you had the ability to submit someone as soon as you can, you would do it."
Not only does Topuria see Pimblett beating Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC), he thinks he'd make easy work of former UFC dual-champion Conor McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) if he ever returned to fighting.
"Paddy beats him easy now," Topuria said of McGregor. "On the feet, he's a motherf*cker, I know that. He can knock out like everyone."
If Pimblett lives up to the potential Topuria sees in him, "La Leyenda" thinks a fight between them would be massive – even more intriguing than one with McGregor.
"What excites me more (than McGregor) is the fight with Paddy," Topuria said. "If they could put that fight in Spain, in the Bernabeu Stadium. I know that Dana doesn't like to the put the events in stadiums, but that is the only stadium in the world that they can close the roof."
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