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Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
UFC star makes confident Paddy Pimblett vs Ilia Topuria admission
Pimblett and Topuria have been on a collision course ever since they clashed at the fighter hotel during UFC London in 2022, and the fight could soon be on the horizon UFC welterweight sensation Ian Machado Garry has predicted a fight between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett would go down as one of the "biggest fights" ever. The bad blood between 'The Baddy' and Topuria dates back to an infamous altercation three years ago during a UFC London event. After a heated exchange in the fighter hotel, Pimblett threw a bottle of hand sanitiser at Topuria, sparking chaotic scenes. The clash in London seemed to ignite the bitter feud, and there have been teases about them facing off in the octagon despite previously competing in different divisions. However, that all changed earlier this year when Topuria vacated his featherweight title in favour of a move up to 155lbs. 'El Matador' has jumped straight into a title fight against Charles Oliveira for the newly vacated 155lb championship belt at next month's UFC 317, following Islam Makhachev's decision to step up to welterweight. Providing Topuria comes away with the win and unscathed, it could set up eagerly anticipated clash with the Liverpudlian. 'The Baddy' recently secured the most significant victory of his career against Michael Chandler, and despite many believing the Brit needs another win before competing for the title, he could be thrust into a title bout with Topuria due to their mutual animosity. While 'El Matador' is set to fight Oliveira, a close friend of Machado Garry, the Irishman is still keen to see a showdown between Topuria and Pimblett. In an interview with he said: "Paddy's been phenomenal. You can't give nothing but praise to what he's done and how he's done it. He's gone out there. He's backed up everything he said. He's beaten and is beating everyone that's been put in front of him and he's looked great and has that popularity inside and outside the Octagon, he's doing what he needs to do, and he's doing a very good job at it. Paddy and Ilia is a massive, massive fight if that happens down the line. It's going to be so big, so big. I reckon that's a stadium [fight]. That'll be one of the biggest fights we've ever seen." Pimblett is indeed keen on facing Topuria in Abu Dhabi in October, but he admits that his likely opponent will be Justin Gaethje. "I'm hoping to fight in Abu Dhabi in October. I think that's when I'm going to be back in the cage," Pimblett told BBC Sport. "I was thinking Ilia might call me out if he wins [against Oliveira]. I'd love to beat him if he gets the belt. I'd love to fight him anyway but he's booked, so I think it's more than likely Justin Gaethje." The Brit was asked about his interest in dangerous contender Arman Tsarukyan - to which he replied: "No one [cares] about Arman Tsarukyan and people actually want to watch Gaethje fight. People know it'll be an exciting fight, me versus Gaethje," said Pimblett. "Tsarukyan, he's just an absolute tool, and then it's me and Gaethje. One win away and I'll be fighting for the belt. Yeah, that's always been the aim. It's the only aim that we have."
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Pimblett targeting Topuria or Gaethje fight in October
Paddy Pimblett says he would love to fight Ilia Topuria in Abu Dhabi in October but his opponent is most likely to be Justin Gaethje. Liverpool's Pimblett earned a statement win over Michael Chandler last month before calling for his next bout to be against an opponent ranked in the top five. Spain's Topuria faces Brazil's Charles Oliveira for the lightweight belt at UFC 317 on 28 June after former champion Islam Makhachev vacated his belt to move up to welterweight. American Gaethje doesn't have a fight booked and is third in the UFC's lightweight rankings - five places above Pimblett. The UFC usually hosts a numbered event in Abu Dhabi in October but a potential date for this year's show is yet to be set. "I'm hoping to fight in Abu Dhabi in October. I think that's when I'm going to be back in the cage," Pimblett told BBC Sport. "I was thinking Ilia might call me out if he wins [against Oliveira]. I'd love to beat him if he gets the belt. "I'd love to fight him anyway but he's booked, so I think it's more than likely Justin Gaethje." Pimblett has history with former featherweight champion Topuria after the pair clashed at a hotel before UFC London in 2022. Topuria, 28, vacated his belt earlier this year to move up to lightweight, opening the door to a potential fight with Pimblett. Gaethje, meanwhile, last fought in March with a win over Rafael Fiziev - and with 20 knockouts from 26 bouts, he remains one of the most popular fighters on the roster. With fourth-ranked Max Holloway facing fifth-ranked Dustin Poirier on 19 July, the only other fighter without a fight booked in the top five is Armenia's Arman Tsarukyan, who Pimblett has no interest in. "No one [cares] about Arman Tsarukyan and people actually want to watch Gaethje fight. People know it'll be an exciting fight, me versus Gaethje," said Pimblett. "Tsarukyan, he's just an absolute tool, and then it's me and Gaethje. "One win away and I'll be fighting for the belt. Yeah, that's always been the aim. It's the only aim that we have." Since his UFC debut in 2021 Pimblett has won all seven fights and grown into one of the most popular fighters in the promotion. Pimblett has long wanted to headline a show in his hometown Liverpool but the UFC hasn't held an event in the city since 2018, instead choosing to put shows on in London and Manchester. Because Liverpool's biggest arena, the M&S Bank Arena, only has a capacity of 11,000, Pimblett has suggested Premier League champions Liverpool's stadium Anfield as a potential venue. UFC president Dana White, however, has often opted against hosting shows in stadiums, citing a lack of atmosphere and potential rain as the reasons why. Pimblett has suggested White should visit Anfield to watch a Liverpool game to change his mind. "It needs to be Anfield. That's the only the only viable place to do it. And I know Dana doesn't like doing stadiums, he's done it in Australia, but Anfield is different," said Pimblett. "He needs to come to Anfield on a Champions League night or when we play Manchester United or something like that, or even the blue shirt [Everton]. "You need to come and watch because you'd be like 'wow, this is unbelievable'." MMA schedule and results 2025 Watch every Born to Brawl episode Notifications, social media and more with BBC Sport
Daily Mirror
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Daily Mirror
Paddy Pimblett issues chilling warning to huge UFC rival with brutal message
Paddy Pimblett has reignited his feud with Ilia Topuria after firing a brutal verbal jab at the former featherweight champion. The duo have traded barbs on numerous occasions over recent years, and despite a slight moment of mutual respect at UFC London in March, the rivalry remains intense. Since joining the UFC ranks, Pimblett has maintained an unbeaten streak and is regarded as one of the promotion's top stars. With victories against the likes of Tony Ferguson and King Green, 'The Baddy' claimed his most significant triumph to date last month, with a savage knockout of ex-Bellator lightweight king Michael Chandler. The Scouser recently took a dig at Topuria, dismissing him as 'irrelevant' in the race for the lightweight crown. Topuria's step up to 155lb to battle Charles Oliveira for the vacant title was recently confirmed, setting the stage for a mouthwatering clash at UFC 317 during International Fight Week in Vegas. If 'El Matador' secures the two-division champion status, he might opt to defend his title against Pimblett first. Should the dust-up happen, Pimblett plans on brutally finishing his long-time rival. In a recent post to Instagram, the British star posted a photo of him kicking Chandler in the head along with a chilling messaged aimed at Topuria. 'Can't wait to land one of these on el chorizo,' Pimblett posted. Topuria has yet to reply to the recent comments. Pimblett previously accused Topuria of being 'hand-fed' opponents by the UFC, stating: "He has done a lot in the sport, but I do still think he's been hand-fed opponents," and elaborated on his views about Topuria's past fights. "[Max] Holloway had just been fighting at 155 [pounds], had a war with [Justin] Gaethje. Volk [Alexander Volkanovski] had just been knocked out like two months earlier. Josh Emmett was like 37. Bryce [Mitchell], as much as I love Bryce, we know he's not a striker. Every fight he had before the title, Michael Chandler beats every single one of them. I reckon Bobby Green beats every single one of them." Regarding his future, the Liverpudlian is eyeing a clash with Justin Gaethje in October to earn a shot at the UFC lightweight title. "I know for a fact if I beat Gaethje, I'm next in line. Definitely. It could be (the next fight)," Pimblett told TNT Sports. "It's just if he says yeah or not. Because he's fighting down the rankings again. Abu Dhabi. October. That pay-per-view. That's when I want to fight. That's what I'll be gearing towards. After what I've done to (Michael) Chandler, I think I finish Justin Gaethje... Yeah, that'd be nice [to fight Gaethje]. 'But I was thinking about it the other day: It's probably better if Ilia wins the belt, because he'll probably call me out and then I could just fight him. Maybe I wouldn't even fight Gaethje, [and I could] just fight Topuria... It'd be far better for my career if Ilia wins because I'd, more than likely, be his first title defence.'
Scottish Sun
22-04-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Leon Edwards urged to make drastic and emotional change to regain welterweight title by UK UFC legend
The UK's second UFC titleholder is in limbo after back-to-back defeats ROCKY ROAD Leon Edwards urged to make drastic and emotional change to regain welterweight title by UK UFC legend LEON EDWARDS has been advised he may need to make an emotional decision if he's to regain the welterweight throne. The Brummie's reign as 170lbs title champion came to a gruelling end at the hands of Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 last July. Advertisement 5 Leon Edwards is in welterweight limbo following back-to-back defeats Credit: PA 5 'Rocky' suffered a submission defeat to Sean Brady at UFC London in March Credit: REUTERS 5 The Jamaican-born Brit has been urged to switch up his training environment Credit: GETTY And his hopes of reclaiming the belt suffered a body blow last month when he was submitted by Sean Brady in the main event of UFC London. Edwards' road back to title contention is now a 'Rocky' one, and one Brit UFC icon Brad Pickett believes he may need to embark on from a new gym. In an exclusive interview, the NetBet UFC Betting ambassador Pickett told SunSport: "He's in a tricky spot. "I think he needs to find or do something to re-motivate himself. Advertisement READ MORE UFC NEWS JON THE WAY Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall date 'AGREED' as huge Dana White announcement teased "A lot of people are not gonna agree with me when I say it, but I think , maybe, [he] should go somewhere else to train. "Not because Renegade is a bad place to train. It's a fantastic gym, I've been there myself. "But [he maybe should go elsewhere] just to change the scenery, you know, even take some of your coaches." Pickett reckons a change of scenery will relight a fire under the Jamaican-born Brit. Advertisement JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 5 UK MMA pioneer Brad Pickett reckons a change of scenery could do the world of good for Leon Edwards Credit: GETTY He continued: "Get away from your day-to-day distractions and go somewhere else. "Get that hunger back. Because when you're young and you go to a new gym, people are hungry. Advertisement Leon Edwards reveals blunt conversation with UFC before accepting UFC London headline spot "I was like, 'Who am I gonna fight?' I think he needs to get that kind of [mentality] again. "Differently than in your same gym, same environment and bringing fighters in to fight you. "Have that hunger and go somewhere else where you know people are out there to get you. Just change the scenery. "I think that would do him a lot of good." Advertisement Edwards, 33, was radio silent in the aftermath of his defeat to Brady, who dominated him before getting a fourth-round submission with a guillotine choke. But he broke his silence last week, defiantly writing on Instgram: "Still HIM."
The Sun
22-04-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Leon Edwards urged to make drastic and emotional change to regain welterweight title by UK UFC legend
LEON EDWARDS has been advised he may need to make an emotional decision if he's to regain the welterweight throne. The Brummie's reign as 170lbs title champion came to a gruelling end at the hands of Belal Muhammad at UFC 304 last July. 5 5 5 And his hopes of reclaiming the belt suffered a body blow last month when he was submitted by Sean Brady in the main event of UFC London. Edwards ' road back to title contention is now a 'Rocky' one, and one Brit UFC icon Brad Pickett believes he may need to embark on from a new gym. In an exclusive interview, the NetBet UFC Betting ambassador Pickett told SunSport: "He's in a tricky spot. "I think he needs to find or do something to re-motivate himself. "A lot of people are not gonna agree with me when I say it, but I think , maybe, [he] should go somewhere else to train. "Not because Renegade is a bad place to train. It's a fantastic gym, I've been there myself. "But [he maybe should go elsewhere] just to change the scenery, you know, even take some of your coaches." Pickett reckons a change of scenery will relight a fire under the Jamaican-born Brit. JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 5 He continued: "Get away from your day-to-day distractions and go somewhere else. "Get that hunger back. Because when you're young and you go to a new gym, people are hungry. Leon Edwards reveals blunt conversation with UFC before accepting UFC London headline spot "I was like, 'Who am I gonna fight?' I think he needs to get that kind of [mentality] again. "Differently than in your same gym, same environment and bringing fighters in to fight you. "Have that hunger and go somewhere else where you know people are out there to get you. Just change the scenery. "I think that would do him a lot of good." Edwards, 33, was radio silent in the aftermath of his defeat to Brady, who dominated him before getting a fourth-round submission with a guillotine choke. But he broke his silence last week, defiantly writing on Instgram: "Still HIM."
