Paddy Pimblett has hit back at claims that he is “not deserving” of a UFC lightweight title fight against bitter rival Ilia Topuria.
The Spaniard welcomed a fight against Pimblett as they had a heated head to head after Topuria claimed the vacant belt at UFC 317 with a first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira earlier this month.
Pimblett propelled himself into title contention with a third-round stoppage of Michael Chandler in April.
“It annoys me when people say I’m not deserving when Islam [Makhachev] got a title after beating Bobby Green, and I beat him faster,” he said.
“[Charles] Oliveira just got another title shot off beating [Michael] Chandler who he went to decision with and nearly got finished with, when I beat Chandler up for three rounds and beat him like no one has before.
Michael Chandler, left, and Paddy Pimblett battle during a mixed martial arts fight at UFC 314, Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
“People just have a different opinion when it’s me, whereas these others fighters it’s alright, they give them a title shot.
“People are saying [Justin] Gaethje when Gaethje has just beaten rank 11 or 12 and coming back off the knock out of the year against [Max] Holloway in a fight he lost.
“You can probably make arguments for several people but the fact that me and Ilia have got history I think, apart from Ilia and Islam who are pound for pound number one and two, me versus Ilia is the biggest fight the UFC can make.”
New UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria reveals why he wants to fight Paddy Pimblett next.
The pair’s heated feud stems back to 2022 when Pimblett made comments online, leading to a physical altercation at the fighter hotel in London during the UFC Fight Night 204 in March that year.
‘If you’re ready, I’m here’ – what happened at UFC 317?
After Topuria had scored a stunning first-round knockout victory over Oliveira to claim the UFC lightweight title at UFC 317 last month, Pimblett was summoned to the ring from watching on in the audience, where a heated exchange led to Topuria shoving the eighth-ranked contender and igniting a rivalry from years ago.
“Let’s fight! If you’re ready, I’m here,” Topuria said to Pimblett before he entered the ring.
Paddy Pimblett reacts after defeating Michael Chandler during a mixed martial arts fight at UFC 314 in April
Former featherweight champ Topuria had announced in February that he was going to step up to the 155-pound division to fight for the belt vacated by former champ Makhachev’s move up to the welterweight division.
Oliveira, who was stripped of the lightweight belt in May 2022 when he missed the weight for a defence against Justin Gaethje, looked good during a brief exchange on the mat, but Topuria disengaged to bring the fight back to the feet, and shortly afterwards Oliveira’s evening ended.
The 28-year-old stunned Oliveira with a right hook and followed it up with a crunching left that sent Oliveira crashing to the mat, his eyes glazed as his back hit the canvas as Topuria fulfilled his pre-fight prediction of a first-round knockout win.
“I already said it – I represent the new generation of the mix of martial arts, this is the next level of the game. This is the next thing, and this is what I represent,” Topuria said in a post-fight interview. “I did exactly what we had planned, lot of jabs, right hand, left hook, and boom – his lights were out.”
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
2025 Fantasy Football Rankings — Justin Boone’s Top Quarterbacks
Yahoo Sports' Justin Boone won the FantasyPros Most Accurate Expert Award in 2019 and has eight top-10 finishes in the competition. Follow the links below to see his latest redraft rankings at every position. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLatest QB UpdatesAaron Rodgers, Steelers - While Rodgers' arrival in Pittsburgh is good news for DK Metcalf’s outlook, the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer isn’t a weekly fantasy option any longer. Don’t get nostalgic during your drafts, Rodgers will only be a bye-week streamer in Arthur Smith’s offense.Daniel Jones/Anthony Richardson, Colts - Several beat writers believe Jones has taken a sizable lead over Richardson in Indy’s QB competition, after the latter missed OTAs due to a shoulder issue. Richardson still has the higher fantasy ceiling between the two, but he’ll need to rally in training camp if he’s going to be the Week 1 starter. Both […]
Fluminense sofre com lei do ex de João Pedro e é eliminado pelo Chelsea no Mundial de Clubes
João Pedro aplica lei do ex contra o Fluminense no Mundial de Clubes. Foto: Divulgação/ChelseaNesta terça-feira (8), o Fluminense foi dominado pelo Chelsea, perdeu por 2 a 0 e está eliminado do Mundial de Clubes da Fifa. O jovem João Pedro foi o nome do jogo de semifinal, aplicou a famosa “lei do ex” e marcou dois belos gols contra o clube que o revelou ao futebol. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEApesar da eliminação, o Tricolor Carioca fez história no torneio. Apelidado de “patinho feio” por Renato Gaúcho, o “time de guerreiros” eliminou a Inter de Milão, a vice-campeã da Champions League, e o Al-Hilal, que deixou para trás simplesmente o Manchester City de Pep Guardiola.Chelsea vence parcialmente em 1º tempo polêmicoO Flu foi dominado nos primeiros minutos. Com erros de passe, o time brasileiro sentiu dificuldades de se organizar ofensivamente e viu […]
Joao Pedro scores two stunners to send Chelsea into Club World Cup final
Joao Pedro scored two stunning goals in his first start for Chelsea as they beat Fluminense 2-0 to reach the Club World Cup final.The £60m signing from Brighton was making his first start for Chelsea and showed why they wanted him with a goal in each half to sink the Brazilian side where he started his career and set up a final meeting with either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain. Chelsea endured a couple of scares in retaining their first-half lead, Marc Cucurella doing well to clear the ball off the line after Hercules had beaten Robert Sanchez with his shot. Trevor Chalobah then saw the referee initially award a penalty against him. Player ratings: Fluminense: Fabio (6), Da Silva Oliveira (6), Thiago Silva (6), Dos Santos (6), Guga (6), Hercules (7), Bernal (5), Nonato (5), Rodrigues (6), Arias (6), […]
Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins to miss approximately 6 weeks with UCL left thumb sprain
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins told reporters Tuesday that his MRI revealed a UCL left thumb sprain that will sideline him for approximately six weeks.Hoskins will be in a splint while he recovers from the injury, which he suffered during a 4-2 loss to the Miami Marlins last Saturday.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I'll be doing my work in the quiet, helping these guys as much as I can off the field so that we can continue our push toward the playoffs," Hoskins said.Hoskins said he'll be in the splint for a couple weeks, and then, after some strengthening, he'll resume baseball activities.The 32-year-old Hoskins, now in his second season with the Brewers, experienced soreness in the fourth inning of Saturday's game after an abnormal putout. He stepped off first base to catch an off-the-mark throw from Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz before tagging out […]
Diori Vasconcelos explica critério da arbitragem para anulação de pênalti em Fluminense x Chelsea: “Decisão foi correta”
Fluminense se sentiu prejudicado neste lance - Alex Grimm/Getty ImagesÚltimo brasileiro remanescente no Mundial de Clubes da Fifa, o Fluminense lamentou muito a anulação de um pênalti no primeiro tempo nesta terça-feira, nos Estados Unidos, pela semifinal, quando o Chelsea já vencia por 1×0 naquele momento. O lance poderia ter gerado o empate, recolocando a equipe comandada por Renato Portaluppi em totais condições no confronto. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEInicialmente, o árbitro François Letexier marcou penalidade máxima após uma bola cruzada na área bater no braço de Chalobah. Porém, de imediato, o VAR entrou em cena recomendando a revisão, com posterior anulação da jogada, em decisão elogiada pelo comentarista de arbitragem da Rádio Gaúcha, Diori Vasconcelos.“Após revisar o lance no monitor, por recomendação do VAR, o francês entendeu que o braço de Chalobah estava em posição natural. A marcação em campo é compreensível, assim […]
Caio Ribeiro prevê João Pedro ganhando espaço com Ancelotti na seleção brasileira: “Grande opção para camisa 9”
João Pedro não comemorou gol anotado em Fluminense x Chelsea (Divulgação/Chelsea/X)João Pedro, logo no primeiro jogo como titular no Chelsea, assumiu o posto de protagonista justamente contra o clube em que foi formado. Carrasco do Fluminense nas semifinais do Mundial, o camisa 20, ao anotar dois belos gols, garantiu o time inglês na decisão do torneio. Neste cenário, a transferência de R$ 415 milhões pode alavancar de vez a carreira do jogador de 23 anos. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEPresente na transmissão da Globo, Caio Ribeiro vê João Pedro com potencial de ganhar a confiança de Carlo Ancelotti. Levando em conta que o posto de camisa 9 da seleção segue vago, a consolidação em um dos gigantes do futebol europeu tem chances de garantir uma vantagem na disputa.“O João Pedro chegou dizendo que tinha bola para meia hora. Tô vendo meia hora… inclusive, […]
Related
2025 Fantasy Football Rankings — Justin Boone’s Top Quarterbacks
Yahoo Sports' Justin Boone won the FantasyPros Most Accurate Expert Award in 2019 and has eight top-10 finishes in the competition. Follow the links below to see his latest redraft rankings at every position. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementLatest QB UpdatesAaron Rodgers, Steelers - While Rodgers' arrival in Pittsburgh is good news for DK Metcalf’s outlook, the 41-year-old future Hall of Famer isn’t a weekly fantasy option any longer. Don’t get nostalgic during your drafts, Rodgers will only be a bye-week streamer in Arthur Smith’s offense.Daniel Jones/Anthony Richardson, Colts - Several beat writers believe Jones has taken a sizable lead over Richardson in Indy’s QB competition, after the latter missed OTAs due to a shoulder issue. Richardson still has the higher fantasy ceiling between the two, but he’ll need to rally in training camp if he’s going to be the Week 1 starter. Both […]
Fluminense sofre com lei do ex de João Pedro e é eliminado pelo Chelsea no Mundial de Clubes
João Pedro aplica lei do ex contra o Fluminense no Mundial de Clubes. Foto: Divulgação/ChelseaNesta terça-feira (8), o Fluminense foi dominado pelo Chelsea, perdeu por 2 a 0 e está eliminado do Mundial de Clubes da Fifa. O jovem João Pedro foi o nome do jogo de semifinal, aplicou a famosa “lei do ex” e marcou dois belos gols contra o clube que o revelou ao futebol. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEApesar da eliminação, o Tricolor Carioca fez história no torneio. Apelidado de “patinho feio” por Renato Gaúcho, o “time de guerreiros” eliminou a Inter de Milão, a vice-campeã da Champions League, e o Al-Hilal, que deixou para trás simplesmente o Manchester City de Pep Guardiola.Chelsea vence parcialmente em 1º tempo polêmicoO Flu foi dominado nos primeiros minutos. Com erros de passe, o time brasileiro sentiu dificuldades de se organizar ofensivamente e viu […]
Joao Pedro scores two stunners to send Chelsea into Club World Cup final
Joao Pedro scored two stunning goals in his first start for Chelsea as they beat Fluminense 2-0 to reach the Club World Cup final.The £60m signing from Brighton was making his first start for Chelsea and showed why they wanted him with a goal in each half to sink the Brazilian side where he started his career and set up a final meeting with either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain. Chelsea endured a couple of scares in retaining their first-half lead, Marc Cucurella doing well to clear the ball off the line after Hercules had beaten Robert Sanchez with his shot. Trevor Chalobah then saw the referee initially award a penalty against him. Player ratings: Fluminense: Fabio (6), Da Silva Oliveira (6), Thiago Silva (6), Dos Santos (6), Guga (6), Hercules (7), Bernal (5), Nonato (5), Rodrigues (6), Arias (6), […]
Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins to miss approximately 6 weeks with UCL left thumb sprain
Milwaukee Brewers first baseman Rhys Hoskins told reporters Tuesday that his MRI revealed a UCL left thumb sprain that will sideline him for approximately six weeks.Hoskins will be in a splint while he recovers from the injury, which he suffered during a 4-2 loss to the Miami Marlins last Saturday.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"I'll be doing my work in the quiet, helping these guys as much as I can off the field so that we can continue our push toward the playoffs," Hoskins said.Hoskins said he'll be in the splint for a couple weeks, and then, after some strengthening, he'll resume baseball activities.The 32-year-old Hoskins, now in his second season with the Brewers, experienced soreness in the fourth inning of Saturday's game after an abnormal putout. He stepped off first base to catch an off-the-mark throw from Brewers shortstop Joey Ortiz before tagging out […]
Diori Vasconcelos explica critério da arbitragem para anulação de pênalti em Fluminense x Chelsea: “Decisão foi correta”
Fluminense se sentiu prejudicado neste lance - Alex Grimm/Getty ImagesÚltimo brasileiro remanescente no Mundial de Clubes da Fifa, o Fluminense lamentou muito a anulação de um pênalti no primeiro tempo nesta terça-feira, nos Estados Unidos, pela semifinal, quando o Chelsea já vencia por 1×0 naquele momento. O lance poderia ter gerado o empate, recolocando a equipe comandada por Renato Portaluppi em totais condições no confronto. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEInicialmente, o árbitro François Letexier marcou penalidade máxima após uma bola cruzada na área bater no braço de Chalobah. Porém, de imediato, o VAR entrou em cena recomendando a revisão, com posterior anulação da jogada, em decisão elogiada pelo comentarista de arbitragem da Rádio Gaúcha, Diori Vasconcelos.“Após revisar o lance no monitor, por recomendação do VAR, o francês entendeu que o braço de Chalobah estava em posição natural. A marcação em campo é compreensível, assim […]
Caio Ribeiro prevê João Pedro ganhando espaço com Ancelotti na seleção brasileira: “Grande opção para camisa 9”
João Pedro não comemorou gol anotado em Fluminense x Chelsea (Divulgação/Chelsea/X)João Pedro, logo no primeiro jogo como titular no Chelsea, assumiu o posto de protagonista justamente contra o clube em que foi formado. Carrasco do Fluminense nas semifinais do Mundial, o camisa 20, ao anotar dois belos gols, garantiu o time inglês na decisão do torneio. Neste cenário, a transferência de R$ 415 milhões pode alavancar de vez a carreira do jogador de 23 anos. PUBLICIDADE PUBLICIDADEPresente na transmissão da Globo, Caio Ribeiro vê João Pedro com potencial de ganhar a confiança de Carlo Ancelotti. Levando em conta que o posto de camisa 9 da seleção segue vago, a consolidação em um dos gigantes do futebol europeu tem chances de garantir uma vantagem na disputa.“O João Pedro chegou dizendo que tinha bola para meia hora. Tô vendo meia hora… inclusive, […]
Be the first to leave a comment