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Ilia Topuria made a bold prediction regarding a potential fight with Paddy Pimblett. At UFC 317, Topuria knocked Charles Oliveira out in Round 1 to become the new lightweight champion. Following his win, Pimblett was brought inside the octagon for a face-off, where both fighters showed interest in facing each other.
In a recent interview with TMZ Sports, Topuria expressed confidence that a fight against his fierce rival will be significant in terms of monetary gains. He then predicted:
"I promise you I could choose the way I want to finish [Pimblett]. First round - that's for sure. He's not gonna stay there for more than one round with me. I don't know, maybe it's going to be cool to submit him on the ground with a triangle choke from the mount, something like that. Like I told him, put my b***s on his forehead."
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Check out Ilia Topuria's comments below (8:02):
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Paddy Pimblett's coach gives brutal prediction for potential Ilia Topuria showdown
Most observers agree that Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett will be a significant commercial success due to their fan base and longstanding rivalry. However, many seem to doubt Pimblett's chances given Topuria's recent streak of dominant performances.
However, Pimblett's coach, Paul Rimmer, has a different perspective. In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Rimmer argued that opinions on this matchup are "vague statements" made without understanding the technical aspects of fighting:
"Most fans are casuals and most of them don't like or want Paddy to win. So they choose to come up with mad reasons why Paddy will not or won't do these things. They don't look at technical skills... They just kind of see what they want to see in a vague sort of view. 'Oh, Paddy will outgrapple Ilia.' That's very vague. 'Ilia is going to knock Paddy out.' Is it? How is that going to happen? That's also vague. People just make vague statements." [7:00]
He then gave a prediction for the potential Topuria vs. Pimblett showdown:
"A bloody mess - that's what [Pimblett] is going to do. He's going to make [Topuria's] face a bloody mess. That's what I know is going to happen." [14:50]
Check out Paul Rimmer's full interview below:
Although Topuria and Pimblett's face-off garnered significant attention, UFC CEO Dana White expressed his disapproval about it. White's comments in the post-fight press conference indicated that the promotion has yet to decide the challenger for Topuria.
