Paddy Pimblett sends dire warning to Ilia Topuria with a Michael Chandler twist

Paddy Pimblett recently took a dig at Ilia Topuria using his previous fight with Michael Chandler as an example. Pimblett, confident in his abilities, vowed to defeat Topuria in a vicious manner.

While many expected Topuria to face Islam Makhachev in a superfight, it won't happen anytime soon as Makhachev moved up to welterweight to pursue a second belt. As a result, the Spaniard will face former champion Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in the main event of UFC 317 on June 28 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pimblett, who made a compelling case for himself at UFC 314 last month, would be among the many elite contenders for Topuria's throne if the latter were to emerge victorious as the new 155-pound undisputed champion. The Brit put on a show in front of the American fans and secured a devastating knockout win over Chandler.

'The Baddy' reignited his feud with Topuria by making fun of the former featherweight champion in a recent Instagram post. He uploaded a picture of his headkick to Chandler and threatened to harm Topuria in the same way, writing:

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''Can’t wait to land one of these on el chorizo''

For context, Pimblett and Topuria were engaged in a heated altercation at the UFC fighter hotel in London in 2022, making their potential matchup a highly anticipated one for the MMA fans worldwide. The 30-year-old has already sent stern warning to Topuria following his victory against Chandler during his post-fight interviews.

Pimblett remains undefeated in the promotion with seven wins. Meanwhile, Topuria is coming off an impressive third round win over Max Holloway at UFC 308 last year. Notably, the 28-year-old became the first fighter to knockout Holloway.

Paddy Pimblett discusses his octagon future

Paddy Pimblett is aiming for a title shot, however he would be open to face former title challenger Justin Gaethje next.

In a recent interview with TNT Sports, Pimblett expressed his desire to fight Gaethje, but also stated how it would benefit him if Ilia Topuria defeated Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, saying:

"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.''

Check out Paddy Pimblett's comments below (10:44):

About the author

Swagat is a dynamic MMA writer with a total experience of a little less than a year, which includes time in retail and sports journalism. He holds an MBA degree.

Swagat fell in love with the sport after watching the iconic grudge match between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier at UFC 182 in early 2015. Nate Diaz holds a special place in his heart for the Stockton native’s entertaining fan-friendly style and ability to deliver exciting fights regardless of the opponent.

In terms of rule changes in MMA, Swagat advocates for making scores public after each round, adding transparency to judging decisions.

Swagat prioritizes accuracy and relevance while writing and conducts thorough research to ensure the content is fresh and reliable.

He enjoys playing football and painting during his free time.

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Edited by Swagat Kumar Jena