Should Paddy Pimblett get Ilia Topuria title fight if 'El Matador' beats Charles Oliveira at UFC 317? Darren Till answers

Ilia Topuria's first lightweight title defense, provided he beats Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, should be against Paddy Pimblett. That is according to Darren Till, who during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, weighed in on the UFC lightweight title picture.

When Ariel Helwani suggested that Pimblett ought to be given a lightweight title shot if Topuria captures the belt, Till was quick to agree. While he confessed to admiring the Georgian-Spaniard as a fighter, Till ultimately threw his support behind 'The Baddy,' who hails from Liverpool just like he does.

He said:

"Yeah, yeah. I wanna see that fight. I'm a huge fan of Ilia, and honestly, Paddy's a hometown Scouser like myself, so obviously I'm always rooting for Paddy. But I think that's gonna be a big fight of a big magnitude. I think they were talking about doing it in the [Santiago] Bernabéu."

Check out Darren Till's thoughts on a hypothetical Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett fight:

The rivalry between Topuria and Pimblett is well-documented. The two men are naturally brash, often using trash talk to unsettle their opponents. However, it was Pimblett's decision to make light of the 2008 Russo-Georgian war that truly infuriated Topuria, as well as the rest of MMA's Georgian contingent.

Thereafter, a melee between the two men took place at a UFC fighter hotel, but it never escalated into a full-blown brawl. Since then, tensions have remained, although they're on somewhat better terms now, but still more than willing to take jibes at each other on social media and in interviews.

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Paddy Pimblett isn't just linked to Ilia Topuria

The assumption is that Ilia Topuria will emerge victorious at UFC 317. He is extraordinarily powerful, an exceptional grappler, and arguably the best boxer in the UFC.

This does not bode well for Charles Oliveira, whose chin is questionable and his lack of head movement leads to him getting dropped or rocked often.

However, Paddy Pimblett has also taken aim at 'do Bronx.' After TKO'ing Michael Chandler at UFC 314, 'The Baddy' used his post-fight interview to call out Oliveira, citing his desire to test his submission skills against the Brazilian's.