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Paddy Pimblett has found himself in somewhat of a difficult position after UFC 282. Despite his rising popularity, the performance he mounted against Jared Gordon fell flat. Furthermore, his disgruntled reaction to those who criticized his performance might not endear him to his detractors.
Despite possessing what appears to be a limited skill set with glaring issues in his defensive striking, 'The Baddy' edges closer to ranked competition. While he remains outside the top 15 in the lightweight division, it's only a matter of time before he cracks the hierarchy.
At that point, the former Cage Warriors featherweight champion will have to start accepting matchups against foes who are far more skilled than the opponents he's been facing so far. Since he struggled to mount a convincing win against Jared Gordon, it's difficult to see his ceiling being much higher.
However, in light of everything that's happened, there is still hope. The UFC can schedule a bout with featherweight knockout artist Ilia Topuria and this list explores five reasons why.
#5. Paddy Pimblett needs an exciting fight to erase the memory of his recent bout
Typically, Paddy Pimblett delivers excitement whenever he steps into the octagon. Whether it's at Cage Warriors or the UFC, 'The Baddy' has been an exciting fighter through and through. Unfortunately, his recent bout against Jared Gordon at UFC 282 didn't live up to the thrill of his past performances.
Not only was it the first matchup of the night that went to a decision, but it also wasn't the most exciting bout. 'The Baddy' spent most of the fight being countered by check left hooks and being pinned against the fence. Furthermore, many fans and fighters felt that he was awarded an unearned decision win.
A bout against Ilia Topuria would not be a dud like the surging lightweight's recent fight was. Like Pimblett, 'El Matador' is a finisher. He has only gone to a decision once in his entire career and is an offensive dynamo.
A bout between the two would produce enough fireworks to erase the memory of Pimblett's previous matchup. This is especially true given that UFC fans typically only care about what a fighter has done lately.
#4. The matchup has a backstory that's easy to promote
There is a bit of history between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett. While 'El Matador' was born in Germany and holds Spanish citizenship, he is Georgian by ethnicity and heritage. According to the power-punching featherweight, the feud between the two men stemmed from a Twitter argument.
'The Paddy' engaged one of 'El Matador's' friends in a back-and-forth on Twitter before declaring that he understood why Russia attacked Georgia. For Topuria, the comment was unforgivable as he lived through the war between the two countries. A year later, Topuria and Pimblett had a violent altercation at a hotel where the UFC had put them up before a Fight Night event.
Punches and objects were thrown before the confrontation was stopped. Months later, at the UFC 282 pre-fight press conference, the two waged a war of words. Now, in the aftermath of his brutal win over Bryce Mitchell, Ilia Topuria has accused the UFC of protecting Paddy Pimblett from him.
The history behind this rivalry is rich enough that it could easily be used to promote a bout between the two. Video packages using footage of their hotel altercation and trash talk from the UFC 282 pre-fight press conference can be launched to generate hype. Genuine rivalries are rare in the UFC, and this is one of them.
#3. It will reveal Paddy Pimblett's ceiling
The UFC's hope is that Paddy Pimblett will rise to the occasion and become the promotion's leading star in the coming years. Unfortunately, one thing that separates him from his predecessor Conor McGregor is his skill level. When 'The Notorious' made his UFC debut, his ceiling was immediately evident.
There was an understanding among many observers that the Irishman was something special and that he could achieve greatness. While 'The Baddy' is certainly charismatic, he does not instill spectators with the kind of steely confidence that McGregor did. Instead, Pimblett has glaring technical holes.
Thus, his ceiling is more questionable. While Jared Gordon is a serviceable and even good fighter, he cannot represent the toughest test of Paddy Pimblett's UFC run. To instill confidence in the UFC that he can at least become a top-five fighter, he must start defeating top-quality opponents.
Ilia Topuria is such an opponent. He is undefeated and has finished all but one of his foes. If 'The Baddy' cannot defeat him, then the UFC will realize that perhaps they shouldn't put so much of their promotional weight behind the Scouser. He'll remain an investment, but it will give the UFC an idea of the kind of prioritization he deserves from them.
#2. He is running out of time compared to others
Paddy Pimblett will turn 28 in January next year. So while he is young, he doesn't have much time left to reach the top of the lightweight division if he's struggling with unranked foes. Meanwhile, Sean O'Malley, who is another rising star, defeated former bantamweight champion Petr Yan at the age of 27.
Conor McGregor, who 'The Baddy' is often compared to, became the first two-division champion in UFC history at the age of 28. Furthermore, the Scouser fought Jared Gordon in his 23rd fight. In comparison, 'The Notorious' fought Nate Diaz in his 23rd fight, while Sean O'Malley is yet to have 23 fights.
But in his 16th bout, 'Sugar' fought Petr Yan. At 28 years old, Paddy Pimblett does not have much time, especially in the lower weight classes. He'll soon be in his thirties, but he still has the same glaring holes in his defensive striking that he's had across 23 fights.
He needs to fight a top-quality opponent before he runs out of time and is no longer in his athletic prime. Sean O'Malley had the luxury of being 23 years old when the UFC decided to slowly build him up.
Ilia Topuria must be 'The Baddy's' next opponent. Otherwise, the Scouser might have already lost a step by the time he fights a quality foe.
#1. It can turn Ilia Topuria into a star
At the moment, Ilia Topuria is not a known commodity for casual fans of MMA. Despite having the mystique and reputation of an unbeaten fighter and a thrilling finisher, he is yet to capture the attention of non-hardcore spectators. His English-speaking skills certainly aren't helping his cause.
However, what could catapult him into the limelight is a bout with Paddy Pimblett. The promotional weight behind a potential matchup between the two will give 'El Matador' a level of visibility he has never had. It will highlight him to all the fans who hope that 'The Baddy' is the next Conor McGregor.
If Ilia Topuria can defeat Paddy Pimblett in the same manner he's beaten most of his prior foes, he'll earn a level of stardom that's eluded most 145'ers. This would be especially true given that the Scouser is a lightweight, so a win over him will look even better.
If 'The Baddy' doesn't turn out to be the star that Dana White hopes he'll become, 'El Matador' could fill that void. A high-profile win over Paddy Pimblett would turn him into a star who is uniquely positioned to represent three different countries. The potential fanbase he'll command will render him extremely versatile. If Topuria defeats Pimblett and the UFC decides to host a PPV in Germany, Spain or Georgia, 'El Matador' would be a special attraction as a co-main event feature.
