Many were impressed with Paddy Pimblett’s performance at UFC 314, but former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria was not one of them.
Pinblett passed through former Bellator champion Michael Chandler in the evening’s co-main event, securing a third round of TKO on the “iron” and extending his unbeaten streak within the Octagon to seven. Later, “The Baddy” found himself overtook eighth in the top 10 rankings for the first time in his career.
Potentially, having won one victory from his first shot at UFC Gold, Pinblett’s star power has grown exponentially overnight, suggesting that Rivapdrian has yet to be tested against his elite opponent.
El Matador (or whatever he calls now) wanted to give Pinblet some credit for his performance in Miami, but quickly pulled back his admiration, calling Chandler an “average level” fighter who never beat anyone who wasn’t in the Octagon.
“He did an amazing job,” Topria said of Pinblett about Joe Rogan’s experience. “He did what he had to do, but for me… I’ll be totally honest with you. To me, Chandler, he wasn’t an extraordinary fighter. He was like an average level fighter.
“So he defeated Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson.
Topuria did not compete in UFC 314, but his presence was felt as he officially vacated the featherweight title, and then won that night with a great performance from former title holder Alexander Volkanovski in the evening headlining.
Michael Chandler’s fighting style is not for Iliatopria
As for Chandler, “Elmatador” recognizes that “Iron” has a fan-friendly style fight.
“At the end of the day, we see war,” Topria said. “It’s a very competitive battle. You almost see the bar fight. You see two guys trading punches in the middle of the octagon, but you see no technique. You see no skill.
“You’ll see a great fight, because as a fan, it’s so funny to see a fight like that. But if you’re really thinking about it, you won’t see the skills in that fight. You don’t see who’s trying to get you down, some great submission, some great transitions, people trying to strike – looking for a combination, looking for his moments, creating space…
“It’s just a wild dog…and it’s cool. You need someone like him. …I would never recommend anyone ‘looking at this guy and learn something’. ”