Dana White may not like this idea, but the UFC play-by-play guy Jon Anik thinks Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett is a “huge” fight for promotion.
Following Charles Oliveira’s stunning first-round KO at UFC 317, Topria engaged in a fiery showdown with Pinblett, which quickly evolved. Since then, fans have been whipping little by little to see the two octagonal squares.
Unfortunately, White doesn’t share that enthusiasm, and raises frustration with the current viral encounter, suggesting that Topuria vs. Pimblett is not a battle to make, no matter how bad and want it. At least not now.
Annick disagrees.
“Yeah, I mean, I think the battle for Ilia Topuria – Paddy Pimblett is absolutely huge,” Anik told MMA Junkie. “It can be hard to quantify how big the US star Topria is for his global reach, but there’s no doubt that he’ll be the A-side in almost every equation.
“And Paddy Pimblett – I don’t need to tell you – I’ll move a huge number of needles, so yeah, I think there’s a real possibility for that fight.”
The UFC has other plans for Paddy Pimblett
The hype surrounding Topuria vs. Pimblett could ultimately force the UFC’s hand. After all, promotions are in the money-making business, and if buzz is some kind of indicator, this fight will bring it to truckloads. However, White’s complaints about the Post-UFC 317 incident between Topuria and Pimblett may have something to do with the promotion that has already booked the latter elsewhere.
Recently, UFC 319 headliner Dricus du Plessis proposed that Paddy Pimblett co-headline the August 16 event with Justin Gaethje, who is likely to move to challenge Topuria in late 2025 or early 2026.
Just as exciting as Pimblett vs. Gaethje’s sound, fans may be a bit disappointed after seeing Skozer’s intense gaze gaze with Topuria.