If it’s up to Islam Makhachev, Paddy Pimblett won’t be competing for the title any time soon.
The former UFC lightweight champion was asked who he expects Ilya Topria, who won the 155-pound title in Makhachev’s absence, to defend his title next. He believes “El Matador” has several strong options, including Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje, but Pimblett is not one of them.
“I think it has to be Arman next, because this guy deserves it,” Makhachev told ESPN. “He made a mistake when he was supposed to fight me. He was injured and didn’t come to the weigh-in, but he’s still No. 1 in his weight class and has to fight for the title.
“Maybe Armand, maybe Gaethje, but certainly not Paddy.”
Makhachev was scheduled to face Tsarukyan at UFC 311 in January, but Tsarukyan withdrew with a lower back injury and was replaced at the last minute by Renato Moicano, who Makhachev brought in mid-round. The following May, Makhachev officially announced his move to welterweight to take on Jacques Della Maddalena, with the bout scheduled for November 15th at UFC 322.
After vacating the featherweight title, Topria won the lightweight belt by knocking out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, before facing Pimblett inside the Octagon. Dana White has not announced plans for a Topuria vs. Pimblett fight, and Makhachev is on the same page as the UFC CEO, even though Pimblett has a 7-0 record in the UFC.
“Who did Paddy beat?” Makhachev said. “Tony Ferguson? Who else did he beat? (Michael) Chandler? Everyone beat Chandler.”
“He can do some things, but I don’t think he has a big chance,” Coach Makhachev said of Pimblett’s skill set. “I don’t know, maybe, to be honest, it’s not a big challenge for Topuria. Armand is a really big deal. If he beats Armand, Armand has great skills in striking, wrestling and grappling, so he’s a good fighter. Paddy, no one has ever checked Paddy before.”
Makhachev is now fully focused on Della Maddalena, but as long as he and Topria remain within the same weight class, fans will speculate on the possibility of a superfight between the rivals. For Makhachev, this story is fine. I’m not closing the door on a showdown with Topuria just yet, especially considering the potential size of this match.
“Now we don’t know who will be next after Ilya,” Makhachev said. “If you’re talking about our fight, I’m fighting the good fight right now, and I know he’s going to fight soon, and we’ll see what happens. He wants to fight in the White House, and I want to be there too.”
“This is going to be a big fight for the MMA community,” he added. “If people want this fight and the UFC wants this fight, we can do this. … We know the UFC wants to have a big fight at the White House. What’s a bigger fight than this?”