Soaring UFC lightweight contender Paddy Pimblett has explained what he would’ve done differently to Islam Makhachev following his recent shock UFC lightweight title vacation.
UFC boss Dana White recently made the huge announcement that lightweight champion Islam Makhachev has vacated his title so he can pursue a move up to welterweight.
The news came as a shock to the UFC fanbase as just a few days before, Makhachev claimed that he wouldn’t be vacating his title and was going for double champion status.
Despite that, following his title vacation, it was announced that the vacant lightweight title fight would be contested between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira at UFC 317.
Paddy Pimblett questions Islam Makhachev’s decision to vacate lightweight title
Ever since Topuria vacated his featherweight title in pursuit of a lightweight title fight, Makhachev made it clear that he wasn’t interested in fighting ‘El Matador’.
And although the lightweight division is seemingly clogged up towards the top with contenders who have already fought for the title on several occasions, there are new contenders rising through the ranks.
One of which is Paddy Pimblett, who picked up the biggest win of his career thus far this past April at UFC 314, dominating Michael Chandler on the way to a third round TKO.
Following the Russian’s shock title vacation, he has been criticized by ‘The Baddy’ who has explained what he should have done differently.
“If I was Islam, I would’ve fought Topuria,” Pimblett claimed in an interview with TNT Sports.
“I would’ve beaten Topuria and then fought Jack Della Maddalena like four months later. Because Islam will probably want to headline the Abu Dhabi card (in October). If he smokes Topuria like he smoked (Renato) Moicano and some of the others in the first round he’d be good to go in October.
“If I was Islam, I would’ve done that. (I’m surprised that he didn’t fight Topuria at International Fight Week) but I can see where he’s coming from… Loads of people think Ilia beats Islam but I don’t, so it would’ve been nice to see Islam school him,” he continued.
Pimblett claims Topuria ran from Alexander Volkanovski
Sharing a similar thought process, ‘The Baddy’ also accused Topuria of running from a featherweight title rematch against Alexander Volkanovski, claiming Volkanovski would’ve beaten him in a rematch.
Pimblett and Topuria have an ongoing feud, dating back to a clash at the UFC fighter hotel in London in 2022. Since then, they have continued to go back and forth with each other online, potentially setting up for a huge title fight in the future.
“I don’t think he beats Volk if Volk hadn’t been knocked out three months before, I think that’s one of the reasons why he did move to lightweight, he didn’t want to have that rematch with Volk,” Pimblett said.
The Brit is audaciously targeting a number one contender fight against Justin Gaethje next, and if Topuria successfully claims the lightweight title at UFC 317, the two could finally meet in the Octagon.