Paddy Pimblett has fired a warning shot to Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira ahead of their UFC 317 main event.
Islam Makhachev’s vacant UFC Lightweight title is on the line between Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira as they each bid to become two-time world champions.
Pimblett has already threatened to knock out Topuria at the cageside during the fight, claiming he’d jeopardize the main event if he had to.
He’s clearly intent on becoming a champion in the future, firing a warning at the two men ahead of UFC 317.
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Paddy Pimblett warns Ilia Topuria and Charles Oliveira ahead of their UFC 317 title fight
Pimblett thinks he is next in line to challenge for the lightweight belt, but is unconcerned about who walks out of UFC 317 with the belt.
The Englishman spoke with MMA Weekly about his future plans in the UFC, and admitted he doesn’t care who wins the UFC Lightweight title, as he can beat either man.
Pimblett claims he’ll fight – and beat – anyone that is handed to him, showing no fear in the face of a potential huge matchup.
He said: “I don’t care who wins tomorrow night. I’m always coming after the champ. That’s what you have to be prepared for, to fight the champion.
“I’m not concerned about anything; whatever fight I get, I’ll take it. Then I’ll be coming for the title.
“I’ll beat any of them. It doesn’t matter who’s in front of me. I’ll beat them.”
Ilia Topuria claimed Paddy Pimblett is just ‘one fight away’ from a championship bout
While he is only ranked #8 in the UFC Lightweight division, Pimblett’s shot at the world title could be just one fight away.
Topuria certainly thinks so, as he claimed the Englishman needs just one more win to earn a shot at the champion, which he hopes will be himself after UFC 317.
However, the Georgian was clear in saying that he would beat Pimblett, not the other way around.
| Ranking | Fighter | Record (W-L-D) |
| 1 | Arman Tsarukyan | 22-3-0 |
| 2 | Charles Oliveira | 35-10-0 |
| 3 | Justin Gaethje | 26-5-0 |
| 4 | Max Holloway | 26-8-0 |
| 5 | Dustin Poirier | 30-9-0 |
| 6 | Dan Hooker | 24-12-0 |
| 7 | Mateusz Gamrot | 24-3-0 |
| 8 | Paddy Pimblett | 23-3-0 |
| 9 | Beneil Dariush | 22-6-0 |
| 10 | Rafel Fiziev | 13-4 |
“I see that fight happening. He has to be ready because he doesn’t make those kind of decisions. It’s me who decides when, where and against who.” Topuria told BBC Sport.
“The only thing I can tell him is ‘be ready’. Whenever you get the call you show up, you do your thing, you get your money, you go back home.
“He’s one fight away from the title shot. So if he gets that win, of course we are going to have that fight and I’m gonna whoop his a–.”
Pimblett will be at the ringside to watch Topuria vs Oliveira to scope out his potential future opponent at UFC 317.