Many fans have been impressed by Ilia Topuria’s undefeated streak in the UFC, but Paddy Pimblett offers a different perspective on the featherweight contender’s rise. Despite Topuria’s perfect professional record of 16-0 MMA and 8-0 in the UFC, Pimblett questions just how legitimate his run has been and suggests timing played a major role in his success.
Topuria recently made headlines by scoring back-to-back knockouts against featherweight legends Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway. While you might be impressed by those accomplishments, Pimblett recognizes Topuria’s achievements but believes that several factors influenced those victories.
In an interview with TNT Sports, Pimblett pointed out that many of Topuria’s opponents were not in their best shape or prime condition when they faced him. For example, Holloway had just returned to the featherweight division after fighting at lightweight and was fresh off a war with Justin Gaethje. Volkanovski had suffered a knockout loss just two to three months prior to his fight with Topuria. Pimblett also mentioned that fighters like Josh Emmett were older, with Emmett being around 37 years old, while Bryce Mitchell, despite being a talented fighter, is not known for his striking abilities.
Pimblett suggested that you could compare many of Topuria’s past opponents to those he himself has faced, highlighting that fighters like Michael Chandler or Bobby Green could have beaten most of them. He also believes that Volkanovski, had he not been knocked out just a few months before meeting Topuria, likely would have won their fight. This all leads you to question the overall difficulty of Topuria’s path to his current standing.
Most importantly, it’s worth noting that Topuria has recently vacated his featherweight title after his move up to the lightweight division. He is now set to challenge Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight belt in the main event of UFC 317 on June 28 in Las Vegas. This high-stakes matchup will provide a clearer picture of how Topuria fares against one of the division’s best.
Meanwhile, Paddy Pimblett is aiming for a No. 1 contender fight against Justin Gaethje, which raises the possibility of you seeing Pimblett and Topuria face off in the Octagon sooner than expected. Pimblett’s doubts about Topuria’s resume add an extra layer of intrigue should the two eventually cross paths in the UFC.
If you’re following the featherweight and lightweight divisions closely, Pimblett’s comments may encourage you to take a closer look at the context behind Topuria’s undefeated streak and keep an eye on his upcoming fights to see how he performs against top-tier competition.
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