Paddy Pimblett has hit back at claims that he is “not deserving” of a UFC lightweight title fight against bitter rival Ilia Topuria.
The Spaniard welcomed a fight against Pimblett as they had a heated head to head after Topuria claimed the vacant belt at UFC 317 with a first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira earlier this month.
Pimblett propelled himself into title contention with a third-round stoppage of Michael Chandler in April.
“It annoys me when people say I’m not deserving when Islam [Makhachev] got a title after beating Bobby Green, and I beat him faster,” he said.
“[Charles] Oliveira just got another title shot off beating [Michael] Chandler who he went to decision with and nearly got finished with, when I beat Chandler up for three rounds and beat him like no one has before.
Michael Chandler, left, and Paddy Pimblett battle during a mixed martial arts fight at UFC 314, Sunday, April 13, 2025, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
“People just have a different opinion when it’s me, whereas these others fighters it’s alright, they give them a title shot.
“People are saying [Justin] Gaethje when Gaethje has just beaten rank 11 or 12 and coming back off the knock out of the year against [Max] Holloway in a fight he lost.
“You can probably make arguments for several people but the fact that me and Ilia have got history I think, apart from Ilia and Islam who are pound for pound number one and two, me versus Ilia is the biggest fight the UFC can make.”
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New UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria reveals why he wants to fight Paddy Pimblett next.
The pair’s heated feud stems back to 2022 when Pimblett made comments online, leading to a physical altercation at the fighter hotel in London during the UFC Fight Night 204 in March that year.
‘If you’re ready, I’m here’ – what happened at UFC 317?
After Topuria had scored a stunning first-round knockout victory over Oliveira to claim the UFC lightweight title at UFC 317 last month, Pimblett was summoned to the ring from watching on in the audience, where a heated exchange led to Topuria shoving the eighth-ranked contender and igniting a rivalry from years ago.
“Let’s fight! If you’re ready, I’m here,” Topuria said to Pimblett before he entered the ring.
Paddy Pimblett reacts after defeating Michael Chandler during a mixed martial arts fight at UFC 314 in April
Former featherweight champ Topuria had announced in February that he was going to step up to the 155-pound division to fight for the belt vacated by former champ Makhachev’s move up to the welterweight division.
Oliveira, who was stripped of the lightweight belt in May 2022 when he missed the weight for a defence against Justin Gaethje, looked good during a brief exchange on the mat, but Topuria disengaged to bring the fight back to the feet, and shortly afterwards Oliveira’s evening ended.
The 28-year-old stunned Oliveira with a right hook and followed it up with a crunching left that sent Oliveira crashing to the mat, his eyes glazed as his back hit the canvas as Topuria fulfilled his pre-fight prediction of a first-round knockout win.
“I already said it – I represent the new generation of the mix of martial arts, this is the next level of the game. This is the next thing, and this is what I represent,” Topuria said in a post-fight interview. “I did exactly what we had planned, lot of jabs, right hand, left hook, and boom – his lights were out.”
