Is Paddy Pimblett vs. Ilia Topuria considered one of MMA’s solely reliable rivalries?
Over the UFC’s 30+ yr run, there have been loads of iconic feuds. Liddell vs. Ortiz. Cormier vs. Jones. McGregor vs. Khabib. However in newer years, there’s been a big lack of true rivalries in blended martial arts, with one obvious exception.
“Wherever you fall, I believe at a minimal, what we are able to observe is occurring right here is MMA has a real rivalry and there’s simply not loads of them on the market,” Chael Sonnen stated whereas discussing the continuing spat between Pimblett and Topuria on his YouTube channel.
“Ilia Topuria is now a much bigger star than Paddy ‘The Baddy’… do you wish to combat me on that, do you argue? As a result of it could be an excellent argument. Paddy brings a complete nation with him, Ilia brings a complete nation with him. I’m giving the nod to Ilia as a result of he’s the champion, and since his subsequent combat is assured to be the primary occasion, as a result of his final combat was a important occasion for the world championship. Paddy has not but headlined a pay-per-view.”
Paddy Pimblett questions Ilia Topuria’s resume
Pimblett and Topuria’s rivalry dates again to a March 2022 incident forward of UFC London when ‘El Matador’ reportedly went after ‘The Baddy’ for disparaging remarks Pimblett made about Topuria’s house nation, Georgia. As Pimblett tells it, Topuria got here at him able to throw fingers, prompting the Liverpudlian to launch a bottle of hand sanitizer on the eventual featherweight champion.
Therefore why you’ll sometimes hear Pimblett confer with Topuria as “sanitizer boy.”
Throughout a latest interview with TNT Sports activities, Pimblett reignited their rivalry, claiming that ‘El Matador’ has been “hand-fed” opponents by way of his UFC profession.
“Boy, Paddy went fairly exhausting. Paddy went fairly exhausting at Ilia,” Sonnen continued. “He questioned each combat that he did. He stated, you recognize, that is solely truthful that you’d query Ilia’s fights—all people sit down and so they do the identical factor to me. However for those who go take a look at Ilia’s document… as spectacular as it’s, there’s not a man on that document who a primed Michael Chandler or a primed me wouldn’t beat.”
