Undefeated UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett says he’d like to go toe-to-toe with lightweight champion Ilia Topuria in enemy territory.
Pimblett and Topuria have had a back-and-forth beef, with Pimblett constantly calling out the champ and saying he will knock him out if they ever meet in the Octagon. Now Pimblett has taken the trash talk to another level and has asked UFC matchmakers to set up a fight in Topuria’s hometown, where he’d be happy to face the Spaniard.
In a sitdown with eldoberdanMMA, Pimblett said he’s eager to face Topuria anytime, anywhere, even on his opponent’s home soil.
“I want to fight Ilia, whenever, wherever,” Pimblett said. “I’d love to come to Bernabéu and punch your face in. Do it in Spain in front of your fake countrymen because you’re really German. I’d love to come and punch your face in in front of 90,000 people in the Bernabéu in enemy territory for me because the Bernabéu is a shithole.”
“I can see so many ways that I finish him,” Pimblett added. “Everyone thinks that on the feet it would be a one-sided fight. I can see myself knocking him out. Kicks and knees and elbows. I’m not going to do what Charles did and come out and have a boxing match with him, because I know he’s a very good boxer. I respect his hands, I respect him as a fighter, he’s very good. But once I get on top of him, he wouldn’t get back up, he wouldn’t be able to. I’d elbow him that many times that he looks like The Elephant Man.”
Pimblett is open to taking on other contenders like Justin Gaethje and Arman Tsarukyan, though there has been little movement on any of those fights becoming official.
“I just want to fight anyone ranked above me, really,” Pimblett said. “If it’s not Ilia, I want a No. 1 contender fight, but I obviously want Ilia. He’s got the belt. He’s who I want to fight. I want to fight for a world title. I want to be the UFC world champion, so saying I want anyone other than Ilia is just stupid. Before he won the belt, I thought I would have to have one more and I thought it would be a No. 1 contender fight with Justin, but then he said he didn’t want to fight me. So I just want to fight Ilia.”
