Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria Pales In Comparison to Paddy Pimblett Taking on El Matador Says UFC Veteran
UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen had yet another hot take while speaking with his co-host on Good Guy, Bad Guy, former two-division titleholder and current cage-side commentator Daniel “DC” Cormier.
He claimed that a fight between Ilia Topuria and Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett would be a bigger draw than a hypothetical matchup between Ilia and Islam Makhachev.
Islam currently holds the record for most UFC lightweight title defenses at four, making him the most successful lightweight champion in UFC history. He defended his belt twice against featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski and is considered a large lightweight in general.
Islam has since vacated his title and announced a move to the welterweight (170-pound) division.
During a conversation about a potential fight between former and current lightweight champions Islam and Ilia, Chael had this to say to DC:
“Islam vs. Ilia is not this massive fight that people are trying to make believe it is.”
He further elaborated:
“It could be – with a little bit of time. I’m just sharing with you that those guys are a little too close to the forest to see the trees. If you put a belt around Islam, maybe we’re having a different conversation.
Champ VS champ : Illia vs Islam
Chael Sonnen is a legendary bad guy in the UFC, known for bringing in promotional tactics more commonly associated with professional wrestling—post-fight promos, turning heel, and relentless trash talk.
In this case, Chael is pointing out that building up a fight—through narrative, drama, and rivalry—could drive more interest and engagement. However, with the UFC’s upcoming move to Paramount+ and traditional pay-per-view numbers becoming less central to the business model, does it still benefit the promotion to invest heavily in building these storylines?
Paddy “The Baddy” Pimblett and Ilia Topuria already have a history of bad blood, adding fuel to the potential matchup. Much remains to be seen, but with contenders like Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje seemingly pushed aside, a Paddy vs. Ilia fight for the lightweight title could be on the horizon.
