Paddy Pimblett rules out POTENTIAL April showdown with Ilia Topuria: “April is not happening, lad”
If Paddy Pimblett manages to get past Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 and grab the interim lightweight championship, he wants to make Ilia Topuria wait after that.
Topuria is currently on hiatus from fighting due to personal reasons and has revealed to fans that he plans to return anytime between April and June.
As per the UFC’s plan, ‘El Matador’ will take on the soon-to-be-crowned interim champion at UFC 324 when he returns to unify the titles.
However, ‘The Baddy’ doesn’t plan on locking horns with ‘El Matador’ in April, and if the former wins this Saturday, he wants to fight again in June or July. Pimblett’s comments suggest that he has his crosshairs on the UFC House Card. He told TMZ Sports:
“He’s [Ilia Topuria] gonna have to wait. He made me wait; he can wait a few months. April is not happening, lad… He can eat sh*t. I’ll fight in June/July.”
Check out Paddy Pimblett’s comments below:
UFC veteran says he’ll be betting on Justin Gaethje to stop Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324
Dustin Poirier, who has shared the octagon with Justin Gaethje twice and won in one of those outings, recently weighed in on the UFC 324 headliner. ‘The Diamond’ believes Gaethje’s experience at the highest level will be a decisive factor, noting that ‘The Highlight’ knows how to take calculated risks and can land a fight-ending blow anytime.
Poirier added that Paddy Pimblett will struggle to catch Gaethje off guard, questioning whether the Liverpool native possesses the skill set required to beat the 37-year-old. According to Poirier, Pimblett’s previous victories, including his TKO win over Michael Chandler, have not convinced him that ‘The Baddy’ is a top-tier lightweight yet.
On The Ariel Helwani Show, Poirier said:
“I just think Justin has been in those 25-minute fights. He’s been in dogfights before. I think Paddy’s gonna have a tough time stopping him on the feet, and I don’t think Paddy’s gonna be able to get him down. Justin is just a bigger puncher, and he’ll put himself in harm’s way to land one of those shots. It’s tough to stay away from that for 25 minutes. Paddy’s a good fighter, but I haven’t seen him beat anyone. If he beats Justin, I’m a believer… But I think Justin stops him.”
Check out Dustin Poirier’s comments about Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett below:
