UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria says he was surprised that Paddy Pimblett lost to Justin Gaethje when they fought in January at UFC 324.
When Pimblett and Gaethje met earlier this year in the main event of UFC 324, it was Pimblett who was the betting favorite to get his hand raised. But after five rounds of action, it was clear who the better fighter was, as Gaethje inflicted far more damage during the bout on his way to a unanimous decision win. Credit to Pimblett for going 25 minutes and showing toughness, but he was outgunned for most of the fight against Gaethje.
By beating Pimblett and capturing the interim UFC lightweight title, Gaethje has punched his ticket to fight Topuria for the undisputed title. The two will now meet in the main event of UFC Freedom 250, which takes place on June 14 at the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, D.C.
Ilia Topuria Was Surprised Justin Gaethje Beat Paddy Pimblett
Speaking to ESPN in an interview ahead of UFC Freedom 250, Topuria was asked what he thought about the Pimblett vs. Gaethje fight, and the champion admitted he was surprised by how the fight played out.
“When they announced the fight, I really thought Paddy will win that fight. But, for my surprise, he lost. And he lost in an ugly way. I never thought that he was that bad” Topuria said.
“Finally, he showed the level and the skill set that he has inside the Octagon, which is almost nothing. For me, personally, I thought he was better than that, but in reality, he really is. He showed a really bad level of skills that night. It wasn’t his night. Even Justin, I didn’t like the way he fought. Even if he won that fight, I didn’t like that fight. Completely, I didn’t like the fight.”
“When they announced the fight, I really thought Paddy will win that fight.
But, for my surprise, he lost. And he lost in an ugly way. I didn’t expect for him to be that bad.”
🎥 @espnmma
Ilia Topuria Heavily Favored to Beat Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250
UFC Freedom 250 is headlined by Topuria taking on Gaethje in a lightweight title unification bout. According to the latest betting odds, Topuria is a monster -800 betting favorite to win, with the comeback on Gaethje being +550. That means the betting public isn’t giving Gaethje much of a chance in this fight, which arguably says more about Topuria than anything else. After all, he is the No. 2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the sport, and someone who has pretty much destroyed everyone who has stepped inside the Octagon with him.
As for Pimblett, he is set to take on Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 329 in July at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. For the Scouser, this is a difficult bounce-back spot against a very tough and durable opponent in Saint Denis, who finishes everyone he beats. If you thought Gaethje did a lot of damage to Pimblett, imagine what Saint Denis can do to him if the fight goes the Frenchman’s way. That being said, this is also a big opportunity for Pimblett to get a win over one of the division’s best fighters and prove to everyone, including Topuria, that the Gaethje fight was just an off night for him.
Ilia Topuria Was Surprised Paddy Pimblett Lost to Justin Gaethje