UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje wants to see former champion Ilia Topuria fight Paddy Pimblett in his return to the Octagon.
Gaethje defeated Topuria via fourth-round TKO at UFC Freedom 250 to claim the undisputed UFC lightweight title. Topuria is planning on coming back soon, and he could be Gaethje’s next opponent in a rematch, though a rematch against Pimblett, whom Gaethje beat at UFC 324 in January, is also an option.
But Gaethje would like to see both of his former foes square off against one another.
Justin Gaethje Wants to See Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett
Speaking on the “Double Coverage” podcast, Gaethje said that he wants to see Topuria fight Pimblett next.
“I would love to see it,. Who would win? Paddy is a conundrum to me. I don’t understand him. Because after fighting him, being in a couple of grappling situations with him, my main goal was do not let him touch my head. Don’t let him grab my head, because he’s definitely got long-ass arms, and he wraps them around your neck, and there’s a lot of leverage going on in there. Then I never thought he was that strong. I never felt that. And then to see him do that to (Benoit Saint Denis) was incredible. To see him do that to Michael Chandler, even before I fought him, I watched Michael Chandler fight him, and I was like, ‘Wow, this kid’s got to be incredibly strong. He’s a big guy.’ And then yeah, I felt strong against him. … I didn’t feel like he was super strong, and then I see him do that to BSD and I’m like, ‘What the (expletive) is going on?’” Gaethje said (via MMAFighting.com).
“I think Ilia’s so good. I think Paddy’s style is so unique, and if you do hang out with him and you don’t pressure him, I think he’s so hard to hit, and he’s very good at landing funky-ass (expletive) from crazy angles. So I think if you fight Paddy with space, he’s hard to beat. Paddy’s a problem. These kids are hungry. I hope they fight. I think it will be great. I think it will be a great show. I’ll definitely go watch.”
Justin Gaethje Hasn’t Decided If He’s Fighting Again
When asked if he definitively plans on fighting again, Gaethje said that retirement is still a possibility, but he doesn’t know for sure at this moment what he plans on doing, as he wants to take some time to figure out what his next move is.
“It’s obviously my decision, but I listen to everything. I hear everything. I read comments, but ultimately I have an amazing family, parents, siblings. My brother definitely does not want me to stop. My brother is 100 percent forward, but everybody else, we’re just kind of figuring it out. They know I can’t fight again this year, so they kind of just want me to enjoy this recovery. Rest, recover, enjoy what I’ve accomplished, and then I think we’re all gonna, around Christmas time, have a conversation about what’s next,” Gaethje said.
Justin Gaethje Wants Ilia Topuria to Fight Paddy Pimblett