Paddy Pimblett is hoping a face off that wasn't supposed to happen, coupled with his hand sanitizer history, is enough to warrant the next crack at the 155-pound crown, currently held by former featherweight kingpin, Ilia Topuria.
“You have Paddy, who got to go into the Octagon and stare off with the champion,” Daniel Cormier said on YouTube. “You have Justin saying, ‘I’m not fighting Paddy,’ when in reality, Justin Gaethje seems like the logical next step for Paddy, because after you get through
a Michael Chandler, you want to go into that next level of guy as you get closer to the title fight. Does Paddy Pimblett deserve a title fight right now? No, he doesn’t.”
Pimblett broke into the Top 10 of the official lightweight rankings by smashing and trashing Michael Chandler at UFC 314 back in April. The 30 year-old “Baddy” is now 7-0 under the UFC banner with five finishes, three within the opening frame.
“But one more victory, especially one over a guy like Justin Gaethje, he will absolutely deserve a title fight,” Cormier continued. “But I think he’s one fight away, but he also needs that name. He needs a Justin Gaethje. He needs a Charles Oliveira. He needs one more guy behind Michael Chandler to truly make the case for him earning a championship opportunity. So to me, that leaves Justin and Arman (Tsarukyan).”
Or maybe just Arman, since Gaethje — a betting underdog against the red-hot Scouser — wants nothing to with Pimblett and has threatened to retire from UFC if matchmakers don’t relent and give him the next crack at the 155-pound crown.
I’m sure this ultimatum will help “The Highlight’s” case.
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