UFC 324 was supposed to be the Paddy Pimblett show.
Everything was lined up for “The Baddy” to capture interim gold on the biggest stage possible. Not only did Pimblett have a significant edge in momentum and youth over Justin Gaethje, but “The Highlight” was hampered by an apparent staph infection. Pimblett was supposed to dispose of another older fighter in the UFC’s Paramount debut, setting the stage for an Ilia Topuria title grudge match five years in the making.
Instead, Gaethje beat Pimblett
from pillar to post (watch here), walked away with interim gold, and will now take Pimblett’s would-be opportunity against Topuria at the UFC White House. It was a bit of a bummer for Topuria, who was looking forward to a high-profile grudge match as his first title defense. Three months later, Topuria is less bothered by losing the chance to face Pimblett, but he still can’t believe how badly the Englishman performed and questioned whether he can ever become a true contender.
“I was a little surprised at how bad Paddy really is,” Topuria told Ariel Helwani. “I was expecting him to win, to be honest. I was expecting him to take Justin down, to do a different fight. What he did inside the Octagon in that fight, it surprised me a little bit. He really proved that he’s a little sausage.
… Rebound from a loss? Of course, but how he is going to gain the skills and technique needed in the sport? That’s basically impossible. He needs to die and be born again … now he’s too far [down the rankings], we don’t see him in the horizon anymore. Bye Paddy. I didn’t even have to step inside the octagon to beat him, so that feels even a little bit better.”
Pimblett has blamed some of his trouble on Gaethje’s eye pokes, but it’s fair to say Pimblett underperformed as a significant favorite. Fortunately, he’s rumored to return at International Fight Week in July, potentially against French standout Benoit Saint Denis. With a victory there, Pimblett could be right back in the mix as a future foe for Topuria.
Of course, there’s always the chance that Topuria coughs up his crown to “The Highlight” first (but the odds makers strongly doubt it).
