Paddy Pimblett still hasn’t gotten the call to fight lightweight champion Ilia Topuria, but that hasn’t stopped him from preparing for the potential bout.
A new video on Pimblett’s YouTube channel shows “The Baddy” leveling up his striking game, which is definitely where he’s weakest against knockout artist Topuria.
“I’ve got to get that striking timing better if I’m fighting ‘El Chorizo,'” he said,
using his mocking nickname for Topuria. “That’s a lot of what I’m going to work on. But my grappling always feels phenomenal. When I get people on the floor, they don’t get up, lad. I smother people. Like Khamzat against DDP on the weekend.”
“Once I get you down and I’m on top of you, I’m smothering you, lad. You’re not getting up. I’m controlling you. I’m making you feel my weight, and making you feel some shots at the same time.”
Pimblett has been on a near non-stop travel tour since his last win in April, but is now home and back at the gym preparing for what he hopes will be a lightweight title shot.
“We’re building towards it, waiting, trying to find out,” he said. “When we know, you will know.”
His team is working under the assumption that Pimblett will fight in December or early 2026, either in a top five fight or for the belt. The UFC hasn’t tipped their hand either way at this point, although Topuria has said he’d accept a fight with “The Baddy” with no demands attached.
The ease of making the fight plus the amount of money and attention generated by it could sway the UFC to set up Topuria vs. Pimblett despite more worthy contenders in the wings. With the promotion’s new broadcast deal with Paramount starting in January 2026, “The Baddy” vs. “El Matador” is the perfect grudge match to kick things off with a bang.
