Sean O'Malley: 'Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy | MMA News
Now that former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria punched his means to the light-weight title, who’ll be his next opponent has been a scorching button matter.
Should he face No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan? Should he take on No. 4 ranked Justin Gaethje, who says he’ll retire if he does not get title shot. Perhaps he will get the battle that he desires and is matched up against former light-weight champion Islam Makhachev.
Former bantamweight titleholder Sean O’Malley does not suppose Topuria’s first title protection ought to be against any of the beforehand talked about. “Suga” believes “El Matador” ought to be pitted against Paddy Pimblett.
“Ilia versus Paddy is the fight to make,” O’Malley mentioned on his YouTube channel. “That’s the fight to make. Simple as that. Ilia versus Paddy 100-percent. That’s the next fight if it’s not going to be Ilia versus Islam.”
Following Topuria’s UFC 317 first-round knockout win over former titleholder Charles Oliveira to seize the 155-pound championship, Pimblett entered the octagon to face-off with the newly topped champion. After all, the 2 have historical past.
Related: Ilia Topuria predicts how ‘straightforward battle’ with Paddy Pimblett would finish
“This is going to be a f**king fantastic press conference, fantastic buildup, and a pretty f**king epic fight,” O’Malley mentioned about a potential bout between Topuria and Pimblett. “That’s the fight to make, Ilia versus Paddy. I’m f**king excited. Let’s make it happen.”
The feud between Topuria and Pimblett dates back years. It started from online feedback by Pimblett about Topuria’s countrymen. That led to a bodily altercation at the fighter resort in London during UFC Fight Night 204 battle week in March 2022. The two practically got here to blows at the UFC 282 Press Conference later that yr.
Both Pimblett and Topuria need the battle but it is in the end up to UFC matchmakers. There’s no query that it is a battle that would generate public curiosity and translate to huge income for the battle promotion.
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