Is Topuria Vs. Pimblett The Fight To Make?

Dominick Cruz is making a strong case for Paddy Pimblett to be Ilia Topuria’s first title defense, despite other contenders.

The rivalry between Topuria and Pimblett reached a climax at UFC 317 when they had a fiery staredown in the Octagon moments after Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira for the lightweight championship title. Although UFC President Dana White was not pleased with Pimblett’s entrance, it has led to more demand for the fight. Pimblett is also undefeated and in the best form of his career. He secured two career best wins, beating King Green and Michael Chandler in his last two bouts. Pimblett and Topuria also have a history of bad blood based on Paddy’s comments about the Russian invasion of Georgia. 

Cruz argues that a fight with Pimblett is the most lucrative option. Cruz also pushed back against the idea that Pimblett would be an easy fight for Topuria. He acknowledged that while Arman Tsarukyan may be the more difficult stylistic matchup, he believes Pimblett’s evolving skillset and dangerous grappling would make the fight more competitive.

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“This thing’s about paychecks at a time. We’re prize fighters. We’re not anything else. We want to say we’re all these other things. We are prize fighters. You put a prize out there, we take the prize, you win it, or you lose it. Who’s the biggest prize? We all know the answer to this between those three,” said Cruz, who makes the case for “The Baddy” for the simple fact that he knows how to seel a fight compared to the other two options.

“So, if you’re smart, you take that fight like that guy’s the bag. Now, not to say the other guys aren’t good, but the problem is Paddy, it’s just that he promotes, he talks, he’s got a very big package. It just makes sense to make the most money with that fight. But now with this new deal coming forward, too, does that change the layout of if you care who you fight. Now are you just looking for the better, easier matchup?,” Cruz said