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Paddy Pimblett accuses undefeated UFC star of favorable treatment

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Zain Bando | Last updated May 22, 2025 12:44 PM ET

Paddy Pimblett has had enough of the hype around former UFC Featherweight Champion Ilia Topuria. Whether it's his fighting style, personality, or otherwise, Pimblett is not impressed by what he has seen out of Topuria so far.

So much so that the upcoming lightweight title fight between Topuria and former Lightweight Champion Charles Oliveira has Pimblett second-guessing whether Topuria's resume is even worth considering as one of the best in the sport.

"He has done a lot in the sport since then, but I do still think he’s been hand-fed opponents," Pimblett told TNT Sports.

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Paddy Pimblett Breaks Down Ilia Topuria's Gift-Wrapped Career

Pimblett, fresh off a win against Michael Chandler last month, took a verbal jab at Topuria when further dissecting why fans should be skeptical about his run of dominance en route to a title fight with Volkanovski in Feb. 2023.

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"Holloway had just been fighting at 155, had to get back to '45 and had a war with [Justin] Gaethje," Pimblett said. "Volk had just been knocked out like two months earlier, three months earlier. Josh Emmett was like 37. Bryce [Mitchell], as much as I love Bryce, we know he's not a striker.

Paddy Pimblett Tips Cap To Michael Chandler

Pimblett took things a step further, giving former Bellator Champion in Chandler a slight nod and saying that if he was in a similar situation as Topuria on his way up, then he would have succeeded, too.

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"Every fight he had before the title, Michael Chandler beats every single one of them," Pimblett said. "I reckon Bobby Green beats every single one of them. I don't think he beats Volk if Volk hadn't been knocked out three months previous."

Like Topuria, Pimblett is also unbeaten in the UFC and has gained immense notoriety during his rapid rise as one of the UFC's biggest draws.

Whether the two cross paths remains to be seen. But, clearly, Pimblett wants to see Topuria achieve much more.