Paddy Pimblett’s teammate wishes Ilia Topuria ‘good luck’ when breaking down matchup

Shem Rock believes Paddy Pimblett’s strengths are not something Ilia Topuria wants to deal with

While a matchup between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje in January has also been spoken about, there’s no denying that the clash with Paddy Pimblett is the bigger fight.

Pimblett even recently moved up in the UFC’s lightweight rankings despite the fact that he hasn’t competed inside the Octagon since April.

In a recent interview with Bloody Elbow, the UFC star’s teammate, Shem Rock, said that while he doesn’t know anything for certain, ‘The Baddy’ looks to be preparing for something.

“I know Paddy’s in the gym, he’s sparring twice a week. He’s training hard. He’s lifting twice a week, he’s getting his massages every week, so he’s training for a purpose so I think you will see him fight, but I just don’t know who, where, when, why. That’s a question for ‘The Baddy’.”

Rock, who recently signed to the UFC and is working towards his debut, believes that while fighting Pimblett would be a huge fight for Topuria, the matchup itself isn’t desirable to him.

“The attributes that Paddy has is what Topuria doesn’t really want to face I think. I think same with Arman [Tsarukyan] as well.”

Rock believes that fighters who are going to make it ugly and try to put Topuria on his back don’t suit the undefeated lightweight champion, which is what his teammate excels at.

“I think when you fight a guy like Paddy, good luck, bro. He can take a shot, he’s massive, he’s physically strong. When you stand in front of him, he’s physically imposing. He feels bigger than he is and if he gets on top of you, it’s a long night.

“Obviously, I’m biased. I’m gonna say Paddy beats him but sitting here as a non-biased fan, it’s a fight I’d love to see regardless.”

Shem Rock loves how much people overlook Paddy Pimblett because of his appearance

While Ilia Topuria would likely be a sizable favorite over Paddy Pimblett based on his recent wins alone, this certainly wouldn’t be the first time that ‘The Baddy’ has been counted out.

Training out of Next Generation MMA in Liverpool, Shem Rock and several other of his teammates are partnered with Reprimo, a clothing brand whose new capsule is exclusive to JD Sports US stores.

Having spent a lot of time around Pimblett, Rock loves how much people overlook the UFC lightweight based on his appearance alone.

“Everyone’s against you. Everyone doubts you, no one bets on you and every time, you got out there and you shock them and you keep shocking them and like he says, they move the goalposts for him. I think that’s the beauty of MMA. This guy comes through and he’s got longer hair, he doesn’t look like a Francis Ngannou scary m———–.

“Bro, this is what I love about the sport. If you see this guy walking down the street, you wouldn’t go, ‘Oh my god, look at him, he’s an MMA fighter’. If you didn’t know, you wouldn’t know and that’s the beauty about it.”