Paddy Pimblett says Ilia Topuria ‘got a push’ up the UFC rankings because of their feud
Pimblett told Jeremy Piven that “no one knew who he was” before their rivalry, and that Topuria got a title shot off a win over Josh Emmett.
Paddy Pimblett says Ilia Topuria was pushed up the UFC rankings because of their rivalry.
“Like, I feel like he got a push because of the stuff with me. No one knew who he was. And then he started all that with me, so people like saw who he was,” Pimblett told Jeremy Piven on the How U Livin J Piven podcast.
“He got a little bit of a following off it, and he got, he got pushed through the rankings fast because of it,” he said. “Because obviously as well, Volkanovski was beating everyone. They needed a new challenger, so he just got pushed up the ranks faster and faster and faster.”
Pimblett also pointed to how Topuria earned a title shot. “But he got a title shot off beating Josh Emmett,” he said.
He did give Topuria credit earlier in the interview. “Give him his due. He does work hard, you know what I mean?” Pimblett said. He also told Piven he still has the bottle of hand sanitiser he threw at Topuria in a hotel: “I’ve still got that exact bottle of hand sanitizer I threw at his head. It’s in the gym.”
No fight between the two is booked. In the same interview, Pimblett said he would take a rematch with Justin Gaethje before a fight with Topuria, because Gaethje holds the UFC lightweight title.
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