Rival Claims Ilia Topuria Faced Easy Opponents

Not everyone has been impressed by Ilia Topuria’s career in the UFC featherweight division.

Known as ‘El Matador’, Topuria is quickly moving towards a new phase. After giving up his 145-pound championship, he is scheduled to compete against Charles Oliveira for the lightweight title.

His decision to pursue a championship in a higher weight class marks the end of his run at featherweight.

Although his time as champion was shorter than many anticipated, Topuria did manage to defeat two fighters widely regarded as among the greatest to ever compete in the division.

However, for one of his rivals, these accomplishments are not enough to be considered spectacular.

Paddy Pimblett Criticizes Ilia Topuria`s Strength of Schedule

Even though a fight between them has always seemed unlikely, the rivalry between Topuria and Paddy Pimblett continues to intensify.

In a recent conversation with TNT Sports, ‘The Baddy’ demonstrated this by once again attempting to downplay the Georgian-Spanish fighter`s success in the UFC.

“He has achieved a lot in the sport, but I still believe he has been given easy opponents,” Pimblett stated.

He elaborated, mentioning that Max Holloway had recently fought at 155 pounds in a tough battle against Justin Gaethje, while Alexander Volkanovski had been knocked out just two months prior. He also pointed out that Josh Emmett was around 37 years old, and Bryce Mitchell, despite Pimblett’s affection for him, is not known for his striking.

Pimblett further claimed, “Michael Chandler would beat every single one of them in every fight he had before the title. I even think Bobby Green would beat every single one of them.”

It could be seen that Pimblett is somewhat retaliating with these comments. Topuria had previously shared a similar sentiment when discussing Pimblett’s victory over Chandler, dismissing it as a win against an “average fighter.”

Ilia Topuria’s Journey to the UFC Featherweight Title

From the time he signed with the UFC until he competed for the featherweight championship, Topuria secured six victories.

Show-stopping knockouts against Damon Jackson, Ryan Hall, and Jai Herbert propelled ‘El Matador’ into a matchup with top 15 ranked fighter Bryce Mitchell.

He took full advantage of the pay-per-view platform, completely dominating Mitchell in all aspects of mixed martial arts.

While he wasn`t able to finish his next opponent, Josh Emmett, his clear and dominant performance in the UFC Jacksonville main event was enough to earn Topuria a title shot against Alexander Volkanovski.

Following his move up in weight, Topuria will not need to climb the lightweight rankings in the same manner.

The 28-year-old is set to receive an immediate opportunity for the soon-to-be-vacant title at UFC 317 in June, headlining International Fight Week.