Paddy Pimblett explains why he doesn’t expect to fight Ilia Topuria next after UFC 329

Paddy Pimblett is preparing for his UFC 329 co-main event bout against Benoit Saint Denis on July 11, but he has tempered expectations about facing Ilia Topuria immediately afterward, despite having lobbied for that matchup in the past.

Pimblett's reluctance stems from his assessment of Topuria's condition following the featherweight champion's title-fight loss to Justin Gaethje at the historic UFC White House event in June. The British lightweight believes Topuria absorbed enough damage that he won't be ready to compete again before the year's end, and Pimblett wants to fight again soon himself. "Everyone keeps saying, 'Fight Ilia next'," Pimblett told Spinnin Backfist. "That man's face is mashed up. He's not coming back before the end of the year and I'd like to fight again before the end of the year."

Pimblett's path to a Topuria showdown was disrupted in January when he dropped a decision to Gaethje in their interim lightweight title bout. Rather than harbor resentment, Pimblett has adopted a philosophical view of the outcome, describing it as "destiny" that allowed the American to claim the White House stage and the undisputed title. He holds no animosity toward Gaethje but acknowledged that climbing back to another title shot will require more than just a victory over Saint Denis.

The lingering bad blood with Topuria remains, however. Pimblett maintains that Topuria is naturally a featherweight competing above his optimal weight class and promises that if they ever meet, "El Matador" will be forced to drop back down to 145 pounds. As for a rematch with Gaethje, Pimblett knows the path exists but expects he'll need at least one more win after Saint Denis before earning that opportunity.