UFC lightweight Paddy Pimblett had strong comments directed towards Ilia Topuria after his TKO loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House Lawn. The UK fighter refused to hold back in his criticism of Topuria, with whom he has a long history of animosity.
Pimblett had previously shared the Octagon with the current champion, Gaethje, in the beginning of the year for the main event interim title bout for UFC 324. He shared his honest thoughts in a recent interview with UFC on TNT Sports.
“I thought Ilia had more about him. I didn’t think he’d quit on the stool like a little b—,” Pimblett said bluntly.
While he never disparaged Topuria’s skills, Pimblett believes he overestimated the Spaniard’s heart.
“Justin Gaethje, man, the ultimate spoiler. What did I tell you? I said he was going to win,” Pimblett stated.
In his TNT interview, Pimblett was also singing Gaethje’s praises for his inability to quit, something Pimblett is familiar with as he fought Gaethje less than six months prior.
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“It was a scrap... Justin can drag a war out of anyone. I know that better than most,” Pimblett stated. “He’s a legend. Future hall-of-famer, and he deserves that win for his illustrious career. He deserves to become unified champion before he retires.”
Pimblett Thinks He Got Hit Harder
Pimblett believes that, despite losing almost every round, his performance against Gaethje at UFC 324 shows he is much tougher than Topuria.
“I think I took some worse shots in the fight with Justin, and I carried on fighting. Kept swinging until the last bell, and I took a few. I basically got my brain poked by his thumb, know what I mean? And I carried on fighting.”
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Topuria, however, was able to drop Gaethje with hellacious body punches and nearly finished him in the second round:
That fact, however, is moot in Pimblett’s opinion.
“I went the full five [rounds]. I didn’t quit on my stool. I wasn’t saying, ‘No más,’” Pimblett remarked, referencing Roberto Duran’s infamous TKO loss at the hands of Sugar Ray Leonard during their 1980 rematch.
“He proved he is a quitter,” Pimblett said of Topuria.
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He also believed that the corner calling off the fight was an excuse for Topuria.
“People can say it was his brother who pulled him out, but if my coach said, ‘We’re finishing it there,’ I’d say, ‘No, we’re not. We’re carrying on, we’re getting that last round in.’ Simple as that.”
