The silver-tongued MMA prophet and the verbose wordsmith Chael Sonnen is back at it again. Ilia Topuria, of course, is a lightweight now and was hoping to fight Islam Makhachev for the title, which many believe to be the definition of a super-fight. Two generational champions clashing in the Octagon for the most prestigious prize in all of MMA. But the Dagestani champ had poured cold water on these plans. Makhachev reportedly wants ‘La Leyenda’ to prove himself against a top lightweight first. But exactly who that is remains unknown at the moment. Most, of course, are thinking about Charles Oliveira, Arman Tsarukyan, and Justin Gaethje.
But ‘Uncle Chael’, as usual, is thinking outside the box. Amid the uncertainty around ‘La Leyenda’s next opponent, the UFC analyst has a bright idea. To pit Topuria against Paddy Pimblett if the latter emerges victorious in his UFC 314 clash against Michael Chandler. But why does the former title challenger want this fight to happen although no one asked for it? Well, partly because Sonnen just doesn’t think Islam Makhachev vs. Ilia Topuria is a super-fight at the moment like many think. But you know what would make it a super-fight? According to the UFC legend, Topuria beating Pimblett.
“Islam vs. Ilia! Those guys think that’s a blockbuster. Those guys think that’s gonna set a record. That will not do a PPV record, a merchandise record, a live gate [record]. I’m saying this like I’m hating on that fight, I’m not. They will not sell out in any kind of a record, that is not gonna move the needle,” Sonnen said in a video on his Instagram account.
“But it does if Ilia fights one time. If Ilia Topuria stops off at 155 against a top guy, Ilia vs. Islam is a completely different conversation. Then you start weighing your odds of, okay what’s the bigger fight Ilia vs. Islam or Paddy ‘The Baddy’ versus Islam? What would happen to Paddy if he got a win over Chandler and a win over Ilia Topuria? Would it make him big enough?” he added.
So, to sum up, not only does ‘The American Gangster’ want Pimblett to fight Topuria because it would be a good fight for ‘La Leyenda’, but he also wants Pimblett to fight for the title soon. But is this a good idea? Will a win over the equally verbose Englishman really make Topuria-Makhachev a super-fight? Well, like many of ‘The Bad Guy’s takes, it is a mixed bag.
Does Paddy Pimblett vs. Ilia Topuria after UFC 314 make sense?
If Paddy Pimblett beats Chandler at UFC 314 this weekend, he certainly deserves a top-five opponent next. But should that be Topuria? That matchup is excellent for the blonde-haired Liverpool native, but it makes no sense for the Spanish-Georgian superstar. After all, Pimblett is good, but he’s not Gaethje, or Tsarukyan, or Oliveira level good.
Would a victory over ‘The Baddy’ even do anything to convince Makhachev that Topuria deserves to fight for the title? Certainly less than if he beats either of the three contenders. Not to mention it is difficult to see Makhachev-Topuria getting any bigger just because the soon-to-be-former featherweight champ beat Pimblett.
On the other hand, it is true that the lightweight division desperately needs fresh blood. The legends who have dominated the division are coming to the end of their rope. Dustin Poirier, of course, is the first domino to fall, but most of the top five won’t be too far behind. In which case, why not give Pimblett Topuria? Even if he loses, the Englishman would still be in the uppermost tier of the division.
And with the rest of the legends approaching retirement, he could even get some wins over a Gaethje or an Oliveira. In this case, the UFC would have at least one part of the future of the lightweight division. What do you think about Chael Sonnen’s comments that Makhachev-Topuria is not a super-fight at the moment?
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