Paddy Pimblett: 'Midget' Ilia Topuria Would Feel Size Difference Against Me

[biscuitsbrah]

This will be Ilias hardest fight yet

 

[TOMFDJYEDH]

907 elbows

 

[Söze Aldo]

This will be Ilias hardest fight yet

They've been saying that before every Ilia fight now. Before Paddy, people were saying Charles was too big and had too good grappling.

When he beats Paddy, people will just say Paddy was overhyped and not a real challenge.

 

[StoneWT]

I'm just waiting for the training videos of Paddy wearing an Andre The Giant singlet fighting legit midgets that look like Ilia.

 

[nostradumbass]

Max tried to keep it at range. Did okay for a bit.

At some point when a guy is willing to move into the pocket, his opponent is forced to have an answer. It's easy to say "oh he'll tie him up" until the guy with elite pocket boxing throws a lightning fast combo that lands on the chin. I'd be pretty shocked if Paddy is able to consistently hold Ilia in the clinch and not allow him to let his hands go.

Max was doing fine keeping distance, but he doesn't check leg kicks and got blasted in the face while he was switching stances. He also doesn't really take guys down, and is literally averaging 1 TD every 60 minutes of fighting. Paddy is bigger and does clinch and take guys down, so if Topuria closes the distance into boxing range, Paddy can close it all the way and clinch and lean on him or take him down.

You can't go a whole fight never ever being in the pocket, but you can make it for very small windows where your opponent can only get off 1 punch or no punches.

 

[nostradumbass]

They've been saying that before every Ilia fight now. Before Paddy, people were saying Charles was too big and had too good grappling.

When he beats Paddy, people will just say Paddy was overhyped and not a real challenge.

Nobody said that. Almost everyone predicted Charles would get starched and Ilia was a -550 favorite because Charles has good submissions but doesn't have good wrestling.

 

[Söze Aldo]

Nobody said that. Almost everyone predicted Charles would get starched and Ilia was a -550 favorite because Charles has good submissions but doesn't have good wrestling.

My point is there are always those hyping up the next Ilia opponent as the one to finally demolish him. There were a number of people who were saying the odds were being too generous for Ilia in the Charles fight.

Either way, I don't mind Ilia fighting Paddy next as a gimme defense fight, other champs have gotten that before. But I don't think he'll be particularly difficult for Ilia to beat.

I think Arman is the guy who'd give Illa a harder time out of the 155 contenders.

 

[Doughie99]

Agreed. You are right with your second point, of cour.

If the UFC did decide to make that fight and Makhachev moved back down, who would you pick?

Who would i pick ?

I'd have to see how topuria progresses against other opponents at 155-pound and also how makhachev is doung against 170lb fighters.

I just can't really see that fight happening any time soon because it suits UFC to keep them separate (for a good while at least)

 

[Mind Mine]

paddy wont make it past the 2:30 mark Rnd 1

 

[HeadKickerV2]

Paddy does have good chin, stamina and wrestling... if he fights smart the bastard might pull it off

Ilia has to fight both Paddy and Arman to legitimize his 155 belt

 

[xMTDx]

Paddy's best wins are a washed Green and washed, low fight IQ Chandler.

 

[Doughie99]

Paddy's best wins are a washed Green and washed, low fight IQ Chandler.

Chandler is an exciting fighter...but....his fight record in the UFC is dismal.
I know he's a favored fighter but the guy just keeps losing. I was rather surprised he couldnt even beat Pimblett.

 

[Söze Aldo]

Chandler is an exciting fighter...but....his fight record in the UFC is dismal.
I know he's a favored fighter but the guy just keeps losing. I was rather surprised he couldnt even beat Pimblett.

He should just adopt a heel persona at this point, nobody 1-5 in their last 6 is seeing anyone at the top, convincingly.

 

[Doughie99]

He should just adopt a heel persona at this point, nobody 1-5 in their last 6 is seeing anyone at the top, convincingly.

I have to say that it took me a long time to warm to Chandler. He seemed very entitled to me.
But fair enough i do think he's a good person and I wish him well but...yeah 1-5..... only Tony Ferguson or Sam Alvey have got away with that kind of terrible losing record....

 

[joy2day]

I would love to see this fight. Illia is the obvious favorite, but Paddy will not stand in punching range the whole time like Chucky did- he will make Illia work for this win.

It would be crazy if Paddy beat him. Very few really thought Paddy would end up being elite. He looked pretty damn good in his last fight.

I bet they make this fight. It's the big-money fight of the time, and Arman is not owed anything that would get in the way of this.

 

[Wreckless]

At the end of the day, both fighters must be the same weight the day before the fight. Bragging about being “so much bigger” isn’t much of a flex, especially if you end up getting knocked out.

 

[mkess101]

Max was doing fine keeping distance, but he doesn't check leg kicks and got blasted in the face while he was switching stances. He also doesn't really take guys down, and is literally averaging 1 TD every 60 minutes of fighting. Paddy is bigger and does clinch and take guys down, so if Topuria closes the distance into boxing range, Paddy can close it all the way and clinch and lean on him or take him down.

You can't go a whole fight never ever being in the pocket, but you can make it for very small windows where your opponent can only get off 1 punch or no punches.

If Paddy was an elite TD guy maybe? He doesn't look like that to me. In all his UFC fights combined (7) Paddy has 4 total takedowns. And he's been taken down 12 times.

I kind of hate these threads because it makes me look like I just want to trash Paddy. I don’t. I'm actually impressed by how he's seemingly improved over time.

But it seems like people have gotten way over their skis about Paddy. He's become a legit LW and that's great. Thinking he's a real threat to Ilia or Arman? Sorry, I'm just not buying it yet.

 

[The XL]

Holloway is super durable and a much better striker than Paddy and got murked. I don't see much of a path to victory for discount Owen Hart.

 

[LincolnHawk1]

Height =/= size

Agreed with the height reference, however the weight/size is a different thing. Paddy in the cage would be much bigger from a frame and weight standpoint. I still don’t think paddy wins though. Yes he hasn’t been in wars, but ilia power and speed is very real and would be something paddy never felt before. The thing is ilia hands are so fast and the power comes with it that guys get cracked because they don’t see it coming. And the power that comes with it kind of shuts the body down because it wasn’t expecting it.

 

[LincolnHawk1]

Holloway is super durable and a much better striker than Paddy and got murked. I don't see much of a path to victory for discount Owen Hart.

I think he is thinking from a grappling standpoint. I don’t see it though. I think ilia finishes him within 2 rounds and probably first round if paddy tries to stand with him too long.