Paddy Pimblett was stunned by how Charles Oliveira approached his fight against Ilia Topuria at UFC 317.
Oliveira (35-11 MMA, 23-11 UFC) was knocked out in under two-and-a-half minutes by Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) in last Saturday’s main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, after choosing to stand and trade with “El Matador”—despite Topuria’s reputation as one of the hardest hitters in the UFC.
“I thought if Charles would get him to the later rounds, it might have been a bit different,” Pimblett said on the Verse Us podcast. “I really like Charles but what the f*ck was that game plan, lad? Just stand in front of him and get punched in the face.
“I’d love to know what their game plan was. Because that was half embarrassing. Where did the cut come from? Topuria ended up on top of him, I was like ‘Oliveira’s cut.’ Obviously that would have been in his eye a little bit. Easier to get it but still. What are you doing just standing in the middle and swinging punches with him when he’s a top class boxer and he’s got power. It blew my mind how stupid he could be after that was his 47th pro fight, and he was going in there like an amateur.”
Former lightweight champion Oliveira entered the fight with a clear size and reach advantage, and he appeared to find some early success from range.
“The first 20 seconds, he did (kick him) a little bit,” Pimblett said. “Teeped him, leg kicked him, I was thinking you know we could be in for a tough night for Topuria. Then Charles got it once and just started swinging with him but when he was walking out I did go to Graham (Boylan, Pimblett’s manager) and say ‘he looks nervous.’ When Ilia walked out, he was just smiling. I was like that’s going to play a part in this.”
Pimblett has had a strained relationship with Topuria dating back to a public feud that began in 2021. The two faced off inside the Octagon immediately after Saturday’s fight, with the UK star appearing noticeably larger than the new lightweight champion.
“I’ve said this before in several interviews, people just think he’d steamroll me, but it’s different when there’s that much size difference,” Pimblett said. “People think I’m not good enough to (go against him) but lad, he’s a midget.
“That’s what I said to him, I will finish you, little boy. He’s that much shorter than me, I’m so much wider than him. That plays a part. That’s why people cut weight.”
