Jorge Masvidal believes a potential showdown between Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria could be the biggest fight the UFC has to offer, pointing to the pair's star power and ability to draw fans from around the world.
Speaking during an interview with Full Send MMA, the former UFC title challenger explained why he believes a matchup between Pimblett and Topuria could generate unprecedented interest, even beyond the sport's traditional audience.
“I've said it numerous times on Deep Waters (podcast). This is, I think, the biggest fight you can make,” Masvidal said.
To illustrate his point, Masvidal challenged the idea of finding two fighters capable of filling a 100,000-seat stadium, arguing that Pimblett and Topuria would be strong candidates for such an event.
“If they told you, ‘Right, here you go, we got to fill up a hundred thousand person stadium somewhere in Europe or anywhere in world, let's say anywhere, Africa, Egypt, Asia, Japan, wherever you can, but you have to fill up a stadium with a hundred thousand people, I want you to give me two guys that you think could do that, for like a million dollar bet so you have to take it serious, who would you put in there? Seriously, they could fill up a stadium of a hundred thousand people. It's that,” he added.
Masvidal Praises Pimblett's Growing Popularity
Masvidal believes Pimblett has become a major attraction in the United States, with his popularity extending beyond hardcore MMA fans. The Liverpool native has built a recognizable public profile through his personality, entertaining fighting style, and ability to draw attention whenever he competes.
According to Masvidal, Pimblett's appeal is evident even among people who do not regularly follow the UFC.
“Brother, Paddy's a fucking star in America. This dude will sell out with fucking T-Mobile over here in America. Half of them will be Brits and the rest will be fucking Americans that are dying to watch him compete,” Masvidal said.
He also revealed that Pimblett has caught the attention of his own children, despite their limited interest in watching MMA.
“My kids know him, you know? Nuts. They do even the dance, and my kids don't like or know too much (about the UFC). They've grown up so much around (fighting) that they're kind of like, ‘eh whatever’ you know? They don't really talk about fights but when Paddy fights my kids want to watch the fights and ask me, ‘You're going to watch today's fight?’ and sometimes I'll forget or I'll be doing like, ‘Who's fighting?’ Then it’s, ‘Daddy! Damn, Paddy's a fucking star,’” he continued.
For Masvidal, that kind of recognition is evidence of Pimblett's ability to reach a broader audience, making him one of the UFC's most marketable personalities.
Topuria Would Make the Matchup Even Bigger
While Masvidal had plenty of praise for Pimblett, he believes Topuria's international appeal would make the proposed matchup even more significant.
The undefeated UFC star has established himself as one of the sport's leading names, with a fan base that extends across Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean, and the United States.
“And then Ilia, forget about it, you know? Out of Latin America, the Caribbean, in the U.S., with the Latin people in the U.S., and even just everybody, regular old Americans, in Europe himself, he is one of the biggest stars ever,” Masvidal said.
He believes combining the two fighters' audiences would create an event capable of attracting an enormous global audience.
“So now you put both of these guys together, I think, numbers-wise, it's the biggest fight the UFC can make,” he concluded.
