Paddy Pimblett dismisses UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria ’s star power. Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) is open to defending his belt in a rematch against Alexander Volkanovski next but would rather move up a division to challenge lightweight champ Islam Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC). After dethroning Volkanovski to become featherweight champion at UFC 298, Topuria notched his first title defense at UFC 308 by knocking out Max Holloway. Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC), one of the most popular fighters on the roster, doesn’t think Topuria has earned the right to fight Makhachev just yet.
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Paddy Pimblett: Ilia Topuria ‘not that big of a star’ to challenge Islam Makhachev – MMA Junkie