Paddy Pimblett: 'I don't think Ilia Topuria ever comes back the same'
· Yahoo Sports
Paddy Pimblett doesn't see Ilia Topuria rebounding after UFC Freedom 250.
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Topuria (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) was battered in a title loss to Justin Gaethje (28-5 MMA, 11-5 UFC) less than two weeks ago at the White House in Washington. Doctors waved the fight off at the end of Round 4 after Topuria suffered severe damage to his face.
Pimblett (23-4 MMA, 7-1 UFC) also had his face mangled in his interim title loss to Gaethje at UFC 324, but vows his spirit is not broken. However, he can't say the same for Topuria. He questions how Topuria will rebound after throwing a victory party and updating his fight record before the fight even took place.
"It's just Gaethje gets you into that dog fight, drags you into it, you know what I mean? And Ilia's never had that," Pimblett told Demetrious Johnson. "Ilia's never had to come back from adversity. Ilia's only ever been the hammer. He's never been the nail. That's why after that fight with Justin that I had, I knew I could come back stronger and better because I've done it before.
"I don't think Ilia Topuria ever comes back the same. His whole mantra, his whole like ego, is like, 'I'm undefeated. No one can beat me,' having celebrations the night before the fight. I just don't think he'll ever be the same. He's never had to come back from nothing like that. I've had to face adversity before. I'd happily be his first fight back."
With Pimblett no stranger to bouncing back from a loss, he thinks Topuria's ego will prevent him from doing the same. Pimblett meets Benoit Saint Denis (17-3 MMA, 9-3 UFC) in the UFC 329 co-main event on July 11 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas (Paramount+).
"Nothing can prepare you for it," Pimblett said. "That's the thing, and that's why I don't think he'll never come back the same. Nothing can prepare you for it. But we'll find out what sort of man he is if he does come back and when he does come back because as I say, I've been there before. I've been beat.
"And I've had to come back stronger every time, and I have done. He's never been beat. He's never had to do this before. He's going to have to look at himself in the mirror and be like, 'What? I've just got my head smashed in. I need to come back.' And you never know. He might not have the cojones to do it."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Paddy Pimblett predicts Ilia Topuria's downfall after UFC title loss