If Paddy Pimblett is victorious at UFC 324, he’ll fight Ilia Topuria on his own timeline.
Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) meets Justin Gaethje (26-5 MMA, 9-5 UFC) for the interim lightweight title in Saturday’s main event (Paramount+) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The winner is expected to unify with UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria.
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Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) revealed that he plans on returning any time between April to June, but Pimblett said April is not happening for him.
“He’s not getting me back in April. He’s going to have to wait,” Pimblett told TMZ Sports. “He made me wait. He can wait a few months. April is not happening, lad. I’m not fighting in April. He can eat sh*t. I’ll fight in June, July.”
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Topuria hasn’t competed since claiming the vacant lightweight title with a knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in June. He has taken some personal time off from fighting to deal with ongoing legal issues stemming from a divorce and accusations of domestic abuse.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Why Paddy Pimblett says Ilia Topuria ‘can eat sh*t’
