Michael Bisping reveals his ideal next opponent for Paddy Pimblett

Michael Bisping recently shared his ideal card for UFC 286 in which he revealed the fighter he would like to see Paddy Pimblett face. The UFC Hall of Famer chose No.9-ranked featherweight Ilia Topuria as the most logical opponent for the unranked lightweight due to the ongoing feud between the two fighters.

Speaking during an appearance on his YouTube channel, the former middleweight champion stated:

"I would say Paddy Pimblett, even though he's too big for The O2 Arena now - too big, he's too big for it, one of the biggest arenas in the world, he's too big. I would say Paddy versus - you know what, I like that Ilia Topuria fight even though Topuria's now fighting at 145. They've got backstory, they've got beef, they've got s**t so that would be a good one."

Pimblett and Topuria spent much of 2022 at odds with one another after they were involved in a scuffle at the fighter hotel ahead of UFC Fight Night 204. Their drama spilled over to UFC 282 where both fighters competed on the main card. Pimblett didn't stay at the fighter hotel and Topuria accused the unranked lightweight of avoiding him.

Watch Michael Bisping discuss the ideal opponent for Paddy Pimblett to face next below (starting at the 48:26 mark):

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John McCarthy calls Paddy Pimblett "average", says he isn't ready for Ilia Topuria

While Michael Bisping suggested that Ilia Topuria should be Paddy Pimblett's next opponent, former UFC referee John McCarthy believes that the unranked lightweight is not talented enough to take on Topuria.

Following Pimblett's controversial win over Jared Gordon at UFC 282, McCarthy took to his WEIGHING IN podcast and stated:

"There's a lot of guys above him - man they're licking their chops waiting for you. There's a guy at 145 that you got into it with at the media day, that man will f**king murk you. He will make you look like you are right now, a fairly average fighter that has fans. They put you in a co-main. You're not ready for the co-main son, not yet."

Pimblett's controversial unanimous decision victory over Gordon received plenty of backlash from both fans and fighters. Although the unranked lightweight had plenty of hype leading up to the event, his lackluster performance has certainly left fans disappointed for now.

Watch John McCarthy share his thoughts on Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria below (starting at the 18:10 mark):