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Ilia Topuria recently changed his nickname from 'El Matador' to 'La Leyenda,' and Paddy Pimblett doesn't seem to be impressed. The two have been antagonistic towards each other but were cordial when they met at the UFC London ceremonial weigh-ins.
Pimblett is set to take on Michael Chandler at UFC 314, where the featherweight title vacated by Ilia Topuria is on the line in the main event between Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes. Meanwhile, 'La Leyenda' is angling for a lightweight title shot against pound-for-pound kingpin Islam Makhachev.
Preluding his fight against Chandler, 'The Baddy' appeared on the FULL SEND Podcast, hosted by Kyle Forgeard. When the host recalled the Liverpudlian trolled Topuria, Pimblett roasted the 28-year-old's new nickname.
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"That's what he should have changed his name to, lad. He's changed his nickname to a sh*t nickname, hasn't he? Like Legend or something. Should have changed it to El Chorizo. Would have been well funnier," Pimblett said.
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Despite the animosity, Pimblett admitted that he always felt that Topuria was a good fighter. However, he believes that the 30-year-old doesn't reciprocate the same sentiment.
Check out Paddy Pimblett's comments below (5:42):
Paddy Pimblett hits back at Ilia Topuria's fat-shaming remarks
Paddy Pimblett has often faced criticism for bulking up outside of fight camps. Despite the seemingly unhealthy lifestyle for a fighter, 'The Baddy' has remained unbeaten in the UFC.
Many fighters have fat-shamed Pimblett, with Ilia Topuria being one of them. In the aforementioned interview with Kyle Forgeard, the 30-year-old hit back at those remarks.
"He called me fat. That's like, lad, you can't make your weight division anymore that you are champion of, and you're trying to call me fat? He's a midg*t, lad. He's tiny. He's smaller than Michael Chandler," Paddy Pimblett said [6:14].
'Baddy' is confident that he will win his upcoming fight against Chandler via a finish. Moreover, Paddy believes that he could use the same game plan against Topuria in a potential fight in the future.
"He's small, he walks forward swinging shots. I'll kick him up and down the octagon, and I'll either knock him out or submit him. Like, that fight's there down the line. I know 100%. That fight's got to happen. That's a fight that you can have as a pay-per-view main event with no title on the line," Pimblett added.
Conor McGregor delivered one of the most hilarious and iconic press conferences before his fight against Jose Aldo. Pimblett is confident that he could do the same if he gets a chance to take on Topuria.
