Paddy Pimblett‘s octagon face-off with Ilia Topuria at UFC 317, following Topuria’s win over Charles Oliveira, sparked controversy as Demetrious Johnson criticized the move for bypassing No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan, emphasizing meritocracy over potential sales.
Paddy Pimblett stepped into the octagon at UFC 317, squaring off with the newly-crowned lightweight champ, Ilia Topuria. This happened right after Topuria’s stunning victory over Charles Oliveira in Las Vegas. Yet, MMA legend Demetrious Johnson isn’t thrilled about this match-up.
Dana White, the UFC CEO, mentioned that the face-off “shouldn’t have happened.” He didn’t confirm Pimblett as the next contender for the belt. Johnson argues that overlooking No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan for this opportunity defies meritocracy.
“It needs to be him, Arman Tsarukyan,” Johnson expressed on his YouTube channel. He pointed out, “This is why I say [UFC] it’s a reality TV show. It’s like, obviously Arman Tsarukyan is the number one contender. He’s ranked number one.”
Tsarukyan recently defeated Oliveira via split decision in April 2024. However, he had to withdraw from a title fight with Islam Makhachev due to health issues just before the weigh-ins in January. Despite being the backup fighter at UFC 317 and making weight, White hasn’t confirmed him as the next contender.
“Whatever you guys wanna go by the rankings,” Johnson commented, “but they’re forcing this fight with Paddy Pimblett versus Ilia Topuria just because it’s probably gonna sell more. But I think the rightful person who should be getting the next title shot at lightweight is Arman Tsarukyan.”
Johnson had predicted Topuria’s victory over Oliveira, citing their fighting styles. He was impressed by Topuria clinching a second belt with a third straight knockout over a legend, defeating “do Bronx” after victories over Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway.
The future looks promising for Topuria, yet Johnson doesn’t foresee his career matching the longevity of his recent opponents. “Ilia is going to be a guy that fights three or four more times and retires,” Johnson stated.