Paddy Pimblett savages Charles Oliveira's 'embarrassing' plan in KO defeat by 'little boy' Ilia Topuria at UFC 317 and reveals huge advantage he has over new champion

Paddy Pimblett has launched a brutal attack on Charles Oliveira for his gameplan against Ilia Topuria at UFC 317.

'The Baddy', who faced off with Topuria in the cage after the champion flatlined his opponent in the first round, appears to be the most likely next challenger and clamour is growing for a stadium fight at the Bernabeu. 

Pimblett branded Oliveira 'stupid' and said the strategy from the Brazilian former champion was 'embarrassing'. 

He told the Verse Us podcast: 'I thought if Charles would get him to the later rounds, it might have been a bit different. I really like Charles but what the f*** was that game plan, lad? Just stand in front of him and get punched in the face?

'I’d love to know what their game plan was. Because that was half embarrassing. 

'What are you doing just standing in the middle and swinging punches with him when he’s a top class boxer and he’s got power. It blew my mind how stupid he could be after that was his 47th pro fight, and he was going in there like an amateur.

He continued: 'The first 20 seconds, he did [kick him] a little bit. Teeped him, leg kicked him, I was thinking you know we could be in for a tough night for Topuria. 

'Then Charles got hit once and just started swinging with him but when he was walking out I did go to Graham [Boylan] and say he looks nervous. 

'When Ilia walked out, he was just smiling. I was like that’s going to play a part in this.'

Pimblett's rivalry with Topuria goes back to when they were both unranked.

An online spat spilled over into a confrontation at the fighter hotel before a UFC London card, with Pimblett throwing a bottle of hand sanitiser at the Georgian-Spaniard.

Now Topuria has become a double champion having moved up to Pimblett's weight class, while the Liverpool fighter also remains undefeated in the UFC. 

They appear to be on a collision course and it is currently the biggest fight the UFC could make. 

Pimblett is sure the power of Topuria, that has finishing Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, would not trouble his chin. 

He went on: 'I’ve never had a fight like that. I want to have a war with someone but I’ve never had one. 

'Never took a sustained amount of damage in my life. He wouldn’t knock me out. He could hit me with his best punch and I’d laugh in his face.

'I’ve said this before in several interviews, people just think he’d steamroll me, but it’s different when there’s that much size difference.

'People think I’m not good enough to [go against him] but lad, he’s a midget.

'That’s what I said to him, I will finish you, little boy. He’s that much shorter than me, I’m so much wider than him. That plays a part. That’s why people cut weight.'

Topuria is eager for the fight, saying: '2026, Santiago Bernabeu, it's going to happen, it's inevitable. It would be like a Champions League match: Spain, Georgia, all the English there (for Paddy Pimblett). It would be a riot.'