Fantasy matchmaker Arman Tsarukyan doubts UFC books Topuria vs. Pimblett

yahoo sports mma |  
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JUNE 28: (L-R) Ilia Topuria of Spain faces off against Paddy Pimblett in the UFC lightweight championship bout during the UFC 317 event at T-Mobile Arena on June 28, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

If there’s ever been a moment for the UFC to book Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett, it’s right now.

Pimblett and Topuria have been circling each other for years and have nearly gotten into multiple brawls whenever they end up in the same hotel or arena together. They’ve even had a faceoff in the cage following Topuria’s big lightweight title win at UFC 317.

Yet come early 2026 the fight seemed very unlikely. Paddy Pimblett had just lost to Justin Gaethje while Topuria was on a historic run and seemed poised to fight Islam Makhachev for a third title. There was just too much distance between the two. Then Gaethje flipped the script and beat the hell out of Topuria, leaving “El Matador” without a belt or grand direction.

With Pimblett scoring a 52 second submission over Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329, all of a sudden the two men are in the same orbit. But according to fellow top lightweight Arman Tsarukyan, he doesn’t think the UFC will pull the trigger and make the fight.

“Topuria vs. Pimblett, that fight makes sense,” Tsarukyan said on the Deep Waters podcast. “But I don’t think they are gonna do this fight. They don’t want Paddy to lose. They don’t want Ilia to lose again, so they are gonna give Ilia someone easy.”

“I feel like they want Paddy to fight for the title again, so they are gonna give him an easy money fight,” he continued. “I think he can beat Max Holloway. If you see Max’s wrestling, it’s like nothing. Paddy at least has a takedown. He can take him down.”

The UFC might want to put aside any fear and just book the damn match, because as they learned with Topuria vs. Makhachev, you only have a certain amount of time to make them happen. You try to get too fancy or try to delay it, and the MMA Gods will laugh in your face and blow the whole thing up.

So please, just book Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett now.