The UFC ought to strip Ilia Topuria of his light-weight title if he fails to return to motion by July, says Paddy Pimblett.
Topuria is on hiatus from the game as he offers with private points following his divorce, and Pimblett and Justin Gaethje will contest the interim title in his absence on Saturday in Las Vegas.
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Tom Aspinall waited 19 months to be upgraded from interim heavyweight champion as Jon Jones toyed with the thought of retirement final 12 months, however Pimblett mentioned he won’t be in the identical state of affairs as his fellow Briton ought to he turn into interim champion.
“Ilia isn’t going to get the same breathing space as Jon Jones,” Pimblett instructed BBC Sport.
“If Ilia is not back by June-July, I think I’ll become undisputed.
“In a super world I beat Justin. Then I beat Ilia for the undisputed title, after which earlier than the top of the 12 months defend it towards somebody.”
Topuria said on social media this week that he intends to make his comeback in “April or June” against the winner of Gaethje v Pimblett.
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Pimblett was a surprise choice for a title fight with neither he nor Gaethje in the top three of the lightweight rankings.
But with the UFC set to kick off their new broadcast partnership with Paramount at UFC 324 and Pimblett on a seven-fight winning streak, the organisation decided to go with two of their biggest lightweight stars.
Pimblett, 31, brushed away criticism that number one challenger Arman Tsarukyan or those above him, like Charles Oliveria and Max Holloway, should have been given the nod before him.
“It is sensible given the state of affairs,” he said.
“We do not know when Topuria is coming again and we won’t maintain the division up. There’s been interim belts made for much less.
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“They know we aren’t boring. We want to entertain and it’s what we’ll do for however long we last.”
Pimblett has loved a meteoric rise by the UFC regardless of few individuals tipping the previous Cage Warriors champion as a future title contender when he joined the promotion in 2021.
Having crushed each fighter the UFC has put in entrance of him and constructed a large fanbase alongside the best way, Pimblett now has the possibility to make historical past as Liverpool’s first UFC title holder.
Aspinall, Michael Bisping and Leon Edwards are the one UK fighters to have received a UFC belt.
“I don’t see Justin getting past the third round,” Pimblett mentioned.
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“Justin’s a brawler. He’s a boxer – a boxer with leg kicks – and doesn’t really grapple much at all.”