Ilia Topuria won Charles of the Bronx No. UFC 317. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.
In the main fight UFC 317, held last Saturday (28), Charles of the Bronx had the chance to regain the UFC lightweight belt (up to 70,2 kg). However, it ended up being knocked out by Ilia Topuria still in the first round. The Brazilian's performance and strategy were heavily criticized by fans, but there are those who see a positive side in the mistakes he made.
In an interview with 'Submission Radio', Paul Rimmer stated that Charles of the Bronx serves as an example of mistakes not to be made in fights. The coach explained that he studies the Brazilian's previous fights and uses his mistakes to create more effective strategies for his athlete, Paddy Pimblett.
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“Charles is a great example for us because he shows us in many fights what not to do. As I always say about the fight with Chandler, we watched Charles fight against Chandler and we used a lot of things that Charles didn’t do but should have done to build the victory in the last fight. Now we watched Charles fight against Ilia and there are a lot of things that you can see in the fight that you shouldn’t do against Ilia. Like I said, we are always learning,” said the coach.
Paddy Pimblett criticizes Charles of the Bronx's strategy against Ilia Topuria
Although his coach watched the duel with a technical eye and left quite satisfied with what he saw, Paddy Pimblett didn't like the performance at all. During his participation in the podcast Verse Us, with Erick Nicksick, the British man didn't hold back on criticizing the attitude of Charles of the Bronx in the octagon.
“I really like Charles, but what was that game plan, man? I mean, standing in front of him and getting punched in the face. In the first 20 seconds he did a little bit, he did a little teep, he kicked his leg, and I was like, ‘Oh, this could be a tough night for Topuria.’ And then Charles got touched once and started trading blows with him… I’d love to know what their game plan was, because that was, like, kind of embarrassing,” he said. Paddy Pimblett.
Paddy Pimblett could be Ilia Topuria's next challenger
After the victory over Charles of the Bronx, Ilia Topuria barely had time to celebrate. Still in the octagon, the champion already indicated his next step by inviting Paddy Pimblett for a face-off, promoting the Brit as a possible next challenger for the lightweight belt.
However, despite Topuria's gesture, Paddy Pimblett faces stiff competition in the race for the title. Names like Arman Tsarukyan, scheduled as a replacement for the duel between Topuria and Charles, and Justin gaethje, who has already had two opportunities to fight for the belt, are also in line for a chance to face the champion.
Watch the face-off between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett at UFC 317
IT'S GETTING HEATED #UFC317
Is Ilia Topuria vs Paddy Pimblett next?! pic.twitter.com/sWIEMbquQi
- UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) June 29, 2025
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