Bitter Rival Claims Ilia Topuria Was ‘Hand-Fed’ Opponents Michael Chandler Would Have Also Beaten

Not everyone was impressed by Ilia Topuria’s UFC featherweight career.

`El Matador` is fast approaching the start of a new chapter. After vacating the 145-pound belt, Topuria will fight Charles Oliveira in competition for the lightweight crown.

The Spaniard’s decision to pursue a new piece of UFC gold has brought his featherweight career to an end.

While his reign was shorter than most had expected, Topuria was still able to defeat two fighters regarded as contenders for the status of greatest of all time in the division.

But that’s not enough to convince one of his enemies that anything spectacular was accomplished.

Paddy Pimblett Criticizes Ilia Topuria’s Strength of Schedule in the UFC

Though the pair’s paths have always appeared far away from crossing inside the cage, Topuria’s feud with Paddy Pimblett has continued to intensify.

During a recent interview, ‘The Baddy’ proved as much by once again looking to take away from the Georgian-Spanish star’s achievements in the UFC.

“He has done a lot in the sport, but I do still think he’s been hand-fed opponents,” Pimblett said.

“[Max] Holloway had just been fighting at 155 [pounds], had a war with [Justin] Gaethje. Volk [Alexander Volkanovski] had just been knocked out like two months earlier…Josh Emmett was like 37. Bryce [Mitchell], as much as I love Bryce, we know he’s not a striker.

“Every fight he had before the title, Michael Chandler beats every single one of them. I reckon Bobby Green beats every single one of them.”

It could be said that ‘The Baddy’ is somewhat returning the favor. A similar sentiment was shared when Topuria assessed Pimblett’s win over Chandler, branding it a victory over an “average fighter.”

Ilia Topuria’s Path to the UFC Featherweight Title

Topuria recorded six victories between signing for the UFC and competing for the featherweight championship.

Highlight-reel knockouts of Damon Jackson, Ryan Hall, and Jai Herbert earned ‘El Matador’ a shot at top 15 mainstay Bryce Mitchell. He made the most of the pay-per-view spot by dominating Mitchell in all areas of the fight game.

Though he was unable to find the finish next time out, a one-sided victory over Josh Emmett in a UFC main event was enough to earn Topuria a shot at Alexander Volkanovski.

Topuria won’t have to take a similar path up the lightweight ladder following his weight switch.

The 28-year-old will receive an immediate shot at the lightweight title in the UFC 317 main event during International Fight Week in June.