Former Bellator welterweight champion Andrey Koreshkov shared a story related to Paddy Pimblett at a UFC event in August 2025 in an exclusive interview with Telecomasia.net.
"I don’t believe that Pimblett can do anything against the champion Ilia Topuria. That is the easiest fight for Ilia. Although Paddy is decent on the ground, whether he can actually use those strong skills is a different matter.
I remember cornering Andrey Pulyaev in the USA. We stayed at the hotel where the UFC had reserved some suits. That's where the fighters live when they come to Las Vegas. Paddy was there, he probably came as a guest to watch the fights. I was surprised that he was sitting there with friends, drinking, and vaping.
"Seeing that, I now have absolutely no faith in Pimblett whatsoever. While he is young, some things are forgivable for the body, but if that's happening on a regular basis, it looks weird. The fact that Paddy balloons up to 100 kg is his own thing – I don't see anything wrong with that. But for Pimblett to beat Topuria, the stars would have to align; it would take an entire parade of planets," Koreshkov said.
In April 2025 at UFC 314, Paddy Pimblett knocked out Michael Chandler in the third round. The 30-year-old Englishman's professional MMA record is 23 wins and three losses. Topuria is the current UFC lightweight champion. Ilia's record stands at 17 wins and zero losses.
