Paddy Pimblett’s Coach Uses Charles Oliveira as Negative Example in Gameplan to Defeat Ilia Topuria

Paddy Pimblett's coach talks in detail about creating a game plan against new champion Ilia Topuria by watching Charles Oliveira.

Paddy Pimblett’s Coach Uses Charles Oliveira as Negative Example in Gameplan to Defeat Ilia Topuria

Paddy Pimblett's coach talks about the potential Ilia Topuria fight (via X/Imago)

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After witnessing Charles Oliveira get brutally knocked out by Ilia Topuria at UFC 317, Paddy Pimblett now wants his shot. Following a heated face-off with the Georgian-Spanish champion, Pimblett boldly promised he would soon become the new lightweight king. With both fighters verbally agreeing to clash, Pimblett’s camp appears confident and fully prepared with a strategy to dethrone the ‘El Matador.’

After the recent title clash, Pimblett criticized Oliveira’s poor strategy against a powerful knockout artist like Topuria. Rather than using wrestling or maintaining distance, Oliveira chose to strike head-on with Topuria, which disastrously cost him the fight. In a Submission Radio interview, Pimblett’s coach, Paul Rimmer, revealed they’ll learn from Oliveira’s mistakes while planning for Topuria.

The best thing for us is watching him fight more against lightweights. Charles is a great one for us because he shows you what not to do in a lot of fights. With the Chandler fight, we watched Charles fight Chandler and then we used a load of stuff that Charles didn’t do in that fight which he should’ve done and we used that to make up the victory in the last one. So, we just watched Charles fight Ilia now and there’s a lot of stuff you can see that you shouldn’t do against Ilia so like I say, we learn constantly.

Paul Rimmer via Submission Radio

Apart from Oliveira, Topuria has brutally knocked out Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski, proving his elite finishing ability. Known for his devastating power and precision striking, Topuria has quickly earned a reputation as one of the most dangerous fighters in the UFC. Engaging in a toe-to-toe battle with him is extremely risky, as his knockout power can end fights instantly.

As a result, Pimblett’s ground game and submission strategies could prove vital against a powerful striker like Topuria. Throughout his career, he has submitted tough opponents like Bobby Green, Jordan Leavitt, and Rodrigo Vargas with slick grappling and relentless pressure. If the fight hits the mat, Pimblett’s jiu-jitsu and control could neutralize Topuria’s striking, but that might not be enough.

Other than his boxing background, Topuria also has high-level BJJ, though he rarely chooses to showcase it. According to Topuria and his teammates, he prefers striking as it conserves energy and often leads to faster, cleaner finishes. However, he’s confident on the ground and can roll with elite grapplers, making this potential fight very intriguing tactically.

Paddy Pimblett predicts the UFC 318 main event

The UFC 318 main event is a thrilling trilogy bout between Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway for the BMF title. Their rivalry began in 2012, when Poirier submitted Holloway in his UFC debut, establishing himself as a dangerous contender early on. In 2019, they clashed again, with Poirier winning a hard-fought decision to capture the interim lightweight belt over Holloway.

Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier
Max Holloway vs. Dustin Poirier (via MMA Fighting)

Now, as Poirier prepares for retirement, Holloway stands as a strong challenger, having recently claimed the BMF title in stunning fashion. Fans are excited and divided, but many favor Holloway in what promises to be a legendary, action-packed farewell showdown. In a recent interview at Verse Us, Paddy Pimblett talked about the fight and shared his prediction.

It’d be heavy for Holloway that, like, if there are two different fighters who’ve beat him three times. I’ve seen him say something like, you know, ‘He took a lot from me. He gave me my first loss, and he took away from me like an eight-fight win streak or whatever,’ so I’m going to take his retirement fight… I think Holloway is motivated. I can see Holloway winning, to be honest.

Paddy Pimblett via Verse Us podcast

In their last outings, Holloway was brutally knocked out by Topuria, while Dustin Poirier was submitted by Islam Makhachev. Both fighters are now looking to bounce back in what promises to be one of the most anticipated and emotionally charged fights of 2025.

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