Paddy Pimblett praised Khamzat Chimaev’s dominant performance against Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319, where Chimaev won the middleweight title. On his YouTube channel, he called it a grappling showcase and took a jab at Chimaev’s cornerman, Arman Tsarukyan, fueling their lightweight rivalry.
Chimaev landed 12 takedowns and controlled Du Plessis for over 21 minutes, winning by unanimous decision with 50-44 scorecards. Some fans jeered the grappling-heavy fight, but fighters like Demetrious Johnson praised Chimaev’s skill.
Pimblett’s Analysis
Pimblett admired Chimaev’s control, saying:
“For the casuals, this isn’t going to be a fun fight to watch, but for people who actually do MMA and old school opinions, they’ll appreciate this. I appreciate it because this is levels of the game, and Khamzat’s grappling level is very high. His wrestling and MMA wrestling is brilliant. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a fight like this, like champion, such a one-sided beatdown because Chimaev nearly won every second of this fight. Joe Rogan is right: Khamzat looks fresh. Everyone questioned his cardio going into this fight, and he looks sound. The crowd is booing. It’s not Khamzat’s fault that Dricus can’t stop him doing this.”
Pimblett didn’t hold back on Tsarukyan, saying:
“Arman doing his best to get as much screen time as he can while his mate wins the belt. Closest that tool comes to touching it.”
The comment fuels their ongoing feud as both chase a lightweight title shot against Ilia Topuria.
Paddy Pimblett started MMA in 2012, going 10-3 regionally before joining the UFC in 2021. His UFC record is 7-0, with wins over Michael Chandler (2025), King Green (2024), and Tony Ferguson (2023). He earned a lightweight title eliminator with a third-round TKO over Chandler at UFC 314 on April 5, 2025, securing his fifth Performance of the Night bonus. His overall MMA record is 22-3.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ws1Z1ZAyWDw&ab_channel=PaddyTheBaddy
