Paddy Pimblett Reacts to Arman Tsarukyan's UFC 331 Knockout Win
Paddy Pimblett praised Arman Tsarukyan's knockout finish against Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331, but argued his rival looked poor prior to the stoppage.
· VILLAND PICK editorial
Arman Tsarukyan delivered a high-profile performance at UFC 331 in Los Angeles, knocking out Mauricio Ruffy in the co-main event on Saturday. The emphatic victory drew a response from long-time rival Paddy Pimblett, who shared his breakdown of the fight on his YouTube channel. While Pimblett gave credit to Tsarukyan for the decisive blow, his overall assessment of the performance remained critical.
"That was lovely, Arman," Pimblett said, according to MMA Fighting. "As much as I don’t like him, that was a naughty elbow." However, Pimblett was quick to critique Tsarukyan's showing prior to the stoppage. "I thought he looked pretty shit up until the point of the elbow," Pimblett added. "I wish he never landed that, just to see how the second and third would have went."
Pimblett also took aim at Tsarukyan's wrestling credentials, pointing out his inability to take Ruffy down during the opening frame. "His wrestling’s not as good as he thinks it is," Pimblett said. "Everyone goes on like Arman’s got the best wrestling in the UFC, and he showed there that he hasn’t whatsoever.
I wasn’t expecting him to knock him out, at all. Even if it was in the clinch with a short elbow."
Despite their ongoing rivalry, Pimblett and Tsarukyan have not met inside the Octagon. Looking at Tsarukyan's future, Pimblett noted that while Tsarukyan could be considered next in line for a title fight, alternative matchups could delay that opportunity, suggesting a potential rematch between Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje could materialize instead.
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