Charles Oliveira Not Impressed with Paddy Pimblett: Suggests a Surprise Opponent for Next Fight

UFC 296 featured several big names and amongst them was veteran fighter Tony Ferguson and Paddy Pimblett. Tony faced Paddy, a rising prospect in the Lightweight division of UFC. He has been undefeated in the UFC while Tony was on a 6 fight loss streak. In the fight, Paddy Pimblett beat Tony, dominating him on the ground with strikes and took complete control of the 2nd and 3rd round.

The win might have been the most significant win in Paddy’s career till now, but certainly, it has left many fans and fighters unimpressed. Paddy had earlier expressed his concerns over this fight being a lose-lose situation for him as a win would mean little to no progress and a loss would be devastating for his own career. His predictions might have come true.

Charles Oliveira wants a surprise for Paddy Pimblett

Former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira seems to be unimpressed with Paddy’s performance. Despite not engaging directly with Paddy or his team, he has shown his support for Elves Brener Oliveira (@ElvesBrener on Twitter) who has stated he doesn’t view Paddy as a real risk and asked UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby to book him against Paddy for a war.

Go @ElvesBrener https://t.co/W1LV0Y8RQ4
— Charles 'DoBronxs' Oliveira (@CharlesDoBronxs) December 18, 2023

Charles has been ecstatic over Elves’s KO win in UFC 284 and UFC Vegas 76. They both train with Chute Boxe Academy and seem to be close. Charles wants Elves as Paddy’s next opponent. Training with Elves, Charles understands his abilities and considers him as the fighter who can beat Paddy.

Fan Reaction

The fans are critical over Paddy’s performance against a 39 years old Tony Ferguson, who was on a 6 fight loss streak before the fight. Despite winning all the rounds, he wasn’t able to finish Tony in the first round when he launched a vicious barrage of strikes against him. He also couldn’t get a KO/submission on the ground. He displayed a lack of breath in a 3 round fight against Tony, which again makes people doubt his stamina. Alternatively, fans have appreciated the toughness of Tony Ferguson.

Rise and Fall

With the rise of Paddy Pimblett and Elves in the Lightweight division and both being undefeated in the UFC till now, it makes sense to book them against each other in a bout. Everyone is eager for the fighters to prove themselves and climb up the rankings. The fight might be the make of the winner and the break of the loser.