Paddy Pimblett isn't pulling punches on Ilia Topuria's first career loss. Both The Mac Life and Sherdog report that the former two division champion has been labeled "damaged goods" by Pimblett since the stoppage defeat to Justin Gaethje, with Pimblett predicting the Spaniard will struggle to bounce back.

Topuria fell to Gaethje by TKO (corner stoppage) at the end of the fourth round on June 14, the finish that ended his unbeaten run. Our Elo model actually rates Topuria higher than the man who beat him, 1599 to Gaethje's 1579, both built from six tracked bouts.

Per MiddleEasy, Pimblett has been openly questioning how Topuria rebuilds his confidence after the setback, and a fight between the two remains unbooked.

According to Yahoo Sports, Pimblett suffered his first UFC loss. Unlike his previous losses, this one didn't bring him to tears. He told Yahoo Sports he 'didn't even cry' this time, and per Bloody Elbow, said it's because he 'needed' it.

As for his own comeback, Pimblett isn't rushing back either. Yahoo Sports reports he's ruled out an early UFC return and is targeting March or April of 2027, pointing to a packed 155 pound division and his refusal to cut weight in January. He's currently ranked fifth at lightweight after beating Benoit Saint Denis via first round D'Arce choke submission in July, a finish that came in just 52 seconds, and he carries an Elo rating of 1565 across six bouts.