Chael Sonnen Calls Paddy Pimblett vs Ilia Topuria Personal: ‘They Do Have Unfinished Business’

MMA superstar turned analyst, Chael Sonnen has carefully observed the long-running feud between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett. He believes that the recent online trash-talk could very well turn into a real fight as tensions between the two began as early as 2022. “The Baddy” has frequently tried to reignite his beef with Topuria. In […]

MMA superstar turned analyst, Chael Sonnen has carefully observed the long-running feud between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett. He believes that the recent online trash-talk could very well turn into a real fight as tensions between the two began as early as 2022.

“The Baddy” has frequently tried to reignite his beef with Topuria. In one of his recent interviews, he called the reigning featherweight champion a ‘midget’, and showed interest in fighting the Georgian if he moves up to 155 lbs.

Pimblett also believes that Alexander Volkanovski clearing the featherweight division helped Topuria quickly grab the belt, and he’ll likely be overwhelmed by his opponents’ size at lightweight.

“The American Gangster” finds this callout interesting because it has all the potential to produce a great fight given the very real bad blood between the two fighters. Here’s what he said on the matchup in a recent video on his YouTube channel:

“Paddy the baddy is willing to welcome Ilia Toporia to 155 pounds. Now, it’s not Paddy’s first choice because Ilia is not a big enough name but he will do it because of the hand sanitizer incident—he wanted to give him a beating back then, so he will just delay that desire to whip Ilia Topuria until now at 155 pounds. Even though Ilia doesn’t quite have the name recognition now, I summarized, okay?”

The former title challenger thinks Pimblett might be trying to get the match with “El Matador” at the perfect time. The featherweight champ has expressed his desire to move up a weight class to challenge lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, who, interestingly, seems reluctant to hand out a title shot to another featherweight champ right away.

So, having Pimblett welcome Topuria to the lightweight division might be win-win for all the parties involved.

“But, from a performance standpoint, that’s great. That is great stuff by Paddy to declare that he is willing to do a favor for the world champion—stay in your weight class, fight for a world title, activate the participation clause of your contract, the only clause that you can have in MMA that can make you millions of dollars in one night. Leave all of that to come up to 155 over a personal feud where no title is on the line, no legacy is on the line.”

Because of their infamous alteration in 2022, Sonnen is confident that Pimblett vs. Topuria is certainly not a far-fetched dream:

“But we do have this incident with the hand sanitizer, and you know what? They do have unfinished business. I remember that night very well.”

Although he’s never fought at lightweight, knocking out Volkanovski and Max Holloway in back-to-back fights has skyrocketed Topuria’s popularity. On the flip side, Pimblett’s biggest wins are Tony Ferguson and King Green, and fans are still doubtful of his potential since the controversial Jared Gordon fight.

Sooo … About Last Night

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Last night (Sat., Feb. 15, 2025), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned home to UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC Vegas 102. After a pair of international events, this was a st…


UFC Fight Night: Cannonier v Rodrigues
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Last night (Sat., Feb. 15, 2025), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returned home to UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC Vegas 102. After a pair of international events, this was a standard Apex affair. A “Fight Night” event headlined by Middleweights and filled with Contenders Series products has become the promotion’s bread and butter, and this event was no different. Still, there was some fun scraps and cool finishes, which is really all we can ask for on a night such as this.

Let’s take a look back over at UFC Vegas 102’s best performances and techniques:

UFC Fight Night: Cannonier v Rodrigues
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Cannonier Outlasts Robo Cop

It has to be said again: Jared Cannonier is fighting outrageously well for 40 years of age.

He spent most of the first five minutes weathering the storm. Gregory Rodrigues came out with the intention of destroying “Killa Gorilla” immediately, swinging hard punches in combination, finishing combos with knees and kicks. He floored Cannonier twice and stunned him several more times, but all the while, Cannonier kept his wits about him. He wrestled his way to safety a couple times, buying time and wasting Rodrigues gas tank.

By the second, “Robo Cop” was tired and needed a round to recover. Cannonier wisely established his jab and landed plenty of low kicks, bloodying up Rodrigues and slowing him down further. The Brazilian was ready to scrap again by round three, but the damage was done. His punches were no longer flooring Cannonier, who could now exchange with Rodrigues and land his own heavy shots.

It was a great, competitive round until Cannonier landed a fight-changing elbow in the closing seconds. Rodrigues crumbled, and the round ending only served to delay the inevitable by about 75 seconds. As soon as he was allowed, Cannonier swarmed Rodrigues and forced the finish.

Gritty and powerful, Cannonier still has plenty left to give at 185 pounds.

UFC Fight Night: Kattar v Zalal
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Zalal Dances By Kattar

For 10 minutes, Youssef Zalal was untouchable.

“The Moroccan Devil” really utilized his footwork and feints beautifully to neutralize Kattar’s offense. He established the jab first and prevented his opponent from doing the same, meaning Kattar spent most of the fighting swinging at air or holding back because he knew he was going to miss. Zalal landed a lot of shots in the time, cutting up Kattar’s face and building a major lead.

Credit to Kattar, he tried to storm back in the third. As Zalal slowed just a touch, Kattar extended his combinations and finally began to land punches. It wasn’t too dramatic and it didn’t earn him back the win, but at least Kattar managed to find some success before the final bell.

UFC Fight Night: Shahbazyan v Budka
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Golden Boy Rebounds

Edmen Shahbazyan smoked Dylan Budka in about 90 seconds.

Let’s be clear: that’s exactly what should have happened. Shahbazyan is way too talented to be in the cage with a nearly .500 fighter, and he proved as much. Shahbazyan has seen more than his fair share of career ups and downs, but this was a massive step back in competition.

“Golden Boy” did his job with a heavy counter right hand.

It’s also worth-noting that Shahbazyan looked in better physical shape than usual here, both leaner and more muscular. This win doesn’t prove much, but perhaps things are finally clicking into place for the former bluechip prospect? He’s still young enough to go on a run, so hope is alive even after quite a few bad losses.

Maybe — just maybe — this is the turn of a page, the start of a new and positive streak.

UFC Fight Night: Matthews v Delgado
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

A Vicious Debut

Jose Miguel Delgado’s UFC debut didn’t last long, but he made a strong first impression against Connor Matthews. The Contenders Series product entered the fight with a 100% finish rate, and his aggressive and precise striking made it clear how he’s built up that record.

Matthews scored a brief moment of control with his wrestling, but Delgado didn’t have any trouble escaping back to his feet. As soon as he opened up, his offensive abilities quickly became apparent. From either stance, he was immediately lining up big connections, culminating in a heavy 1-2 down the middle that floored Matthews. His killer instinct was on display too, as Delgado jumped his wounded opponent with accurate, powerful ground strikes to secure the finish.

The 26 year old from Arizona is definitely one to watch moving forward.

UFC Fight Night: Bonfim v Williams
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Additional Thoughts

  • Nazim Sadykhov defeats Ismael Bonfim via first-round doctor stoppage: This was a great fight that ended too early. Bonfim started fast, dinging Sadykhov with quick punches and controlling the pace. Sadykhov struck back late in the first with a slick question mark high kick that really hurt Bonfim, possibly breaking his orbital. The Brazilian never fell and made it back to his corner, however, and there was some confusion between rounds about whether or not he could see. Bonfim certainly appeared to want to keep going, but the bout was called off anyway.
  • Gabriel Bonfim defeats Khaos Williams via second-round d’arce choke (highlights): Bonfim really outclassed his opponent here. Williams is known for his aggression and punching power, but neither were particularly useful when he hit a whole lot of air. Bonfim put together every element of his game to control distance and keep Williams back. He stranded him at distance with sharp jabs, heavy calf kicks, and even belly-poking front kicks, ensuring Williams’ big swings never reached him. When Williams got over-aggressive, Bonfim would change levels with a shot and drag him to the floor, where the Brazilian was a vastly superior grappler. The end sequence was a thing of beauty, as Bonfim continually tightened and cranked on the choke to score a buzzer-beater strangle and leave Williams out cold! Winner of four of his last five, the 27 year old could still develop into a serious contender in the years to come.
  • Valter Walker defeats Don’Tale Mayes via first-round heel hook (highlights): I cannot decide whether to laugh or cry. Mayes — SOMEHOW — entered this bout as a ranked Heavyweight, meaning Walter had an opportunity to break into the Top 15 in just his third UFC fight despite splitting his first two bouts. Laughably, Walker was easily able to ground Mayes, drop down on a heel hook, and secure an instant tapout in roughly a minute. I don’t know if Mayes has terrible knees, no idea how to grapple, or both … but he is likely the only fighter in UFC history to get tapped out by the heel hook twice by fighters who are not at all leg lock specialists! Yikes.

For complete UFC Vegas 102 results and play-by-play, click here.

Bo Nickal skirts call out from UFC Vegas 102 star: ‘I can’t fight cans anymore’

Bo Nickal skirts call out from UFC Vegas 102 star: 'I can't fight cans anymore'Unbeaten middleweight contender, Bo Nickal has refused tonight’s call out from Andre Petroski following his UFC Vegas 102 win…

Bo Nickal skirts call out from UFC Vegas 102 star: 'I can't fight cans anymore'

Unbeaten middleweight contender, Bo Nickal has refused tonight’s call out from Andre Petroski following his UFC Vegas 102 win over Rodolfo Vieira, describing the former as a “can” opponent to him — as he plots his own return to action later this year.

Nickal, the current number fifteen ranked middleweight contender, most recently landed his fourth Octagon win back in November at UFC 309, landing a one-sided unanimous decision win over Scottish grappler, Paul Craig in a hugely forgettable performance.

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And tonight at UFC Vegas 102, the above-mentioned Petroski opened the main card proceedings in a battle against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace, Vieira — landing a comfortable unanimous decision win over the veteran South American star.

Following his victory, Petroski staked his claim for a high-profile clash against the unbeaten wrestling ace, Nickal — who has swiftly turned down the pairing, labelling the former as a “can” to boot.

Bo Nickal envisions 'Inevitable' fight with Khamzat Chimaev ahead of UFC 309 return

Bo Nickal refuses call out from Andre Petroski after UFC Vegas 102

I’d love to get an easy check but the fans say I can’t fight cans anymore :/” Bo Nickal posted on his official X account.

A two-fight alum of Dana White’s Contender Series, Colorado upstart, Nickal had previously landed a trio of consecutive victories over Cody Brundage, Val Woodburn, and Jamie Pickett following his transition to the promotion.

And linked with a return to action as soon as April in another high-profile on UFC 314 in Miami, Florida, Nickal recently once more weighed up a long-mooted grudge fight with fellow unbeaten star, Khamzat Chimaev — claiming the two must only vie for a title in the future if they eventually meet.

bo nickal ufc 309 presser

“That’s the fight I’ve been wanting for a long time,” Bo Nickal explained recently. “And, you know, we’ll make it happen. I think that, uh, it’s just like that fight is massive. And, you know, it’s been talked about since I first started MMA. So, I feel like the proper circumstance is for the belt. Like, it has to be for the belt in my mind.”

Bo Nickal skirts call out from UFC Vegas 102 star: ‘I can’t fight cans anymore’

Bo Nickal skirts call out from UFC Vegas 102 star: 'I can't fight cans anymore'Unbeaten middleweight contender, Bo Nickal has refused tonight’s call out from Andre Petroski following his UFC Vegas 102 win…

Bo Nickal skirts call out from UFC Vegas 102 star: 'I can't fight cans anymore'

Unbeaten middleweight contender, Bo Nickal has refused tonight’s call out from Andre Petroski following his UFC Vegas 102 win over Rodolfo Vieira, describing the former as a “can” opponent to him — as he plots his own return to action later this year.

Nickal, the current number fifteen ranked middleweight contender, most recently landed his fourth Octagon win back in November at UFC 309, landing a one-sided unanimous decision win over Scottish grappler, Paul Craig in a hugely forgettable performance.

gettyimages 2199879468 612x612 1

And tonight at UFC Vegas 102, the above-mentioned Petroski opened the main card proceedings in a battle against Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ace, Vieira — landing a comfortable unanimous decision win over the veteran South American star.

Following his victory, Petroski staked his claim for a high-profile clash against the unbeaten wrestling ace, Nickal — who has swiftly turned down the pairing, labelling the former as a “can” to boot.

Bo Nickal envisions 'Inevitable' fight with Khamzat Chimaev ahead of UFC 309 return

Bo Nickal refuses call out from Andre Petroski after UFC Vegas 102

I’d love to get an easy check but the fans say I can’t fight cans anymore :/” Bo Nickal posted on his official X account.

A two-fight alum of Dana White’s Contender Series, Colorado upstart, Nickal had previously landed a trio of consecutive victories over Cody Brundage, Val Woodburn, and Jamie Pickett following his transition to the promotion.

And linked with a return to action as soon as April in another high-profile on UFC 314 in Miami, Florida, Nickal recently once more weighed up a long-mooted grudge fight with fellow unbeaten star, Khamzat Chimaev — claiming the two must only vie for a title in the future if they eventually meet.

bo nickal ufc 309 presser

“That’s the fight I’ve been wanting for a long time,” Bo Nickal explained recently. “And, you know, we’ll make it happen. I think that, uh, it’s just like that fight is massive. And, you know, it’s been talked about since I first started MMA. So, I feel like the proper circumstance is for the belt. Like, it has to be for the belt in my mind.”

Jared Cannonier Weathers Early Storm, TKOs Gregory Rodrigues in Crazy Comeback – UFC Vegas 102 Highlights

Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues - UFC Vegas 102 HighlightsJared Cannonier weathered an early storm and scored an impressive fourth-round TKO over the heavy-hitting Gregory Rodrigues in the…

Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues - UFC Vegas 102 Highlights

Jared Cannonier weathered an early storm and scored an impressive fourth-round TKO over the heavy-hitting Gregory Rodrigues in the UFC Vegas 102 co-main event.

As expected, Rodrigues came out swinging in the opening round and managed to drop ‘The Killa Gorilla’ not once, but twice. Even so, ‘Robocop’ was unable to capitalize as Cannonier utilized his wrestling to recover and escape the round.

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Rodrigues switched gears in the second round, allowing Cannonier to lead the dance, but business picked back up in the third when the Brazilian started to let his hands go late in the round. However, it was Cannonier who would land the biggest blow of the fight, connecting with a nasty elbow in close that sent Rodrigues crashing to the canvas.

Cannonier jumped on his man and unleashed some ground and pound, but there wasn’t enough time left in the round to finish things.

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Even though Rodrigues made it out of the third round, the damage was done and he looked worse of wear while heading back to his corner.

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Knowing Rodrigues was compromised, Cannonier went straight to work in the fourth, unleashing a flurry of strikes until catching ‘Robocop’ with a right hand that sent him to the mat for the second time. Before long, referee Herb Dean had seen enough, stepping in and stopping the fight mere seconds into the penultimate round.

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Official Result: Jared Cannonier def. Gregory Rodrigues via TKO (strikes) at 0:21 of Round 4.

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check out highlights from Jared Cannonier vs. Gregory Rodrigues at UFC Vegas 102:

Jared Cannonier Comes Back From Two Knockdowns To Batter Gregory Rodrigues In UFC Vegas 102 Main Event

Despite being troubled very early on in the UFC Vegas 102 main event, Jared Cannonier pulled off a major comeback to score a fourth-round finish of Gregory Rodrigues. “Robocop” brought the power from the opening round, dropping “The Killa Gorilla” twice with a couple of solid shots. Cannonier, however, managed to score a takedown late […]

Despite being troubled very early on in the UFC Vegas 102 main event, Jared Cannonier pulled off a major comeback to score a fourth-round finish of Gregory Rodrigues.

“Robocop” brought the power from the opening round, dropping “The Killa Gorilla” twice with a couple of solid shots. Cannonier, however, managed to score a takedown late in the round, trying to steal momentum.

Rodrigues continued to land solid strikes during the second round but his pace began to slow. The former title challenger, meanwhile, took advantage by picking up his own striking. He continued this output in the third, and emphasized his dominance with a late elbow that knocked “Robocop” down. Cannonier then threw some heavy ground-and-pound, nearly scoring the finish.

Jared Cannonier Rallies To Stop Gregory Rodrigues In UFC Vegas 102 Main Event

He’d find it in the fourth, however, pressuring and dominating for mere seconds before more punches folded Rodrigues.

Cannonier stops a two-fight skid with the victory tonight. He’s now 3-2 following an unsuccessful middleweight title shot against Israel Adesanya at UFC 276 — with one of those three wins coming over another former champion in Sean Strickland.

Rodrigues, who reached the fourth round for the first time in his professional MMA career, sees a three-fight win streak snapped. He entered tonight with five wins in his previous six outings.