Tag: Jorge Climent

Ilia Topuria’s coach Jorge Climent: Potential Paddy Pimblett fight would be ‘abuse’

Ilia Topuria’s coach Jorge Climent doesn’t think Paddy Pimblett has the quality to compete against the UFC featherweight champion.

What at one point seemed like a possibility, now seems like a mismatch, at least according to [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]’s coach [autotag]Jorge Climent[/autotag].

Just two years ago, there was plenty of talk of a potential fight between Topuria, who now holds the UFC featherweight title, and lightweight star [autotag]Paddy Pimblett[/autotag].

The two fighters got into a short skirmish at the host hotel for UFC Fight Night 204 in London back in March 2022, and they had a long history of social media exchanges, which were sparked by Pimblett’s comments poking fun at Russo-Georgian War.

“The truth is that at that moment there was anger because of all the history of Ilia’s family members fighting in the war, so he truly wanted to f*ck him up, but Paddy didn’t want to fight,” Climent told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I don’t know if it’s because they wanted to take care of him or the UFC wanted to protect him, but (Ilia) tried to get the fight.”

Pimblett eventually issued a public apology for making fun of the Georgia’s losing efforts in the Russo-Georgian War, and the two continued with their careers in their respective divisions.

Things between Pimblett and Topuria resurfaced a bit after Pimblett reacted to Topuria’s KO win over Max Holloway last month at UFC 308, saying he thinks he’d still beat him if the two were to fight.

“I don’t know if that kid is in condition to fight someone with a title right now,” Climent said. “Who has he beat? All his fights, they put someone alright in front of him, just so he can exist and stay relevant. He’s very mediatic because of how he talks and all that, but I don’t see him having the quality to fight Ilia, and I don’t think he deserves it.”

When asked about a potential matchup between Topuria and Pimblett, and how it could potentially go, Climent’s answer was a simple one:

“What would that be, abuse?”

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Coach Jorge Climent wants Ilia Topuria to challenge Islam Makhachev for UFC lightweight title

After UFC 308, Ilia Topuria’s coach Jorge Climent wants Islam Makhachev next for his pupil

[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag] and his team have had one of the greatest years in MMA history. That doesn’t mean they’re done chasing glory.

Following an impressive title defense at Saturday’s UFC 308 where Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) became the first person to knockout Max Holloway, his head coach [autotag]Jorge Climent[/autotag] wants him to take another leap in his fighting career.

For Climent, this means going up a weight class and challenging UFC lightweight champion [autotag]Islam Makhachev[/autotag], who’s considered by many as the pound-for-pound best.

“The fight that I think would put Ilia at the very top without any discussion that he’s the best fighter in the world would be against Islam Makhachev,” Climent told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “The fight is against Islam because at this moment he’s a defending champion. I know Ilia has only defended his belt once and that can make it difficult to get the opportunity, unless you’re a Conor (McGregor). So I do think they’re going to give it to (Alexander) Volkanovski (next).”

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Climent sees Volkanovski as the next likely option for his pupil. But given the result of their first meeting back in February, he doesn’t see the former champ as the biggest challenge for Topuria.

Climent undoubtedly sees Makhachev as thee toughest test, but still with a clear path to victory.

“It’s our toughest fight,” Climent said. “However, after seeing how much success Volkanovski had against him the first fight, of course (we) see an opportunity. This is the toughest fight, without a doubt, but I like it.”

Many notable fighters called out Topuria following his historic title defense against Holloway, an indication to Climent that Topuria is quickly becoming one of the most important names in the sport.

“Paddy ‘The P*ssy’ made some comments. Dustin Poirier called him out. That means Ilia is doing big things because that only happens when you’re truly doing big things,” Climent said. “Everyone that wants a spotlight is calling him out, Conor and others. I still think the best fight is against (Makhachev) and the biggest money fight is against Conor, which I see a bit unlikely.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Coach Jorge Climent: Ilia Topuria can sellout UFC event at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu

Ilia Topuria’s coach believes they can sell out a UFC event at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu.

[autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag]’s rise to stardom has been one of the biggest stories of 2024. The UFC featherweight champion has surprised many with his explosion in popularity, including his own coach, [autotag]Jorge Climent[/autotag].

Climent has been ultra confident in Topuria’s capabilities and even predicted that his pupil would knock out Alexander Volkanovski to win the UFC featherweight title—something many didn’t see possible. However, although Climent thinks the world of Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), he didn’t see coming his rise in popularity in Spain, at least not at the levels it’s played out.

“Having confidence in what we are capable of, doesn’t mean I had the vision of what we’re seeing today,” Climent told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “I never thought we were going to have the reach that we have now or be recognized in the manner in which we’re being recognized.

“In Spain, this was always a niche sport and the majority of the fan base was created by us, so it’s just incredible. Winning over the Real Madrid fan base, being with the top politicians, being on television, heck, I even get recognized by older women. I say to myself, ‘This is crazy. This is all so crazy.’ But we’re staying as humble as possible and as grateful as possible.”

Shortly after winning the UFC featherweight title at UFC 298 last month, Topuria met with the president of Spain, did the honorary kick-off at the Real Madrid vs. Sevilla game, and appeared on the biggest talk shows in the country, among other things.

The UFC is aware of the attention Topuria has been getting in his home country, and they’ve expressed publicly their interest in having a debut event in Spain. Climent is confident that Topuria can easily headline and sell out a UFC event in Spain’s most prestigious stadium, Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu.

“I’m sure he sells out El Bernabéu and not just of Spanish fans,” Climent explained. “Spain is the destination where all Europeans go on vacation. It’s very easy to come here and realize what paradise Spain is, so yeah, I’m sure he sells it out.

“Also, El Bernabéu is not just a stadium. When you look at it from the outside, it’s closed like an arena. They have some machines that cover the grass field and the seat sections can be made closer. It’s all now automatic and new. I think they just reopened it this year. It’s all modern and new. If I’m not mistaken, this year, they’re projected to do the NFL, NBA, so they’re bringing in many new projects. So why not also the UFC?”

Climent strongly believes that Spain is primed for a UFC event. Not only does it have a champion in Topuria, but it’s also a country with a passion for sports, and MMA could be added to its list.

“We deserve it and Spain deserves a UFC event,” Climent said. “At the end of the day, I think this greatly benefits the UFC because they can create a ton of lifelong fans. Spain is a place where people really like sports, and the UFC being a new sport here while having a star like Ilia, why not?”

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Ilia Topuria’s coach advises Alexander Volkanovski to take tuneup fight over rematch: ‘That would be the smartest thing’

UFC champ Ilia Topuria’s coach, Jorge Climent, thinks Alexander Volkanovski should reconsider his desire for an immediate rematch.

[autotag]Jorge Climent[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] should avoid taking an immediate rematch against his pupil, [autotag]Ilia Topuria[/autotag], at all costs.

Coach Climent, who coaches Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) along with brother Agustin Climent, thinks Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) should really consider taking a tuneup fight before trying to avenge his championship defeat to “El Matador.”

It’s not that Climent is looking to avoid the Australian or even just pursue other opportunities with Topuria. He genuinely thinks that it’s a bad idea for the 35-year-old to try to rematch Topuria right away given his current form.

“I do believe that Volkanovski deserves a rematch for everything he’s done in this sport, plus the short-notice fight he took,” Climent told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “However, if I were his team or his friend, I’d tell him, ‘Look, relax. Go get another fight to get back on your feet, go feel good again, win, and then we go after him.’ That would be the smartest thing he could do. And again, if I were his friend, that’s what I’d recommend him.”

Climent says it’s not a matter of deserving or not. He does believe Volkanovski should be granted a rematch should he want to exercise that option, but he just wouldn’t advise it.

Topuria knocked out Volkanovski to win the featherweight title last month at UFC 298. It was Volkanovski’s second straight KO loss after, four months prior, he was stopped by Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.

“Of course Volkanovski deserves it, but I would find it unfair,” Climent explained. “He’s coming off two defeats, and I don’t see him recovered enough to go for the immediate rematch. That’s why, if I were his friend, I’d tell him, ‘Take it easy, go do another fight, get your confidence back up, and we’ll do it again.'”

Either way, what’s fair is fair, and Climent is not ruling out an immediate rematch with Volkanovski for Topuria’s first title defense. At 145 pounds, he thinks it’s between Volkanovski or former UFC champion Max Holloway.

“I think Volkanovski and Holloway deserve it most,” Climent said. “After that, it’s pretty even among everyone else. I think those two are the ones that most deserve to fight for the title – Holloway and Volkanovski.”

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