Paddy Pimblett Rips Arman Tsarukyan's Wrestling Despite UFC 331 Knockout Win

Paddy Pimblett is not buying the hype around Arman Tsarukyan's UFC 331 co-main event knockout of Mauricio Ruffy. The Liverpool lightweight gave credit for the finish but tore apart the rest of the performance in a post-fight breakdown that has set the lightweight division buzzing.

Pimblett praised the finishing sequence, calling the elbow "lovely" and "naughty." But that was about where the compliments ended. "I thought he looked pretty shit up until the point of the elbow," Pimblett said, per Yahoo Sports. He noted that Tsarukyan's eye swelled from a single punch and wished the fight had continued longer so fans could see how the Armenian would have held up without the early stoppage.

The sharpest criticism targeted Tsarukyan's wrestling, the skill widely considered his greatest asset. "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."

Despite acknowledging the knockout, Pimblett made clear he still sees himself as a real threat to Tsarukyan. "I'd still punch his head in, though," he said. His overall verdict was blunt: the UFC 331 performance "showed holes in his game."

The comments land at an interesting time. Tsarukyan is widely expected to receive the next shot at Justin Gaethje's lightweight title after the Ruffy knockout, with Joe Rogan among those publicly backing his claim. But Pimblett is positioning himself as a future opponent by doing what he does best: running his mouth with just enough substance to make people wonder if he has a point.