If it were up to Ilia Topuria, he’d be fighting “pain the ass” Paddy Pimblett next.
Topuria and Pimblett have been exchanging verbal jabs ever since the pair nearly came to blows while at a London hotel in 2022. At the time, ‘El Matador’ was busy working his way up the featherweight division while Pimblett was taking the world by storm at 155, so the chances of ever seeming they square off inside the Octagon seemed unlikely.
However, that is no longer the case after Topuria vacated his featherweight title early. Now, ‘El Matador’ will face Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 during International Fight Week for the vacant lightweight championship.
If Topuria comes out on top, it could put him on a collision course with Pimblett, who now sits as the eighth-ranked contender in the division.
Ilia Topuria ready to deliver a clash between himself and Pimblett to UFC fans
Though ‘The Baddy’ still has some work to do before securing his first UFC title opportunity, Topuria is more than happy to give him a shot. Not because he’s earned it, but because he just hates the Liverpudlian that much.
“He’s a hypocrite,” Topuria told ESPN Deportes. “I’ll tell you, I remember we shared a press conference once, and he said something like ‘I’m fighting in the main card and you’re on the prelims.’ Now I’m thinking, I have two belts. Where are you? Who the f*ck is Paddy Pimblett right now? And why would he deserve to fight me right now? Honestly, if I could choose a fight, I would fight him because I hate him.
“He’s a pain in the ass. I’d love to give that fight to the fans. Because for a long time, I believe that in the UFC you haven’t seen a real fight. Two people who really want to fight each other, and what better way than to fight in front of everyone and put on a show. I know what’s going to happen, and it won’t be good for him.”
With deserving fighters like Justin Gaethje and Arman Tsarukyan waiting to see how things play out on June 27, it’s unlikely that Pimblett would get the call to challenge Topuria, should he come out on top against ‘Do Bronx’ in Las Vegas.
But considering the animosity that exists between Topuria and Pimblett, the UFC may already be seeing dollar signs with their once unlikely matchup becoming a very real possibility.
