Ilia Topuria would gladly choose Paddy Pimblett for next fight: ‘I hate him’

Tyler Durden 2025.06.13 3 min read

UFC 308 Press Conference — Ilia Topuria | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Ilia Topuria is two weeks away from his UFC 317 clash with Charles Oliveira that could end with him becoming a two-division champion.

But there’s another opponent that will always be in his sights.

During an interview with ESPN Deportes, Topuria was asked about who he could fight in the future should be claim the vacant lightweight title on June 28, and he didn’t mince words when Paddy Pimblett’s name came up.

“He’s a hypocrite,” Topuria said (Spanish translation via Championship Rounds). “I’ll tell you, I remember we shared a press conference once and he said something like, ‘I’m fighting on the main card and you’re on the prelims,’ some kind of nonsense. And now I’m thinking, I have two [featherweight] belts, who 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.”

Topuria’s beef with Pimblett goes back years, with the two clashing at hotels and at press conferences as they rose up through the UFC ranks. An actual fight hasn’t been in the cards with Topuria competing at 145 pounds, where he captured a world title, and Pimblett currently contending at 155 pounds. However, with Topuria having vacated his featherweight title to move up a division, suddenly he and Pimblett are in the same orbit.

Should they ever be paired up, Topuria believes fans will be thrilled to see a fight built on genuine animosity.

“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,” Topuria said. “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.”

Pimblett is certainly close to a title shot, having rattled off nine consecutive wins including a flawless 7-0 record in the UFC. His past three wins have been dominant outings against Michael Chandler, King Green, and Tony Ferguson, and one more win could put him in position to be Topuria’s first lightweight title challenger if everything goes according to plan.

The undefeated Topuria hopes it happens, but warns people not to be surprised by the outcome. Asked to elaborate on what will happen to Pimblett in their fight, Topuria was short:

“What’s happened with everyone else.”

Ilia Topuria would gladly choose Paddy Pimblett for next fight: ‘I hate him’

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