The long-running feud between Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria continues to simmer, with Pimblett firing fresh shots in a recent interview.
The Liverpool lightweight, never one to shy from a scrap or a soundbite, addressed the widespread belief that Topuria would “steamroll” him if the two finally meet in the Octagon. Pimblett, in typical fashion, wasn’t having any of it.
Paddy Pimblett Talks Ilia Topuria
“People just think he’d steamroll me. But it’s different when there’s that much size difference,” Pimblett said to Verse Us with Eric Nicksick, pointing out that he’s the bigger man. “People think I’m not good enough to go against him and stuff like that. But laddy, he’s a [expletive]. I said to them: I will finish you, little boy! He’s that much shorter than me. I’m so much wider than him. That plays a part. That’s why people cut weights, that’s why you get to a certain weight division.”
Paddy Pimblett added:
“I’d just kick Topuria around the cage—I can’t wait to shock a lot of people. I want to fight him before the end of the year. I want to fight him next year. But we’ll see what happens. It’s not my decision, ultimately—it’s Dana, Hunter, and Sean’s decision. But I think it’s the only fight to make.
“We haven’t seen two people genuinely dislike each other since Khabib. I hate him. I absolutely hate him. I want to inflict pain on his life. I’d like that fight to go 4 minutes 50 seconds into the fifth round and I’ve landed 97 elbows and I’ve disfigured his face. I don’t want a quick knockout—I want to put him through pain!”
This is just the latest chapter in a rivalry that’s been brewing for years. It all started back in 2021, when Paddy Pimblett insulted Georgian fighter Guram Kutateladze on social media, taking a swipe at his nationality and, more controversially, mocking Georgia’s conflict with Russia. Topuria, himself of Georgian descent, took offense and promised to confront Pimblett. The pair nearly came to blows in a London hotel lobby and again at a UFC press conference in 2022.
Since then, the trash talk has only escalated. Topuria has called Paddy Pimblett a “bum,” while Pimblett has said he “absolutely hates” Topuria. The two fought in different divisions for a while, but after Topuria’s move to lightweight and his stunning first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, the stage was set for a showdown. In the most recent interview, Paddy Pimblett said:
“As much as I hate him—I hate him—I’d still want to do it under respectful circumstances. I’d never want to steal it on someone, I wouldn’t have even pushed him the way he pushed me, especially after he’s just won a fight. Even though he didn’t take much damage, I’m not going to hit someone with no glove on and potentially cause them brain damage.”
Topuria wasted no time, calling out Paddy Pimblett in the cage and inviting him in for a face-off, one that ended with Topuria shoving Pimblett as security rushed in. Pimblett later dismissed the shove as “weak,” mocking Topuria’s size and doubling down on his confidence.
