Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria‘s longstanding rivalry intensified at UFC 317 after Topuria’s victory, leading to a heated faceoff and setting the stage for a highly anticipated future fight.
Paddy Pimblett didn’t plan on stepping into the octagon at UFC 317, but he was ready for a showdown with Ilia Topuria. After Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira to claim the lightweight title, tensions flared.
UFC CEO Dana White wasn’t thrilled about Pimblett entering the cage, yet the faceoff with Topuria, ending in a shove, sparked anticipation for a potential blockbuster fight. Some rivalries feel staged, but Pimblett insists his disdain for Topuria is genuine.
“I’m always prepared,” Pimblett remarked during the UFC 317 post-fight show. “We’ve got history. You don’t even need to sell that fight. It sells itself.”
The animosity runs deep. Pimblett doesn’t just want a quick win; he wants to make Topuria suffer. “I’d want to finish him with a minute left, after I’ve elbowed him 700 times,” he added.
Their feud traces back to Pimblett’s Cage Warriors days. A spat with Guram Kutateladze caught Topuria’s attention, escalating tensions. “I said shut up, you fake Russian,” Pimblett recalled. Topuria misinterpreted his words, leading to further conflict.
Pimblett denies ever celebrating violence in Georgia, despite Topuria’s claims on the Joe Rogan podcast. “I never said that at all,” Pimblett clarified.
Their bad blood boiled over at a UFC London event, culminating in a brief scuffle where Pimblett hurled a hand sanitizer bottle at Topuria. Hence, the nickname “hand sanitizer boy.”
“He came over to me in London and tried to jump me,” Pimblett said. “I was on my own. Lucky none of my team was there, or it would’ve been a proper gang brawl.”
The altercation fueled more insults, with Topuria calling Pimblett a “blonde bitch” during a post-fight interview. Despite their beef, Pimblett acknowledged Topuria’s impressive knockout of Oliveira.
“I thought Charles looked nervous,” Pimblett observed. “Ilia looked calm. That made the difference.”
With their history and in-cage confrontation, a future fight seems inevitable. Pimblett relishes the challenge. “Everyone thinks I’ll lose,” he said. “I love proving people wrong.”
Pimblett also took a jab at Arman Tsarukyan, suggesting he get used to being an alternate. “You little bitch,” Pimblett quipped.