A highly anticipated clash between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett might be just months away.
Ilia Topuria achieved his goal of becoming a double champion with a stunning knockout victory over Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 317 in Las Vegas. The fight ended quickly when Topuria landed a powerful right hand, knocking Oliveira unconscious in the Octagon.
This successful return to lightweight followed Topuria`s earlier decision to vacate the featherweight belt. Immediately after his win against Oliveira, Topuria confronted his long-standing rival, Paddy Pimblett, setting the stage for a future bout.
The intense animosity between Topuria and Pimblett boiled over into a tense faceoff and physical shove right after Topuria claimed his second UFC title. Their feud intensified in 2022 when they were both scheduled to fight on the same UFC Fight Night card in London.
The Origin of the Topuria-Pimblett Feud: A Controversial Tweet
Topuria`s strong dislike for Pimblett originated from the British fighter`s controversial social media exchange with a Georgian fighter who is a compatriot of the lightweight champion. What started as seemingly harmless online banter quickly escalated.
In April 2021, Pimblett posted a tweet, since deleted, that was directed at Georgian fighter Guram Kutateladze and became deeply personal, igniting the rivalry with Topuria. The tweet read:
“Lad how stupid are these Georgians man [LAUGHS],” Pimblett tweeted. “No wonder the Russians terrorise their lives [LAUGHS].”
Pimblett`s comment referenced the 2008 conflict in Georgia, where over 200 Georgian civilians were killed. Topuria had personal connections to victims of this war, which significantly intensified his animosity towards Pimblett.
Less than a year after the controversial tweet, Topuria and Pimblett encountered each other in London ahead of a UFC Fight Night event in March 2022. When Topuria confronted Pimblett at the fighter hotel, the situation quickly turned physical, involving thrown objects like hand sanitizer.
Both fighters secured wins on that London card. Notably, this event marked Topuria`s first fight at lightweight before his recent UFC 317 bout, where he impressively knocked out Jai Herbert after facing adversity.
They were scheduled on the same card again at UFC 282 and almost came to blows during the pre-fight press conference. Since then, the verbal sparring has continued online, although they did share a rare moment of civility at UFC 312 earlier in the year.
Now, over three years removed from their hotel scuffle, Topuria and Pimblett seem poised for a collision inside the Octagon, especially after the events of UFC 317.
Paddy Pimblett Emerges as a Potential First Title Challenger for Ilia Topuria
Following their intense faceoff, Pimblett himself drew a comparison between their rivalry and the infamous Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Conor McGregor feud from UFC 229. That fight saw Nurmagomedov win by submission, and bad feelings persist between those two stars years later.
Pimblett solidified his position as a lightweight contender by finishing Michael Chandler at UFC 314 earlier this year. He boasts an undefeated record in the UFC, with notable recent victories against Tony Ferguson, Bobby Green, and Jared Gordon.
With the post-fight confrontation at UFC 317, Pimblett and Topuria are closer than ever to making this long-awaited dream fight a reality in the UFC. The buildup to their eventual Octagon clash is sure to be explosive.
Gareth Pendleton