Paddy Pimblett didn`t necessarily anticipate stepping into the cage at UFC 317, but he was certainly prepared for a confrontation with Ilia Topuria after “El Matador” claimed the lightweight championship by knocking out Charles Oliveira.
While UFC CEO Dana White reportedly wasn`t thrilled that cageside officials allowed Pimblett inside the octagon, the faceoff ended with a shove from Topuria, immediately building anticipation for one of the most sought-after matchups the promotion could put together. Some rivalries might be manufactured, but Pimblett insists his intense dislike for Topuria is completely genuine.
“I’m always prepared, always ready for something like that,” Pimblett stated regarding the faceoff during the UFC 317 post-fight analysis. “We share history. This fight doesn`t require any selling; it sells itself. It involves two individuals who genuinely hold animosity towards each other. That`s rare. We haven`t seen that level of genuine dislike since Khabib [Nurmagomedov] and [Conor] McGregor. I genuinely hate him.”
He added, “I wouldn`t even want to end it quickly. I’d prefer to finish him with just a minute left in the fight, after hitting him with countless elbows. My goal is to disfigure him.”
The history between Pimblett and Topuria actually dates back several years, to when the former Cage Warriors standout was preparing for his initial UFC appearance.
During that period, Pimblett became involved in a public dispute with Georgian fighter Guram Kutateladze, which subsequently drew Topuria`s attention.
“I told him ‘shut up, you fake Russian,’ and he didn`t like that,” Pimblett recalled about the online exchange. “Ilia attempts to portray me as someone happy about bombs being dropped on Georgia, yet I wasn`t even aware they had experienced war. I would never utter such a thing. When he objected to me mentioning Russia, I responded to Guram by saying, ‘shut up, it`s no surprise the Russians terrorized your lives.’ To me, that wasn`t related to war, just something I said. Even now, Ilia continues to claim this; he stated on the Joe Rogan podcast that ‘Paddy said he`s happy bombs got dropped in Georgia and kids died.’ I absolutely never said that.”
The hostility between the two eventually culminated in a physical confrontation at a UFC London event. The brief skirmish was quickly separated, but not before Pimblett tossed a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria.
This incident is what led Pimblett to nickname the future two-division UFC champion “hand sanitizer boy.”
“He approached me in London and honestly tried to jump me,” Pimblett described the incident with Topuria. “I was by myself. It’s probably a good thing my team wasn`t present, because if they were, it would have become a proper gang brawl. One of my teammates likely would have knocked out his brother or something similar. He just walked up to me, said something, and attempted a punch. I stepped back, grabbed the hand sanitizer, bounced it off his head, and nothing much came of the commotion afterwards.”
Their shared history prompted Topuria to label Pimblett a “blonde bitch” during his post-fight interview before inviting “The Baddy” into the cage for a heated exchange of insults.
Despite their personal animosity, Pimblett acknowledged Topuria`s strong performance on Saturday, where he secured a brutal first-round knockout against Oliveira to claim the vacant lightweight belt. Pimblett admitted he had a sense that`s how the fight might go after watching both fighters walk out.
“I mentioned before he walked out that Charles looked nervous, while Ilia appeared very calm,” Pimblett observed. “I think that distinction made the difference in the first round. If Charles had perhaps survived past the first round, things might have unfolded differently. But, as we witnessed, he didn`t get out of it. Ilia possesses brilliant boxing skills, very good hands, and considerable power. When he swings those hooks, you definitely need to avoid them.”
Given their history, mutual animosity, and the recent confrontation inside the cage at UFC 317, it seems highly likely the promotion will capitalize on this rivalry by booking Pimblett against Topuria in the near future.
This is precisely the fight both athletes want, and Pimblett is especially eager to prove his many doubters wrong once again.
“I’m more motivated in situations like this, particularly when everyone expects me to lose,” Pimblett shared. “Nine out of ten people probably anticipate him knocking me out. I absolutely love proving people wrong. It gives me this warm, fuzzy feeling inside, just making people eat their words. It looks like I could potentially become the champion sooner than I initially expected.”
He also directed a final jab at Arman Tsarukyan, who, based on current rankings, is likely the next contender for the title shot. Tsarukyan served as the backup fighter for the UFC 317 main event, and Pimblett suggested he should get used to that alternative role.
“Tsarukyan,” Pimblett stated, “you can go and weigh in as an alternate again. You little bitch.”
