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'I Absolutely Hate Him!' Paddy Pimblett Vows to 'Disfigure' Ilia Topuria in UFC Grudge Match
Jeff Bottari-GettyImages

The rivalry between UFC lightweights Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria has long simmered and stems from a social media feud in which Pimblett hurled insults towards the country of Georgia and its people, and Topuria fired back. This online battle culminated in a real-life altercation between the two when, during an infamous hotel altercation in 2022, Pimblett hurled a hand sanitizer bottle at Topuria and everything was caught on camera.

Three years later, both fighters have built upward career trajectories, with Topuria enjoying a more meteoric rise, capturing belts in two divisions. Pimblett, meanwhile, has overcome minor setbacks and is steadily climbing the lightweight rankings.

Now, on a recent episode of Eric Nicksick’s Verse Us podcast, Pimblett didn’t hold back when discussing his rivalry with newly crowned UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria.

Fresh off Topuria’s brutal first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, “The Baddy” made known his true feelings towards a potential fight against the double champion.

“I'd like that fight to go four minutes, fifty seconds into the fifth round, and I've landed 907 elbows, and I've disfigured his face,” Pimblett said with a vengeful tone. “I don't want a quick knockout. I want to put him through pain."

While Topuria’s knockout power has dominated headlines, Pimblett dismissed the idea that he’d be an easy target.

Pimblett, who currently walks around at 195 pounds, believes his physicality and grappling could neutralize Topuria’s striking prowess, saying, "People just think he'd steamroll me... but it's different when there's that much size difference... lad, he's a midget. That's why I said to him, 'I will finish you, little boy.'"

Pimblett also dissected the fight between Topuria and Oliveira with characteristic bluntness.

Questioning Oliveira’s strategy, Pimblett asked, “What the f— was the game plan, stand in front of him and get punched in the face? It was embarrassing."

After the fight at UFC 317, Pimblett entered the cage for an impromptu post-fight faceoff with Topuria, which resulted in Topuria shoving Pimblett. The moment, orchestrated by Joe Rogan, set the stage for a blockbuster matchup. At the same time, however, the faceoff drew backlash from Dana White, who called it a safety risk.

Watch the faceoff here:

Pimblett responded to White’s reaction, saying, "I understand what Dana said... His wife and son were in the cage. I'm never going to hit someone in the cage like that... As much as I hate him, I still want to do it under respectful circumstances." 

For the UFC, Topuria vs. Pimblett is a promotional goldmine, blending bad blood with mainstream appeal. While rankings might favor Arman Tsarukyan for the next title shot, Pimblett’s star power and the rivalry’s heat could fast-track the bout. Topuria himself has acknowledged the fight’s appeal, though he insists Pimblett needs another win first.

Pimblett, meanwhile, believes a fight between him and Topuria is clearly the matchup that makes the most sense.

"It's the only fight to make. We haven't seen two people genuinely dislike each other since Conor and Khabib,” Pimblett said. “I hate him. I absolutely hate him. I want to inflict pain on his life."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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