Paddy Pimblett didn’t fight at UFC 317, but he stole the spotlight the second he stepped into the Octagon after Ilia Topuria’s devastating first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira. Tensions exploded as “El Matador” shoved Pimblett in front of a packed T-Mobile Arena crowd, reigniting one of the most bitter rivalries brewing in the UFC today.
The disdain between the two isn’t manufactured. It’s real, raw, and has been simmering for years. Pimblett made that clear on the UFC 317 post-fight show.
“We’ve got history. You don’t even need to sell that fight—it sells itself. Two people who genuinely dislike each other. We haven’t seen that since Khabib and McGregor. I hate him,” Pimblett said. “I wouldn’t even want to finish him fast. I’d want to finish him with a minute left in the fight after I’ve elbowed him 700 times. I want to disfigure him.”
The bad blood dates back to when Pimblett was preparing for his UFC debut. After clashing online with Guram Kutateladze, Pimblett made a few flippant remarks about Russia that didn’t sit well with Topuria, who’s of Georgian descent.
“I said shut up, you fake Russian, and he didn’t like it,” Pimblett explained. “Ilia tries to say I was happy bombs got dropped on Georgia when I didn’t even know they’d been to war. I’d never say nothing like that. When he didn’t like the Russia comment, I said back to Guram, ‘shut up, no wonder the Russians terrorized your lives.’ That had nothing to do with war in my eyes—it was just something I said.”
Topuria took it personally. He repeated the claims on the Joe Rogan podcast, accusing Pimblett of celebrating the deaths of children in Georgia, a charge Pimblett continues to deny.
“Ilia still says I said I was happy bombs dropped in Georgia and kids died. I never said that at all,” Pimblett said.
The rivalry turned physical during a UFC London event, where the two clashed backstage. Pimblett famously threw a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria, earning him the nickname “hand sanitizer boy.”
“He tried to jump me,” Pimblett said. “I was on my own. Good job none of my team were there, or it would’ve been a gang brawl. He said something and threw a punch—I stepped back, grabbed the hand sanitizer, bounced it off his head. Nothing happened after that.”
That history boiled over again at UFC 317. Topuria had just made history by becoming a two-division champion, knocking out Charles Oliveira and claiming the vacant lightweight title. With gold in both hands, Topuria called Pimblett into the cage and called him a “blonde bitch” before they exchanged more insults.
Despite the animosity, Pimblett didn’t deny Topuria’s skill in the cage that night.
“I said before the walkouts—Charles looked nervous, and Ilia looked calm. That made the difference,” Pimblett said. “If Charles had gotten through the first round, it might’ve been different. But he didn’t, as we saw. Ilia’s boxing is brilliant. He’s got good hands and real power. When he swings them hooks, you’ve got to get out of the fucking way.”
Even though Dana White expressed his frustration about Pimblett getting into the cage post-fight, and downplayed immediate plans for Topuria vs. Pimblett, it’s hard to ignore what just unfolded. This is one of the most personal rivalries the UFC has seen in years—and it’s begging to be settled inside the Octagon.
Pimblett knows the odds are stacked against him, and that’s exactly how he likes it.
“I’m more motivated when everyone thinks I’ll lose,” Pimblett said. “Nine out of ten people probably think he’ll knock me out. I love proving people wrong. It gives me this warm, fuzzy feeling inside—making people eat their own words. Looks like I could end up being the champion before I expected it.”
While the rankings suggest Arman Tsarukyan should be next in line, Pimblett didn’t hold back. “Tsarukyan, you can go and weigh in as an alternate again,” Pimblett said. “You little bitch.”
This is more than hype. This is a grudge match in the making. And if it happens, Pimblett is ready to go to war.
