Paddy Pimblett explains why Ilia Topuria won’t be his next opponent after UFC 329. With months of bad blood between them, many fans expected Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria to finally settle their rivalry after UFC 329. But according to “The Baddy,” that showdown is unlikely to happen anytime soon.
Pimblett, who is preparing for his co-main event clash against Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329, believes Topuria will be out of action for an extended period following the punishment he absorbed in his lightweight title loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250. Speaking ahead of UFC 329, Pimblett said he doesn’t expect Topuria to return before the end of the year, making it difficult for the UFC to book their long-awaited grudge match as his next fight. Instead, Pimblett hopes to stay active and compete again before 2026 comes to a close.
“Everyone keeps saying, ‘Fight Ilia next,’” Pimblett told Spinnin Backfist. “That man’s face is mashed up. He’s not coming back before the end of the year and I’d like to fight again before the end of the year. “So we’re just going to see what happens As you know, everything unfolds crazy in MMA. You don’t know what’s going to happen next. So let’s just see what happens next.”
Paddy Pimblett had an opportunity to earn a showdown with Ilia Topuria earlier this year, but his plans were derailed after suffering a decision loss to Justin Gaethje in his bid for the interim UFC lightweight title in January. Although Pimblett had hoped that victory would lead to a shot at Topuria and the undisputed championship, he believes things unfolded differently for a reason. In his view, it almost felt as though fate had other plans, allowing Gaethje to secure the opportunity to face Topuria on the historic UFC White House card in June.
“I’ve got no animosity towards Justin Gaethje,” Pimblett said. “He beat me. Better man won on the night. I think it was fate for him to beat me so he that could beat Ilia on the White House lawn and be the American in the main event who wins the title. I just think it was destiny. “That’s why nothing happened over the eye pokes [in our fight] It was just destiny. He was meant to beat me so he could go and win on the White House lawn.”
“I always say it: We have weight classes for a reason,” Pimblett said. “Ilia Topuria is a fat featherweight. He’s not a lightweight. “If I ever fight him, people will realize that. If he fights me, he will move back down to [featherweight]. Because he will realize how small he is for the weight.” “Obviously, I’d love that rematch. I’d love to fight Justin again,” Pimblett said. “I know I’ve got to work my way back to that. I can’t just beat ‘BSD’ and be like yeah, I’m next against Gaethje. I know that I’m probably going to have to beat BSD and then beat someone else.”
Despite dismissing the possibility of an immediate showdown, Pimblett made it clear that he hasn’t lost interest in settling the score with Topuria. The two have exchanged insults for years, dating back to their infamous altercation before UFC London in 2022. Pimblett continues to insist that Topuria is undersized for the lightweight division and remains confident he would defeat him if they eventually meet inside the Octagon. Pimblett also acknowledged that even a win over Saint Denis may not immediately earn him the rematch he wants against Gaethje. Still, he believes staying active and continuing to win is the best path toward another opportunity at the top of the division.
While fans continue to hope for a blockbuster clash between Pimblett and Topuria, the Englishman isn’t expecting it to happen anytime soon. Instead, he is focused on taking care of business at UFC 329 and positioning himself for another big fight before the end of the year, while Topuria recovers from one of the toughest losses of his career.
