The highly anticipated clash between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett to settle their long-standing animosity could be just months away.
Ilia Topuria advanced his quest to become a double champion with a stunning knockout victory in the main event of UFC 317 in Las Vegas on Saturday. Just moments into the fight, Topuria landed a powerful right hand that rendered Charles Oliveira unconscious, ending the bout quickly.
This successful venture into the lightweight division followed Topuria`s decision to vacate the UFC featherweight title earlier this year. After defeating Oliveira, Topuria immediately shifted his focus, engaging in a post-fight faceoff with his persistent rival, Paddy Pimblett.
The deep-seated animosity between Topuria and Pimblett was palpable, culminating in a heated exchange and shove just minutes after Topuria secured his second UFC title victory. The relationship between the two took a decidedly hostile turn back in 2022 when they appeared on the same UFC Fight Night card in London.
The Origins of the Feud: A Scathing Tweet
The core of Topuria`s intense dislike for Pimblett traces back to comments made by the UK fighter regarding one of Topuria`s fellow Georgian competitors on social media. While the initial online exchange might have seemed harmless, it escalated dramatically. In April 2021, Pimblett posted a now-deleted tweet that became deeply personal:
“Lad how stupid are these Georgians man [LAUGHS],” Pimblett tweeted.
“No wonder the Russians terrorise their lives [LAUGHS].”
Pimblett`s tweet controversially referenced the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia, a conflict in which over 200 Georgian civilians lost their lives. Topuria has personal connections to this tragedy, knowing individuals who perished, which significantly intensified his animosity towards Pimblett.
Less than a year after Pimblett`s controversial social media post, the two fighters` paths collided ahead of a UFC Fight Night event in London in March 2022, headlined by Tom Aspinall and Alexander Volkov. When Topuria encountered Pimblett at the fighter hotel, the situation quickly spiraled into a physical altercation involving shoves and even thrown objects like hand sanitizer bottles.
Footage captured the heated confrontation:
Both Pimblett and Topuria competed and secured victories on that same London card. Notably, this marked Topuria`s first fight in the lightweight division before his recent return at UFC 317, where he defeated Jai Herbert by knockout.
The rivals shared a card again at UFC 282, and tensions flared once more, nearly leading to a physical clash during the pre-fight press conference. Since then, the verbal sparring has largely continued online, though they did share a surprisingly brief, cordial moment at UFC 312 earlier in the year.
Now, over three years after the infamous hotel incident, the animosity between Topuria and Pimblett is set to potentially boil over inside the Octagon, particularly following the events of UFC 317.
A Potential Title Defense Against Pimblett?
Following their intense faceoff after Topuria`s win, Pimblett drew parallels between their rivalry and the heated history between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor leading up to UFC 229.
Pimblett has solidified his position in the lightweight title picture, most recently securing a victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 314. He boasts an undefeated record in his UFC career, with notable wins against opponents like Tony Ferguson, Bobby Green, and Jared Gordon.
With their latest confrontation at UFC 317, the potential matchup between Pimblett and Topuria, long considered a dream fight by many, appears closer than ever to becoming reality. The lead-up to their eventual Octagon meeting is expected to be highly charged.
