As Ilia Topuria prepares for his pivotal lightweight clash against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in Las Vegas, he might find his attention drawn to more than just his scheduled opponent.
Having recently vacated the featherweight title after a successful, albeit short, reign, the 28-year-old has returned to the lightweight division (155 pounds), citing challenges with the weight cut.
Following his championship victory over Alexander Volkanovski, Topuria is now targeting a different belt as he competes at lightweight, with his sights set on a title opportunity starting with the challenge of Oliveira on June 28th.
While Charles Oliveira stands as his immediate obstacle, another prominent lightweight, Paddy Pimblett, has issued a clear warning to `El Matador` just days before the highly anticipated main event at UFC 317.
Pimblett Issues Threat: “If it goes off, I might knock him out”
Paddy Pimblett, who is also positioning himself for a potential shot at the lightweight title and the winner of the upcoming main event, is currently on an undefeated run in the UFC. His recent dominant performance was against Michael Chandler in April.
Despite their paths not yet crossing inside the Octagon, Pimblett and Topuria have a notoriously intense rivalry. Pimblett`s presence in Las Vegas for International Fight Week significantly raises the possibility of a confrontation.
Speaking about his presence in Las Vegas, Pimblett stated he would be cageside for the fight. He suggested that if Topuria were to mention him, he might even be “pulled into the cage,” finding the situation amusing.
However, while claiming he won`t initiate conflict, Pimblett issued a stark warning, suggesting he would not hesitate to physically confront Topuria, potentially jeopardizing the highly anticipated UFC 317 main event.
Recounting a previous incident in London, Pimblett claimed Topuria and his group attempted to “jump” him. He asserted that he is not the instigator but is prepared to “finish” any confrontation, as he believes he did previously. Pimblett explicitly stated, “If I see him and it goes off, you never know, I might knock him out and he might not even be able to fight Oliveira.” He confirmed he would be in Las Vegas from Wednesday, adding anticipation to the fight week events.
This refers to a well-documented incident in London in 2022, where the two fighters were involved in a brief physical altercation at the fighter hotel, which was quickly broken up. The confrontation reportedly stemmed from controversial social media comments Pimblett had made regarding Georgia, Topuria`s home country.
Topuria Faces Potential Encounters with Multiple Rivals in Vegas
Paddy Pimblett isn`t the only rival who might cross paths with Ilia Topuria during the busy UFC 317 fight week. Topuria has also recently engaged in a verbal spat with top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan.
Tsarukyan, who is the official backup fighter for the Oliveira vs. Topuria main event, was previously slated for a title shot himself before injury forced him out. His presence as the backup adds another layer of potential tension.
Considering the animosity between Topuria and both Pimblett and Tsarukyan, UFC staff will likely need to be vigilant to prevent further altercations throughout International Fight Week in Las Vegas.
