Pimblett and Topuria feud reaches boiling point: “I want to disfigure him”
British star Pimblett takes rivalry with Topuria to new heights after Vegas showdown: “I’ll put that little bitch in his place.”
Mixed martial arts is often called a sport built on mutual respect. Just look at the lead-up to the Ilia Topuria vs. Charles Oliveira fight—two elite fighters, no trash talk, just business. What happens in the Octagon, stays in the Octagon.
But not always.
Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett feud
Some rivalries boil over and get deeply personal—and that’s exactly where things stand between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett. The feud between the Spanish-Georgian champion and the brash Brit has been simmering for years, and after UFC 317 in Las Vegas, it’s officially reached a boiling point.
Just moments after Topuria’s dominant knockout win at T-Mobile Arena, Pimblett stormed into the Octagon for a fiery face-off. The two exchanged heated words, and the moment ended with “El Matador” shoving Pimblett in front of a roaring crowd.
But the bad blood had started long before that.
Sitting cageside, Pimblett watched Topuria score the KO and immediately fired off a message via the UFC’s official social channels:
Pimblett talks of Topuria “hatred” and “disfigurement”
“Ilia told me in the Octagon he’s going to finish me—he won’t. He knows he can’t knock me out. I’ll put that little bitch in his place. Book it.”
And if you thought that was just heat-of-the-moment adrenaline talking, think again. Speaking to ESPN shortly afterward, Pimblett doubled down:
“I hate him. I wouldn’t even want to finish him early. I’d rather wait until there’s one minute left in the fight—after elbowing him 700 times. I want to disfigure him.”
Topuria, for his part, has said he’d welcome a fight with Pimblett and expects to be back in the Octagon before the end of 2025.
Make no mistake—the fight isn’t official yet, but the war is already on.
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