Ilia Topuria isn’t a fighter who easily agrees to fight people; he locks horns with those that match his criteria. He is all set to face Charles Oliveira on 28th June for the vacant UFC lightweight title.
He was recently asked if he would ever entertain a knock with the rising contender Paddy Pimblett and the Spanish fighter was quick to express his readiness to fight him in the near future.
The acceptance comes from their well-formed animosity. They were a part of a physical altercation a few years back, and every now and then they trade jabs virtually.
Stylistically and from the entertainment standpoint, it sounds like a terrific matchup. Both fighters are undefeated and are on a terrific mission.
Ilia Topuria has revealed that he would want to fight if he wins the lightweight title at #UFC317. will be in Las Vegas to watch Topuria's title fight against Charles Oliveira 👀
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 13, 2025
Imagine this is Ilia's first callout after he wins the belt 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8HkwCeABfR
Ilia Topuria on Figthing Paddy Pimblett
In a recent interview with ESPN Deportes, the lightweight debutant expressed why he’s ready to fight Paddy Pimblett.
"Honestly, if I could choose a fight, I would fight him because I hate him. He's a pain in the *. I'd love to give that fight to the fans, because for a long time, I believe that in the UFC, you haven't seen a real fight. Two people who really want to fight each other, and what better way than to fight in front of everyone and put on a show? I know what's going to happen, and it won't be good for him".
Physical Altercation Footage
The heat is real:
Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett incident today at #UFCLondon hotel
— Carlos Contreras Legaspi 🦁 (@CCLegaspi) March 15, 2022
Here’s the footage from @Topuriailia team @ESPNDeportes pic.twitter.com/r3pC1MmuKi