Ilia Topuria appears to view a potential clash with Paddy Pimblett as an effortless task.
"El Matador" delivered a stunning first-round knockout of former lightweight champion Charles Oliveira to capture the vacant 155-pound belt in the main event of UFC 317 last weekend, firmly establishing himself as a two-division titleholder.
Shortly after his dominant win, Topuria came face-to-face with Pimblett inside the Octagon, setting off a fiery exchange. Now, "The Baddy" appears to have surged ahead of contenders like Arman Tsarukyan and Justin Gaethje as the leading candidate to challenge the new champion in his first title defense.
The potential title matchup carries added intrigue, as Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett share a long-standing history of bad blood dating back to March 2022. The tension between the two first boiled over in a heated altercation at the fighter hotel ahead of UFC London, where they nearly came to blows.
What began as a verbal spat soon escalated into a heated rivalry, with both fighters consistently trading barbs in interviews and across social media platforms.
Ilia Topuria Claims He Can Finish Paddy Pimblett Any Way He Wants
In his last three outings, Ilia Topuria backed up his words with action, confidently predicting knockouts and following through with clinical precision inside the Octagon. Now, riding high on that streak of precision, "El Matador" has turned his attention to a potential clash with Paddy Pimblett. Speaking to TMZSports in a recent interview, the newly minted UFC lightweight champion made it clear that if the fight happens, the outcome will once again be on his terms.
All the fans around the world, I think that they want to see that [Pimblett] fight," Ilia Topuria said. "And at the same time, I have to be honest—I think it's one of the easiest fights that I could have in the lightweight division, because I can do with him whatever I want to do, in reality. It's a very exciting fight for the fans, where I'm going to enjoy the whole process a lot. And at the same time, it's a fight where I'm going to be able to shine once again.
