Paddy Pimblett likes to hurt his opponents inside the cage. But now, he is on an entirely different battlefield. Currently, on ‘The Baddy’s list of troublesome personalities, UFC star Colby Covington would sit right at the top as they battle it out to claim the title of ‘Donald Trump’s favourite fighter.’

“No one likes Colby Covington, lad. He’s a proper bad helmet, and he just talks s–t. He puts on an act, and everyone I spoke to said, ‘Oh, he’s so nice behind the scenes.’ So why is he a tick then? He doesn’t even like him, lad. Trump probably likes me more than him. I’ve won more fights in front of the president than him, lad.” Red Corner MMA uploaded a snippet from Paddy Pimblett’s social media clip.

Well, Paddy’s statement might sound new, but this isn’t the first time the Liverpudlian has said this. Two years ago, after Pimblett defeated Tony Ferguson at UFC 296, he uploaded a picture from the fight on Instagram and wrote, “I’m Donald Trump’s new favourite fighter after Colby looked like a 🐈.” The reason was simple. Colby Covington lost to Leon Edwards on the same UFC 296 card, where the President of the United States openly showed support for him. So, ‘The Baddy’ decided to take a little dig. 

The rivalry between the Englishman and the American reached a boiling point when they got involved in an altercation backstage at UFC 314. Coincidentally, Donald Trump was also present in Miami when Pimblett pulled off a masterclass against Michael Chandler, finishing him via third-round TKO.

However, contrary to what ‘The Baddy’ has claimed, the numbers tell a different story. In reality, both Pimblett and Covington have fought only once in front of Donald Trump, which leaves them tied. In that regard, Jorge Masvidal holds the real bragging rights as the president attended two of his fights at UFC 244 and UFC 287.

Now, while Paddy Pimblett has taken shots at a bitter rival he may never fight, the Liverpudlian also took time to say something far more important about another adversary. 

Paddy Pimblett thinks Ilia Topuria might have to vacate his belt 

‘The Baddy’ is all set to collide with Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 on January 24, 2026, for the interim lightweight belt. With a win over ‘The Highlight’, Pimblett would hold championship status until Ilia Topuria returns from his hiatus, which is expected to last until the first quarter of 2026 due to his personal reasons.

Although the No. 5-ranked 155 lbs contender wants to unify the belt by clashing with the Georgian-Spaniard, he firmly believes ‘El Matador’ may need to vacate his new title if the delay stretches beyond June or July.

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“That’s nothing to do with me and him fighting. That’s his family, and I hope everything goes well. I hope that goes perfect for him. All I care about is getting him in that octagon and fighting him. Anything in his personal life, I hope it goes well, but you never know. If he doesn’t come back by June, July, he might have to vacate his belt, and I’ll become undisputed champ without even fighting.”

Pimblett has pointed out a realistic possibility. The UFC could strip Ilia Topuria of the lightweight title if his absence stretches into June or July due to inactivity. That said, ‘El Matador’ currently ranks among the biggest stars in the sport. Because of that, it would not surprise anyone if the promotion protects his position, much like it did with Jon Jones during the Tom Aspinall situation. Still, every scenario has its limits.

That said, as Paddy Pimblett already gives off the vibe that he has the interim lightweight belt wrapped up, do you think Justin Gaethje can pull off the upset at UFC 324? Let us know in the comments section below.