The already intense rivalry between UFC young blood Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria, which began in 2022 at a London hotel, escalated earlier this year when UFC CEO Dana White announced the Georgian export’s permanent move from the featherweight division to 155lbs. White explained that ‘El Matador’ could no longer make the 145lbs cut and wanted to challenge reigning lightweight juggernaut Islam Makhachev. This move mirrors the path once taken by UFC megastar Conor McGregor, who set the trend of holding titles in two divisions.

However, the head honcho likely didn’t foresee the fierce animosity this change would spark between Topuria and Pimblett. Since the announcement, the two fighters have exchanged barbs. Last month, Paddy Pimblett questioned Topuria’s decision to move to lightweight, saying, “But he is not that big of a star… He’s not [Conor] McGregor to just jump right up and fight for the other belt. I can’t personally see that happening, but we’ll see what happens.” Topuria quickly responded, dismissing ‘Baddy’ as “fat,” calling him out for being out of shape when not in camp.

Now, recently, the Englishman fired back with a sharp rebuttal during an interview with Shaquille Majour, expressing frustration over the fat-shaming comments: “He has the audacity to call me fat when he’s saying he can’t make 145 anymore when he’s a midget.” Adding fuel to the fire, ‘Baddy’ accused Topuria of avoiding a rematch with former featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski, whom ‘El Matador’ dethroned last year. He pointed out that the Georgian-Spanish relinquished his belt when the idea of a rematch arose, saying, “I think he ran from 145, to be honest, because he knew Volkanovski, not coming off a knockout loss 12 weeks earlier, would give him a much tougher fight.”

Initially, the Aussie was set to challenge Ilia Topuria again, with head honcho Dana White confirming the matchup after UFC 308, where ‘El Matador’ successfully defended his title against BMF champ Max Holloway. At the time, White assured fans, “We’re not going to say no to Volkanovski.” However, the landscape shifted dramatically when White made back-to-back announcements that shook the MMA world. Instead of an immediate rematch, the vacant featherweight title will now be up for grabs at UFC 314, where ‘The Great’ will square off against Diego Lopes.

With Topuria’s future in the lightweight division still uncertain, speculation is mounting that he and Paddy Pimblett may eventually meet inside the Octagon. Could this be the next major rivalry in the UFC? Let’s hear it from a verbose veteran.

Ilia Topuria put fans on alert with his latest announcement

“When we announce it, you won’t believe it. Get ready,” Ilia Topuria teased last week, setting the MMA world abuzz with speculation. But what exactly is he hinting at? A showdown with reigning lightweight champion Islam Makhachev? Or is something even bigger in the works? Former fighter-turned-analyst Chael Sonnen believes the answer could lie in Topuria’s ongoing feud with Paddy Pimblett.

The two have been exchanging heated words for months, and Sonnen hinted on X that Paddy Pimblett might be the name on Ilia Topuria’s radar, writing, “I bet Paddy [Pimblett] has a good guess.” However, the picture isn’t so clear-cut. Max Holloway has also fueled speculation with a cryptic message of his own. Following his loss to the Spanish-Georgian in the featherweight division last October, ‘Blessed’ strongly hinted at a move away from 145 pounds, declaring, “I’m done with that.”

More recently, he shared a black-and-white image on X with the caption, “Stay tuned,” sparking speculation about a potential lightweight showdown. But who should be next for the Spanish-Georgian star? Should it be Paddy Pimblett in a heated grudge match, Max Holloway in a high-stakes clash, or a title fight against Islam Makhachev—an idea Makhachev and his team have strongly dismissed? Drop your thoughts below!