Paddy Pimblett wants to coach a season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) opposite Ilia Topuria. However, the Liverpudlian doubts it will happen, believing the former lightweight champion is too scared of his trash talk to sign up for the UFC’s marquee reality show.

In a recent interview with All Out Fighting, Pimblett claimed he would get inside Topuria’s head if they coached a season of TUF together.

“Yeah, I would love to do The Ultimate Fighter,” Pimblett said. “I think it would be hilarious. I think I would have his head in the shed for like six weeks. He wouldn’t know where to look for and what to do when I’m with him. Just like me and him and our teams in the Apex. I would have his head shocked a lot. It would be hilarious.

“No, I don’t think he would do it for that reason. I think he will be scared to do it because he knows that I will get on his head that bad that he would not be able to focus on the fight cause I would be winding him that much. I don’t think he would accept it. I would love him to… but I just don’t think he has the balls.”

Pimblett’s statement reflects his belief that Ilia Topuria couldn’t handle the heat of his trash talk, just as the former champion struggled against Justin Gaethje ahead of their UFC White House clash in June.

Topuria remained animated before his fight against Gaethje and even made a video depicting the American’s funeral, presenting him with a special white flower. However, when ‘The Highlight’ returned the fire by taking a dig at Topuria’s divorce ahead of the White House fight, that made ‘El Matador’ visibly rattled.  

Many believe Justin Gaethje’s relentless trash talk made Topuria emotional, while his desperate search for a first-round knockout left him gassed and ultimately resulted in a fourth-round corner-stoppage TKO loss for the Spaniard. Perhaps Pimblett also feels Topuria would react similarly against him.

However, this is not the first time the Liverpudlian has claimed the former lightweight champion couldn’t handle the heat of his trash talk. Pimblett previously said he would get under Topuria’s skin so much that he would knock him out, just as Conor McGregor did to Jose Aldo.

Does that mean Pimblett vs. Topuria is a done deal? Not quite.

Ilia Topuria’s trainer, Jesus Gallo, has indicated that ‘El Matador’ is eyeing a return in February 2027 after being medically cleared in September. Since then, the Georgian-Spaniard has been actively seeking a rematch against Justin Gaethje.

Topuria has also made glove-tampering allegations against Gaethje, but he has remained quiet about a potential fight against Pimblett, though they have a long-running beef dating back to their famous hotel altercation at UFC Fight Night London in 2022.

Even so, Dana White is not opposed to the idea of holding a potential season of TUF featuring the two lightweight stars. 

Dana White green-lights Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett TUF season 

The prospect of Ilia Topuria vs. Paddy Pimblett is currently surrounded by rumors. However, the UFC head honcho likes the idea of turning those rumors into reality. Reflecting on a potential season of TUF featuring Topuria and Pimblett, White said the idea definitely intrigues him.

“I love the idea of that, but a lot of things determine how things play out,” White said during the UFC 332 post-fight press conference. “Not just for ‘The Ultimate Fighter,’ but certain fights and title fights. I don’t know. We’ll see how the timing plays out, but that would definitely be a good one.”

White stuck to his classic response style while sharing his thoughts on Topuria vs. Pimblett, but he had previously shown openness to the possibility of the fight.

In September, the UFC CEO appeared on The Jim Rome Show, where he entertained the possibility of Topuria returning against either Pimblett or Gaethje. However, Arman Tsarukyan‘s victory over Mauricio Ruffy at UFC 331 may have increased the likelihood of Justin Gaethje defending his title against the Armenian.

If Gaethje ends up defending the title against Tsarukyan, the UFC could explore a fight between Topuria and Pimblett. Hopefully, fans will get to see a season of TUF featuring the two rivals.