Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria share some serious bad blood. The two UFC fighters are on the run to be the next superstar of the UFC. Things are bound to be competitive, but there is more to it than meets the eye. They have been in a tussle for quite some time and the hostility between them is intense, to say the least.

Why do they hate each other? What caused them to engage in a physical altercation? Will they eventually settle in the cage? Let’s unwrap all these questions and find out all about their rivalry.

Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett’s altercation & the reason behind it

Back in 2022, Paddy Pimblett had just broken into the scene by making his UFC debut against Luigi Vendramini a few months prior and was set to face Rodrigo Vargas in London. On X (formerly Twitter), Pimblett had made some negative remarks about Ilia Topuria’s nationality. To be specific, the Scottish fighter mocked the country of Georgia being at war and it did not sit well with Topuria.

While recounting his time in Georgia, the featherweight title challenger said, “I was living in Georgia when the war happened, and it was a very difficult time for me, for my family, for all my friends, for my country. A lot of innocent people, kids, were dying in that war.”

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The bad blood spilled over when the two ran into each other during Fight Week. The pair first started their brawl after throwing sanitizer and tissue paper at each other. Eventually, they resorted to fighting with their fists until they were broken apart by Topuria’s team.

This faceoff was just the beginning of it, as the pair would later share the same stage in the final event of 2022. Find out how the two made verbal jabs at each other during the UFC 282 press conference and kept their animosity alive. 

UFC 282 exchange between Topuria and Pimblett!

At UFC 282, Pimblett had Topuria had their own opponents, but that did not halt them from taking digs at each other. On one hand, Pimblett called him a “Spanish Sausage,” and “Hand sanitizer boy.” In return, Topuria tried to get one up on him by mocking his accent.

The pair went after each other verbally and got out of their seats, but before they had an opportunity to throw down, they were separated. Although they did not get a chance to compete against one another then—will they fight in the cage in the future?

Will Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett fight each other? 

According to Topuria, fighting Pimblett is not a thought worth considering. Why? Because he thinks Pimblett has not proved himself yet to be a fighter of serious caliber and there is very little for him to gain after beating him. In an interview, along these lines, he stated, “He’s a person that media attention wise, he’s big. But as a fighter, we all know he’s not worth anything. He’s not even ranked. He hasn’t done anything.” 

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Moreover, it appears that the fight may not be on the cards anytime soon either as they are a weight class apart. But if it makes dollars, it makes sense, and this fight most certainly would garner interest. If it does happen, how do you see it playing out? What are your predictions? Share with us your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

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