Paddy Pimblett, a top UFC lightweight contender, shared his confidence in beating Ilia Topuria, the former featherweight champion, in a possible title fight. Speaking before Topuria’s bout against Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 on June 28, 2025, Pimblett revealed a strategy to exploit Topuria’s weaknesses.
Their rivalry, marked by past clashes, adds intrigue to a potential matchup, which Pimblett believes could draw massive attention, comparing it to historic UFC promotions.
Pimblett’s Confident Plan
In a YouTube video with interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, Pimblett outlined his approach.
“If Ilia wins and says he wants to fight me, the UFC will make that fight,” he said. “Because they know it’s a money fight. That’s one of them fights where they’ll do a f—ing world press tour like McGregor vs. Aldo.”
He added, “I know I’d beat him. Funny cuz I get laughed at for it. But I know I beat him. We’ve already talked about gameplans to beat him. And I know how to beat him. No one goes for his weaknesses when they fight. Everyone just decides to have a boxing match with him. I’m not going to come out and have a boxing match with him. I’m going to beat him with my all-around MMA game.”
Born in Liverpool, England, on January 3, 1995, Pimblett began MMA in 2012. He won the Cage Warriors featherweight title before joining the UFC in 2021, competing at lightweight. His 7-0 UFC record includes submissions over Bobby Green and Tony Ferguson, plus a TKO against Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April 2025.
At 30, Pimblett’s charisma and finishing prowess rank him No. 8 in the UFC lightweight division, making him a strong contender for a title shot.
Ilia Topuria’s Rise
Born in Halle, Germany, on January 21, 1997, and raised in Spain, Topuria started MMA in 2015. He joined the UFC in 2020, remaining undefeated at 16-0 (8-0 UFC). Topuria claimed the featherweight title by knocking out Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 298 in February 2024 and defended it with a knockout of Max Holloway at UFC 308 in October 2024.
After vacating the featherweight belt, Topuria moved to lightweight to face Oliveira for the vacant title at UFC 317, aiming to become a two-division champion at 28.
The tension started in 2021 when Pimblett made controversial remarks about Georgia, Topuria’s homeland, in a dispute with UFC fighter Guram Kutateladze. In March 2022, at a UFC London fighter hotel, Pimblett threw a hand sanitizer bottle at Topuria, nearly triggering a fight. They clashed again at the UFC 282 press conference in December 2022, exchanging heated words.
Topuria recently labeled Pimblett a “hypocrite” on ESPN Deportes in June 2025, saying, “Honestly, if I could choose a fight, I would fight him because I hate him.” He questioned Pimblett’s title shot worthiness but expressed interest in settling their grudge.
Pimblett’s Tactical Approach
Pimblett criticized Topuria’s opponents for trading strikes, playing into Topuria’s knockout strength.
“As I said, I know I’d beat him up. And I reckon I’d proper hurt him and just shut everyone up even more, like I love to do,” he said.
He plans to use his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and wrestling to target Topuria’s grappling, avoiding a stand-up battle.
Topuria challenges Oliveira at UFC 317 in Las Vegas for the lightweight title, vacated by Islam Makhachev after moving to welterweight. A Topuria victory could lead to a Pimblett fight if he calls him out, as Pimblett expects. Pimblett is also targeting a bout with Justin Gaethje in Abu Dhabi in October 2025, which could solidify his title shot.
The UFC has not scheduled their fight, but the rivalry’s history makes it a fan-favorite possibility.
Pimblett’s nine-fight win streak, including dominant wins over Chandler, Green, and Ferguson, has boosted his profile. His grappling skills and size at lightweight could test Topuria, though critics doubt his chances against Topuria’s precision.
