Despite not being opponents, Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria had a lot to say about each other at the UFC 282 press conference.
This isn’t the first time the two fighters have collided, nor will it be the last. After previously trading words on social media, Topuria would try to attack Pimblett in a hotel lobby back in March in the prelude for UFC London.
The Rivalry Re-Ignites
While he’s fighting Bryce Mitchell this weekend, Topuria would once again engage with Pimblett at the presser.
“He just quit when he saw me coming,” Topuria said, interrupting Pimblett’s opponent Jared Gordon. “When he sees me, he goes for the back doors.”
This of course got Pimblett’s attention.
“He’s obsessed with me. He hasn’t stopped tweeting about me all week,” Pimblett responded to Topuria. “He needs to sort his life out. That little bum’s irrelevant.
“I haven’t seen him all week. The UFC have kept us apart. Cause when I saw him last time, he got a hand sanitizer bottle bounced off his head. Hand sanitizer boy! You’re known as hand sanitizer boy. You were born in Germany and you live in Spain, you’re a little mongrel.”
Back-And-Forth We Go
Pimblett referenced their altercation at UFC London, where the Brit threw a hand sanitizer bottle at Topuria.
Let’s just say Topuria was a bit annoyed by Pimblett’s antics, who threatened to shut Pimblett’s mouth for him.
“Shut up,” Topuria told Pimblett. F*ck you. You want to talk to me man to man, I went to your country, I slapped your face. I walk like a king in your streets. Shut up, or I’m going to stand up and crush your face right now.”
Pimblett would raise up the challenge to Topuria to do something about. And Topuria would do something about it… or at least he tried to do so as security wouldn’t let him get too close to ‘The Baddy’.
“Do it, then you little p*ssy,” Pimblett remarked as Topuria got out of his seat. “Do something. What’ll you do? You’ll do nothing. Go and sit back down. Sit back down you little p*ssy.”
Being physically separated from his rival, ‘El Matador’ would continue to charge Pimblett with insults.
“I don’t think he has the balls to face me and close himself in the octagon with me,” Topuria added. “So f*ck him. You see, he didn’t give me a response…He’s scared of me.”
Pimblett responded to Topuria’s talk once more.
“You’re irrelevant to my life,” Pimblett replied. “Why would I be scared of you? You’re a midget with little man syndrome. You’re tiny. Why would I be scared of you?”
You can catch a replay of Pimblett and Topuria going back-and-forth below.
