MIAMI – Ilia Topuria has lost interest in a potential fight against Paddy Pimblett.
After several shots at each other in interviews and on social media, a scuffle in a hotel lobby, and a post-fight callout in the octagon, Topuria said he is done trying to get a fight against Pimblett. Now highly ranked and with his sights on the UFC featherweight title, Topuria believes he’s past Pimblett and fighting him would be taking a step back.
“Paddy, you know what happens with Paddy?” Topuria said in Spanish at a media day this past Saturday. “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.
“So giving merit to a person that’s only where he is because he knows how to sell himself well, I don’t think that’s the right thing to do. We’re athletes. In the UFC, the difference between them and other organizations is that here what’s valued is the sport and Paddy, sporting wise, hasn’t achieved anything. That’s why he doesn’t interest me at all.”
The Topuria (13-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and Pimblett (20-3 MMA, 4-0 UFC) beef began about two years ago after Pimblett began targeting Georgian fighters in online attacks. Topuria was upset with Pimblett when the Englishman poked fun at the Russo-Georgian War that killed many Georgians, including Topuria’s family members. Pimblett would later apologize for his comments, but Topuria had none of it.
Topuria returns this Saturday in the main event of UFC on ABC 5 in Jacksonville, Fla. He takes on recent interim title challenger Josh Emmett.
Pimblett is coming off a controversial unanimous decision win over Jared Gordon at UFC 282 last December. He had ankle surgery in March, and he’s currently in recovery. It’s unlikely he’ll fight in 2023.
