A long-awaited clash between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett could potentially be just a few months away, following a dramatic night at UFC 317.
Ilia Topuria recently cemented his status as a double-champion contender with a spectacular knockout victory in the UFC 317 main event in Las Vegas. Just minutes into his fight against Charles Oliveira, Topuria landed a decisive right hand that sent the former champion crashing to the canvas.
This successful return to the lightweight division came after Topuria had previously vacated the UFC featherweight title earlier in the year. Following his win over Oliveira, Topuria quickly turned his attention to his heated rival, Paddy Pimblett, confronting him face-to-face after the bout.
The simmering animosity between Topuria and Pimblett boiled over into a tense faceoff and physical shove moments after Topuria secured his second UFC title win. The bad blood between the two dates back significantly, escalating sharply in 2022 when they shared a fight card at a UFC Fight Night in London.
How the Feud Began: A Controversial Tweet
Topuria`s deep-seated dislike for Pimblett primarily originated from a social media exchange where the UK fighter traded insults with one of Topuria`s fellow Georgian fighters. While Pimblett`s initial online comments seemed relatively harmless, the situation quickly took a dark turn.
In a now-deleted tweet from April 2021, Pimblett posted a deeply personal remark targeting Georgian fighter Guram Kutateladze, which effectively ignited his future rivalry with Topuria. Pimblett`s controversial post read: “Lad how stupid are these Georgians man [LAUGHS]. No wonder the Russians terrorise their lives [LAUGHS].”
Pimblett`s comment was a reference to the 2008 Russian invasion of Georgia, a conflict during which over 200 Georgian civilians tragically lost their lives. Topuria knew several individuals who perished in that war, which profoundly intensified his hatred for Pimblett`s insensitive remarks.
Less than a year after the inflammatory tweet, Topuria and Pimblett crossed paths ahead of the March 2022 UFC Fight Night card in London. When Topuria confronted Pimblett at the fighter hotel, the situation rapidly escalated into a physical altercation involving thrown punches and objects.
Both Pimblett and Topuria went on to secure victories on that London card. Notably, that event marked Topuria`s first venture into the lightweight division before his championship success at UFC 317, where he overcame Jai Herbert with a comeback knockout.
The rivals shared a card again at UFC 282 and came close to clashing during the pre-fight press conference. Since then, they have continued their verbal jabs online, although they shared a rare cordial moment at UFC 312 earlier this year.
Now, more than three years after the infamous hotel incident, Topuria and Pimblett appear to be on the verge of finally settling their differences inside the Octagon following Topuria`s impressive performance at UFC 317.
Pimblett Emerges as Potential First Title Challenger
Following their intense post-fight faceoff, Pimblett drew parallels between their rivalry and the historic animosity between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor leading up to UFC 229. That fight saw Nurmagomedov secure a submission victory, and the tensions between those two legends persist years later.
Pimblett has ascended into the lightweight title picture with a series of dominant performances and finishes, including a victory over Michael Chandler at UFC 314 earlier this year. He remains undefeated in his UFC career, boasting recent wins against significant opponents such as Tony Ferguson, Bobby Green, and Jared Gordon.
The heated confrontation at UFC 317 has significantly increased the likelihood of a Topuria vs. Pimblett bout, a matchup that fans have clamored for. Expect a lively and highly anticipated build-up as they head towards their potential showdown in the Octagon.
Rupert Hartwell 
Benedict Kingsley