Jun 28, 2025; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Ilia Topuria (red gloves) reacts after the fight against Charles Oliveira (blue gloves) during UFC 317 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

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Ilia Topuria Foresees Same Outcome For Paddy Pimblett After Dominant Win Over Charles Oliveira At UFC 317

Confident in his trajectory, the new lightweight champion Ilia Topuria suggests he will win over Paddy Pimblett in any way he wants!

The UFC has seen plenty of heated rivalries over the years, but few have the genuine animosity that exists between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett. These two have been trading verbal jabs for months. Each fighter is convinced they would destroy the other if given the chance. Their beef started brewing long before either of them became major stars. It has only gotten more intense as both have climbed the rankings in their respective divisions.

Fans love watching fighters who genuinely dislike each other settle their differences. When two skilled competitors have real bad blood between them, it often produces the most memorable fights in the sport’s history. The anticipation builds over time. By the time they actually step into the cage together, the atmosphere becomes electric with competitive fire.

Ilia Topuria’s Bold Prediction After Championship Success

Ilia Topuria just proved he belongs among the elite fighters in the world with his stunning victory over Charles Oliveira. The Georgian-Spanish fighter needed less than one round to finish the Brazilian legend, capturing the UFC lightweight championship in the process. But even in his moment of triumph, Topuria couldn’t resist taking shots at his longtime rival Paddy Pimblett. He even stepped into the octagon for a face-off immediately after the fight ended.

The new lightweight champion didn’t hold back when discussing what would happen if he faced Pimblett next in an interview with TMZ Sports. The 29 year-old champion even got creative with his predictions suggesting he might submit Pimblett with a triangle choke from the mount position. His trash talk got pretty graphic too, mentioning putting certain body parts on Pimblett’s forehead

“He’s not gonna stay there for more than one round with me. I don’t know, maybe it’s going to be cool to submit him on the ground with a triangle choke from the mount, something like that. Like I told him, put my b***s on his forehead.”

Ilia Topuria says Paddy Pimblett is one of the easiest fights for him at 155 😳

“I could choose the way I finish him…

Maybe it’s gonna be cool to submit him with a triangle choke… put my balls on his forehead.” 😭

🎥 @TMZ_Sports pic.twitter.com/ACtNQPmaFn
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) July 2, 2025

The face-off between Topuria and Pimblett generated massive buzz among fans. But UFC CEO Dana White wasn’t completely thrilled with how it played out. White’s comments at the post-fight press conference suggested the promotion hasn’t made any final decisions about who will challenge Topuria for his new lightweight title. With several contenders potentially in the mix, the UFC might want to see how the division shakes out before committing to this particular grudge match.

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – Imagn Images)

Ilia Topuria

Paddy Pimblett

UFC 317

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!