Mar 22, 2025; London, England, United Kingdom; Paddy Pimblett, UFC Lightweight fighter, watches as Jai Herbert (red gloves) fights against Chris Padilla (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

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Paddy Pimblett Blasts Ilia Topuria For Allegedly ‘Stalling’ Title Fight Talks With The UFC

The buildup between Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria has been brewing for years. These two have genuine bad blood that goes back to a hotel confrontation in London. Pimblett famously threw a bottle of hand sanitizer at ‘El Matador’ during that heated exchange.

Fast forward to UFC 317 in June, where Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira to win the vacant lightweight championship. Immediately after that victory, Pimblett entered the cage for a face-off with the new champion. Topuria pushed him, tensions flared, and everyone assumed this fight would happen next. The champion even said he wanted to hurt ‘The Baddy’ and that Pimblett was who he wanted to face. But according to the Liverpool fighter, things have gone quiet since then. Dana White recently stated that nothing has been decided regarding the lightweight title picture.

Paddy Pimblett Questions Why Topuria Won’t Sign The Contract

Pimblett (23-3) claims the champion has been presented with a bout agreement but won’t sign it. Speaking on his YouTube channel, Pimblett didn’t hold back his frustration about the situation. He’s been waiting for Topuria to confirm his side of the deal, and the delays are starting to annoy him.He laid out his case clearly during his recent YouTube video.

“Just want to get a fight signed, man. All Ilia has done is talk sh*t about me saying I’m sh*t, saying I don’t deserve to fight him. After his last fight, we got in the cage and he pushed me. I think it’s happening, and now he’s stalling. He’s not saying yes to the fight. He’s stalling. If I’m that sh*t, lad, why don’t you take an easy fight and just beat me then? Step up. As (Mike) Tyson said, ‘Sign the contract, big boy.'”

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Pimblett pointed out the contradiction in Topuria’s behavior, talking endless trash while simultaneously refusing to finalize the fight. If Topuria genuinely believes Pimblett doesn’t belong in the cage with him, why not take the “easy” fight and prove it? He even quoted Mike Tyson’s famous line: “Sign the contract, big boy.” That’s the kind of callout designed to pressure Topuria into action by questioning his willingness to back up his trash talk.

What’s Really Happening Behind The Scenes?

The truth about whether Topuria is actually stalling or if other factors are at play remains unclear. Dana White said nothing has been decided about the lightweight title picture, which suggests the UFC might be considering other options. Arman Tsarukyan’s name keeps coming up as another potential challenger. Justin Gaethje has also been mentioned in title conversations. Topuria might be waiting to see the result of the upcoming fight between Tsarukyan and Dan Hooker, and who the UFC officially wants him to fight rather than stalling specifically on Pimblett.

However, from Pimblett’s perspective, he was told this fight was happening. The in-cage confrontation at UFC 317 seemed to seal the deal in his mind. Now months have passed without official confirmation, and ‘The Baddy’ is getting impatient. Whether Topuria is genuinely stalling or the UFC is handling things behind the scenes, Pimblett is making sure everyone knows he’s ready and waiting.

(Image Credit: Peter van den Berg – Imagn Images)

Ilia Topuria

Paddy Pimblett

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!