Dec 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Paddy Pimblett (red gloves) fights Jared Gordon (blue gloves) during UFC 282 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

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Paddy Pimblett Calls Out Ilia Topuria; Accuses Him Of ‘Stalling’ Their Fight

Dec 10, 2022; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Paddy Pimblett (red gloves) fights Jared Gordon (blue gloves) during UFC 282 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Grudge matches sell themselves better than any marketing campaign ever could. Fans love watching fighters who genuinely dislike each other finally settle their beef inside the octagon. Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria have been going at it since 2021. Their rivalry started with typical online trash talk before escalating into a physical altercation. At the time, their fight didn’t make sense because they competed in different weight classes. Topuria was grinding through the featherweight division while Pimblett made waves at lightweight.

Fast forward to 2025, and the landscape looks completely different now. Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 to capture the vacant lightweight championship. Meanwhile, Pimblett has been climbing the lightweight rankings with his entertaining fighting style. He scored a TKO victory over former Bellator champion Michael Chandler back in April. Both fighters now operate in the same division with Topuria holding the belt. The stage is perfectly set for their long-awaited showdown. But according to Pimblett, there’s one major problem. The Liverpool fighter believes the champion is avoiding him despite all the tough talk.

Paddy Pimblett Claims Ilia Topuria Won’t Sign The Contract

Paddy Pimblett gave a revealing interview to Marca about his current situation. The Liverpudlian expressed frustration about his inability to secure a fight. He explained that several fighters talk big behind the scenes about wanting to face him. But when the UFC actually offers them the fight, they suddenly back out. Pimblett sees himself stuck in limbo waiting for someone to accept.

He thought Justin Gaethje would be his opponent for UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. But Gaethje decided to sit out instead of taking that fight. The lightweight division’s top contenders are all currently tied up in other situations. Dan Hooker is scheduled to fight Arman Tsarukyan in a crucial matchup. Charles Oliveira just competed against Mateusz Gamrot and needs recovery time. That leaves Pimblett with limited options for marquee opponents. And he believes the title fight should have been finalized already.

“Hopefully that fight (vs Ilia) gets sorted. I think it would’ve been sorted by now if he would’ve signed the contract, but he’s stalling. He’s another one that talks a big game on the camera, but when it comes to signing the contract, he won’t write his name on it.”

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The Spanish-Georgian fighter has built his brand on accepting all challenges. But Pimblett suggests the tough talk disappears when contracts arrive. Their rivalry dates back years with genuine animosity between them. Their 2022 physical altercation showed this beef goes beyond normal fight promotion. Real tension exists between these two that can’t be manufactured. Pimblett believes that authenticity will translate into massive pay-per-view numbers. Whether Topuria actually signs the contract remains to be seen.

(Image Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie – 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!