Ilia Topuria chooses his next UFC title challenger and reiterates his desire to face Islam Makhachev.

Ilia Topuria poses with two UFC belts after victory against Charles of the Bronx. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.

Ilia Topuria He remains focused on the chance to move up a category and face... Islam makhachev, in search of a third belt in the UFC, but, if he remains in the lightweight division (up to 70,3 kg), he already has a name defined for his first defense in the division.

In an interview with Álvaro Colmenero, Ilia Topuria revealed that Paddy Pimblett It's your immediate choice, especially if you don't receive permission to challenge. Islam makhachev In the welterweight division (up to 77kg), this is the fight he considers his main career goal.

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“I have Paddy on my mind. I would like to fight Paddy if they don’t let me move up to welterweight and fight Islam, because the fight I would really like is against Islam in the third weight class,” he said. Ilia Topuria.

Paddy Pimblett accuses Ilia Topuria of avoiding UFC fight

Ilia Topuria in face with Paddy Pimblett No. UFC 317. Photo: Reproduction/UFC

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While Ilia Topuria state your desire to face Paddy PimblettThe Briton believes that the lightweight champion is actually avoiding facing him in the octagon.

After the Spaniard knocked out Charles of the Bronx No. UFC 317 and win the category's belt, Pimblett entered the cage and immediately challenged him for the title. The fight, however, has not yet been officially confirmed, a scenario that, according to The Baddy, reveals his rival's reluctance to accept him as the next challenger.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Pimblett accused Topuria of delaying the signing of the contract and mocked his stance as champion, suggesting that if he were truly a weak opponent, the Spaniard should have already accepted the fight.

Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett rivalry in the UFC

The rivalry between the two is not recent. The hostile atmosphere began in 2021, when Pimblett made provocative comments about the Georgian on social media, including sensitive remarks about Georgia and references to the 2008 Russian invasion. The following year, the friction escalated into physical confrontations.

During an event in London, the Briton even threw a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria in a hotel. Since then, encounters at UFC events and press conferences have been marked by constant tension and exchanges of provocations.