Paddy Pimblett denies negotiations for a fight with Ilia Topuria, but warns: 'I'd love to smash his face in'

Paddy Pimblett celebrates his victory at UFC 329. Photo: Courtesy of Paramount

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Full of confidence after finishing Benoit Saint-Denis in less than a minute, Paddy Pimblett does not rule out fighting again in 2026. However, beyond the date, he also has strong opinions about possible opponents. One of the most popular names in the lightweight category (up to 70,3 kg), the Evil One said he was interested in having Ilia Topuria in the Matador's return to MMA during an interview with 'Eze Talks Sports' last Sunday (6).

Despite making it clear that he wants to experience the rivalry inside the octagon, Pimblett explained that he has no official offers on the table. Furthermore, the Briton didn't seem focused solely on a fight with the former champion, showing himself willing to face various athletes.

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“I’d love to smash Ilia’s head in, man, but we need to wait and see. Nobody’s talked to me about it. If I fight this year, it’ll be in December. (I could fight) Arman, Gaethje, Luffy, Charles. There are a lot of names,” he stated.

👀 Paddy Pimblett says he has NOT been approached about fighting Ilia Topuria :

"I'd love to smash [Ilia's] head in front, but we need to wait and see. No one spoke to me about it. If I fight against this year it'll be December.

[I could fight] Arman, Gaethje, Ruffy, Charles.… pic.twitter.com/rc7FSc8PCb

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) September 6, 2026

Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria are fierce rivals.

Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria argued at the UFC 282 press conference (Photo: Reproduction/YouTube)

Two prominent representatives of the new generation of European MMA, Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett, came close to fighting backstage at the UFC 282 press conference in December 2022. At the time, they didn't even compete in the same weight class. Later, the Georgian/Spanish fighter captured the featherweight title (up to 65,7 kg) and moved up to lightweight (up to 70,3 kg), where he repeated the feat. At that point, the two even faced off inside the octagon, suggesting that the fight would finally take place. However, it never happened.

Johnny Walker opens up about his heavyweight debut at UFC 332.