Ilia Topuria promises fans a ‘real fight’ if UFC books him against bitter rival he absolutely hates

Having become tired of “suffering” with the brutal weight cut, Topuria has opted to bid farewell to the featherweight throne and pursue two-division glory.

The chance to accomplish that comes when Topuria battles Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 on June 28 for the vacant lightweight crown.

If ‘El Matador’ could choose to fight anybody right now, though, it would not be ‘Do Bronx’.

Ilia Topuria would choose to fight Paddy Pimblett right now if he could

While Topuria’s focus is currently on dealing with Oliveira at UFC 317, he’s long had his eye on a different name at 155 pounds.

The groundwork for a future fight between ‘El Matador’ and Paddy Pimblett has been laid for years, with their feud dating way back to a near-brawl at the fighter hotel prior to their respective matchups at a UFC London event in March 2022.

In the years that followed, the pair’s rivalry stayed away from the cage as their paths went in different directions. But with Topuria’s move up to the division and Pimblett’s charge up the rankings, it could very much be on the table.

That, the former featherweight kingpin told ESPN Deportes, is something he’s looking forward to.

“He’s a hypocrite,” Topuria said of Pimblett (h/t @ChampRDS on X). “I remember we shared a press conference once and he said something like, ‘I’m fighting on the main card and you’re on the prelims.’

“Now I’m thinking, I have two belts, where are you? Who the f–k is Paddy Pimblett right now? And why would he deserve to fight me?

“Honestly, if I could choose a fight, I would fight him because I hate him,” Topuria continued. “He’s a pain in the ass.

“I’d love to give that fight to the fans. For a long time, I believe that in the UFC you haven’t seen a real fight. Two people who really want to fight each other, and what better way than to fight in front of everyone and put on a show.”

Victory for Ilia Topuria at UFC 317 could boost Paddy Pimblett’s title shot hopes

Those remarks could be music to the ears of Pimblett, who will be hoping to be the first man challenging Topuria should things go the Spaniard’s way at International Fight Week.

The Scouser has climbed into title contention by moving his perfect UFC record to 7-0. Most recently, Pimblett dominated Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in Miami, stopping the former Bellator champion via TKO.

That result brought ‘The Baddy’ his second straight performance bonus, having previously earned one by brutally choking King Green out at UFC 304 in Manchester last year.

Ranked No. 8, many are expecting Pimblett to require a win over a top five contender to earn his first shot. Should he net that in the coming months and fan the flames of his rivalry with Topuria, a two-division crowning for ‘El Matador’ could bring about the grudge match for his first defense.

Some other lightweights would no doubt have something to say about that, namely Justin Gaethje.

The ex-interim champion’s manager recently claimed that ‘The Highlight’ would retire if the UFC snubs him the opportunity to challenge either Topuria or Oliveira down the line.