Paddy Pimblett pitches non-title UFC PPV main event vs. Ilia Topuria

LONDON – A fight between Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria might’ve seemed improbable just a few months ago, but things are much different now.

In February, to the surprise of many, it was announced Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC) would be vacating the UFC featherweight title to make a full-time move to the lightweight division. The Spanish star is looking to secure an immediate title shot vs. champion Islam Makhachev, but Pimblett is among the group who thinks he first needs to beat a top 155-pound contender.

If there’s any suitable candidate to be that opponent, Pimblett (22-3 MMA, 6-0 UFC) said it’s him, should he get past Michael Chandler (23-9 MMA, 2-4 UFC) at UFC 314 on April 12 in Miami (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN/Disney+, ESPN+)

“He needs to beat someone at ’55 first, the little Chorizo,” Pimblett said at a UFC fan Q&A prior to Friday’s UFC Fight Night 255 weigh-ins at The O2. “I would do the exact same thing I’m going to do to Michael Chandler. Kick him in the face or submit him. He’s a midget, lad. He’s tiny.”

The Topuria vs. Pimblett rivalry started in 2022 after Topuria took issue with Pimblett making fun of the Russo-Georgian War of 2008 – comments which Pimblett later apologized for. Not long after that, the pair had an altercation at a UFC host hotel in England, where Pimblett threw a hand sanitizer bottle at Topuria after being confronted. The two were separated by security.

Given the growth in popularity of both fighters since their run-in, Pimblett believes a fight against Topuria could easily headline a UFC pay-per-view event with no belt on the line. Only select fights have met the criteria to carry a show without an undisputed, interim or BMF belt, but Pimblett argues the ingredients are all there.

“I’ve been saying it for years, I would love to fight him,” Pimblett said. “Now that he’s moved up to ’55 it’s a real possibility. It looks like he’s sitting out just waiting for Islam, but I personally think I should be the one to welcome him to the lightweight division.

“It’s got a built-in storyline. It wouldn’t need a title on that pay-per-view. Me and him just could just headline the pay-per-view. You wouldn’t need any other fight. It would sell itself. It wouldn’t need any hype, because I’ve already bounced something off his head.”