Is a grudge match between undisputed UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett on the horizon? In a recent post on social media, the native of Liverpool, England, indicated that Topuria might be holding up the fight from materializing.
“Paddy why hasn’t🧴👦🏻 signed the contract yet?” Pimblett asked in the post.
Pimblett (23-3) was more than likely taking aim at Topuria (17-0), whom he has nicknamed “Hand sanitizer boy.” This stemmed from an altercation between the two at a London hotel in 2022. In which, Pimblett threw a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria’s head.
At 155, the bad blood is almost inevitable
It’s no secret that Pimblett and Topuria have a clear disdain toward one another. “El Matador” made his 155-pound debut with a first-round knockout win over Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight title, at UFC 317 in June. It was his third consecutive victory by knockout in as many fights.
He became the 10th fighter in UFC history to win a championship belt in two weight classes, as he previously held the UFC featherweight title. “The Baddy” sat cageside during the action, and stepped into the octagon while Topuria celebrated the feat. After a tense verbal exchange, Topuria had heard enough, and shoved Pimblett away.
In April, Pimblett scored a dominant third-round TKO victory against Michael Chandler at UFC 314. The outing earned Pimblett his second consecutive Performance of the Night bonus. He is currently ranked No. 6 on UFC’s lightweight rankings. Topuria recently overtook the No. 1 spot on UFC’s men’s pound-for-pound rankings.
