'I'm not an idiot' ... Paddy Pimblett accuses Ilia Topuria of using his name to build UFC career

Paddy Pimblett believes Ilia Topuria wouldn't be where he is without Pimblett's name.

Photos by Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images & Haljestam-Imagn Images

Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett have been on a collision course for years now.

The two UFC rivals were divisions apart, but not anymore. Featherweight champion Topuria relinquished his title last month in a bid to fight at lightweight, and Pimblett will take on #7 contender Michael Chandler at UFC 314.

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Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Paddy Pimblett claims Ilia Topuria found fame by 'jumping on the back of my name'

Pimblett and Topuria have nearly come to blows twice, once at a UFC host hotel back in 2022 for UFC London and again later that year at the UFC 282 press conference. Topuria has no love for Pimblett after what he previously said about Georgians in now-deleted Tweets.

If this guys thinks that this is somehow funny or appropriate then I don’t know what to say. My grandparents just like a lot of other innocent people were killed during the war. I feel ashamed that this kind of people represent our sport. @ufc pic.twitter.com/A2gCgcXD77

— Liana Jojua (@lianajojua) April 2, 2021

But neither does Pimblett, calling Topuria an 'absolute helmet' in a recent interview with Jamal Niaz.

"He wouldn't be where he is in the UFC without jumping on the back of my name," Pimblett said of Topuria. "So yeah, I do wanna settle that beef one day. Let's see if he steps up..."

16 men, including Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway, have all tried and failed to beat Topuria, who's very well-rounded with a base in Greco-Roman wrestling, tremendous boxing in the pocket and the power to back it.

Known for his submission skills, Paddy "The Baddy" Pimblett says he wouldn't make the same mistake others do against Ilia Topuria.

"Styles make fights. No one he's fought will do what I do to him," Pimblett said of a potential fight with Topuria. "Everyone decides to have a boxing match with him and people all fail because of it.

"I wouldn't come out and have a boxing match with him. I'm not an idiot..."

Like his rival Topuria, Pimblett is currently undefeated in the UFC with a 6-0 record. His last two wins are former interim champion Tony Ferguson and a submission over King Green at UFC 304 last summer.

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