Paddy Pimblett believes Ilia Topuria leveraged his name to climb the rankings.
This Saturday, Pimblett is set to face Justin Gaethje for the interim lightweight title in the UFC 324 main event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A large section of the MMA community expected UFC CEO Dana White to announce a long-anticipated showdown between Topuria and Pimblett early in 2026, given their heated history. However, the reigning 155-pound champion instead revealed plans to step away from active competition temporarily to address personal matters.
The two fighters have shared bad blood dating back to 2022, with their rivalry fueled by years of verbal sparring in interviews and across social media. After “El Matador” vacated his featherweight title and went on to defeat former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 in June 2025 to claim the vacant lightweight belt, Topuria came face to face with Pimblett inside the Octagon, igniting a heated exchange.
Now, “The Baddy” believes his name and rivalry played a key role in Topuria’s rise to championship status.
Paddy Pimblett Thinks Ilia Topuria Rode His Name To Title Shot
During a recent interview with New York Post Sports, Paddy Pimblett reflected on his rivalry with Ilia Topuria, stating that a showdown between them is inevitable. Pimblett also claimed that “El Matador” has repeatedly invoked his name to fast-track his path to a title opportunity.
“I always thought we would always end up fighting,” Paddy Pimblett said. “I didn’t think it would end up being like this, I’ll be honest. I didn’t think he was that good. He did use my name to climb the rankings faster. Let’s just be honest about that. He wouldn’t have got a title shot so fast if he didn’t start all that sh*t with me.”
“The Baddy” went on to give Topuria his due, admitting that he initially underestimated the reigning UFC lightweight champion and did not expect him to turn out to be such an elite fighter.
““He’s a phenomenal fighter. Hats off to him. I didn’t think he was that good. But just like he proved people wrong, showing how good he was, that’s what I’m going to do. People still doubt me. And look, we’ll see what happens.”
