Latest news with #Pimblett
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Paddy Pimblett picks 'motivated' Max Holloway to beat Dustin Poirier at UFC 318
Paddy Pimblett thinks the moment could be too big for Dustin Poirier to handle at UFC 318. Poirier (30-9 MMA, 22-8 UFC) will make his final walk to the octagon in a trilogy bout against BMF champion Max Holloway (26-8 MMA, 22-8 UFC) on July 19 from Smoothie King Center in New Orleans (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+). With Poirier retiring in his hometown and already having beaten Holloway twice, Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) sees "Blessed" with more to gain. "It would be heavy for Holloway if there's two different fighters who have beat him three times," Pimblett said on the "Verse Us Podcast" with Eric Nicksick. "I've seen him say something like, 'He took a lot from me, he gave me my first loss, and he took away my win streak, so I'm going to take his retirement fight.' "I think Holloway's motivated. I can see Holloway winning, to be honest. Don't know why. I think it's just one of them. Dustin fighting in his hometown, his last fight, everyone expects him to win, the pressure. I think he might (win). You might think it's a bit more favorable because he beat him twice, though." Pimblett is edging closer to title contention after a dominant finish of Michael Chandler at UFC 314 in April. He faced off with newly crowned lightweight champion Ilia Topuria immediately after the conclusion of the UFC 317 main event.
Daily Mirror
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Paddy Pimblett forced to explain comment which sparked bitter Ilia Topuria feud
Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria have been bitter rivals for the past three years and the feud boiled over last month when the pair clashed in the UFC cage Paddy Pimblett has insisted he didn't mean to upset his UFC rival Ilia Topuria during a heated exchange which ignited their ongoing feud. The pair, who have been at loggerheads for the past three years, were initially not seen as direct competitors due to fighting in different weight classes. However, it seems a showdown in the cage could be on the horizon. The bad blood started when Pimblett fired off a contentious tweet aimed at Guram Kutateladze, a Georgian fighter and friend of Topuria's. Recounting the incident on his podcast, Pimblett said: "The other Georgian fighter, Guram, tweeted at me saying something, and I tweeted back something like, 'Oh, shut up you fake Russian'" This comment didn't go down well with Kutateladze and his crew, leaving Pimblett bemused. "They all took offence of it, and I'm there sitting at the house, 'Why did they all took offence to it?'," he said. "Obviously, when you say something, and you offend someone you're going to say something else along the lines. They started tweeting me, so I said something like, 'No wonder why the Russians terrorised you,' and then I went to bed and woke up the next morning and I had the craziest amount of hate mail." Months before Pimblett and Topuria's altercation at a London fighter hotel, Pimblett stirred controversy with a social media post: "Lad how stupid are these Georgians man! No wonder the Russians terrorise their lives.", reports All Out Fighting. Despite the backlash, Pimblett maintains his comments were not politically charged, though many Georgian fighters felt differently due to the sensitive history of the Russo-Georgian War. "They all said I was talking about the war, and I was like, 'What war?' I only had found out the next day that Russia had been at war with Georgia," he explained. "I didn't know that at the time. My Twitter blew up, 'I'm like, what's going on here? What's happening?'". "People are saying that I'm saying stuff about war. It had nothing to do with war. I just said a word. Back in Liverpool, if you say something like 'terrorise' it is like you're being bullied. That's just something we say. He still says it to this day, and he said it on (Joe) Rogan (Podcast), that I was happy that Russia dropped bombs on Georgian kids. I never said that. I don't know how he's made that up in his own mind, but that's what he says." Following the negative reaction, Pimblett did issue an apology for his remarks online. The feud between Pimblett and Topuria has persisted, with last month seeing Pimblett shoved by the new UFC lightweight champion Topuria after confronting him in the octagon. Topuria was crowned the new lightweight champion after a first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 318. The newly minted champ wasted no time in calling out Pimblett. In response to Topuria, Pimblett said: "Well done, lad, well done, that was a heavy knockout. I give you that, respect, but you will never knock me out." Topuria fired back by labelling the Brit a "coward," as Pimblett insisted he wouldn't suffer the same fate as Oliveira. "Watch what is going to happen with you," Topuria shot back. "I'm going to take your head off. I'm going to submit you, you little coward. I'm going to humiliate you, you wimp." The confrontation eventually came to an end when Topuria pushed Pimblett aside.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Paddy Pimblett recounts origin of Ilia Topuria beef: 'It's all a big misunderstanding'
Paddy Pimblett gives his side of origin of his heated rivalry with Ilia Topuria. One of the biggest and most heated rivalries in MMA today stemmed from a simple misunderstanding – at least, that's how one half of the feud sees it. Paddy Pimblett has been feuding with now UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria for several years. It all originated from a tweet that Pimblett meant no malice beyond just ordinary trash talk with a Georgian fighter, Guram Kutateladze, who's a friend and fellow countryman of Topuria's. "The other Georgian fighter, Guram, tweeted at me saying something, and I tweeted back something like, 'Oh, shut up you fake Russian,'" Pimblett said on his podcast recalling the birth of his beef with Topuria. "They all took offense of it, and I'm there sitting at the house, 'Why did they all took offense to it?' Obviously, when you say something, and you offend someone you're going to say something else along the lines. They started tweeting me, so I said something like, 'No wonder why the Russians terrorized you,' and then I went to bed and woke up the next morning and I had the craziest amount of hate mail." Back in 2021, Pimblett wrote to Kutateladze in a tweet where Topuria was tagged in: "Lad how stupid are these Georgians man (laughing emojis) no wonder the Russians terrorise their lives (laughing emojis)." Pimblett assures there was no political connotation to his comments. However, many Georgian fighters, including Topuria, took offense to it given the history of the Russo-Georgian War of 2008. "They all said I was talking about the war, and I was like, 'What war?' I only had found out the next day that Russia had been at war with Georgia," Pimblett said. "I didn't know that at the time. My Twitter blew up, 'I'm like, what's going on here? What's happening?' People are saying that I'm saying stuff about war. It had nothing to do with war. I just said a word. Back in Liverpool, if you say something like 'terrorize' it is like you're being bullied. That's just something we say. He still says it to this day, and he said it on (Joe) Rogan (Podcast), that I was happy that Russia dropped bombs on Georgian kids. I never said that. I don't know how he's made that up in his own mind, but that's what he says." After the social media backlash, Pimblett did apologize for his comments online. However, that didn't settle things with Topuria. The two would run into each other the following year at the host hotel for UFC Fight Night 204 in London, as the two competed in respective bouts on the card. As expected, their interaction was far from friendly. "I've seen him a couple of months later," Pimblett recalled. "I went to the lads where the UFC gives you food and stuff on fight week. I'm going to warm these eggs up, boys, I'm just going to go down and warm them up. One of my coaches went to me, 'Wait there, Pad, I'll come with ya.' Lad, I'm only going to warm these up. I got on the lift, went down like two flights or something, put the eggs in there, and I'm just waiting for the eggs, and then he comes walking out of the door with like eight of his buddies and his boys. "To be honest, it's a good thing that Ellis didn't come down because it would've been a brawl. ... Ellis my coach is ready no matter what. He would've started swinging. Luckily enough, I was still behind the thing so when he came over, I just went, 'What's happening lad?' And then he halfway went like that, and I don't know if he actually swung at me, but he went to, and I just moved out of the way and threw the (sanitizer) bottle on his head and then pushed the table at him. It was quite funny became there were about nine of them, and I'm thinking, 'Cook off here, I'm going to get jumped.'" Since their hotel altercation, Topuria went on to win and defend the UFC featherweight bout, and then win the vacant UFC lightweight title last month. A historic run that had him knock out Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway, and Charles Oliveira. Meanwhile, Pimblett continued to build his star power and become a top contender at 155 pounds. "He's blown up a lot since then," Pimblett said. "But before he got into that with me, no one knew who he was, and he's blew a lot since then. He's one of them lads who still says, 'Oh, he's sh*t, he's sh*t,' when he talks about me. As much as I hate him, I know he's good. He's a good fighter, but I still think I beat him. I think it could end up happening." It's not official, but a title fight between Topuria and Pimblett could be happening next. There are other contenders campaigning for the shot besides Pimblett, but the Englishman does have a case, being undefeated in the UFC, being highly ranked, and having a high ranking in the division. Should the fight happen, Pimblett expects the rivalry with Topuria to live on. "No, (the beef won't be settled) because I will beat him, and then he won't want to smash the beef," Pimblett said. However, should Topuria want to settle things, which Pimblett doesn't think it will happen, he's more than willing to shake his hand, as for him, this feud has never been personal, and he never meant to get political. "I'll shake his hand, yeah," Pimblett said. "For me, it's all a big misunderstanding. It's built a massive storyline for the fight when it comes down to it, but it just annoys me that he still says that I said something I never. He said that on the Rogan podcast bout three months ago. He's making me look bad. Lad, I never said that, and I would never say something so disgusting."
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Ilia Topuria's Plan for the Undefeated Star Is Anything But Respectful
Ilia Topuria's Plan for the Undefeated Star Is Anything But Respectful originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Fresh off a thunderous knockout win at UFC 317, Ilia Topuria has been making the media rounds with the confidence only a newly crowned champion could carry. Then again, confidence is nothing new for Topuria—it's been his trademark since day one. While fans are still processing his dismantling of a former lightweight king, the featherweight-turned-double champ already seems locked in on what—or rather, who—comes next. Advertisement It's no secret that Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett don't see eye to eye. The two fighters have exchanged insults for years, fueling speculation that a showdown could be inevitable. Ilia TopuriaGetty Images Their rivalry was reignited after a recent interview with TMZ Sports—shared by Championship Rounds—where Topuria didn't just talk about winning, he painted a humiliating picture of how he'd do it. 'I could choose the way I finish him,' Topuria said. 'Maybe it's gonna be cool to submit him with a triangle choke… put my balls on his forehead.' The comment went viral, drawing a mix of laughter, outrage, and even support from fans who have long followed the feud. While some called it disrespectful, others saw it as classic fight promotion—and a window into just how personal this matchup has become over the years. Advertisement Ilia Topuria & Paddy PimblettJeff Bottari-GettyImages It's the kind of bad blood that practically sells itself without any official poster or promo. As the verbal jabs escalate, UFC President Dana White and his team are weighing the options for Topuria's first title defense at 155. Many see a bout with Pimblett as a potential blockbuster, one that would deliver fireworks both inside the Octagon and at the box office. Related: UFC Faces Pressure as Ilia Topuria's Next Opponent Narrowed to 3 Possibilities Related: Paddy Pimblett Sets the Record Straight on UFC 319 This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 2, 2025, where it first appeared.
USA Today
6 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Coach says Paddy Pimblett will leave UFC champ Ilia Topuria a 'bloody mess'
Paul Rimmer thinks his star student, Paddy Pimblett, is a better fighter than UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria. Pimblett faced off with Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) immediately after "El Matador" knocked out Charles Oliveira (35-11 MMA, 23-11 UFC) to claim the lightweight title in Saturday's UFC 317 headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Rimmer, head coach at Next Generation MMA in Liverpool, warns everyone not to underestimate Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) against Topuria. "A bloody mess, that's what he's going to do (to Topuria)," Rimmer told Submission Radio of Pimblett. "He's going to make his face a bloody mess. That's what I know is going to happen." Pimblett is coming off an impressive finish of Michael Chandler at UFC 314. Rimmer says watching Oliveira face Chandler twice gave them a good gauge of what to expect, and they were able to gather even more info watching him against Topuria. "The best thing for us is watching him fight more against lightweights," Rimmer said. "Charles is a great one for us because he shows you kind of what not to do in a lot of fights. With the Chandler fight, we watched Charles fight Chandler, and then we used a load of stuff that Charles didn't do in that fight that he should have done, and we used that to make up the victory in the last one. So, we just watched Charles fight Ilia now and there's a lot of stuff you can see in the fight that you shouldn't do against Ilia. "So, like I say, we learn constantly. ...Everyone thinks Ilia is this like unbeatable bogeyman in the division and that you should fear him and all that sort of stuff. But, Paddy's also on a long win streak and I can tell you this right now, if you had to go and find a sparring partner that matches exactly what Paddy is and exactly what Ilia is, I'd be able to find a better Ilia than I can a Paddy. I can tell you that right now."
