Paddy Pimblett isn’t holding back when it comes to Ilia Topuria’s decision to relinquish his featherweight title and transition to lightweight. The outspoken UFC fighter recently slammed the undefeated Spaniard, calling his shift to 155 pounds “stupid” and even accused him of avoiding stronger opponents. But why? Well, Pimblett believes Topuria should have stayed in his division and defended his championship rather than diving right into the lightweight title fight. If that wasn’t enough, he dived deeper into this brutal reality check for ‘El Matador.’

In a tense interview, his frustration was obvious as he mocked Topuria’s size and questioned if he deserved a shot at Islam Makhachev. “I was thinking, ‘Wow, you’re stupid.’ Why have you moved up to this division? Like, he’s tiny. He’s like 5’5″, 5’6″. I don’t understand why, like, he has the audacity to call me fat when he’s saying he can’t make 145 anymore when he’s a midget. Like, it just doesn’t make sense.” ‘ The Baddy’ further stated that Ilia Topuria avoided featherweight fighters such as Alexander Volkanovski, Movsar Evloev, and Diego Lopes.

“I think he ran from 145 to be honest,” Pimblett added, noting that a well-rested Volkanovski would have been a much tougher challenge. The Spanish-Georgian’s move, according to the 30-year-old, was motivated by the desire to avoid dangerous competitors rather than the pursuit of excellence. He also denied the idea of ‘El Matador’ obtaining an instant title and an opportunity at lightweight, suggesting that he first face someone in the top three before challenging for Makhachev’s belt.

‘The Baddy’ is skeptical of Ilia Topuria‘s star power, claiming that he lacks Conor McGregor’s ability to easily move weight classes and demand title fights. On the other hand, ‘El Matador’ has time and again brushed aside Pimblett’s comments, referring to him as “fat” and out of shape while he wasn’t in camp. The two’s verbal spat has fueled talk of a possible matchup. It remains to be seen whether Topuria can prove his worth as a lightweight, but Pimblett has made it clear that he is not impressed with his opponent’s recent move. In fact, he even claimed that the Spanish-Georgian was simply trying to imitate Conor McGregor.

‘The Baddy’ wasn’t shy in mocking the featherweight champion’s attempts to imitate McGregor’s career moves. “I think it’s the Conor McGregor effect,” Pimblett said. “Everyone wants to be Conor McGregor. Ilia Topuria’s the worst for it. He copied his chest tattoo and his back tattoo and all that; he just wants to be Conor McGregor.” However, the 30-year-old claimed that ‘El Matador’ lacks the personality to pull it off. “You can’t be Conor McGregor when you’ve got the charisma of a tin of beans, so it’s one of them.”

All the commotion aside, does this rivalry open the door for the perfect lightweight entry for Ilia Topuria?

Is Paddy Pimblett vs. Ilia Topuria the fight to make?

Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria have had a longstanding feud, dating back to their infamous hotel incident in 2022, when Pimblett threw a bottle of hand sanitizer at ‘El Matador.’ While they have yet to fight in the octagon, their paths may meet as Topuria prepares for his lightweight debut. With Pimblett’s profile rising in the division, a future bout between the two seems imminent.

Well, it looks like Paddy Pimblett is more invested in his feud against Topuria than his future opponent, Michael Chandler, as the two square off at UFC 314. With a win over Chandler, Pimblett will be in the top 10 of the lightweight division. That makes a fight against Topuria all the more sensible.

The UFC will get to cash in on their bad blood, and Topuria gets a ranked lightweight contender. Even if Topuria debuts in another high-profile fight, Pimblett can chase him down sooner or later in the division, if he wins at UFC 314.

So, what do you think? Do you believe Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria may square off soon? Let us know in the comments.