Paddy Pimblett: Title Shot Could Be Imminent if Ilia Topuria Wins at UFC 317

Paddy Pimblett talks a potential lightweight title fight against Ilia Topuria 👀

"If Ilia wins and says he wants to fight me, the UFC will make that fight because they know it's a money fight...

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I know I'd beat him... I know how to beat him. No one goes for his weaknesses,… pic.twitter.com/uQlFanZ2Cn

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) June 15, 2025

Paddy Pimblett believes a matchup with Ilia Topuria will be a big draw. 

The beef between the two started with Pimblett’s controversial comments about Topuria’s home country of Georgia. The two met at a UFC London card in March 2022, and Pimblett threw a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria at the fighter hotel. They have since gone back and forth on multiple occasions, although the feud seems lighthearted.

Pimblett was eager to welcome Topuria to the lightweight division when the former featherweight champ moved up. However, Topuria will fight for the vacant lightweight title against Charles Oliveira in the main event at UFC 317 on June 28. Pimblett believes he might be in the immediate title mix, provided Topuria wins and calls him out. “The Baddy” is confident that the UFC will be interested in the matchup as it's a “money fight.”

Pimblett also claims to have already formed a game plan to beat “El Matador.”

“If Ilia wins and says he wants to fight me, the UFC will make that fight because they know it's a money fight,” Pimblett said on Tom Aspinall’s YouTube channel. “I know I'd beat him.

“We’ve already drawn up a game plan to beat him up. I know how to beat him. No one goes for his weaknesses when he fights them. Everyone just tries to have a boxing match with him. I’m not gonna come out to a boxing match with him. I’m gonna beat him with me all-round MMA game. I know I would piece him up and I reckon I would probably hurt him. And just show to everyone even more of what I am able to do.”

Topuria won the featherweight title against Alexander Volkanovski and defended it against Max Holloway, both via knockout, before moving up. Meanwhile Pimblett is undefeated in seven UFC outings with five finishes and is fresh off a stoppage win over Michael Chandler.