Ilia Topuria chooses his next UFC title challenger and reiterates his desire to face Islam Makhachev.

Ilia Topuria poses with two UFC belts after her victory against Charles Oliveira . Photo: Reproduction/Instagram.

PUBLICITY:

Ilia Topuria remains focused on the chance to move up a weight class and face Islam Makhachev in pursuit of a third UFC belt, but if he stays in the lightweight division (up to 70,3 kg), he already has a name lined up for his first title defense in that division.

In an interview with Álvaro Colmenero, Ilia Topuria revealed that Paddy Pimblett is his immediate choice, especially if he doesn't receive authorization to challenge Islam Makhachev in the welterweight division (up to 77kg), a fight he considers his main career goal.

See too

Promising welterweight fighter sets his sights on a fight against Carlos Prates before a title bout.

Johnny Walker accuses Michel Pereira of being 'lazy' and points out flaws in his preparation for UFC fights.

Former UFC champion promises to destroy Anderson Silva in a Netflix boxing match: 'I'm going to hurt him'

“I have Paddy on my mind. I would like to fight Paddy if they don’t let me move up to welterweight and fight Islam, because the fight I would really like is against Islam in the third weight class,” said Ilia Topuria.

Paddy Pimblett accuses Ilia Topuria of avoiding UFC fight

Ilia Topuria face-off with Paddy Pimblett at UFC 317. Photo: Reproduction/UFC

PUBLICITY:

Although Ilia Topuria states his desire to face Paddy Pimblett , the Briton believes that the lightweight champion is actually avoiding facing him in the octagon.

After the Spaniard knocked out Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 and won the division's belt, Pimblett entered the cage and immediately challenged him for the title. The fight, however, has not yet been officially confirmed, a scenario that, according to The Baddy, reveals his rival's reluctance to accept him as his next challenger.

In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Pimblett accused Topuria of delaying the signing of the contract and mocked his stance as champion, suggesting that if he were truly a weak opponent, the Spaniard should have already accepted the fight.

Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett rivalry in the UFC

The rivalry between the two is not recent. The hostile atmosphere began in 2021, when Pimblett made provocative comments about the Georgian on social media, including sensitive remarks about Georgia and references to the 2008 Russian invasion. The following year, the friction escalated into physical confrontations.

During an event in London, the Briton even threw a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria in a hotel. Since then, encounters at UFC events and press conferences have been marked by constant tension and exchanges of provocations.

Exclusive: Michael PQD talks about his brutal UFC debut victory.