Paddy Pimblett reacts to Ilia Topuria’s kind words: ‘I still hate him but I’d never talk about family’

Exclusive: Pimblett will fight for the interim UFC lightweight belt in January, as his rival – regular champion Ilia Topuria – takes a break for personal reasons

Paddy Pimblett has responded to Ilia Topuria’s show of respect by saying “I still hate him”, but while stressing that he would “never talk about someone’s family”.

Pimblett will fight Justin Gaethje for the interim UFC lightweight title on 24 January, as regular champion Topuria takes a short break from mixed martial arts due to a “difficult moment” in his “personal life”. A win for Pimblett in the main event of UFC 324 would potentially set up a grudge match with Topuria, but the severity of that grudge was called into question by the latter this week.

In 2022, Topuria confronted the Liverpudlian at the fighter hotel before UFC London, taking issue with allegedly anti-Georgian tweets posted by “Paddy The Baddy”; Topuria is of Spanish and Georgian heritage. In defence, Pimblett threw a bottle of hand sanitiser at Topuria.

Fans have therefore long wanted to see a fight between the pair, and while they may soon get their wish, Topuria has played down his ill will towards Pimblett.

Topuria, who said the wellbeing of his children is at the heart of his ongoing personal matter, told ESPN Deportes this week: “Every time someone has asked me about Paddy, I’ve always said he looked like a super-entertaining guy who did a superb job.

“[He’s] a person who had a slip there. He was wrong with a tweet he made about Georgia, but I think we always learn from our mistakes. Life is full of experiences, he has learned. But I think deep down, I notice that he’s a person who understands family problems, personal problems, respects it. 

Paddy Pimblett (right) facing off with Ilia Topuria in June (Getty Images)

“And then what happens in the Octagon, I think [that’s] something that really excites everyone, that everyone wants to see, because one thing has nothing to do with the other; my problems and my personal life [are not] my professional life, and in the end, we are professionals. We are going to have a professional match.”

Pimblett reacted to those words on Wednesday, telling The Independent with a smile: “I still hate him, and I know he still hates me. We still dislike each other, we still want to batter each other, but that’s in the cage. Family is different.

“I’d never, ever talk about someone’s family, and I know he wouldn’t talk about mine. He’s just not that way inclined. We’re not pieces of s*** like [UFC welterweight] Colby Covington. It’s nothing to do with our families once we get in there.

“He can say anything he wants about me, anything personal. I can say anything personal about him. He can call me a blonde b***h all he wants, and I can call him a little midget sausage. That’s not bringing families into it, is it? So, it’s all good.”

Topuria knocked out Charles Oliveira in June to win the vacant lightweight title (Getty Images)

Pimblett, 30, will enter UFC 324 on the back of a stoppage of Michael Chandler in April. Meanwhile, Gaethje’s last fight was a decision win over Rafael Fiziev in March.

Topuria last fought in June, knocking out Charles Oliveira to win the vacant lightweight belt, four months after giving up the featherweight title. The 28-year-old remains unbeaten as a professional, while Pimblett is undefeated in the UFC.