Paddy Pimblett picks hole in Ilia Topuria’s move to UFC lightweight division

Pimblett and Topuria, who clashed at a fighter hotel in 2022, continue to trade barbs

Paddy Pimblett has said Ilia Topuria has not “cemented his legacy” at featherweight, despite the former champion’s claim amid a planned move to lightweight.

Last week, it was announced that Topuria would vacate the UFC’s 145lb title and move to 155lb, with the expectation that the Spanish-Georgian will challenge Islam Makhachev for his belt next.

UFC president Dana White shared the news, saying Topuria felt he had achieved all he could at featherweight – and that he no longer wished to cut that much weight. Topuria won 145lb gold by knocking out long-reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski last February, before doing the same against former title holder Max Holloway in October.

However, Liverpudlian Pimblett believes Topuria had more to achieve at featherweight.

“He’s a midget, lad, he’s not a lightweight,” Pimblett, 30, told Round Eight Boxing. “He shouldn’t be fighting at lightweight. He should’ve stuck at featherweight, and it’s gonna be the downfall of his career. I think he thinks he’s better than he is.

“[It’s a] big mistake. I think he knew that in a rematch with Volk[anovski], fighting Volk when he hasn’t been knocked out 12 weeks earlier with a naughty head kick... I think he knew Volk would give him a very tough test.”

Ilia Topuria knocking out Alexander Volkanovski to win the featherweight title (Getty Images)

Pimblett’s reference to Volkanovski losing by “head kick” related to the latter’s second defeat by Makhachev. In 2023, Volkanovski moved up to challenge the lightweight champion – without vacating the 145lb strap – and lost twice: on points then by KO. Four months after that second defeat, he fought and lost to Topuria.

“Saying he cemented his legacy at the weight, it’s a load of bulls***,” Pimblett said of Topuria, 28. “Beat Volk again, beat [Diego] Lopes, beat [Movsar] Evloev, then you’ve cleared the division out. Then move up. Champions are too quick to want to move up now and not defend the belt. You should have to defend your belt about three times if you want to move up.”

Despite Pimblett’s jibes at Topuria’s size, the unbeaten “El Matador” has fought at lightweight before, knocking out Pimblett’s compatriot Jai Herbert at UFC London in 2022. Days prior, “Paddy The Baddy” threw a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria at the fighter hotel, as the latter confronted him over anti-Georgian tweets.

Paddy Pimblett submitted King Green last time out, in July (Getty Images)

Islam Makhachev, who holds two wins over Volkanovski, could be next for Topuria (USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con)

“That’s a fight I want, I want that fight,” Pimblett told Round Eight Boxing. “That’s another one, just to prove everyone wrong.”

It was expected that Topuria’s next fight would be a rematch with Volkanovski, but “Alexander The Great” will now face Lopes for the vacant belt. That bout will headline UFC 314 in April, while Pimblett fights Michael Chandler in the co-main event.

Pimblett is unbeaten in the UFC at 6-0, having submitted King Green in Manchester last time out, at UFC 304 in July.