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UFC lightweight star Paddy Pimblett clarified his stance towards Ilia Topuria after their recent classy back-and-forths.
Paddy Pimblett will fight for the interim lightweight title next month against Justin Gaethje at UFC 324, with the winner set for a likely showdown against undisputed champ Ilia Topuria. Topuria is dealing with issues outside of fighting and is taking an indefinite hiatus from competition.
Almost four years ago, Pimblett and Topuria’s feud kicked off when they got into a physical altercation at a UFC fighter hotel in London. Since then, they’ve traded barbs in person and online, including in a heated faceoff in the cage following UFC 317.
But Topuria recently attempted to squash his long-standing beef with Pimblett, calling him an ‘extremely entertaining’ fighter and forgiving his past transgressions. Pimblett, on the other hand, isn’t willing to let things go.
Paddy Pimblett: Ilia Topuria and I ‘still hate each other’ despite recent support
In a recent interview with The Independent, Pimblett revealed where things stand between him and Topuria after their recent back-and-forths.
“I still hate him, and I know he still hates me,” Pimblett said of Topuria. “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–t like 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,” Pimblett concluded. “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.” (h/t MMA Mania)
If Pimblett is victorious at UFC 324, a matchup with Topuria is likely next. But as of this writing, it’s uncertain when Topuria will return to the Octagon to defend his lightweight championship.
