After initiating a scuffle with Paddy Pimblett in a hotel prior to UFC Fight Night 204, Ilia Topuria is now looking to settle their differences in the Octagon, but it doesn’t seem like ‘The Baddy’ is as enthusiastic about the match-up.
“With Paddy, I don’t give a f—k about any weight class,” Topuria said after his big KO win against Jai Herbert in London. “Even if he wanna come and don’t make the weight, I’m gonna fight him. I don’t care about the weight with Paddy.”
However, the undefeated Topuiria, who has bad blood with Pimblett due to remarks the UK fighter made in the past about his native country Georgia, believes that the outspoken rising star will be too scared to accept his challenge.
“Maybe if Dana stay with him, like, with a gun, maybe yes (the fight could happen),” Topuria said. “And they force him to go inside the cage with me, maybe.
“Otherwise, I don’t think so. I don’t think he has the balls to fight me.”
Pimblett has since responded to Topuria’s call-out, and it seems his rival was right to be sceptical about the chances of the fight actually happening.
“Everyone wants to fight me,” Pimblett stated. “Everyone wants to hang on my coattails. No one knew who hand sanitizer boy was until he tried to start an altercation with me. No one knew who he was. I’m the draw. Everyone wants to fight me.”
“Give him his due, it was a good knockout,” Pimblett said of Topuria’s finish earlier on the main card. “It was a very good knockout, especially after taking that head kick in the first round. But if I hit him with that head kick, I would finish him.
“But as I say, he’s just hand sanitizer boy to me. A lion doesn’t concern himself with the opinions of sheep.”
