Ilia Topria in Spain and Georgia has doubled. He wants the paddy pinblet next. Ilia Topuria made history at UFC 317, held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on June 29, 2025. Topuria completed the Oliveira in just 2 minutes and 27 seconds of the first round, connecting with a devastating left hook that left an unconscious Oliveira on the sharp right hand and canvas. The victory made Topuria the two division champions who previously held the featherweight belt, leaving him unbeaten with a 17-0 professional record.
Ilia Topuria wants Paddy Pimblett
Shortly after his victory, Ilia Topria called out Paddy Pinblett, who was present in the audience. Pinblet entered the octagon, leading to a fierce showdown that rekindled the long-spread rivalry between the two fighters. Topuria pushed Pimblett away during the conflict, with both men exchanging words heavily in the excitement of a sold-out crowd of 19,800 fans.
Speaking to the UFC in a recent interview, “Elmatador” explained his callout for Paddy Pinblett, Ilia Topria said:
“In Paddy, it gets much better. I like to fight people who really want to fight. I already have a nickname for him. He’s acne! In the paddy field, I punch him in the face. I do whatever I want to do.
The hostility between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett dates back several years ago, and their feud came from comments made by Pinblett about Russo-Jeorgian War at a UFC event in London that deeply pissed Topuria, the descent of Georgia. The two nearly suffered a blow at the hotel during the fight, and then their rivalry has been supported by social media and interview interactions.
Paddy Pinblett, a former Cage Warriors champion who joined the UFC in 2021, ranked 8th in Lightweight and became one of the most popular fighters in the promotion due to his charisma and fighting style. Meanwhile, Topuria has solidified her reputation as one of the sport’s elite with a string of knockout victories beating former champions Alexander Volkanovski, Max Holloway and the current Charles Oliveira.
UFC 317 was one of 2025’s most anticipated events, featuring two championship matches, setting up a new record for attendance and live gates, featuring 19,800 fans and ticket sales of over $11 million. Oliveira’s knockout of Toplia was a decisive moment, as Oliveira had never finished that way before.
Despite a clear desire to fight each other from both Topuria and Pimblett, UFC CEO Dana White expressed his dissatisfaction with the postwar showdown, saying “anyone who put him there is a bad call,” saying Topria’s family was in the octagon at the time. White has left the matchup uncertain for now as Pimblett did not confirm as Topuria’s next opponent.
However, both fighters have revealed that they want to fight, and the rivalry is widely seen as one of the most persuasive in the sport, and Pinblet liken it to the historic feud between Khabib Nurmagomedov and Conor McGregor.