Ilia Topuria vs Pimblett has changed from a personal feud to a professional rivalry.
The UFC lightweight champion famously came to blows with Paddy Pimblett in a hotel three years ago.
Since then, Ilia Topuria and ‘The Baddy’ have continued their beef in press conferences, on social media, and through interviews.
However, something has changed as the long-time rivals finally gear up to fight for real in 2026.
- LATEST NEWS: Paddy Pimblett thinks he may not even have to beat Ilia Topuria to become undisputed UFC champion
Ilia Topuria squashes Paddy Pimblett beef
Ilia Topuria recently announced he’s taking a break from MMA to deal with some family issues.
As a result, Paddy Pimblett was booked to face Justin Gaethje for an interim lightweight title at UFC 324 on January 24.
The British fan favorite opted against kicking Topuria while he was down, and instead wished him well as he deals with his personal problems in private.
Pimblett’s kind words seem to have been enough to transform his rivalry with the Spanish UFC superstar.
“I always said he looked like someone who’s a super entertaining guy who did a superb job,” Topuria told ESPN Deportes.
“He had his slips with a tweet that he made about Georgia. But I think we all learn from our mistakes.
“Deep down, I notice that he is a person who understands family problems, personal problems, and respects it.”
“What will happen in the octagon is something that really excites everyone.
“At the end of the day, we are professionals, and we’ll have a professional match.”
Does Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett need to rethink his nickname?
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Ilia Topuria eyes boxing career
In a different interview, Ilia Topuria revealed his plan to change career not ‘too long from now’.
‘El Matador’ has always harbored ambitions of pursuing a boxing career, and he still expects to do that once his time in the octagon is done. And having achieved so much in MMA at the age of just 28, he may be making the change in short order.
“It’s no secret that I always wanted to go and test my skills in boxing, but I think something I’ve always applied to my life is that he who wants to hunt two rabbits in the end does not hunt either,” Topuria told Marca.
What more does Ilia Topuria have to do to enter the UFC GOAT debate? 🐐
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“So I want to first finish my story in MMA and once I finish to make my complete transition to boxing because I can not be preparing for an MMA fight, then go, prepare for a boxing match, return… I think it would not be very professional, right? Because boxing needs a completely different approach.
“It’s a very, very, very different training to which I have to adapt. Obviously, they are different times, and come on, it’s not an octagon, it’s a ring, and I would have to adapt to it, which takes time, like everything in life.
“So now, at this moment, in mixed martial arts, when I’m done, I don’t think I’m going to be too long if I’m honest in this sport… I’ll make my transition to boxing, and I’m going to surprise more than one”.
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