It didn't take long for UFC star Paddy Pimblett to notice Ilia Topuria's planned move to the lightweight division after just one featherweight title defense.
Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria despise each other, following a physical altercation at a fight hotel ahead of UFC London 2022. Just months later, Pimblett and Topuria almost came to blows again during the UFC 282 pre-fight press conference, before security personnel separated the two fighters.
The bad blood between Pimblett and Topuria has heated up, but fight talk has stalled amid Topuria's rise to featherweight superstardom. Pimblett, who competed at featherweight early in his career, moved up the lightweight rankings after a quick finish of King Green at UFC 304.
Originally, it seemed like Topuria and Pimblett would probably never fight due to their weight difference. But things opened up again after Topuria announced a permanent move up a weight class and a possible vacation from the featherweight belt.
Paddy Pimblett appeared to welcome Ilia Topuria's lightweight move
Just hours after Topuria announced a move to lightweight during a recent interview with a Spanish broadcaster, Pimblett appeared to reference Topuria's comments in a recent Instagram post.
“New blood at 155?” Pimblett posted Tuesday.
Pimblett does not have an opponent for his next appearance in the Octagon at the time of writing. He has been linked with a rumored clash with Benoit Saint-Denis, although nothing has been announced about the British star's return.
Topuria wants to face former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira for his planned lightweight debut next year. But those plans could change if the UFC brass forces him to fight Alexander Volkanovski or another top featherweight before leaving the division.
Topuria knocked out BMF titleholder and former UFC featherweight champion Max Holloway at UFC 308. He earned the title by defeating Volkanovski at UFC 298 earlier this year and remains undefeated in his promotional run.
Ilia Topuria's planned lightweight move reopens fight talks with Paddy Pimblett
The UFC brass has not responded to Topuria's lightweight tease as they are in the middle of active negotiations between Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall for a heavyweight booking. But it has been historically proven that Dana White and the matchmakers don't let champions change weight classes after one title defense.
If Topuria moves up, a clash with UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev could be on the cards. Topuria and Makhachev have been trading barbs online for months, and Makhachev will face Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 311 in January.
Photos by Louis Grasse/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Topuria's potential addition to the lightweight division is a major talking point leading up to UFC 311. If the UFC allows him to vacate the featherweight title and move up to lightweight, he could potentially win the winner of Makhachev vs. to meet Tsarukyan.
Pimblett remains undefeated in his UFC tenure and recently touted how he would beat Topuria inside the Octagon. Shortly after submitting Green, Pimblett claimed he would similarly defeat Topuria if the two sides were booked to fight.
As Pimblett approaches the lightweight Top 10, a new rival could be in his sights as Topuria enters the division. The bad blood between Pimblett and Topuria could potentially be settled inside the Octagon in 2025.
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