It’s no secret that Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria have been at odds since their UFC careers began, despite never sharing the cage. In fact, the Baddy has gone as far as to say that he wants to inflict pain on the latter’s life just out of hatred. However, as Topuria has taken a brief hiatus from fighting amidst a rough patch in his personal life, Pimblett seems to have put their differences aside for once.

“Obviously, me and Ilia might not like each other a lot, but I wish him nothing but the best with all his family s—,” Pimblett shared his feelings with Full Send MMA ahead of his fight for the interim lightweight belt against Justin Gaethje in UFC 324. “It’s nothing to do with fighting, but when I win this belt, I’m the champ for now. I don’t care if it says interim on it. I’m the champ. He’s out of the cage. I’m the f—— champ.”

There’s been a chatter of Ilia Topuria’s rumored divorce from his wife, Giorgina Uzcategui Badell. Owing to the tough stretch, the lightweight champion has put his crown on hold, focusing on resolving the issues. So, while the Liverpool fighter has dialed down on his hate for El Matador, he is also treating the interim belt to be nothing less than the actual lightweight crown.

But that does not mean the Liverpudlian has let their beef slide. In fact, he’s taking a verbal jab at his latest opponent.

“Yeah, that’s it, because that’s the belt that’s in front of me. I’m not gonna do a Justin and throw it on the floor and say I’m waiting for the real one. This is the real one. Ilia is out of the cage. This is the real belt, and I’m coming to take it home with me,” Pimblett said. Those words were a dig at Gaethje, who threw his interim belt on the ground after his victory over Tony Ferguson back at UFC 249.

The interim UFC lightweight title will be up for grabs in January as UFC debuts on Paramount. It will set up the winner for a shot against the 155-pound kingpin Ilia Topuria.

By the looks of it, Pimblett hasn’t let the LW belt or its champion off the hook. However, he’s still making room for compassion. On a similar note, Topuria’s difficult stretch has attracted support from his peers.

Max Holloway went through a messy divorce a few years ago. Another rival-turned-fan, Sean O’Malley, also jumped in with his support for the lightweight champion. But not everyone’s turning to their sympathizing side.

For one, the Highlight has already warned that he wants to play spoiler for Topuria vs. Pimblett. After he wins over the Englishman, he wishes to fight Topuria on the UFC White House card.

But the drama inside the lightweight division isn’t one to end so soon, despite the Liverpudlian’s considerate message to El Matador.

Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria trade barbs

The bad blood between the lightweight stars needs no introduction. With snippets of the two going for each other’s heads in online banters, they have become the forefront of drama in the lightweight division. The rift that started with a controversial comment by Pimblett has since evolved into more violent altercations.

At UFC Qatar weigh-ins, the two were split seconds apart from recreating the hotel conflict at UFC Fight Night 204 in London. El Matador entered the building alongside his brother, Aleksandre Topuria, while Pimblett was gearing up to corner his debuting teammate, Luke Riley. That’s when the Georgian called out Pimblett.

Starting with mere greetings, the encounter was bound to end with verbal jabs exchanged between them. Topuria called Pimblett “p—-“. The Liverpudlian didn’t back down either, countering with, “Come on, chorizo, calm down,” insulting Topuria with expletives. Fortunately, the exchange didn’t escalate into a physical confrontation, with the UFC officials keeping the situation under control.

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However, this brings into the picture the years-long rivalry between the two, which has refused to cool down. “If they give me the chance to be with him alone in a room, I’m going to k— this m———–,” Topuria directly threatened Pimblett.

The Liverpudlian countered, “I’d like that fight to go 4 minutes and 50 seconds into the fifth round, and I’ve landed 907 elbows, and I’ve disfigured his face. I don’t want a quick knockout. I want to put him through pain.” Will Pimblett and Topuria take the beef to the Octagon in 2026?