Paddy Pimblett wants to settle his rivalry with Ilia Topuria once and for all.
The pair of formidable fighters have been engaged in a bitter feud for years, with fans desperate to see what would transpire if they ever set foot in the cage together.
Both men have established themselves as huge stars in their respective divisions, with the Spanish-Georgian conquering featherweight, while the Liverpudlian has just picked up a huge victory over King Green to enter the lightweight rankings.
And with the 145-pound title-holder keen to move up a weight class and test himself, a match-up with his nemesis could be right around the corner.
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Paddy Pimblett says he’s way bigger than Ilia Topuria
Ilia Topuria has looked nothing short of sensational in recent times, with ‘El Matador’ rendering both Max Holloway and Alexander Volkanovski unconscious in brutal fashion.
However, he hasn’t faced Paddy Pimblett yet, with the Scouser still full of belief that he could be the man to defeat the icon.
While Poirier insists there’s only one MMA star from featherweight to welterweight that could stop Topuria from becoming a three-weight world champion, and it’s not Pimblett, the grappler is still adamant he’d love to face his adversary inside the octagon.
In an interview with eldoberdanMMA, he insisted: “People don’t understand how much bigger I am than Ilia. I’d love to do a staredown with him, just so everyone can see how much bigger I actually am than him.
“Don’t get me wrong, he’s very good. Just because I don’t like him doesn’t mean I’m going to sit here and lie.
“I think he got fast-tracked to the belt because Alexander Volkanovski had cleared the featherweight division out already.
“If he wants to come to lightweight, I’m here waiting. I don’t think anybody in the division has more of a claim to welcome him than I have.
“I’d love to have a fair fight with him and kick him around the gaff.”
Ilia Topuria’s next challange set to be decided as two top contenders are booked to clash in April
While Pimblett would revel in the opportunity to face one of the pound-for-pound best, at least for now, it appears unlikely,
The rumor mill suggests the legend could go straight into title contention at lightweight, with a clash with Islam Makhachev whetting the appetite of the MMA community.
However, with two stars at 145 pounds reportedly agreeing to go head-to-head in an exciting fight, Topuria could have to defend his belt before he targets his next championship.