UFC 317 headliner Ilia Topuria isn’t willing to fight Paddy Pimblett right away with a win this weekend.
Former UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria could be on a collision course with one of his longtime rivals if he wins the vacant lightweight belt this weekend at UFC 317.
Topuria and former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira headline a stacked card this Saturday in Las Vegas at UFC 317. Topuria and Oliveira will fight for the vacant lightweight title, vacated by Islam Makhachev last month as the UFC’s pound-for-pound king plans a move to welterweight.
In the meantime, Topuria and longtime foe Paddy Pimblett might be the fight to make if Topuria gets the job done this weekend. But surprisingly, Topuria isn’t in any rush to make the Pimblett fight come to fruition.
Ilia Topuria matchmakes for Paddy Pimblett and persuades him against one fight ‘he’ll lose’
Pimblett entered the title shot conversation when he finished Michael Chandler at UFC 315 earlier this year. While Topuria wasn’t impressed by Pimblett’s performance, he was ecstatic at the possibility of a fight in the Octagon making sense for both sides.
Topuria and Pimblett have been on each other’s nerves for years, stemming from a fighter hotel altercation in 2022 in London. Pimblett recently teased potentially ruining UFC 317 by knocking out Topuria if the two sides crossed paths.
While Topuria isn’t in any rush to grant Pimblett a title shot if he wins the belt this weekend, he suggested a star opponent for the UK star to beat in order to make a stronger case.
During his UFC 317 media day press conference, Topuria was asked how Pimblett can earn a lightweight title shot and a potential future clash between the two longtime rivals.
“If he wants to assure his title shot, he has to fight with Justin Gaethje. Because if he fights with Arman, I think Arman is going to beat him,” Topuria said.
“So the easiest path for him to get the title shot is Justin, stylistically.”
Arman Tsarukyan will serve as the UFC 317 backup fighter this week for the Topuria vs. Oliveira main event. Tsarukyan was supposed to face Makhachev earlier this year at UFC 311 before withdrawing on hours’ notice due to a back injury.
Pimblett remains unbeaten in his UFC tenure with wins against the likes of Jared Gordon, Bobby Green, and Tony Ferguson. Meanwhile, Justin Gaethje teased potentially retiring if he doesn’t get the next lightweight title shot.
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Ilia Topuria could lure Islam Makhachev back to lightweight after UFC 317
While Topuria vs. Makhachev is on the shelf, it’s not entirely off the table just yet, as Makhachev prepares for his welterweight title shot. Makhachev is expected to face Jack Della Maddalena later this year as he vies for two-weight world champion status.
But Makhachev isn’t firmly against returning to lightweight, for the right price and opponent. Topuria’s pay-per-view marketability could be the motivation Makhachev needs to move back down to 155 lbs.
In the meantime, Topuria has the chance to kick off a new era in the UFC’s lightweight division at UFC 317. Don’t be surprised if Makhachev is Topuria’s callout target with a win this weekend.
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