Did UFC just reveal plans for Paddy Pimblett vs Ilia Topuria next at UFC 317?
Let’s not sugarcoat it: UFC 317 ended with a KO, a title win, and a cage invasion that could’ve doubled as a trailer for UFC 318. Ilia Topuria just flatlined Charles Oliveira to become the new lightweight champ—but all anyone’s talking about is what happened after.
So… did UFC just quietly set up Paddy Pimblett vs Ilia Topuria next? Let’s get into it.
From KO to Chaos in Under 60 Seconds
Ilia Topuria walked into UFC 317 with gold in his sights and walked out with the belt slung over his shoulder. It took just 2 minutes and 27 seconds to put Charles Oliveira out cold—cementing Topuria as a legit two-division threat.
But before the adrenaline had even cooled, Paddy Pimblett crashed the party. As Topuria gave his post-fight interview, Paddy marched into the cage like he owned the place—no invite, no handshake, just pure smoke. He got right in Topuria’s face, called him out, and things went sideways instantly. Topuria didn’t hesitate—he shoved Pimblett hard, security swarmed, and the two were almost trading hands again before cameras cut. This wasn’t your typical callout. This was an eruption.
Rewind to the Hand Sanitizer Incident
To understand why this moment mattered, you’ve gotta rewind to 2022. This beef runs deep. That year, Pimblett made controversial remarks online about the Georgia–Russia conflict—Topuria’s heritage territory. Topuria confronted him at a fighter hotel during UFC London week. Things escalated fast: Topuria threw a punch, Pimblett responded by hurling a bottle of hand sanitizer, and they’ve been at each other’s throats ever since.
SHOP: The Kickboxer Collection
The online jabs haven’t stopped. Neither has the tension. What we saw at UFC 317? That was years of bad blood boiling over—on the UFC’s biggest stage.
Is This Fight Actually Happening?
Here’s the truth: the UFC hasn’t officially announced it. Dana White wasn’t exactly thrilled about the chaos. He’s calling the cage face-off “unprofessional” and “unsafe.” But let’s be real—if there’s one thing the UFC does love, it’s controversy that prints money. And this fight has all the ingredients:
- Two rising stars with major fanbases
- A backstory soaked in real conflict
- A clear title narrative (Pimblett’s ranked, Topuria’s champ)
- And a post-fight confrontation that broke the internet
Topuria’s already on record saying he wants it. Pimblett’s demanding it. Fans? Fully locked in.
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