"He's German" - Paddy Pimblett goes ballistic on "fake" Ilia Topuria while questioning UFC champ's nationality

Paddy Pimblett tore into Ilia Topuria’s identity ahead of a potential clash in early 2026. The bad blood between them stretches back to a heated confrontation in 2022, and Pimblett’s recent remarks make it clear the feud has only grown sharper.

Topuria, who recently captured the 155-pound title after a dominant win over Charles Oliveira, has been linked to a headlining fight against Pimblett on the UFC’s debut card on Paramount+. The Liverpool native believes that matchup should have happened long ago and continues to accuse Topuria of being a manufactured star.

Speaking in an interview with Marca, he said:

“I said when he moved up to lightweight, I should be the one to welcome him. I should have been his first fight at lightweight. But it never happened, and he got gifted a title shot.”

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He added:

“If we’re being honest, Topuria’s not Spanish. Let’s just get that out there straight away. He’s German. He fakes to be Georgian and Spanish to get more fans when he was born in Germany. He is a German... He just jumped on the coattails to get more fans and more followers. He’s fake. He’s so fake, like half his followers. It’s been proven, half his followers on Instagram are bought. He’s the fakest person ever. He’s just a [Conor] McGregor copycat and I’m getting sick of him.” [H/: MMA Fighting]

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Dustin Poirier weighs in Paddy Pimblett’s potential title shot against Ilia Topuria

Dustin Poirier believes Paddy Pimblett’s rise should not be fast-tracked to a title fight with Ilia Topuria. The former UFC interim lightweight champion feels Pimblett still needs a defining win before earning a title shot.

Poirier prefers a Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje matchup, calling it the most deserving and dangerous option. He sees Pimblett’s recent victories as exciting but untested at the elite level. Speaking in a recent episode of The Bohnfire podcast, he said:

"I don't think a win over Michael Chandler, on the skid Chandler is on and the way his fights have been going, deserves a title shot right away. I know he's exciting and people are talking about him, but I would like to see him fight one more top-five guy. One more tough, tough test. And then we can talk title fights for him. I think it's a little bit rushed for Paddy, if we're talking about him and Ilia."

Check out Dustin Poirier's comments below (25:50):

Edited by Abhishek Nambiar