"I'll become undisputed champion" - Paddy Pimblett believes Ilia Topuria might have to vacate his belt

Paddy Pimblett believes he could become the undisputed lightweight champion next year, given Ilia Topuria's personal troubles, which are set to sideline him at least until the second quarter of 2026.

Pimblett is set to take on Justin Gaethje at UFC 324 in January for the interim lightweight championship. 'The Baddy' naturally believes he will get the win over 'The Highlight' and claim the strap.

While the Scouser can't wait to get his hands on Topuria, the situation is a bit complicated. Even if he wins the title in January, it won't be until May that the undisputed champion potentially returns.

According to rumors swirling around in the MMA community, the Georgian-born Spaniard might be going through a divorce. Furthermore, in a recent post on X, Topuria confirmed that he will not be fighting in the first quarter of 2026 due to personal issues.

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In a recent interview with ESPN Deportes, Pimblett claimed that Topuria might have to vacate his belt if his MMA hiatus extends beyond half a year:

"He's got a lot going on in his personal life. I wish him nothing but the best. That has got nothing to do with me and him fighting. That's his family, and I hope everything goes well. I hope that goes perfectly for him. All I care about is getting him in that octagon and fighting him... But you never know, if he doesn't come back by June,[or] July, then he might have to vacate his belt, and I'll become undisputed champion without even fighting."

Check out Paddy Pimblett's comments on Ilia Topuria below:

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When Paddy Pimblett got brutally honest about Ilia Topuria's skills

While Paddy Pimblett maintains a long-running rivalry with Ilia Topuria and can't seem to wait to get his hands on him, he has no delusions about the lightweight champion's MMA prowess.

During an appearance on the Full Send Podcast in April, Pimblett stated that while he "hates" Topuria, he'd never question his fighting skills. Getting brutally honest about what angers him the most about 'El Matador', Pimblett said:

"We always knew he was a good fighter. That's something that pisses me off about him. Even though I hate him and I think that he is a bell end, I wouldn't lie and say he is a s**t fighter because he is not, but that's what he says about me." [0:33 mark of the interview]

Edited by Ujwal Jain