Ilia Topuria ramped up his feud with Paddy Pimblett by blasting the Brit’s last performance as ’embarrassing’ and ‘like a beginner’.
Topuria and Pimblett who were involved in a spat at the fighter hotel in London in 2022 – a confrontation in which the ‘Baddy’ threw a bottle of hand sanitiser at him – have regularly traded jibes.
And ahead of his featherweight title shot on February 17, Topuria again mentioned Pimblett, slamming his performance in beating Tony Ferguson by decision at UFC 296.
Topuria told the MMA Hour: ‘I take every fight as a professional. I look to all my opponents as a professional, but with him, it’s personal.
‘If I see him in the supermarket, I smash him right there… Professional? He’s not even ranked. Did you watch his last fight [at UFC 296 against Tony Ferguson]?
Alexander Volkanovski (left) and Ilia Topuria (right) headline the UFC 297 card
Topuria blasted Paddy Pimblett (right) for his display against Tony Ferguson at UFC 296
‘It was embarrassing. His last fight was embarrassing… The level he showed in that fight, that’s embarrassing. He looked like a beginner.’
Pimblett remains undefeated in the UFC but is the division above Topuria.
That’s not to say the pair won’t meet in the future but for the time being, they have other business to attend to.
There’s no doubt in Topuria’s mind that he will come out on top against Volkanovski, who has ruled the roost at 145-pounds and defended his crown five times.
The Georgian-born Spaniard predicted: ‘It’s going to be a first-round knockout. You will see.
‘He’s saying a lot of bulls***, ‘There’s levels, I have this and I have that, dah, dah, dah.’ You’re right, there are levels. There are levels, then there is me.
‘I’m going to show you where the levels are. I’m going to dominate him everywhere. I’m going to make him look like a punching bag. You will see. I will be dancing Feb. 17.
‘The way I’m going to beat him, they aren’t even going to ask me about a rematch.’
Conor McGregor, pictured in Saudi with Cristiano Ronaldo, is the man Topuria wants to fight if he manages to find a way past Volkanovski this month
The powerful featherweight remains undefeated so far and has finished 12 of 14 opponents
Topuria then threw his hat in the ring to fight former featherweight and lightweight champion McGregor.
He added: ‘Conor McGregor, that’s the fight I’m looking for. He has a great fight with Mike Chandler. If he doesn’t get his ass whooped, he will be a pleasure to share the octagon with me.
‘Maybe in UFC Spain. We’re both from Europe, and he will be able to go back home and tell his wife, ‘Baby, take out the red panties. Topuria kept us rich.’
McGregor’s big comeback is yet to be announced, despite him claiming it would be in July at middleweight against Chandler.
There is still a possibility he could be dramatically revealed as the headliner for UFC 300 and all eyes are on Dana White, who has pledged to name the showpiece fight for the historic April event soon.