UFC president Dana White said that he is open to booking Paddy Pimblett opposite Ilia Topuria as coaches on The Ultimate Fighter (TUF).
The UFC just completed season 34 of its reality television show, with retired fighters Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping as coaches.
The UFC has recently opted for retired fighters, but it has used active fighters as coaches in the past; if it does again, Pimblett vs. Topuria would be a big season for the show.
Dana White Open to Paddy Pimblett vs. Ilia Topuria TUF Season
Speaking to reporters following UFC 332, White admitted he is open to booking Pimblett and Topuria as TUF coaches, but he wouldn’t commit to it, as there are various factors the UFC would have to consider before booking it.
“I mean, I love the idea of that, but a lot of things determine how things play out, not just for The Ultimate Fighter, but certain fights and title fights and all these sorts of things. So I don’t know. We’ll see how the timing plays out, but that would definitely be a good one,” White said.
“That would definitely be a good one.” 👀
via @ufc
Fans Want to See This Fight
One thing is for sure, and that’s that the fans want to see Pimblett and Topuria fight, as it is a true grudge match.
Remember, these two were supposed to scrap at UFC 324 in January of this year, but Topuria was unable to take the fight at that time because he was dealing with personal issues.
Instead, Pimblett fought Justin Gaethje and lost at UFC 324 in a failed bid to become the interim UFC lightweight champion, which Gaethje won, and which earned him the opportunity to fight Topuria in a lightweight title unification at UFC Freedom 250 in June.
In what was one of the biggest upsets in UFC history, Gaethje defeated Topuria via fourth-round TKO to unify the lightweight belts. Gaethje has not fought since then, as he remains undecided about returning or retiring, though if he does fight again, Arman Tsarukyan will likely be his next foe, which would leave both Pimblett and Topuria available to fight each other next.
Dana White Interested in Paddy Pimblett vs. Ilia Topuria on TUF