Getty Images Paddy Pimblett celebrates with Molly Mccann after defeating Kazula Vargas.
Rapidly rising UFC star Paddy Pimblett has no plans to fight Ilia Topuria despite being called out by the undefeated fighter on Saturday at UFC Fight Night in London.
Pimblett clinched his second victory in the UFC with a submission of Kazula Vargas in the first round. He had previously knocked out Luigi Vendramini in his UFC debut back in September of 2021 but this time had a raucous home crowd backing him at O2 Arena in London.
Considering the star power Pimblett proved at the event, his next test in the octagon will be highly anticipated. The “Baddy” doesn’t want to give Topuria that stage.
“Everyone wants to fight me,” Pimblett told reporters at the post-fight news conference. “Everyone wants to hang on my coattails. No one knew who Ilia Topuria – or ‘hand sanitizer boy’ – was until he tried to start an altercation with me. No one knew who he was. I’m the draw. Everyone wants to fight me.”
Topuria is gaining some momentum of his own, coming back to defeat Jai Herbert via a searching second-round knockout in London. Pimblett respects that but doesn’t see Topuria as a fighter on the same level.
“I’ll give him his due – it was a good knockout,” Pimblett said. “It was a very good knockout, especially after taking that head kick in the face. But if I hit him with that head kick like that, I’d finish him. As I said, he’s just ‘hand-sanitizer boy’ to me. A lion doesn’t concern themselves with the opinion of sheep.”
Pimblett, Topuria Got Into Altercation During Fight Week
Topuria went after Pimblett during fighter check-ins at a hotel over some previous offensive comments he made about the Russo-Georgian War, saying Georgians were “stupid” and deserved to be “terrorized” by Russians.
Pimblett later apologized for the comments but Topuria clearly did not accept that.
“This is what happens when you disrespect me and my country! You saw me and wanted to greet me because you s–t your pants… and you should thank my team because of it wasn’t for them separating me, I would have taken your head off,” wrote Topuria, who published the video.
I warned you! This is what happens when you disrespect me and my country! You saw me and wanted to greet me because you shit your pants… and you should thank my team because of it wasn’t for them separating me, I would have taken your head off. @theufcbaddy 🖕
Pimblett Rips Mr. Hand Sanitizer’ After Fight
Pimblett didn’t throw a punch during the scuffle, instead throwing a hand sanitizer bottle at Topuria — hence his nickname for his rival.
“I can’t let something like that happen,” Pimblett added. “I can’t start throwing punches and get cut off the card or break my hand hitting someone. Especially someone so meaningless. Who even is he? Seriously, who is ‘Mr. Hand Sanitizer?’ He’s a no one. He used my name for followers and to gain some publicity and he put a video up and made himself look like a right tool.”
After his knockout of Herbert, a slightly-winded Topuria made sure to call out Pimblett.
“He’s a b—h Paddy Pimblett, win or lose, I want to fight you next and kick your ass like I did the last time,” Topuria shouted. “F–k you. I want that blonde b—-h That Paddy b—-h.”