Getty Paddy Pimblett of England.
Paddy Pimblett had some words for Ilia Topuria after the two got into a highly-publicized dust-up in advance of UFC London.
Pimblett was not eager to come to blows with Topuria and the “Baddy” explained why during UFC London media day.
“As soon as he came out of them double doors, he just snarled at me,” Pimblett told reporters Wednesday. “So I looked at him and said, ‘What?’ And then he walked towards me and I said, ‘What’s happening, lad?’ Then as he got close to me, he swiped a slap at me. I wasn’t punching him because I’m not breaking my hand and not being able to fight and make my money this weekend. So I stepped back and picked up the hand sanitizer and bounced it off his head.”
This weekend is a massive opportunity for Pimblett. It’s his second UFC fight and he’ll be on the main card fighting in front of a home crowd against Mexican fighter Rodrigo Vargas.
“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.”
Pimblett and Topuria Have History Prior to Scuffle
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. He later apologized for the comments but Topuria clearly did not accept that.
If this guys thinks that this is somehow funny or appropriate then I don’t know what to say. My grandparents just like a lot of other innocent people were killed during the war. I feel ashamed that this kind of people represent our sport. @ufc
“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. @theufcbaddy,” wrote Topuria, who published the video.
Pimblett has ruthlessly trolled Topuria following the exchange on social media.
“Imagine trying to jump someone on their own with 5 of your boys & you don’t land a single shot & get a bottle of hand sanitizer bounced off your head you little (clown) don’t try to act big like you did something when you (s–t) your pants pretending ur boys was holding u back p—y,” Pimblett tweeted.
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 🖕
For a scuffle involving two UFC fighters, the outcome was tame. The largest blow delivered was from Pimblett, who tossed a hand sanitizer bottle at Topuria’s head.
“If he [Topuria] wanted to do something he would’ve come around the table and tried to do something but he knew full well he doesn’t have the balls to do anything… Obviously, he pretended like he was getting pulled away [by his team],” Pimblett told Barstool Sports.
Weird to see some people claiming Paddy @theufcbaddy was “hiding behind a table” during the altercation yesterday when that’s just where he was standing as Hand Sanitizer approached….
Pimblett Drawing Comparisons to Conor McGregor
Pimblett is a unique character and his UFC rise has been highly anticipated. His first fight — a knockout of Luigi Vendramini — was in September of 2021 and inside the UFC Apex with limited attendance.
If Pimblett is dominant in his scrap against Vargas, UFC legend Daniel Cormier expects it to be a moment similar to when Conor McGregor took out Diego Brandao in Ireland.
“If Pimblett goes and does something special on Saturday, it’ll be the same type of situation,” Cormier said on ESPN. “Like I said the only thing missing from his debut, was that massive explosion from the fans after he did what he did. If he can do that this weekend, he will get that, and then the highlight will play over and over again.”
UFC president Dana White has been a little less bullish on that comparison.
“Listen, they are two totally different people,” White told Sky Sports. “Paddy, though is very much like Conor. You know right into the UFC and people were interested in him. He has a lot of fans.”