The animosity between Ultimate Fighting Championship standouts Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria remains as potent as ever, with the British fan-favorite revealing unique plans for their eventual meeting should they cross paths inside the Octagon under the promotional banner. Pimblett, holding a professional record of 24 wins and 4 losses, has made it clear that he intends to exploit every psychological advantage possible if a matchup against Topuria (17-1) materializes. Among those tactics is a very specific piece of memorabilia from their volatile history—a small plastic bottle of hand sanitizer.
The bad blood between the two fighters stems from a physically charged altercation that took place at a London hotel back in 2022. During that encounter, tensions boiled over to the point where Pimblett hurled a bottle of hand sanitizer directly at Topuria before hotel security stepped in to separate the fighters and prevent the situation from escalating further into a full-scale physical brawl. Years later, that moment continues to linger as a prominent chapter in the unfolding narrative of their bitter rivalry. According to Pimblett, the very same bottle that narrowly missed or struck his rival during the London incident was successfully retrieved, officially signed by the Liverpool native, and now proudly sits on display as a trophy inside his home training facility.
Pimblett wants to bring the bottle to a press conference if the two are matched up.
The idea of weaponizing psychological warfare outside of actual combat is nothing new in the sport of mixed martial arts, but Pimblett’s approach involving the souvenir adds a distinctly personal and theatrical layer to a potential booking. Speaking openly about his lingering disdain for the Georgian-Spanish contender during an appearance with Jeremy Piven, Pimblett did not mince words regarding his feelings toward Topuria or how their careers have intersected over the years.
“I hope [Ilia is next], I hate him,” Pimblett told Jeremy Piven when asked about his ideal next steps in the division. Elaborating on his grievances, Pimblett asserted that the external drama surrounding their personal feud actually accelerated Topuria’s ascent through the promotional rankings. “He got a push because of the stuff with me. He got pushed fast through the rankings because of it. No one knew who he was.”
Despite any perceived advantages Topuria may have gained from the viral nature of their confrontation, Pimblett maintains that the physical evidence of their clash remains firmly in his possession. He outlined a vivid picture of what fans could expect if the Ultimate Fighting Championship eventually books the high-profile grudge match, highlighting a planned piece of promotional theater for the pre-fight media events.
“I’ve always got that exact bottle of hand sanitizer that I threw at his head… I’ve signed it and now it’s just sat in the gym,” Pimblett explained. “So, if I do ever fight him and have a press conference with him, that will be coming with me. And I’ll just sit it on the desk. It’ll be quite funny.”
Paddy Pimblett says he kept the hand sanitizer bottle he threw at Ilia Topuria during their London hotel confrontation
The roots of this enduring feud trace back well before their physical confrontation in the United Kingdom. The rivalry initially sparked during an online social media dispute between Pimblett and Guram Kutateladze, a fellow Georgian fighter and close friend of Topuria. The digital back-and-forth quickly crossed lines when Topuria took serious issue with controversial comments that "The Baddy" had previously made concerning the nation of Georgia and the historical context of the Russo-Georgian war. What began as a keyboard war of words rapidly deteriorated into real-world hostility, culminating in the hotel lobby incident that permanently cemented the mutual animosity between the two lightweight contenders.
Both fighters have continued to navigate their respective careers through the upper echelons of the Ultimate Fighting Championship lightweight landscape, experiencing both triumphs and setbacks along the way. Pimblett’s path through the division has featured significant tests against elite competition, including a hard-fought interim lightweight title bout earlier this year against Justin Gaethje. Although that championship opportunity did not go his way, Pimblett quickly rebounded in impressive fashion by securing a dominant, lightning-fast 52-second submission victory over Benoît Saint-Denis, proving that he remains a dangerous and viable threat among the promotion’s elite athletes.
Meanwhile, Topuria’s trajectory has also been defined by high-stakes encounters within the division. The landscape of the lightweight weight class shifted notably at UFC Freedom 250, an event that featured a monumental clash between top-tier contenders. Justin Gaethje managed to hand Topuria the first professional defeat of his mixed martial arts career in a bout that carried major implications, ultimately capturing the undisputed lightweight championship in the process.
As both athletes continue to position themselves for future championship opportunities and high-profile bouts within the Ultimate Fighting Championship roster, the possibility of a finalized matchup between Pimblett and Topuria remains a compelling prospect for fight fans and matchmakers alike. Should the promotion officially move forward with the pairing, the promotional buildup promises to deliver an intense spectacle, fueled not only by their contrasting fighting styles and divisional rankings, but by a signed piece of hotel contraband resting squarely on the press conference desk between them.
