UFC CEO Dana White has officially poured cold water on one of the hottest rumors in MMA — a potential grudge match between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett.
Despite growing speculation online and fan buzz suggesting that the fight could headline an early 2026 card — possibly tied to the UFC’s new broadcast deal with Paramount — White made it clear that no fight has been booked yet.
Speaking with TNT Fight Sports, White dismissed the rumors directly:
“We’re always exploring lots of different things,” he said. “Obviously it’s a fun fight, people would like to see that. But I don’t know. As of right now, no, we haven’t made that fight. We’re trying to figure out what’s next for Topuria.”
Topuria (16-0) became the UFC lightweight champion this past June with a spectacular knockout win over Charles Oliveira at UFC 317, cementing himself as one of the sport’s most dangerous and charismatic stars. The undefeated Spanish-Georgian fighter was confronted in the octagon post-fight by Paddy Pimblett, who currently sits at No. 6 in the lightweight rankings, and fans immediately began calling for the rivalry to finally be settled inside the cage.
While the matchup would almost certainly be a box office success — pairing two of the most polarizing young names in the UFC — White seems intent on letting things develop naturally. Pimblett’s unbeaten UFC run (7-0) is impressive, but the Liverpudlian still trails several top contenders such as Arman Tsarukyan, Dustin Poirier, and Justin Gaethje in the rankings.
Still, few fighters have generated as much hype as Pimblett, and his long-running feud with Topuria could make the fight an easy sell. The two first clashed verbally years ago during a fiery altercation at a UFC hotel, and the tension has only grown since.
White also addressed rumors about another British rising star, Lerone Murphy, who has been linked to a potential featherweight title fight with Alexander Volkanovski. However, he made it clear that no final decisions have been made there either.
“You want me to make, like, 10 fights right here while we’re doing this interview?” White joked. “Everything’s possible, but no — we haven’t made any of these fights yet.”
One thing that does appear to be on the horizon, however, is a UFC event in Spain — something Topuria has been calling for since his title win.
“Absolutely,” White said when asked about the idea. “That’s a no-brainer.”
If that happens, fans could finally see “El Matador” headline in Madrid’s Santiago Bernabéu Stadium, fulfilling his dream of bringing the UFC to Spain for the first time ever.
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