In case there was any doubt, there’s still no love lost between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett. The reigning UFC lightweight champion wasted little time piling on after Saturday night’s UFC 324 main event, mocking his longtime rival just hours after Justin Gaethje battered Pimblett in a thrilling five-round war to claim the interim lightweight championship.
As Pimblett’s title dreams crumbled inside T-Mobile Arena, Topuria took to social media to remind the Englishman exactly what he missed out on — a massive unification bout and, in Topuria’s words, the biggest payday of his career.
“Little sausage, the only thing you had to do was beat a 38-year-old guy,” Topuria wrote.
“You just lost the biggest paycheck of your life. You were going to get rich if you won.
Justin, all I can say is congratulations… and I’d like to tell you to get ready, but you’re screwed no matter what.”
A Title Fight That Slipped Away
Pimblett entered UFC 324 with momentum, star power, and the chance to fast-track himself into one of the biggest fights of 2026. Instead, Gaethje’s relentless pressure and trademark violence halted that rise and effectively erased a potential unification clash with Topuria at least for now.
Topuria, currently ranked No. 2 pound-for-pound by Uncrowned, has been sidelined in recent months due to personal matters. The champion has publicly stated he is dealing with what he describes as false allegations of domestic abuse, amid a contentious divorce and an ongoing custody battle involving his young daughter.
Despite the turmoil, Topuria has made it clear that he plans to return between April and June and had openly targeted the winner of Gaethje vs. Pimblett as his next opponent.
White Confirms the Plan
Following UFC 324, Dana White confirmed that the UFC’s intention is to move forward with a lightweight title unification bout between Topuria and Gaethje. Gaethje has already thrown fuel on the fire by calling for the fight to take place in June at the UFC’s much-discussed White House event, scheduled as part of the United States’ 250th anniversary celebrations.
If finalized, the matchup would pit Topuria’s precision and finishing instincts against Gaethje’s chaos and durability one of the most compelling lightweight clashes the division can offer.
Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
