After months of uncertainty surrounding the UFC lightweight title picture, Ilia Topuria emerged last week with what seemed to be concrete plans to return to the Octagon. The UFC lightweight champion announced he would make his comeback between April and June, setting his sights on the winner of this weekend’s interim lightweight title fight between Justin Gaethje and Paddy Pimblett at UFC 324 in Las Vegas.
Ilia Topuria said he’s fighting the winner of Paddy Pimblett vs Justin Gaethje in April-June 👀 pic.twitter.com/p4EoXUfdyX
— Comfortable Punch (@HappyPunch) January 16, 2026
But Paddy Pimblett is not having it.
In a blunt response that completely encapsulates his larger-than-life personality, the Liverpool sensation made it abundantly clear that Topuria’s proposed timeline doesn’t align together with his own ambitions. “I’m not fighting in April, he can eat s***,” Pimblett fired back, signaling that the Scouser has no intention of rushing right into a title unification bout on Topuria’s schedule.
🚨After Ilia Topuria teased a possible April return to the Octagon, Paddy Pimblett says that the UFC lightweight champ could have to attend for any possible unification bout should the Scouser win at #UFC324 this weekend:
“I’m not fighting in April, he can eat s***.”@tmzsports pic.twitter.com/5cFM1VWiE8
— Fighters Only (@FightersOnly) January 20, 2026
The comment carries considerable weight given what’s at stake this weekend. Pimblett enters UFC 324 as an ideal 7-0 contained in the Octagon since his 2021 debut, riding momentum from consecutive stoppage victories over King Green and Michael Chandler. He’s brash, supremely confident, and believes he has Gaethje’s number. “I see me ending him,” Pimblett predicted, even going to this point as to visualise knocking out the veteran brawler.
‼️Paddy Pimblett says if he gets on top of Justin Gaethje the fight isn’t going to last very long
“I can see holes in his game. If I find yourself on the bottom with him, I dont think it is going to last very long.”
via @ufc pic.twitter.com/miHsO5zlI0
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) January 18, 2026
Should Pimblett emerge victorious on January twenty fourth, he’ll hold the interim lightweight championship—leverage that apparently includes dictating when (and if) a title unification match with Topuria actually happens. The implication is evident: if Pimblett wins, Topuria could have to attend, and that wait could extend well beyond the June window the champion has proposed.
This tension highlights a broader issue with Topuria’s prolonged absence. The champion has been sidelined since his devastating first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira at UFC 317 last July to handle personal matters, including a custody battle and allegations he’s disputed. While comprehensible, the prolonged break has created a vacuum the UFC rushed to fill with the interim title fight.
For Pimblett, there is a philosophical argument at play. If he defeats Gaethje, he’ll have earned the appropriate to dictate terms—or a minimum of have a voice in them. The final thing “The Baddy” wants is to capture interim gold only to be shelved waiting for a champion who’s been absent for nearly a 12 months. From his perspective, Topuria needs to be hungry to fight, not negotiating timelines.
Whether Pimblett’s defiance holds weight likely relies on the result this weekend. Win, and he has real leverage. Lose, and Gaethje becomes the timeline negotiator as a substitute. Either way, Topuria’s April-June window just became loads more complicated. Welcome to 2026 within the UFC lightweight division—where even the champion’s plans are subject to disruption.