Topuria Opens the Door to Coaching The Ultimate Fighter Against Pimblett

Ilia Topuria has spent the months since his first defeat thinking about what comes next. Now, for the first time, he has said out loud that one of the most combustible ideas in the UFC appeals to him: coaching a season of The Ultimate Fighter against Paddy Pimblett.

Speaking to ABC, the former two-division champion addressed the rumours that have followed him since he lost his title to Justin Gaethje. His return is already set for April 2027, with a grudge match against Pimblett the expected destination. But the question of whether the two rivals might first spend six weeks coaching against each other on reality television was still open — until now.

"I've heard some rumors, but I haven't had any conversations with the UFC," Topuria said. "I don't know what their interests are. When we resume talks with them, we'll see if we're on the same page. There are still good times ahead, but what matters most to me is getting back to training, feeling healthy and well, and then we'll be ready for whatever comes up."

It is careful language from a man who has not signed anything. But it is also the first time Topuria has shown any interest in the coaching role at all — and in fight promotion, that is often how these things begin.

The UFC, for its part, is clearly keen. At the UFC 332 post-fight press conference, reporters asked Dana White about the potential season between Topuria and Pimblett, and the UFC chief said he "loves" the idea, even if he could not commit while it was still too early to decide. Pimblett, meanwhile, has never hidden his enthusiasm. "I think me and Ilia Topuria would be a brilliant season of 'The Ultimate Fighter'... because I'd get under his skin so much that when we come into the fight, I'd beat him just as fast as McGregor beat Aldo," he told MMA Pro Picks. "The Ultimate Fighter would be a very entertaining six weeks, to say the least, if it was me and him."

This rivalry has been simmering for years. It started with an altercation at the UFC London fighter hotel in 2022, and Pimblett has been talking about a coaching showdown since 2023. Back then, though, the idea went nowhere: Topuria was competing at featherweight and Pimblett at lightweight. Now the stars have aligned. Topuria has moved up, the weight classes match, and both men have every reason to want the fight.

Topuria, never short of confidence even in defeat, also used the interview to dismiss Pimblett's grappling threat entirely. "If you listen to him, he'll say he beats me at everything but I beat him at anything I want," Topuria said. "After a loss, it's hard to talk about these things, but Paddy on the ground just grappling doesn't win a single point against me. He doesn't take me down. He doesn't pass my guard. He doesn't do anything. I don't see him as being any better than me on the ground. He's a pushover, and he's got a sausage body... He thinks his size gives him an advantage, but he can't do anything."

That is a bold claim against a man widely regarded as one of the most dangerous grapplers in the UFC, who recently submitted Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 329. Whether the two men settle it after six weeks of coaching or simply meet in the Octagon next spring, the bad blood is real — and Topuria has just made it clear he is ready to play his part.