Ilia Topuria performs another Paddy Pimblett U-turn ahead of UFC 317 after seemingly squashing beef with Brit
ILIA TOPURIA has seemingly performed yet another U-turn on Paddy Pimblett.
The
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Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett almost came to blows at the UFC London fighter hotel in March 2023
Credit: INSTAGRAM@ILIATOPURIA
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But the pair appeared to squash their beef at the most recent UFC London weigh-ins
Credit: X@CHISANGA_MALATA
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Topuria has since revealed he hates Pimblett and wants to knock his block off
Credit: GETTY
A public war of words has played out over the last three years, although the duo seemingly put their differences aside with a brief embrace at the most recent UFC London weigh-ins.
But Topuria, who fights for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317
next
weekend, insists he still has immense disdain for 'The Baddy'.
The 28-year-old said of Pimblett in an interview with
"I'll tell you, I remember we shared a press conference once, and he said something like, 'I'm fighting in the main card, and you're on the prelims,' some kind of nonsense.
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"And now I'm thinking, I have two belts. Where are you?
"Who the f**k is
Former featherweight king Topuria has already earmarked Pimblett,
He said: "Honestly, if I could choose a fight, I would fight him because I hate him. He's a pain in the ass.
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Surging Brit contender Paddy Pimblett has welcomed a showdown with Ilia Topuria
Credit: REX
"I'd love to give that fight to the fans, because for a long time, I believe that in the UFC, you haven't seen a real fight.
"Two people who really want to fight each other, and what better way than to fight in front of everyone and put on a show?
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Ilia Topuria Trains For UFC 317 Clash With Charles Oliveira
"I know what's going to happen, and it won't be good for him."
Topuria has the small matter of beating former 155lbs titleholder and fan favourite
But 'El Matador' believes he'll make light work of the Brazilian, saying: "Charles is a great fighter.
"I'd say he's a legendary fighter, one of the few still active in the UFC.
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"But the truth is that his style fits perfectly with mine to put him to
sleep
in the first round.
"Because he has no mobility, he doesn't move."
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Ilia Topuria faces Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title at UFC 317 on June 29
Credit: UFC
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The Irish Sun
an hour ago
- The Irish Sun
Man Utd target Victor Osimhen suffered tragic loss of mum and sold sachets of water on streets before breakthrough
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Watching him play today you can feel that hunger, a drive forged in the hustle of one of the world's toughest cities. For years his WhatsApp profile photo carried the words: 'Focus, hustle, and believe.' It's a mindset he still lives by. Even as global interest in him soars, Osimhen remains grounded in the values that shaped him into a world-class striker. Most read in Football His first coach, Chinedu Ogbenna, told SunSport in an exclusive interview from his base in Nigeria about how it all started for the striker Ogbenna said: 'I lived in the same compound where Victor was born. 'His father was a friend. I literally witnessed his first days on earth. 8 Osimhen with his sister while on holiday in Nigeria Credit: INSTAGRAM 'The house was a shared compound filled with kids. Even as a toddler, Victor would cry uncontrollably if the ball was taken from him. 'He could barely kick but he just needed the ball near him. That's where his love for football began. 'Life was hard, he lost his mother before he turned one. That's the kind of start he had, it tells you everything you need to know about his journey.' Breakout moment in Chile Osimhen first grabbed international attention when he won the Golden Boot at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile in 2015. Nigeria had only narrowly qualified after finishing fourth in the African Championship. Team media officer Morakinyo Abodunrin told SunSport how he witnessed first hand the growth of the man who will now become one of the best in the world. Sports DESK EP17_9_16 _AP_V3 He said: 'He wasn't the finished product when he joined, but something shifted in Chile. 'He asked the team manager for Nike boots and promised to score goals in them. I didn't even think we had any but he insisted. 'True to his word he dominated the tournament in those boots, scoring 10 goals and helping us lift the trophy.' His pace, power, and clinical finishing stood out but it was his mental toughness that truly separated him. 8 Osimhen goes back home to inspire the next generation when on holidays Credit: INSTAGRAM Losing his mother early and watching his father struggle without work gave him a resilience beyond his years. Osimhen opened up to He said: 'I lost my mom in October, I do not even remember the year. "I was small. Three months later, my father lost his job. It was very hard for our family. 'My brother sold sports newspapers, my sister, oranges in the street and me, bottled water in Lagos in the middle of the traffic. "We have to survive so we stick together. 'In the evening, we were all together and we gathered the money on the table. "We gave everything to our big sister and she made food and organized everything. 'Part of my life has been a struggle to survive. But that's all I am today in the end. It's hard to classify all that but each event has created my personality.' The tough beginnings have given him the resourcefulness to survive through the harder times in his career. Former He said: 'You know how we Africans are with our mothers and he didn't have his so I think he channeled that void. 'To be honest when he first came to us for trial I didn't see much in him in the first set of games he played. 'But one of my assistants said, 'Coach, that boy in green could have something.' So I gave him another shot in the second game. 'That's when it clicked, tall, strong in the air, quick feet, and raw hunger. You could tell he could go far. 'Normally when someone is that tall you don't expect them to be that good with their feet but he had it all.' 8 It was at Lille that the world started to take note of the Nigerian Credit: AP:Associated Press German setback Following his U-17 triumph, Osimhen signed for Germany . But he played just 14 games without scoring, overshadowed by experienced forwards like Mario Gomez and Divock Origi . He was loaned to Belgian side Charleroi, where he found his form, scoring 20 goals in one season. Speaking to The Nationonline, he said:'I wasn't shaken by the criticism at Wolfsburg. I believed in myself. 'Moving to Belgium proved that difficult times can be blessings in disguise. "Many Nigerians had come to Belgium before me and succeeded. I'm proud to be among them.' A star at Lille Charleroi exercised their option to buy him for just £3million, but that same summer, Lille swooped in, using funds from He made an immediate impact, scoring twice on his debut and later finding the net against Then-Chelsea manager Frank Lampard was full of praise after watching him closely for the first time: 'He's a striker with everything, fast, strong, and technically sound. 'I'd watched clips before the game, but seeing him live was different. He's impressive and his story is inspiring.' 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Sunday World
3 hours ago
- Sunday World
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He also pleaded guilty to possession of €1,200 in cash and an Audemars Piguet Royal Oak gentleman's watch, the proceeds of crime, at the Intercontinental Hotel, Ballsbridge, Dublin, on January 31, 2019.
Irish Daily Mirror
4 hours ago
- Irish Daily Mirror
Jess Redden says she feels 'more anxious' on second pregnancy after miscarriage
The wife of rugby player Rob Kearney has told of her anxiety of being pregnant a second time as she opens up about miscarriage. Jess Redden announced earlier this week that she is expecting her second child with the retired rugby player. The couple are parents to toddler son, Bobby. But the pharmacist admitted she feels "more anxious" during this pregnancy than her last after suffering an early miscarriage. Redden, who welcomed firstborn Bobby in August 2023, opened up about her loss during an Instagram Q&A with her followers. "This pregnancy has been so different mentally," she began. "I'm definitely more anxious, even though I was so anxious with [Bobby], this time it's even worse, maybe because you know how precious they are or having experienced early loss before this one, but having Bobby is a blessing because it keeps my mind busy." The pharmacist said she suffered "awful nausea" in her first trimester, which she didn't experience with her first pregnancy. She also shared that she is suffering from an Overactive Bladder, despite having pelvic floor treatments last year. "But my gosh are they worth every weird and wonderful change that happens to our bodies," she said. Redden also said that the couple will not be finding out their babies' sex. "I found out for Bobby and managed to keep it from Rob for months, because he wanted a surprise, until I saw a dad and his baby son in matching swim shorts and burst into tears. So, this time we aren't finding out because I don't trust myself not to let it slip again!" Jess is currently 20 weeks' pregnant, with the couple expecting the arrival of their bundle of joy around Halloween. Earlier this week, Jess captioned a photo, which showed her holding their firstborn Bobby above her growing bump. "One more reason to believe in magic, a little more love is on the way," she wrote. Rob told Ireland AM earlier this week that he is "very excited" to become a father again. "It's great, we are very excited. Little Bobby is going to be a big brother. He doesn't know too much of it yet, his world is going to be turned upside down for a few weeks but he will be fine."
