Michael Bisping isn’t sure Ilia Topuria wants grudge match with Paddy Pimblett anymore: “Paddy would be absolutely gigantic”

Michael Bisping isn’t so sure that Ilia Topuria would want a fight with Paddy Pimblett at this point.

There is no shortage of animosity between Topuria and Pimblett. The two have been trading barbs throughout the years and even had an encounter in the lobby of a fighter hotel back in 2022. While many fans have been eager to see the rivalry play out inside the Octagon, Bisping feels the dynamic has changed a bit.

Topuria recently lost the UFC Lightweight Championship to Justin Gaethje after failing to get off his stool for the final round of the UFC Freedom 250 main event. Meanwhile, Pimblett bounced back following his own loss to Gaethje by submitting Benoit Saint Denis in under a minute.

Bisping feels that Topuria would facing a much larger version of “The Baddy” than he would’ve anticipated when the two first got into their war of words. In a new video uploaded on his YouTube channel, the UFC Hall of Famer wondered if it’s a fight “El Matador” would even desire at this stage (h/t MMAJunkie).

“They squared up in the UFC’s Octagon,” Bisping said. “Paddy looked absolutely gigantic, and after just doing what he did to Benoit Saint Denis, I don’t know if Ilia would want that fight. However, you can’t forget about Ilia Topuria and everything that he achieved just because he lost to Justin Gaethje. If anything, he’s going to come back a better version of himself, and him vs. Paddy would be absolutely gigantic.”

Many believe that Topuria vs. Pimblett would be one of the biggest fights the UFC brass could book, but some wonder if Topuria would be thrown into the bout right away given how brutal his defeat to Gaethje was. Most feel that the former two-division champion would have at least one more bout before settling his feud with Pimblett.

Should Ilia Topuria’s next fight be against Paddy Pimblett, or would you give him someone else to ease back into things? Let us know your opinion in the comments below.