Paddy Pimblett has a new pitch for his rivalry with Ilia Topuria, and it does not involve stepping into the cage right away. The Liverpool lightweight wants The Ultimate Fighter first, with him and Topuria running opposing teams for six weeks of reality television before any fight is signed.

Pimblett laid out the appeal plainly, saying "The Ultimate Fighter would be a very entertaining six weeks to say the least if it was me and him." He is not shy about why he thinks it would work in his favor either, suggesting he would get under Topuria's skin so much over the course of the show.

The timing is notable given where both men sit in the lightweight picture. Topuria is ranked number one at 155 pounds, but he is coming off a loss to Justin Gaethje by knockout in the fourth round, their last fight landing back on June 14, 2026. Pimblett, ranked fifth, is riding momentum in the other direction, having finished Benoit Saint Denis with a D'Arce choke just 52 seconds into the first round on July 11, 2026.

On pure numbers the gap between them is still real. Our Elo model has Topuria at 1599 to Pimblett's 1564, both figures built from six tracked bouts apiece, so this remains a live mismatch on paper even with Topuria off a loss.

A coaching season would buy time for Topuria to get back in the win column before any actual matchup with Pimblett, while giving Pimblett six weeks of close-quarters access to a rival he clearly believes he can rattle. Nothing is booked yet, on the show or otherwise, but Pimblett has made his preferred route to Topuria very clear.