White open to Topuria-Pimblett TUF showdown

UFC president leaves door open for heated coaching matchup

UFC President Dana White has said he would also be open to a matchup between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett, but as coaches on TUF.

The UFC has just wrapped up the 34th season of TUF, in which former fighters Daniel Cormier and Michael Bisping served as coaches. In the past, the UFC has mostly relied on former fighters as coaches, but has also used active fighters. If they were to do so again, Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett would be good options who would definitely create some excitement.

In a conversation with reporters after UFC 332, White explained that he is open to having the two face off against each other as coaches. However, he did not want to fully confirm it yet, as the UFC always has to take several factors into account in such situations.

“I mean, I love the idea of that, but a lot of things determine how things play out, not just for The Ultimate Fighter, but certain fights and title fights and all these sorts of things. So I don’t know. We’ll see how the timing plays out, but that would definitely be a good one”

he said.

One thing is for sure: fans want this matchup, since there’s a real rivalry between the two. They were actually supposed to face off back in January of this year, but Ilia Topuria was unable to compete due to personal reasons. Instead, Ilia Topuria fought Justin Gaethje a little later and lost his first professional fight. Justin Gaethje hasn’t fought since then and is still unsure whether he wants to continue fighting or end his career. If he continues, Arman Tsarukyan is most likely the next title contender, which would leave Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria free to fight each other. It would be a very exciting and lucrative matchup, as many fans have been waiting for this fight for a long time. What do you think?