Paddy Pimblett wants Ilia Topuria to vacate the lightweight championship, as Pimblett does not want to be stuck in a similar situation as his compatriot Tom Aspinall, who previously waited for more than a year to fight Jon Jones.
Topuria is currently on hiatus due to personal reasons and is expected to enter the octagon after the first quarter of 2026. However, recent reports and rumors suggest that Topuria’s return might be delayed because of legal complications and proceedings related to his divorce. Since the UFC lightweight champion is not injured nor sick, there have been debates in the MMA community about stripping ‘El Matador.