Ilia Topuria handed his comeback to the internet on Friday, and the internet isn’t picking Paddy Pimblett.
The former UFC lightweight champion posted a two-option poll on Instagram asking fans whether he should fight Justin Gaethje or Pimblett next. According to Bloody Elbow, more than 300,000 people voted within the first seven hours, and just under 60% of them chose a Gaethje rematch. The account Championship Rounds flagged the poll on X.
That leaves Pimblett on the wrong end of a roughly 60-40 split. His feud with Topuria has been simmering since a hotel altercation in London more than four years ago, and he’s still losing a popularity contest to a guy who already said no.
That’s the catch. Gaethje, the man who took Topuria’s belt, has already dismissed a rematch. Topuria put him on the ballot anyway.
How we got here
Topuria walked into UFC Freedom 250 on the White House lawn this past summer as the lightweight champion with an unbeaten pro record. He left Washington, DC, with the first loss of his career after Gaethje gave him a beating. He stayed out of the spotlight for a while, then resurfaced in September.
Dana White has since said Topuria’s next fight is in the works. In his first media interview since losing the title, the Spaniard said he’s targeting April 2027 for his return and made it plain he wants Gaethje again. Once the champion shut that door, the conversation drifted toward Pimblett.
About the sample size. Topuria has 18.8 million Instagram followers, and the people tapping on his story are mostly his people. Bloody Elbow noted that his fans likely want the lightweight title back in Spain, which would tilt any vote toward the title rematch and away from a grudge match with no belt attached.
Quick take
This poll is a title-shot campaign with a voting button attached. Topuria wants Gaethje, his fans want Gaethje, and the one person who has already passed is the guy holding the belt. Pimblett is the fight that can actually be made, and a London hotel grudge with four years of interest built up will sell plenty of tickets. If April 2027 holds, I’d bet on the Baddy getting the call, poll or no poll.
