Pimblett calls for Topuria TUF coaching rivalry to revive flagging UFC show

Paddy Pimblett wants to coach against Ilia Topuria on The Ultimate Fighter, claiming the pairing would rescue a show that has steadily lost its audience since its early-2000s peak.

Speaking in a clip posted to social media, Pimblett said he would relish six weeks of psychological warfare with the Georgian fighter before the two eventually settle their rivalry in the octagon. “I would have his head in the shed for six weeks,” Pimblett said. “He wouldn’t know where to look, he wouldn’t know what to say, I’d have him feeling awkward constantly.”

TUF recently completed its 34th season, a milestone that passed largely unnoticed by a fanbase that once treated the show as essential viewing. The first season is widely credited with helping bring MMA into the mainstream, and subsequent editions built major fights through coaching feuds. But the rise of Dana White’s Contender Series as a rival talent showcase, combined with the sheer volume of UFC events, has diluted TUF’s appeal in recent years.

Pimblett believes he and Topuria represent the right combination to reverse that decline, comparing their potential dynamic to the volatile Season 10 coaching rivalry between Quinton “Rampage” Jackson and Rashad Evans — a season that also featured Kimbo Slice and remains one of the most-watched in the show’s history. “Me and Ilia would bring the ratings back to The Ultimate Fighter, like Season 10 with Rampage and Rashad,” he said. “Do me vs. Ilia and we’ll bring The Ultimate Fighter back. It’ll be a reincarnation.”

The timing of a Pimblett–Topuria matchup is more plausible now than at any point in their feud. Topuria, previously focused on the featherweight division, moved up to lightweight and won the vacant 155-pound title by defeating Charles Oliveira, before losing the belt to Justin Gaethje. Pimblett, meanwhile, bounced back from his first UFC defeat by submitting Benoit Saint Denis in just 52 seconds at UFC 329, keeping himself firmly in the lightweight conversation.

No TUF season featuring the two has been announced, and neither fighter has confirmed any formal discussions with the UFC about the proposal.