“He’s a very good all-round fighter—I respect him as a fighter, and he doesn’t respect me,” Pimblett said during an appearance on Verse Us with Eric Nicksick. “I genuinely think if he fought me, he wouldn’t train as hard. He just thinks he’d beat me. But I’d kick him everywhere”

Pimblett (23-3 MMA, 7-0 UFC) was in attendance when Topuria (17-0 MMA, 9-0 UFC) knocked out Charles Oliveira to claim the lightweight title in this past Saturday's UFC 317 headliner at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Pimblett faced off with Topuria in the octagon, and the pair have continued to go at each other ever since.