Ilia Topuria thinks Paddy Pimblett has been avoiding him at UFC 282 fight week

Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett are both set to fight on the main card of UFC 282.

The two fighters previously appeared on the same card at UFC Fight Night 204, where they were involved in a scuffle at the fighter hotel. The No.14-ranked featherweight recently claimed that Pimblett has avoided him leading up to UFC 282.

Watch their scuffle below:

Speaking at UFC 282 media day, Topuria was asked about fighting on the same card as Pimblett. The Georgian stated:

"I don't really care about that, you know? F**k him."

Topuria went on to add that the lightweight has been avoiding him:

"I went the last two days ago to the [UFC Performance Institute], they take him from the back door and he is not coming [to] the hotel so why? Because he's scared so f**k him. I'm not a bully, you know, so if someone is trying to avoid me, what can I do?"

Topuria's issue with Pimblett stems from comments that the rising star made about his home country of Georgia.

Topuria will put his undefeated record on the line at UFC 282 against No.9-ranked featherweight Bryce Mitchell, while Pimblett will face Jared Gordon in the co-main event.

Watch Ilia Topuria discuss Paddy Pimblett below (starting at the 0:14 mark):

---

Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett have a big night ahead of them

It is no secret that Ilia Topuria is not a fan of Paddy Pimblett. The No.14-ranked featherweight took to Twitter over the weekend to accuse the Liverpudlian of avoiding him:

"When I arrived at the PI [UFC Performance Institute] this morning, I had to wait until they got Paddy out the back door😂. You already apologized. I still don’t like you. As long as you behave yourself when you see me, I won’t give a f**k about you."

Both fighters will have big opportunities at UFC 282. Topuria will have the opportunity to enter the top ten of the featherweight rankings with a victory over Bryce Mitchell. Both featherweights [Topuria and Mitchell] will put their undefeated record on the line in what is one of the most underrated clashes going down at UFC 282.

Pimblett, one of the UFC's fastest-rising stars, will fight on his first pay-per-view card. Furthermore, he will be fighting in the co-main event, and a victory over Jared Gordon could expedite his rise in the lightweight rankings.

Check out Ilia Topuria's tweet regarding Paddy Pimblett below: