Ilia Topuria, Paddy Pimblett Altercation Caught on Video Ahead of UFC London Card

UFC lightweights Paddy Pimblett and Ilia Topuria came to blows at the host hotel days before their respective fights at UFC Fight Night 204 in London on Saturday.

Per MMA journalist Ariel Helwani, punches and bottles were thrown but "nothing too serious happened after." Pimblett and Topuria have reportedly been beefing on social media for a while.

"I warned you!" Topuria wrote in social media posts that accompanied a video of the altercation. "This is what happens when you disrespect me and my country! ... And you should thank my team because of it wasn’t for them separating me, I would have taken your head off."

Pimblett responded on Twitter:

According to Danny Segura of MMA Junkie, the feud between the two fighters dates back to over a year ago and it was sparked when Pimblett was insulting Georgian fighters online.

"Topuria was especially upset with Pimblett when the Englishman poked fun at the Russo-Georgian War that killed many Georgians, including Topuria’s family members," Segura stated. "Pimblett later apologized for his comments."

In just his second UFC appearance, Pimblett (17-3, 1-0 UFC) is fighting in the main event of Saturday's event against Rodrigo Vargas. A former featherweight, Topuria (11-0, 3-0 UFC) is making his debut in at 155 pounds against Jai Herbert.

After the altercation on Tuesday, Topuria spoke to Segura and said that he hopes to eventually meet Pimblett in the Octagon.

"Of course [I want that fight]," Topuria said. "With a lot of honor and pride for all my people, I would love it. The truth is that I would love it. Because if you think about it, if I catch him outside of the octagon, I’m going to hand him a beating, and I’m going to have to pay is recovery. This way, if he accepts a fight with me, I’m going to crack his head, and I’d get paid for beating him up."