Intriguing Fight Rumored for UFC’s First Paramount Card
By Eddie Sanchez
With the UFC’s record-breaking deal with Paramount set to begin in January 2026, speculation is mounting that the world’s leading MMA organization will kick off the new era with its inaugural event in Los Angeles.
Following the official partnership announcement in August, fans and media alike have been eager to know where and when the first major event of the Paramount era will take place.
Although no venue or date has been confirmed, UFC President Dana White has stated that the promotion is already working on potential matchups and location options for the debut event.
The biggest buzz so far surrounds the rumored main event, with reports suggesting a possible showdown between Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett, a matchup that would generate massive global interest.
The feud between the two lightweights began in 2021 after Paddy Pimblett made a derogatory comment on social media about Ilia Topuria’s home country, Georgia.
Tensions escalated the following year when both fighters were booked for separate bouts at UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall. While staying at the same hotel, the two clashed in the lobby, where Pimblett appeared to throw a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria’s head.
After Pimblett’s victory later that night in London, he called out Topuria during his post-fight interview, mocking him with the nickname “Sanitizer Boy.”
Now, with Dana White aiming to kick off the Paramount era in a major way, a headline fight between two of the UFC’s most popular and bitter rivals could be the marquee matchup that launches the new partnership on Paramount Plus.
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