Liverpool’s Paddy Pimblett has opened up about the controversial social media exchange that sparked a heated feud with Georgian UFC MMA star Guram Kutateladze explaining how a misunderstood tweet escalated into one of the most talked-about rivalries in mixed martial arts.
Speaking on his podcast “Chattin Pony” with fellow UFC MMA star Brian Ortega Pimblett revealed the origins of the beef that has been brewing for years. The controversy began when Pimblett responded to a tweet from Topuria by calling him a “fake Russian” a comment that ignited outrage from the Georgian and his supporters.
“He tweeted me saying something and I tweeted him back like, ‘Oh shut up. You’re fake Russian.’ And they all took offense for it.”
“And I’m sitting in I was like, ‘What? What did they all take offense for?'”
The situation escalated when Pimblett followed up with another tweet saying “no wonder the Russians terrify you.” However the Liverpool native claims he had no knowledge of the historical context behind his words particularly the conflict between Georgia and Russia.
“I went to bed woke up the next morning that had the craziest amount of angry mail. Said they all said I was talking about a war when I [didn’t know about any war]”
“I only found out the next day obviously that Georgia had been to war with Russia.”
The miscommunication stems from regional differences in language and understanding. In Liverpool Pimblett explained the word “terrify” is commonly used to describe being bullied or picked on rather than referencing actual warfare .
“Back in Liverpool if you say something like terrify. It’s like you’ve been bullied or he’s just terried you.”
“So that’s just like something we say.”
The feud has since grown beyond social media with both expressing interest in settling their differences inside the octagon. Pimblett revealed that Kutateladze continues to misrepresent his original comments claiming the Scouser said he was “happy that Russia dropped weapons on Georgian kids” – an allegation Pimblett vehemently denies.
“That’s what he says to people now. Oh he said he’s happy the bombs got dropped on George and kids. Like I never said anything like that.”
“I’d never say anything like that about anyone. Even if I disliked them lad. You never want kids to get hurt.”
The situation nearly came to blows when the two encountered each other at a UFC event. Pimblett was warming up eggs in a hotel kitchen when Kutateladze appeared with several companions leading to the infamous water bottle incident that was caught on camera.
“He comes walking out of this door with like eight of his boys”
“When he come over he walked towards me. I just went ‘What’s happening lad?’ And like he half like went like that and like at first I don’t know if he swung a dig but he went to like and I just moved out the way through the bottle of his head.”
