Topuria criticizes Pimblett performance, says Islam fight won't strip his belt

Ilia Topuria expressed disappointment with Paddy Pimblett's recent fight against Gage, stating he knew Pimblett was not a strong fighter but didn't realize how limited he actually was. Topuria also clarified his plans for a potential welterweight move to fight Islam Makhachev, confirming he would not be stripped of his lightweight title as he intends to continue defending that belt. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka revealed he remains fixated on his recent loss even after the birth of his child, claiming he was operating at only 40-50% capacity after injury and waiting for the referee to stop the fight. Magomed Ankalaev, through his manager Abdel Aziz, called out Khalil Rountree, saying he wants to give him a 25-minute striking masterclass if Rountree can last that long, while noting that the wrestling training with Hamzat won't help him.