Ilia Topuria stated that if he moves up to welterweight to fight Islam Makhachev, he will not be stripped of his featherweight title because he plans to continue defending the 145-pound belt. Topuria also expressed disappointment in Paddy Pimblett's performance against Gage, saying he knew Paddy was a poor fighter but did not realize how bad. Jiri Prochazka revealed he still cannot let go of his recent loss even after the birth of his child, claiming he was operating at only 40-50% capacity due to injury and was in sparring mode 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.
Ilia Topuria has made clear that a potential move up to welterweight to face Islam Makhachev would not cost him his featherweight championship, insisting he intends to keep defending the 145-pound title regardless of any future plans at a higher weight class.
Topuria, 29, holds a 17-1-0 record and currently sits second in the pound-for-pound rankings. The Spanish fighter out of Climent Club is an aggressive, well-rounded competitor who lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute and also threatens with nearly two takedowns per 15 minutes. He made his feelings known about Paddy Pimblett as well, saying he had considered Pimblett a limited fighter but was surprised by the extent of what he saw in Pimblett's recent outing against Gage.
Makhachev, the reigning welterweight champion and top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, carries a 28-1-0 record. The Russian, now 34, is one of the most complete mixed martial artists in the sport, averaging 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and landing 58 percent of his significant strikes while also threatening with 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Also speaking out was former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka, who admitted he cannot move past his most recent defeat despite the recent arrival of his newborn child. The Czech fighter, ranked second at light heavyweight with a 32-6-1 record, claimed he was working through injury and operating at only 40 to 50 percent of his capacity, describing his mental state during the fight as one of simply waiting for the referee to intervene.
Why it matters
- Topuria's insistence on keeping the featherweight belt complicates any cross-divisional super-fight negotiations with Makhachev
- A potential Topuria move to welterweight would pit a striker averaging 4.81 significant strikes per minute against one of the sport's most dominant grapplers
- Prochazka's injury admission at light heavyweight, where he remains ranked second, raises questions about his timeline back to contention
- Ankalaev's callout of Khalil Rountree, delivered through manager Abdel Aziz, signals the light heavyweight picture above Prochazka is already reshaping itself
