Ilia Topuria expressed disappointment in Paddy Pimblett's performance against Giga, stating he knew Pimblett was poor but underestimated just how much. Topuria confirmed that if he moves up to welterweight to face Islam Makhachev, he will not be stripped of his lightweight title as he plans to continue defending at 145 pounds. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka revealed he cannot let go of his recent loss even after his child's birth, claiming he was at only 40-50% capacity after injury and waiting for the referee to stop the fight. Magomed Ankalaev (via Abdelaziz) called out Khalil Rountree, claiming he only needs to demonstrate high-level striking for 25 minutes if Rountree can last that long. The UFC has announced several matchups appealing to hardcore fans, including a challenging bout for Cory Sandhagen against Umar Nurmagomedov instead of Sean O'Malley.
Ilia Topuria made headlines this week with sharp comments about Paddy Pimblett's recent performance, a bold declaration about his future at lightweight, and confirmation of his ambitions at welterweight — all adding layers to one of the sport's most active storylines heading into the summer.
Topuria stated he already knew Pimblett was a limited fighter but admitted the Irishman's showing against Giga Chikadze was even worse than he had anticipated. On the subject of a potential move to welterweight to challenge Islam Makhachev, Topuria was clear: he does not intend to vacate the featherweight title and plans to continue defending at 145 pounds while pursuing gold at a second weight class. Makhachev, now competing at welterweight, holds a 28-1-0 record and sits atop the pound-for-pound rankings. The 34-year-old Russian averages 3.2 takedowns per 15 minutes and lands strikes at 58 percent accuracy, making him one of the most complete fighters in the sport.
Jiri Prochazka, ranked second in the light heavyweight division, opened up about struggling to move past his most recent defeat. The Czech fighter, 33 years old and carrying a 32-6-1 record, said that even the birth of his child has not quieted his frustration, explaining he was operating at only 40 to 50 percent capacity due to injury and found himself waiting for referee intervention during the fight. Standing six-foot-three with an 80-inch reach, Prochazka is one of the division's most dynamic strikers, averaging 5.69 significant strikes per minute.
Magomed Ankalaev's management called out Khalil Rountree, with the message suggesting Ankalaev needs only to display his striking quality for 25 minutes — with the implicit question being whether Rountree can even survive that long.
On the matchmaking front, the UFC confirmed Cory Sandhagen will face Umar Nurmagomedov rather than Sean O'Malley. Nurmagomedov, ranked second at bantamweight and holding a 20-1-0 record, averages over four takedowns per 15 minutes at 56 percent striking accuracy — a stern test for any contender at 135 pounds.
