Ilia Topuria stated that if he moves up to welterweight to fight Islam Makhachev, he will not be stripped of his lightweight title because he plans to continue defending the 155-pound belt. Topuria also expressed disappointment in Paddy Pimblett's performance against Justin Gaethje, saying he knew Pimblett was a poor fighter but didn't realize how bad. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka revealed he hasn't moved on from his recent loss even after the birth of his child, claiming he was at 40-50% capacity due to injury and was essentially sparring while waiting for the referee to stop the fight. Magomed Ankalaev, through manager Ali Abdelaziz, called out Khalil Rountree, offering him a striking masterclass.
Ilia Topuria has addressed concerns about his lightweight title status, insisting he would not be stripped of the 155-pound belt if he moves up to welterweight to face Islam Makhachev, because he intends to keep defending it regardless.
Topuria, 29, carries a 17-1 record and sits at number two in the lightweight division while holding the number-one spot in the pound-for-pound rankings. The Spain-based Georgian fighter lands 4.81 significant strikes per minute at 48 percent accuracy and averages 1.96 takedowns per 15 minutes, making him a well-rounded threat across all phases. He also weighed in on Paddy Pimblett's recent outing against Justin Gaethje, saying he had already considered Pimblett a poor fighter but was surprised by just how bad the performance was.
Islam Makhachev, currently the welterweight champion and the top-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world, presents an entirely different challenge. The 34-year-old Russian holds a 28-1 record and is one of the sport's most dominant grapplers, averaging 3.2 takedowns and 1.1 submission attempts per 15 minutes. His 58 percent striking accuracy adds a technical dimension to a game built around suffocating control.
Jiri Prochazka also opened up about his most recent loss, revealing he competed at only 40 to 50 percent capacity due to injury and felt he was essentially sparring while waiting for the fight to be stopped. The Czech light heavyweight, ranked second in his division at 33 years old with a 32-6-1 record, said the defeat has stayed with him even following the birth of his child. His six-foot-three frame and an 80-inch reach have long made him a dangerous striker, averaging 5.69 significant strikes per minute.
Separately, Magomed Ankalaev, through manager Ali Abdelaziz, issued a callout to Khalil Rountree, offering to give him what was described as a striking masterclass.
Why it matters
- A Topuria move to welterweight would create rare simultaneous two-division championship implications
- Makhachev's elite grappling against Topuria's well-rounded offense is one of the sport's most compelling stylistic debates
- Prochazka's injury admission raises questions about his true form heading into any future light heavyweight title contention
