Topuria criticizes Pimblett, plans lightweight title defenses, and Ankalaev calls out Rountree

Ilia Topuria expressed disappointment in Paddy Pimblett's performance against Renato Moicano, stating he knew Pimblett was a poor fighter but didn't realize the extent. Topuria also confirmed that if he moves up to welterweight to fight Islam Makhachev, he will not be stripped of his featherweight title, as he plans to continue defending at 145 pounds. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka revealed he cannot move past his recent title loss despite becoming a new father, saying he was operating at 40-50% capacity due to injury and was waiting for the referee to stop the fight. Additionally, Magomed Ankalaev, through manager Ali Abdelaziz, called out Khalil Rountree, dismissing Rountree's wrestling training with Khamzat Chimaev and promising a striking masterclass. The UFC also announced several new matchups aimed at hardcore fans, including a tough assignment for Cory Sandhagen against Merab Dvalishvili's teammate Jonathan Batista instead of Sean O'Malley.