Topuria criticizes Pimblett performance, confirms plan to defend lightweight title

Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria expressed disappointment with Paddy Pimblett's performance against Renato Moicano, stating he knew Pimblett was limited but didn't realize how much. Topuria also revealed that if he moves up to welterweight to fight Islam Makhachev, he will not be stripped of his lightweight title, as he plans to continue defending at 145 pounds. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka discussed still being affected by his title loss even after becoming a father, claiming he was at 40-50% capacity due to injury and fought in sparring mode. Additionally, Magomed Ankalaev (through manager Ali Abdelaziz) called out Khalil Rountree, promising a striking masterclass if Rountree can last 25 minutes. UFC announced several high-profile matchups for hardcore fans while complicating Cory Sandhagen's path by matching him with Batista instead of O'Malley.