Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett trade sharp words after crossing paths as cornermen before UFC Qatar, reigniting their heated rivalry again.

The Topuria family continues its remarkable ascension in MMA. Aleksandre Topuria stayed perfect in the UFC with a stellar unanimous decision victory over Bekzat Almakhan at UFC Qatar on Saturday, November 22,

He is likely to want to rush his way to the top of the bantamweight division in order to catch up with his younger brother. But atop the 135lb rankings is champion Merab Dvalishvili, who is a close friend of Ilia Topuria and the family in general.

New UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria won the title with a dramatic knockout over Charles Oliveira in June, but hasn’t fought since then. Rumors are swirling that Topuria could be part of the UFC’s plans to launch a new broadcast deal with Paramount at the start of 2026, which means his first defense could come as early as January.

American fighter Colby Covington shared his opinion that the current UFC lightweight champion Ilia Topuria could be the most dangerous opponent for welterweight titleholder Islam Makhachev.

Arnold Allen currently sits one spot outside the featherweight top five, having cemented his place near the top of the division with a decision victory over Giga Chikadze at UFC 304 in July 2024. ‘Almighty’ has been out of action since that performance, however, after suffering a significant injury to his shoulder.