His move up a weight class also means that he now shares a division with his greatest rival to date, Paddy Pimblett.

Despite their history with one another, the recent interaction at UFC London between Topuria and Pimblett was a relatively friendly exchange this time around.

Having recently addressed his decision to leave the 145-pound title behind at a press conference, Topuria also gave his side to the run-in with ‘The Baddy’.

Ilia Topuria says he and Paddy Pimblett weren’t in a fighting mentality

Both Ilia Topuria and Paddy Pimblett weren’t in London just to make an appearance or potentially cross paths with a rival.

The former featherweight king made the trip over to corner his fellow Georgian, Guram Kutateladze, who came up short in the first fight of the night.

In the second bout on the card, Pimblett’s teammate Nathan Fletcher was in action where he suffered a close defeat to Caolan Loughran whilst later on in the night, Next Generation MMA’s Molly McCann announced her retirement after a loss to Alexia Thainara.

‘The Baddy’ has already told his version of events after Pimblett and Topuria smiled at each other and exchanged a fist bump as the Brit left the stage at the ceremonial weigh-ins the day before fight night.

He stated that despite their previous encounters which were far more heated, that doesn’t mean that they can’t share a joke with each other in a situation like this.

Topuria largely echoed the same sentiment during a press conference whilst he was in attendance at WOW 17 in Madrid on March 29.

‘La Leyenda’ said that this meeting between them took place as two athletes who were there for a reason other than competing hence why there wasn’t as much as tension or bad blood on this occasion.

“We just weren’t in our fighting roles. I went to support a friend of mine, he went to support another friend of his, then we met and we greeted each other. At the end of the day we are athletes. But if we enter the field of combat and we have to fight, then the story changes.”

Ilia Topuria is exactly what the UFC needs right now

There has been a debate in recent months about the lack of star quality in the UFC right now, specifically after Alex Pereira’s loss at UFC 313.

Ilia Topuria is one of the biggest arguments against this and whilst he may not be a household name in the United States, just look at the way that the Spanish crowd reacted when he made his entrance at WOW 17.

The other asset that Topuria brings to the table which the UFC needs is that he isn’t afraid to call opponents out and create drama.

If the 28-year-old is able to hit the ground running at lightweight, his star status is only going to continue growing around the world into something truly special.

However, the Pyfer vs Gastelum fight was cancelled a few hours before the card was due to start.

Joe Pyfer fell ill soon after he claimed to be the ‘healthiest he’s been’ in an interview released just before he withdrew from his latest bout for MMA’s premier promotion.

UFC fans slam Joe Pyfer

On Sunday, Pyfer detailed the series of events that led to his fight with Gastelum being called off.

According to the UFC fighter, he was struck down by food poisoning after eating at a local restaurant.

Pyfer endured a night of intense diarrhea symptoms, a fever, nausea, vomiting, and ‘excruciating’ stomach pain before a doctor advised him to withdraw from UFC Mexico City.

An experience like that would usually elicit sympathy from fight fans, but they are a laying into Pyfer right now as he seemed to take out his anger at the situation on the country of Mexico.

“He is impressively unlikeable,” one fan said. While another added: “What a moron, lol.”

“All I hear are excuses,” someone else commented.

“What f—— ignorant and spiteful BUTTHURT lowlife,” this angry fan wrote.

“Not a good look smh,” another UFC fan said.

“Wow he might be the most unlikable fighter. At least with Colby Covington, it was somewhat of a schtick,” a sixth person tweeted.

What did Joe Pyfer say?

See below for Pyfer’s angry Mexico rant that left fans furious with the UFC middleweight contender.

Towards the end of his lengthy Instagram story, he branded the country a ‘s—hole’ a vowed to never travel south of the border ever again.

“I don’t care if it’s offensive to you. I will never go back to that country,” Pyfer said on his Instagram story.

“I did everything right. I slept in a tent. I did all this work to still get sick. Some people are saying it wasn’t the food, saying I got altitude sickness. If that’s what altitude and elevation is, f— that country.

“I will never fight there again. S—hole! Not going back. Don’t care if that’s offensive to you, you’re not the one fighting. Suck my b—-, literally”

Now, he has jumped right in at the deep end of the featherweight division taking on number five-ranked Yair Rodriguez at UFC 314 next month. And with Alexander Volkanovski and Diego Lopes battling for a newly-vacant belt in the main event, he has a target in his sights.

Patricio Pitbull reveals plan for UFC title effort within just two fights

Having waited until he turned 37 to finally make his UFC debut, Patricio Pitbull understands that it is now or never when it comes to going for a world title. He believes that just one victory will immediately catapult him into contention, and that his next fight after April could be for the belt.

“A fight with Yair Rodriguez puts me in a great place in the division,” Pitbull said during an interview with Megan Olivi for the official UFC YouTube channel. “So, if my performance is really good, I believe I will fight for the title.”

He has promised to put on a big performance, adding: “He’s good, he’s very dynamic, but I’m better. I put pressure on him, put him down, and smash him. That’s what’s going to happen… They’re going to see the best featherweight on the planet in action, and the most complete featherweight on the planet.”

Patricio Pitbull has legendary resume outside of UFC

For years, Patricio Pitbull has been making his name as one of the stars of MMA outside of the UFC. He was a two-weight champion in Bellator and even competed for a third belt at bantamweight, and has fought the best in the world away from the octagon.

He has wins over the likes of Michael Chandler, AJ McKee, Adam Borics and more throughout his run to winning two titles. His career has taken him around the world, fighting from Japan to Ireland as well as around America.

Now, he takes his talents to the biggest organization in the sport in search of proving that he is in fact as great as he always claimed to be.

Pyfer has since expressed disappointment in his last-second withdrawal and aims to return to the Octagon as soon as possible. As of this writing, it’s uncertain if Gastelum vs. Pyfer will be rebooked or if the matchmakers will move in a different direction.

As the news broke of the Gastelum vs. Pyfer fight cancellation, many fans and pundits were disappointed with the scratched bout. But no one felt the pain more than Gastelum, who recently shared footage of him getting a call from the UFC matchmakers about Pyfer’s pullout.

Kelvin Gastelum shares the moment he found out Joe Pyfer was out of UFC Mexico City

In a recent post to X, Gastelum issued his first post-event statement after his fight got canceled at UFC Mexico City.

“I got the call that my opponent got sick and had to pull out the fight,” Gastelum posted Sunday. “Obviously I’m gutted to the core about this situation that is out of my control but Wish my opponent all the best in the future.”

Gastelum’s final words in the above statement could be interpreted as an intention to move on from the Pyfer matchup in favor of another opponent. He returned to the middleweight division after defeating Daniel Rodriguez last June by unanimous decision.

Gastelum posted footage of him reacting to the Pyfer news, which you can watch in the clip below.

Joe Pyfer unleashed on expletive-laden rant on Mexico after last-second fight pullout

After withdrawing from UFC Mexico City, Pyfer unleashed a wild rant against Mexico after a tumultuous fight week experience. Pyfer claimed he would ‘never go back’ to Mexico and called it a ‘s—hole’.

As of this writing, the UFC brass hasn’t addressed Pyfer’s comments. The promotion will return to Mexico later this year for Noche UFC 3 in Guadalajara.

Just hours before withdrawing from UFC Mexico City, Pyfer claimed he was the ‘healthiest he’s ever been’ shortly after Friday’s ceremonial weigh-in. But after a night of vomiting, stomach pain, and a fever, a doctor advised him to withdraw from the event.

As for Gastelum, his UFC 236 bout with Israel Adesanya will enter the UFC Hall of Fame this summer. In terms of his fight career, he could return in the coming months against a to-be-determined opponent.

It was another disappointing setback for Erceg after recent losses to UFC flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Kara-France. After three straight wins to begin his promotional tenure, Erceg is now on the outside looking in at the title picture.

After Erceg’s loss, it didn’t take long for his long-standing feud with Muhammad Mokaev to return to the forefront.

Muhammad Mokaev answers Steve Erceg’s pre-UFC Mexico City taunts

In a UFC Mexico City fight week interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Erceg was asked about Mokaev’s UFC exit and his issues with the former flyweight standout.

“I was shocked that he got cut,” Erceg said. “Obviously being undefeated, you think that’s enough to stay in the UFC, but yeah, I don’t know. I didn’t like the way he interacted with people around him, and he’s messaged me since. I’m thinking more and more that he’s a massive knob, so I don’t care.

“He seemed like a privileged diva, I guess. Like, ‘Everything has to be done the way I want it. I don’t care if that’s not how it’s done.’ It was surprising because you would think somebody that grew up the way he grew up would be a little bit more humble.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

After Erceg lost to Moreno in the UFC Mexico City main event, Mokaev issued a timely response.

“Come to Brave [Steve],” Mokaev posted on X.

“The results always louder than words. [Privileged] diva.”

Mokaev wasn’t re-signed by the UFC after a lackluster win over Manel Kape at UFC 304. He’s since returned to MMA in Brave CF, earning a first-round finish at Brave CF 91.

The undefeated Mokaev appeared on the cusp of a title shot before the UFC opted to part ways with him after UFC 304. The UFC matchmakers and Mokaev had an alleged strained relationship during his tenure, which included multiple pre-fight brawls with Kape ahead of UFC 304.

UFC Mexico City featured ‘robberies’, wild KOs, and a rare Bruce Buffer blunder

UFC Mexico City was another eventful evening in the Octagon, which featured wild finishes and an entertaining main event between Moreno and Erceg.

The card’s opening fight featured a bit of controversy as MarQuel Mederos won a head-scratching split decision over Austin Hubbard. The controversies didn’t alleviate as the main card played out, as Manuel Torres won a hotly-discussed TKO finish against Drew Dober.

UFC Octagon announcer Bruce Buffer had a rough night at the office as he announced an incorrect fight winner during the UFC Mexico City prelims. But Buffer rebounded well as the card played out.

As for Erceg, he’ll look to bounce back in his next Octagon appearance. If the UFC matchmakers opt to re-sign Mokaev down the line, Erceg and Mokaev could potentially be on a collision course.

No one has ever been able to knock him out, but the UFC lightweight contender was choked unconscious in shock 35-second loss to an ex-soldier, Cameron Else, when they clashed at Cage Warriors 60 in October 2013.

Still, the majority of Paddy Pimblett‘s opponents are intent on trying to take his head off, rather than taking the risk of going to the ground with a submission specialist.

Paddy Pimblett vs Stephen Martin revisited

13 months after his first MMA loss, Pimblett had re-established himself as Britain’s best MMA prospect.

Back-to-back wins set up his featherweight debut against a 2-2 fighter called Stephen Martin.

On paper, it was a scrap Pimblett should breeze through, but that’s not how things played out at Cage Warriors 73 in November 2014.

Just 15 seconds into the fight, Martin landed a massive left hook before following it up with a straight right to drop his opponent.

Pimblett fell to the floor like a bag of potatoes, but he amazingly managed to avoid getting KO’d.

The 30-year-old Englishman immediately initiated a grappling exchange that allowed him to clear his head and work his way back into the fight.

Ultimately, Pimblett needed just one shot right at the end of the first frame. A huge elbow left Martin with a gnarly gash on his face, and it quickly became clear that he would not be allowed to carry on with the gruesome cut.

Paddy Pimblett eyes UFC title shot

Pimblett has no issues about fighting for five rounds against Chandler at UFC 314.

That’s mainly because he doesn’t think ‘Iron’ will survive more than 10 minutes in the cage with him.

“When I got asked to do a five-round fight, they were not sure if I would say yes,” Pimblett told TNT Sports.

“But, yeah, obviously, as he is getting finished in two, it does not matter how many it’s scheduled for. Everyone can expect a finish come April 12.”

Pimblett believes beating Chandler will put him within touching distance of a 155lb title shot.

He added: “The plan is to beat Michael Chandler, then fight again in Abu Dhabi in October.

“Hopefully, I get to fight someone in the top four, top five, and then I can ask for a title shot in 2026.”

However, Joe Pyfer’s fight was cancelled a few hours before the card was due to start.

The news came as a massive shock to fight fans as Pyfer claimed to be the ‘healthiest he’s been’ in an interview released just before he withdrew from UFC Mexico City.

Joe Pyfer’s X-rated Mexico rant

On Sunday, Joe Pyfer detailed the series of events that led to his fight with Gastelum being called off.

The 28-year-old suggested he was struck down by a bout of food poisoning after eating at a local restaurant.

Using not-so-nice language, Pyfer explained that he experienced intense diarrhea symptoms that saw him go to the toilet more than 10 times the night before his ill-fated fight.

The American was also struck down by a fever, nausea, vomiting, and ‘excruciating’ stomach pain before a doctor advised him to withdraw from UFC Mexico City.

Ultimately, Pyfer feels he made the right call and is hopeful that his fight with Gastelum can be rescheduled.

However, he won’t be heading back to Mexico anytime soon after developing a bitter dislike for the country during his trip south of the border.

“I don’t care if it’s offensive to you. I will never go back to that country,” Pyfer said on his Instagram story.

“I did everything right. I slept in a tent. I did all this work to still get sick. Some people are saying it wasn’t the food, saying I got altitude sickness. If that’s what altitude and elevation is, f— that country.

“I will never fight there again. S—hole! Not going back. Don’t care if that’s offensive to you, you’re not the one fighting. Suck my b—-, literally”

Kelvin Gastelum partied with UFC legend in Mexico

Things weren’t all bad for Gastelum, even though he didn’t get to compete this weekend.

Former dual-weight UFC champion Henry Cejudo partied after the event with Gastelum.

Along with photos with the likes of Julio Cesar Chavez and UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard, Cejudo shared videos of himself and the Ultimate Fighter winner as people danced on tables whilst a live band played.

Gastelum may have missed out on the opportunity to secure back-to-back wins for the first time since 2018, but it appears that he had a good night in the end, regardless.

It was a stunning defeat for Pereira despite entering the matchup as being perceived as the arguable underdog against Ankalaev. While the fight was tightly contested from start to finish, Ankalaev had the bigger moments and got the nod on all of the judges’ scorecards.

Almost immediately after UFC 313, talks of an immediate rematch between Pereira and Ankalaev ramped up. The two sides have verbally agreed to a second fight later this year, but according to one UFC legend, Pereira doesn’t make a strong case for redemption.

Chael Sonnen questions Alex Pereira for pursuing Magomed Ankalaev runback

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Chael Sonnen weighed in on Pereira seeking an immediate rematch with Ankalaev after UFC 313.

“I’m a very big Alex Pereira fan, on a personal level but also his work inside the cage,” Sonnen said of Pereira. “I gotta tell you, there is nothing within that first fight, whether illness, injury, or a combination of both, there was nothing about that first fight that would lead a reasonable analyst to believe you’re going to have a different outcome in the second fight. …

“That first fight was four to one. It was four rounds to one. It really was not overly competitive. There were some [good] things done by Pereira, such as stopping the takedowns,” Sonnen continued. “We didn’t know he had this ability. It was a pretty slow pace and there wasn’t a lot done. I’m just suggesting there was nothing we saw, even at a slow pace, even at a drawn down action-packed night or lack thereof, there’s nothing to believe that rounds six, seven, eight, nine, and 10 are going to be any different.” (h/t MMA Fighting)

Sonnen went on to highlight the gains that Ankalaev could make from the first Pereira clash.

“Whatever it is that Pereira is supposed to have learned in that job experience, why would we not believe an equal amount would be learned by Ankalaev?” Sonnen shared. “Whatever we’re supposed to believe that Pereira gained to do a better job next time, why do we not believe that Ankalaev also [learned]? Ankalaev is the one that had his takedowns stuffed. So in theory, he’s the one that would have felt and know where the adjustments are to get the big guy off his feet. And once he gets him on the ground, I can’t imagine that’s where the judges are going to see it [Pereira’s] way.”

Pereira began his UFC light heavyweight title reign by defeating Jiri Prochazka for the then-vacant title at UFC 295. After winning the belt, Pereira made a strong case for ‘Fighter of the Year’ in 2024, defending the title three times in six months.

Alex Pereira hit back at Magomed Ankalaev’s coach’s cheating allegations

The past bad blood between Pereira and Ankalaev reignited after rematch talks persisted. Ankalaev’s coach accused Pereira of greasing at UFC 313, using an unspecified ‘ointment’ to make grappling exchanges more difficult for the title challenger.

As of this writing, there’s no direct evidence that Pereira attempted to gain an unfair advantage at UFC 313. He stuffed all 12 of Ankalaev’s takedown attempts.

Pereira responded to the coach’s assertions by countering the claims as ‘excuses’ for Ankalaev failing to take him down. Entering the fight, Ankalaev was predicted to utilize his wrestling well against Pereira, but it turned into a clinch and striking-heavy battle.