Topuria Calls for Paddy, Gaethje Era, and Prates' Million Dollar Deal

We summarize the day's news in our own words. Full credit to the outlets below for the original reporting, click through to read their work:

• Ilia Topuria opens up on loss to Justin Gaethje, calls for Paddy Pimblett in April (MMA Fighting)
• Ilia Topuria claims he will eat ‘sausage’ Paddy Pimblett as he offers UFC return update (Bloody Elbow)
• Ilia Topuria reveals who he wants to fight next in the UFC (Sherdog)
• Former UFC champion Ilia Topuria reflects on first career loss: ‘I’ve experienced the worst day of my profession’ (MMA Mania)
• Ilia Topuria: 🗣 “I’ve achieved everything, and after this fight, what else? Maybe I’ll even retire. I’m coming back in April. Paddy, Paddy, Paddy” (r/MMA)
• [Lemino Shooto10] Unexpected participation = Saijo fight. レイ・ブラダボーイ "I want to knock him out in the first round and keep fighting in Japan" (MMAPLANET (JP))
• [Lemino Shooto10] Facing Macao's brother Ray Cooper III, Hidenari Saijo "I want to show that I'm different from my previous self" (MMAPLANET (JP))
• Mehemmedali Osmanli reportedly books UFC debut despite ‘TUF 34’ loss (Sherdog)
• UFC Books Talented Bantamweights in Saudi Arabia (Yahoo Sports MMA)
• Official Weigh-In Results | UFC Fight Night: Cortes Acosta vs Walker (UFC News)
• Israel Adesanya feeling his best in a long time heading into UFC Fight Night 295 (MMA Weekly)
• Israel Adesanya feels better than ever after leaving City Kickboxing (Sherdog)
• BKFC president says Conor McGregor isn’t guaranteed a fight after his UFC exit: ‘He has to look good’ (Bloody Elbow)
• Dana White reveals prediction for Ilia Topuria's UFC return: “Early 2027” (Ag. Fight (BR))
• Dana White gives update on Ilia Topuria's octagon return (MMA Weekly)
• Dana White provides big update on Ilia Topuria’s UFC return (MMA Fighting)
• Carlos Prates says new UFC deal pays him more than $1 million per fight (Sherdog)
• Carlos Prates: 8-Fight UFC deal guarantees MORE than $1M per fight. Outlines plans for those fights. "I'm addicted to winning." (r/MMA)

Welcome to Open Scoring MMA, episode 141 for November 6th, 2026.

Today's show is brought to you by Dealophant, from the team behind Open Scoring MMA. Holiday shopping tip coming up in a minute. DUKE: Alright, the biggest story of the week, and it's not even a fight that's booked yet, it's Ilia Topuria finally talking.
NORA: First real interview since he lost the lightweight title to Justin Gaethje back in June at UFC White House.
DUKE: And he's not sounding like a guy who is ready to take a back seat after taking his first loss.
NORA: He made it clear he is focused on what comes next rather than dwelling on dropping the belt.
DUKE: Which shows where his head is at.
NORA: But then he turns right around and says he wants Paddy Pimblett next.
DUKE: Paddy! Finally some real heat on the Baddy.
NORA: He has targeted an April return date and made it very clear Pimblett is the fight he wants.
DUKE: That is definitely a high profile target.
NORA: And he didn't stop there, he said he'll eat, quote, sausage, end quote, Pimblett.
DUKE: Colorful. But does that fight make sense?
NORA: On paper, yeah. Pimblett's one of the UFC's biggest needle movers right now, Topuria's a former two division champ looking to rebuild.
DUKE: Right, and Topuria even floated retiring after it, he said something like, I've achieved everything, what else is there.
NORA: That's a guy talking big to mask a loss, I think.
DUKE: Maybe. But Dana White's actually backing a timeline here.
NORA: White predicted Topuria's return for early 2027, saying Topuria's been away recovering mentally and physically since Gaethje.
DUKE: So April lines up with that.
NORA: It does.
DUKE: And on X, the whole MMA crowd is buzzing about Topuria looking ahead to Pimblett, that's getting a ton of traction.
NORA: People want that fight.
DUKE: Who wouldn't. Now on to the card news. There's a Lemino Shooto event this Sunday in Okinawa worth flagging.
NORA: Hidenari Saijo faces Ray Cooper the Third there.
DUKE: Cooper's talked about wanting to knock Saijo out in the first round and keep fighting in Japan.
NORA: And Saijo's response was basically, I want to show I'm different from my previous self.
DUKE: A statement fight for him then.
NORA: Exactly, he's trying to prove growth, not just survive.
DUKE: And staying on card moves, the UFC's locked in a bantamweight fight for Saudi Arabia on December 5th.
NORA: Mehemmedali Osmanli, the Ultimate Fighter season 34 finalist, gets his UFC debut against Pavel Andrusca.
DUKE: Even after losing the TUF final?
NORA: Yes, multiple sources confirmed it, the UFC clearly still likes what they saw from him during the season.
DUKE: That's actually a nice signal, losing a reality show final doesn't always end a prospect's momentum.
NORA: Especially at one thirty five, that bantamweight division always welcomes fresh talent.
DUKE: Now on to the fighter news. Weigh ins are in for tomorrow's card.
NORA: UFC Fight Night, Cortes Acosta versus Walker, happens tomorrow, Saturday November 7th.
DUKE: Johnny Walker and Waldo Cortes Acosta in that heavyweight main event headlining the night.
NORA: Official weigh in results are out, so that whole fight card is locked and loaded for tomorrow.
DUKE: Heavyweight clashes like that always bring finishing potential, especially with Walker involved.
NORA: Should be an explosive matchup right from the opening bell.
DUKE: And bigger picture, Israel Adesanya's talking about feeling his best in a long time.
NORA: He's got Shara Magomedov on December 5th in Saudi Arabia.
DUKE: And he left City Kickboxing, his longtime camp.
NORA: He says he feels better than ever in the new environment.
DUKE: That's a significant change for a guy who's struggled to find consistency the last couple years.
NORA: A new camp this late in a career like his is a real gamble, could reset him, could also just be noise.
DUKE: I like it as a story, at least it's him trying something different instead of running it back the same way.
Quick break for our sponsor. Holiday shopping is here, and a big sale sticker doesn't always mean a better deal. Dealophant shows the real price per unit on Amazon buys like batteries, wrapping paper and party supplies, so you can see which pack actually costs less. It's free at dealophant dot com, and we may earn a commission if you buy. Now, back to the show. DUKE: Now on to the callouts. Conor McGregor's getting a reality check from an unexpected corner.
NORA: BKFC's president said McGregor isn't guaranteed a fight even after he's done with the UFC.
DUKE: Wait, McGregor, not guaranteed a fight? The biggest star in the sport?
NORA: The quote was, quote, he has to look good, end quote.
DUKE: Huh.
NORA: McGregor could become a free agent in 2027, and apparently that doesn't mean an automatic bag waiting for him at BKFC.
DUKE: That's a little bit of a power move from a smaller promotion.
NORA: It is, but it's also just reality, McGregor hasn't fought in a long time, nobody gets a blank check forever.
DUKE: Fair. And back to Topuria for a second, because Dana White's actually put a number on it.
NORA: Early 2027 is White's prediction for Topuria's octagon return.
DUKE: Which conflicts a little with Topuria himself saying April.
NORA: Not really conflicting, April is early 2027 adjacent enough.
DUKE: Fair enough, close enough for government work.
NORA: White called it a timeline, not a lock, so there's wiggle room either way.
DUKE: Now on to the business side. Carlos Prates is getting paid.
NORA: He says his new UFC deal pays him more than one million dollars per fight.
DUKE: Per fight! That's an eight fight deal too.
NORA: Guaranteed more than a million a fight across all eight.
DUKE: For a welterweight who's still building his resume, that's a massive bet by the UFC.
NORA: He said, quote, I'm addicted to winning, end quote.
DUKE: And he's not just cashing checks, he's got the title shot lined up.
NORA: Prates faces Michael Morales for the belt at UFC 336 on January 30th.
DUKE: Manel Kape and Joshua Van headline that card, and Prates versus Morales joins that stacked lineup.
NORA: Undefeated Morales against a surging Prates, that's as good a welterweight fight as the UFC can make right now outside the champ.
DUKE: Speaking of big matchups, let's look at the welterweight landscape around that title picture. Carlos Prates has really put together a memorable run to earn this spot.
NORA: Stepping into a title fight against an undefeated fighter like Michael Morales gives the division a completely fresh look at the top.
DUKE: That is incredible momentum for both guys coming into January.
NORA: It really is, and having that kind of financial backing from the promotion shows how much stock they put in his finishing ability.
DUKE: Big money backing a big style.
NORA: Very much so.
DUKE: Alright, let's look ahead. Tomorrow, Saturday November 7th, it's UFC Fight Night, Cortes Acosta versus Walker, featuring Johnny Walker meeting Waldo Cortes Acosta at the top of the bill.
NORA: Weigh ins are already done, so that entire card is ready to go for Saturday.
DUKE: And the week after, UFC 334 on November 14th, Ciryl Gane takes on Josh Hokit in the main event.
NORA: A major heavyweight test there with Hokit stepping right into deep waters against a former interim champion like Gane.
DUKE: Before we go, quick reminder, we've got breaking news alerts, fight breakdowns, and videos you're not getting here on the feed over on our YouTube channel.
NORA: Worth the follow if you want the stuff that doesn't make it into the podcast.

One more thing before we go.

Topuria wants Pimblett in April and says he'll "eat sausage." Is that a real money fight, or is Topuria ducking a rematch he can't get?

And while you're here, two quick ones. Our free Fight Tracker is at tracker dot open scoring m m a dot com, with every upcoming UFC and PFL card, live odds, and where to watch, all in one place. And follow us on YouTube, just search Open Scoring MMA, for breaking news alerts, fight breakdowns, and videos you won't get here on the feed.

That's it for today's Open Scoring MMA. Keep your hands up, and we'll see you next time.