UFC star Paddy Pimblett had a lot to say regarding Ilia Topuria‘s shock loss to Justin Gaethje at UFC Freedom 250 over the weekend, going on quite the rant while watching the fight live for his YouTube channel.

Topuria went down to Gaethje following round four of their battle in the main event after some brutal shots from the American hurt and scarred him in round three. Then, some medical intervention and the team stepping in to throw in the towel meant the underdog for the fight came out on top as the new UFC lightweight champion.

Fans around the world were shocked by this result, and seemingly none more than Paddy Pimblett, who went on a scathing attack on Topuria following his defeat, both on social media via X and also on his vlog.

Paddy Pimblett’s Live Reaction to Ilia Topuria’s Defeat

After the onslaught from Gaethje, Pimblett said, “Oh my god, he’s gonna to quit,” regarding Topuria, following this up with, “Oh my god, Ilia Topuria, you little b****.”

During the video, there are shots of the Georgian-Spanish fighter looking worse for wear while being checked on by his corner and medical staff. His face is the point of concern for them; his eyes are both swollen over, and it was clear that he was struggling to see properly. This may have left the team with little choice.

Amber Searls via Imagn Images

Pimblett seemed to think differently, however, saying: “I couldn’t see, and I carried on f****** fighting cos I’m not a little b****.”

This is in reference to the Englishman’s battle with Gaethje himself at the end of January, in which Pimblett lost via decision. He then claimed he ‘went five with the man and kept biting down on my gummy and swinging.’

Eventually, the decision was made after the fourth that Topuria would not be able to continue and The Baddy was disappointed to say the least.

Not one to mince his words, especially towards rivals.

Pimblett was absent from the weekend’s monumental event, but made his presence felt nonetheless, as fans have come to expect.

Next up for the Brit is a lightweight bout against Benoit Saint-Denis at UFC 329 in the co-main event. He will be hoping his words don’t come back to haunt him when he faces the God of War Saint-Denis in Paradise, Nevada.

You can watch Pimblett’s full vlog of him watching UFC Freedom 250 below.

Why are so many footballers at the 2026 World Cup wearing bright pink boots?

This is a question many football fans are asking following the tournament’s opening group stage matches.

This summer’s showpiece international tournament in the United States, Mexico and Canada got underway last Thursday and a host of players across various teams have come equipped with bright pink boots on their feet.

Players and Teams Wearing Pink Boots at 2026 World Cup

Daniel Becerril via Reuters

Take South Korea captain Son Heung-min, for example. The Tottenham legend, who now plies his trade with Los Angeles FC, was seen wearing a pair of pink football boots during the Group A clash against the Czech Republic.

Some of Son’s South Korea teammates followed suit. There were also many pink boots on display during the Group H clash between Saudi Arabia and Uruguay on Monday night, and during Iran’s opening game against New Zealand – a game that made headlines for the crowd’s reaction to Iran’s national anthem being played at the Los Angeles Stadium.

“People say it’s coincidence but it’s happened way too many times,” Ben Warren, founder of BW Boots UK, which specialises in finding rare and classic football boots and supplies several World Cup players, was quoted as saying by The Athletic.

“Different brands are releasing boots in more or less the same colours. We’ve seen boots looking quite similar in the last few years, but this World Cup is pretty much the exact same colour.”

Indeed, Nike, Adidas, Puma, New Balance and Skechers have all supplied players with variations of bright pink boots at the World Cup.

Why Bright Pink Boots Are so Popular at World Cup

Sam Navarro via Reuters

Odinga Nimako, a senior figure at Nike’s global football footwear team, has told The Athletic that high demand for bolder colours led to the company going for pink at this summer’s World Cup finals.

“What we’ve been hearing consistently from the athlete and the consumer, especially when it comes to big moments, is that bright colours give them confidence, so that was really our starting point,” Nimako said.

“What we always hear from our consumers and athletes is when you wear a colour like pink that is so loud and so bright it is like… you need to be really good to wear these (colours) as well. At the same time, there’s also been a level of acceptance with pink that makes it not too niche for people, it speaks to a broad audience.”

Trials on the pitch showed Nike that nothing stood out more than pink. Nimako continued:

“That is definitely something that we looked at. For this (World Cup) moment we really wanted to focus on that visual impact.”

He added: “Our intent was really to make sure that the boot stood out against the kit.

“In every tournament we can take a slightly different approach. We’ve seen approaches in the past where we actually want to be a little bit more integrated. At this tournament, knowing the magnitude, we really wanted to make it pop.”

The Athletic also claim that shoe companies discovered players associate bright colours with confidence, offering another explanation as to why bright pink is all the rage this summer.

Moreover, global trend agencies predicted the colour ‘Electric Fuchsia’ would be the ‘it’ colour of summer back in 2024, when designers began to play their 2026 World Cup lines, according to UniLad.

Product developers found that nothing ‘pops’ more vividly on televisions and smartphones than bright pink footwear – making the players’ boots and brand logos instantly recognisable from a distance.

Newcastle United are entering the summer transfer window with hopes of refreshing the squad with a few fresh faces, as reports have emerged over interest in a World Cup star.

The Magpies have already conducted some quick business in the transfer market, with Anthony Gordon’s move to Barcelona quickly being followed up by the signing of promising goalkeeper Ewen Jaouen.

Other moves could be on the cards, with plenty of exit links appearing next to some other potential moves, particularly in the forward areas.

Victor Munoz is a key target to replace Gordon, while a fresh target has emerged for the defensive line heading into this opening of the window.

Newcastle Want Australia Star Alessandro Circati

Anne-Marie Sorvin/IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters

With potential defenders on the radar for Newcastle, a report from Italian outlet ParmaToday claims that Australia and Parma star Alessandro Circati has emerged as an option this summer.

The ‘underrated’ 22-year-old is believed to be a target for the Magpies, who have been “closely monitoring” the defender’s progress in recent months, which includes his recent performances at the World Cup with his national team.

Circati started for Australia in their World Cup opening group stage game against Turkiye, where they ran out as surprise 2-0 winners over the European nation, who were deemed as favourites for the clash.

It was a win characterised by the defensive solidity on show from Australia, with Circati starting as part of a back three that looked to snuff out any opportunities for the opposition.

The report claims that the defender is a “hero” for his performances for both club and country, having caught the eye in his time in Serie A before he got his eventual World Cup call-up.

That means not only Newcastle are interested in Circati, though it is unclear what Parma’s stance will be on a possible sale this summer.

Who Is Alessandro Circati?

Albert Gea/Reuters

Alessandro Circati has appeared on the radar of plenty of teams, including Newcastle, as his reputation within football continues to rise on the global stage.

He is a 22-year-old right-footed centre-back who was born in Fidenza, Italy, but moved to Australia at the age of one, where he grew up through his early life.

Circati came through the Perth SC and Perth Glory youth teams, making plenty of appearances before he was linked with a return to Italy in 2021.

The youngster joined Parma in Serie A, making several appearances for the youth side before making his senior debut in 2022, where he has since cemented himself as a regular starter.

While Circati represented Italy at the youth level, he declared for Australia in 2023, and has made 14 appearances for the Socceroos, with plenty more to come.