Tsarukyan vows to beat Topuria, wants 5 title defenses; Merab says he only dislikes Umar

Arman Tsarukyan stated he wants Justin Gaethje to miss weight so he can fight Ilia Topuria and "throw him out of the UFC," adding that his goal is a minimum of five title defenses. Merab Dvalishvili clarified he has no issues with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, whom he dislikes, and emphasized healthy competition among fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan. Topuria responded harshly to Tsarukyan's comments, calling him "stupid" and "a child spending his father's money," and vowed to break his jaw in the first round if they meet in the octagon. Tsarukyan also discussed a potential bout with Volkanovski and outlined near-term prospects for Khamzat Chimaev. Additionally, Benoit Saint-Denis announced a fight with Paddy Pimblett via social media, and Bogdan Guskov declined a fight with Baranievski.