Arman Tsarukyan has stated he wants Justin Gaethje to pull out so he can fight Ilia Topuria and "kick him out of the UFC," calling it his goal. The lightweight contender declared he will only stop when he has at least five UFC title defenses. Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili commented that he has no problems with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, saying he simply dislikes that particular fighter while maintaining that Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan all have hardworking fighters who are friends and engage in healthy competition. Topuria responded harshly to Tsarukyan, calling him unintelligent and claiming he would break his jaw in the first round if they fought. Additional updates mentioned Tsarukyan discussing a potential Volkanovski fight, predictions for Chimaev versus O'Malley, and Benoit Saint-Denis announcing a fight with Paddy Pimblett by posting roast beef on social media.