Arman Tsarukyan vows to knock out Topuria, targets five title defenses minimum

Arman Tsarukyan 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 Armenian lightweight also declared he will only stop when he has a minimum of five UFC title defenses. Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili commented that he has no problems with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, whom he simply dislikes, emphasizing healthy competition among fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan. Topuria responded by calling Tsarukyan "incredibly stupid" and a "complete idiot," claiming Tsarukyan spends his father's money and threatening to break his jaw in the first round if they meet. Additional updates included Benoit Saint-Denis announcing a fight with Paddy Pimblett and Bogdan Guskov declining a fight with Baranievski.