Tsarukyan targets Topuria; Merab discusses rivalry with Umar

Arman Tsarukyan stated he wants Diego Lopes to withdraw so he can fight Ilia Topuria and "kick him out of the UFC," adding that he will only stop when he has at least five UFC title defenses. Meanwhile, Merab Dvalishvili clarified he has no issues with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, whom he dislikes personally, while maintaining that fighters from Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan share healthy competition. Topuria responded by calling Tsarukyan extremely stupid and insulting him personally, claiming Tsarukyan spends his father's money rather than his own and threatening to break his jaw in the first round if they fight. Tsarukyan also discussed a potential bout with Alexander Volkanovski and outlined near-term prospects for Khamzat Chimaev. Additional notes include Demetrious Johnson predicting Chimaev's victory over Sean Strickland, Benoit Saint-Denis teasing a fight with Paddy Pimblett on social media, and Bogdan Guskov declining a bout with an unnamed opponent.