Topuria says he would not be stripped if he moves to welterweight to fight Makhachev

Ilia Topuria expressed disappointment in Paddy Pimblett's recent performance against Gaethje, saying he knew Pimblett was a poor fighter but did not realize how bad. Topuria also revealed that if he moves up to welterweight to fight Islam Makhachev, he would not be stripped of his lightweight title, as he plans to continue defending that belt. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka said he cannot let go of his recent loss even after the birth of his child, claiming he was at 40-50 percent power due to injury and was in sparring mode waiting for the referee to stop the fight. Magomed Ankalaev (via Abdel Aziz) called out Khalil Rountree, mocking his wrestling training with Khamzat Chimaev and promising a 25-minute striking masterclass if Rountree can last that long. UFC also announced several new matchups for hardcore fans, while complicating Cory Sandhagen's life by pairing him with Bautista instead of O'Malley.