Ilia Topuria says Islam Makachev fight won't strip him of featherweight title

Ilia Topuria stated he plans to move up to welterweight to fight Islam Makachev without being stripped of his lightweight title, as he intends to continue defending the 145-pound belt. Topuria also criticized Paddy Pimblett's performance against Gage, saying he knew Pimblett was a poor fighter but didn't realize how bad. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka revealed he cannot let go of his recent loss even after the birth of his child, claiming he was operating at only 40-50% capacity after his injury and was waiting for the referee to stop the fight. Magomed Ankalaev, through manager Abdel Aziz, called out Khalil Rountree, saying Rountree doesn't need wrestling training with Khamzat Chimaev because Ankalaev plans to give him a 25-minute striking masterclass. The UFC also announced several fights for hardcore fans while complicating Cory Sandhagen's situation by matching him with Mario Bautista instead of Sean O'Malley.