Topuria criticizes Pimblett, confirms lightweight title defense plans if moving up

Ilia Topuria expressed disappointment with Paddy Pimblett's recent performance against Gage, saying he knew Pimblett was weak but didn't realize the extent. Topuria clarified that if he moves up to welterweight to fight Islam Makhachev, he will not be stripped of his lightweight title because he plans to continue defending the 145-pound belt. Jiri Prochazka discussed his loss, claiming he was at only 40-50% capacity after an injury and was fighting in sparring mode, waiting for the referee to stop the bout. Magomed Ankalaev, through Abdel Aziz, challenged Khalil Rountree to a striking masterclass, noting Rountree's wrestling training with Chimaev won't be needed. The UFC announced several fights appealing to hardcore fans, including a challenging matchup for Cory Sandhagen against Batista instead of O'Malley.