Topuria says he won't be stripped at 145 if he moves up to face Makhachev

Ilia Topuria revealed 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. Topuria also expressed disappointment in how Paddy Pimblett performed against Gage, stating he knew Pimblett was a poor fighter but didn't realize how bad. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka said he cannot let go of his recent loss even after the birth of his child, claiming he was only at 40-50% power after his injury and was essentially sparring, waiting for the referee to stop the fight. Magomed Ankalaev, through his manager Abdelaziz, called out Khalil Rountree, saying he wants to give him a 25-minute striking masterclass if Rountree can last that long, mocking his wrestling training with Khamzat Chimaev. The UFC also announced several exciting matchups for hardcore fans and scheduled a tough fight for Cory Sandhagen against Bautista instead of O'Malley.