Topuria disappointed in Pimblett, claims no lightweight belt stripped for move up

Ilia Topuria expressed disappointment in Paddy Pimblett's performance against Gage, stating he knew Pimblett was a poor fighter but didn't realize the extent. Topuria also clarified that if he moves up to welterweight to fight Islam Makhachev, he will not be stripped of his lightweight title, as he plans to continue defending the 155-pound belt. Jiri Prochazka discussed being haunted by his recent loss even after his child's birth, saying he was at 40-50% capacity due to injury and expected 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 only wants to give him a 25-minute striking masterclass. The UFC announced several matchups for hardcore fans, including Cory Sandhagen vs. Merab Dvalishvili instead of Sean O'Malley.