Ilia Topuria stated 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 Paddy Pimblett's performance against Gage, saying he knew Pimblett was a poor fighter but didn't realize the extent. Jiří Procházka revealed he can't let go of his recent loss even after his child's birth, claiming he was at 40-50% power due to injury and fought in sparring mode while waiting for the referee to stop the fight. Magomed Ankalaev, through his manager Abdel Aziz, challenged Khalil Rountree, saying Rountree doesn't need wrestling training with Chimaev because Ankalaev plans to deliver a 25-minute striking masterclass. The UFC announced several compelling matchups for hardcore fans, including pairing Cory Sandhagen with Merab Dvalishvili instead of Sean O'Malley.
