Topuria criticizes Tsarukyan, vows not to vacate belt if moving up

Ilia Topuria expressed harsh criticism of Arman Tsarukyan, calling him unintelligent and claiming he would break his jaw in the first round if they fought. Topuria also addressed a potential move to welterweight to face Islam Makhachev, stating he would not be stripped of his featherweight title as he plans to continue defending it. The featherweight champion was disappointed with Paddy Pimblett's performance against Gaethje and admitted he knew Pimblett was limited but not to that extent. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka revealed he cannot move past his loss even after becoming a father, saying he was at 40-50% capacity due to injury and fighting in sparring mode. Magomed Ankalaev responded to Khalil Rountree's wrestling training with Chimaev by challenging him to a striking masterclass.