Arman Tsarukyan stated he wants Justin Gaethje to withdraw so he can fight Ilia Topuria and "kick him out of the UFC," calling it his goal. Tsarukyan also declared he will only stop once he has at least five UFC title defenses. Merab Dvalishvili said he has no problems with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, whom he dislikes, while emphasizing healthy competition between Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan. Topuria, who recently updated his chest tattoo, launched a harsh verbal attack on Tsarukyan, calling him "stupid" and "cringe," claiming Tsarukyan spends his father's money and threatening to break his jaw in the first round. Tsarukyan discussed a possible fight with Volkanovski and outlined near-term prospects for Chimaev. Demetrious Johnson predicted a confident win for Chimaev over O'Malley. Benoit Saint-Denis appeared to announce a fight with Pimblett by posting roast beef (an English dish) on social media. Bogdan Guskov declined a fight with Baranyevski.
