Arman Tsarukyan stated he wants Justin Gaethje to miss weight so he can fight Ilia Topuria and "throw him out of the UFC," calling it his goal. He declared he will only stop when he has at least five UFC title defenses. Merab Dvalishvili clarified he has no problems with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, saying he simply doesn't like that particular fighter, while emphasizing that Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan are all hardworking people engaged in healthy competition. Topuria, who recently updated his chest tattoo, called Tsarukyan extremely stupid and said he would break Arman's jaw in the first round if they meet, dismissing him as a child spending his father's money. Tsarukyan also discussed a possible fight with Alexander Volkanovski and outlined near-term prospects for Khamzat Chimaev. Demetrious Johnson predicted a convincing victory for Chimaev over Sean Strickland. Benoit Saint-Denis appeared to announce a fight with Paddy Pimblett by posting roast beef (a British dish) on social media. Bogdan Guskov declined a fight with Baranyevsky.
