Tsarukyan wants Topuria fight, vows five title defenses; Topuria fires back harshly

Arman Tsarukyan stated he would like Diego Lopes to miss weight so he could fight Ilia Topuria and "kick him out of the UFC," calling it his goal. Tsarukyan declared he won't stop until he has at least five UFC title defenses. Merab Dvalishvili said he has no problems with Dagestani fighters except Umar Nurmagomedov, whom he simply dislikes, emphasizing that Armenia, Georgia, Chechnya, and Dagestan are all hardworking people who are friends and have healthy competition. Topuria, who recently updated his chest tattoo, responded extremely harshly to Tsarukyan, calling him "incredibly stupid," a "complete cringe" online, saying nobody needs him, claiming he spends his father's money not his own, calling him a child not on his level, and promising to break Tsarukyan's jaw in the first round if they meet in the octagon. Tsarukyan also discussed a possible fight with Alexander Volkanovski and outlined prospects for Khamzat Chimaev. Demetrious Johnson predicted a confident victory for Chimaev over Sean Strickland. Benoit Saint-Denis appeared to announce a fight with Paddy Pimblett by posting roast beef (an English dish) on social media. Bogdan Guskov declined a fight with an opponent named Baranievski.