Ilia Topuria Says He Would Not Be Stripped if Moving Up to Face Islam Makhachev

Ilia Topuria stated he was disappointed with Paddy Pimblett's performance against Justin Gaethje, saying he knew Paddy was a poor fighter but didn't realize how bad. Topuria revealed that if he moves up to welterweight to fight Islam Makhachev, he would not be stripped of his lightweight title because he plans to continue defending the 155-pound belt. Jiri Prochazka discussed still being affected by his recent loss even after his child's birth, saying he was at 40-50% capacity due to injury and operating in sparring mode while waiting for the referee to stop the fight. Magomed Ankalaev, through manager Ali Abdelaziz, challenged Khalil Rountree, saying Rountree doesn't need wrestling training with Khamzat and promising a 25-minute striking masterclass. The UFC announced several matchups appealing to hardcore fans, including a difficult opponent for Cory Sandhagen.