Ilia Topuria says he won't be stripped if he moves up to fight Islam

Featherweight champion Ilia Topuria stated he was disappointed with Paddy Pimblett's performance against Renato Moicano, saying he knew Pimblett was a poor fighter but didn't realize how bad. Topuria also revealed that if he moves up to welterweight to face Islam Makhachev, he will not be stripped of his featherweight title, as he plans to continue defending at 145 pounds. Meanwhile, Jiri Prochazka admitted he cannot let go of his recent loss even after the birth of his child, claiming he was at only 40-50 percent strength due to injury and was essentially in sparring mode waiting for the referee to stop the fight. Magomed Ankalaev (through Ali Abdelaziz) called out Khalil Rountree, saying Rountree has been training wrestling with Khamzat Chimaev but won't need it, as Ankalaev wants to give him a 25-minute striking masterclass. The UFC also announced several new matchups exciting hardcore fans while complicating Cory Sandhagen's path by booking him against Merab Dvalishvili instead of Sean O'Malley.