Topuria says he won't be stripped if moving up to face Islam; Ankalaev calls out Rountree

Ilia Topuria revealed that if he moves up to welterweight to fight Islam Makhachev, he will not be stripped of his lightweight title as he plans to continue defending the 145-pound belt. Topuria also expressed disappointment in Paddy Pimblett's performance against Renato Moicano, saying he knew Pimblett was a poor fighter but didn't realize how bad. Jiri Prochazka stated he was only at 40-50% capacity during his recent fight due to injury and was fighting in sparring mode, expecting the referee to stop the bout. Magomed Ankalaev, through manager Ali Abdelaziz, called out Khalil Rountree, saying he wants to give him a 25-minute striking masterclass. The UFC also announced several new matchups including Cory Sandhagen facing Baautista instead of O'Malley.