Calvin Kattar is strongly favored over Josh Emmett in the UFC Austin main event | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Check out the betting odds for tonight’s UFC Austin card, where Calvin Kattar is strongly favored over Josh Emmett in the main event.
Texas’ Moody Center will be the setting for tonight’s UFC Austin event, which has the promotion’s #4 rated featherweight, Calvin Kattar, mixing it up with the #7 rated, Josh Emmett. The prelims are scheduled to kick off at 4:00 PM ET, with the main card getting underway at 7:00 PM ET. Now, let’s look at some betting odds.
Kattar is clocking in as a -240 betting favorite here, with a successful $ 100 wager at that line paying out a total of $ 141.67. As for Emmett, he is currently rocking an underdog tag of +200, with a $ 100 bet on him standing to see a total return of $ 300.
What’s interesting is that the bookies are a bit torn over whether or not the main event will be lasting all five rounds. The prop bet ‘Fight goes to decision’ is positioned with a favored line of -135, while the ‘Fight doesn’t go to decision’ selection ranges from -120 up to +100 — depending on where you look. This is why shopping around is highly recommended.
Will this match end early, though? Both fighters have had 10 UFC appearances, respectively, and both Kattar and Emmett have gone the distance in six of those outings. So historically speaking, Calvin and Josh are each involved in a UFC finish 40% of the time. It should be noted that Kattar has endured three five-round bouts, while Emmett has yet to see five-full UFC frames.
Another factor to consider is how hard to kill these top 145-pounders are. Emmett has only been stopped once in his career, and that was at the hands (and elbows) of Jeremy Stephens back at UFC on FOX 28 in 2018. Kattar has also only been finished one time, and that was by a James Jones RNC at EliteXC: Primetime way back in 2008. Outside of those two instances, the toughness of Josh and Calvin has been top notch. All things considered, it does seem like this particular pairing will see 25-minutes.
Check out the UFC Austin betting odds, courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook: (Note: Donald Cerrone vs. Joe Lauzon has been cancelled)
For an in-depth breakdown of each UFC Austin matchup, check out The MMA Vivisection Podcasts. Be sure to subscribe to our SoundCloud Channel and YouTube channel to stay up to date with all of our live video content. Stay glued to Bloody Elbow for all of your event coverage including play-by-play, results, highlights, and more! Happy hunting!
Mike Tyson says he’s open to fighting Jake Paul this year.
Mike Tyson returned in 2020 for a bout with fellow boxing legend Roy Jones Jr and looked surprisingly good for his advanced age. A follow up fight seemed unlikely, with Tyson saying last February that it isn’t fun anymore because he kept on dealing with issues in training.
A few months later, and he now seems to be more open to the idea. In an appearance with Jimmy Kimmel, Tyson was asked about Jake Paul’s call out.
“That could be very interesting,” Tyson said about a potential Jake Paul bout. “I never really took it serious, but yeah it could be really interesting.
“Everything is possible, yeah,” he said. “But it gotta happen this year. It gotta happen this year.”
Tyson also gave Paul props, saying there’s nothing to hate on the YouTuber as he’s been helping the sport of boxing tap into a different audience.
“He’s skilled enough, yes,” Tyson said about Paul. “I’m gonna give it to him. He’s skilled enough because he’s winning. Even if he’s fighting guys that you guys don’t believe is a good enough fighter, they should be able to beat him, but they can’t. He’s beating people that he shouldn’t really be beating. We got to give him that credit.
“And he’s doing so much good for boxing. Listen, this guy got 70 million people following him every time he fights. Champions of the world don’t have that many people following them. So what he’s doing for boxing is just sensational. No one should be hating on that, he’s helping everyone get money. Why are people mad at him?”
The former heavyweight champion will turn 56 this month, while the the 5-0 Paul is less than half his age at 25.
Tyson was previously linked to a big money fight against Jake’s brother Logan Paul, but the bout didn’t push through with Tyson citing training issues along with a legal dispute with Triller.
UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. | Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images
The next UFC bantamweight title fight isn’t a done deal just yet.
While there is much anticipation and excitement for the reported men’s bantamweight title fight between champion Aljamain Sterling and former champion T.J. Dillashaw, there’s still one issue to settle before we see this fight happen.
On his official YouTube channel, Sterling revealed that he hasn’t signed the bout agreement yet. The sticking point? His pay. More specifically, the lack of an increase in his fight purse for what will be this second title defense.
“There’s no fight until there’s ink on paper, and as of right now, my contract is exactly the same,” Sterling said (via MMA Junkie).
Sterling recently revealed that his purse for his UFC 273 win over Petr Yan was $ 400,000, in response to Michael Chandler’s comments on fighter pay and the UFC’s revenue split with fighters. He’s been quite vocal on the topic of fighter pay for years, whether for himself or the UFC roster. In this instance, the focus is on not having a pay escalator in his contract for the Dillashaw bout.
“Usually, when it’s not a title fight, when you win a fight, there’s an escalator,” Sterling said. “There has been no escalator in this fight. I’d like to think that I played my part, did the right things and even allowed myself to be the bad guy in the last outing with Petr Yan, and help play up the storyline.
“So one would think that being a company man will actually help you in the long run. So I did my job. As of right now, I’m training, hoping that we come to some type of agreement to give some type of pay bump – which naturally happens in all the contracts.”
If Sterling vs. Dillashaw does get signed, it would be slated for September 10th at UFC 279 in a location TBD. In the meantime, Sterling is looking to secure the bag after his triumph over Yan.
Artur Beterbiev (L) and Joe Smith Jr (R) pose during the weigh in ahead of the WBC,IBF and WBO light heavyweight Championship fight, at The Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden on June 17, 2022 in New York City. | Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank Inc via Getty Images
The WBC, WBO, and IBF light heavyweight titles will be on the line Saturday night.
We’ve got a title fight!
Undefeated WBC and IBF light heavyweight champion Artur Beterbiev (!7-0, 17 KOs) and WBO champion Joe Smith Jr (28-3, 22 KOs) were both either at or under the 175 lbs limit for Saturday night’s title unification matchup in Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater. Beterbiev came in at 175 lbs on the nose, whereas New York’s Smith Jr was slightly under at 174.6 lbs.
No drama, no need for a lot of histrionics, just a fight that figures to be all-action and unlikely to go the distance. There weren’t any weight issues on the undercard either, so we’re all set for Saturday!
Watch the video at the top of the page.
Full weigh-in results below:
Main Card (ESPN/ESPN+ at 10 PM ET)
Artur Beterbiev (175) vs. Joe Smith Jr (174.6)
Robeisy Ramirez (125.8) vs. Abraham Nova (125.4)
Preliminary Card (ESPN+ at 6:30 PM ET)
Bruce Carrington (127.4) vs. Adrian Leyva (127.4)
Jahi Tucker (147.8) vs. D’Andre Smith (147.6)
Floyd Diaz (121.6) vs. Daniil Platonovschi (122)
Troy Isley (158.6) vs. Donte Stubbs (161.6)
Wendy Toussaint (152.2) vs. Asinia Byfield (152.8)
Cory Sandhagen at UFC 267 weigh-ins. | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
The UFC is churning out some stellar fights in the bantamweight division.
Cory Sandhagen is nearing a return to the Octagon.
Marcel Dorff of Eurosport Nederland has reported a fight between Sandhagen and Song Yadong is being targeted as the headliner for an upcoming UFC Fight Night in September. The location and venue have not been determined yet.
On a two-fight losing streak, the ’Sandman’ has not fought since losing a unanimous decision to Petr Yan for the interim UFC bantamweight championship at UFC 267 last October. Sandhagen also lost a razor-thin split decision to T.J. Dillashaw at UFC Vegas 32 this past July. Prior to those losses, he earned ‘Performance of the Night’ awarded finishes of Marlon Moraes and Frankie Edgar, the latter being a 28-second flying knee knockout.
The No. 4 ranked contender began his UFC career on a 5-0 run that included wins against notable names such as Iuri Alcântara, John Lineker and Raphael Assunção. His first defeat in the UFC came against current champion Aljamain Sterling at UFC 250 over two years ago.
Yadong has won three consecutive fights, a split decision over Casey Kenney at UFC 265 and two knockouts of Julio Arce and the aforementioned Moraes at UFC Vegas 42 and UFC Vegas 50, respectively. The Team Alpha Male product currently occupies the No. 9 spot in the rankings. A win over Sandhagen could see him skyrocket to the top five of the bantamweight division.
The UFC Fight Night does not have an official headliner. With the addition of Sandhagen vs. Yadong, the event now has five confirmed fights. The line-up is as follows:
Cory Sandhagen vs. Song Yadong
Andre Fili vs. Lando Vannata
Trevin Giles vs. Louis Cosce
Nikolas Motta vs. Cameron VanCamp
Trey Ogden vs. Daniel Zellhuber
Stay tuned to Bloody Elbow for more updates on the event in the coming weeks.
Josh Emmett punching Dan Ige at UFC 269 | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Get the dirt on the main card of UFC Austin, topped by a pivotal featherweight contest featuring brutal KO artist Josh Emmett looking to put away the durable and dangerous Calvin Kattar.
I’ve heard a lot of people singing high praise for the main card of UFC Austin. While I think it’s a good card with a main event of Calvin Kattar and Josh Emmett that seems very likely to deliver the goods, I’m of the opinion it’s getting a bit more praise than it deserves.
Maybe there’s some recency bias coming from me given UFC 275 delivered in just about every way imaginable, but I fear there’s some fights on the main card that could be major duds. Perhaps most exemplary is the co-main event between Donald Cerrone. Once upon a time, this is a fight fans would have salivated over. Now, there’s a great fear of fans developing a sad feeling at the end of the fight. Don’t get me wrong, if they’re going to continue to fight, I like the idea of them facing someone else as over-the-hill as they are. But it doesn’t make it any easier to see beloved favorites perform at levels that are a shell of their former selves. Here’s hoping they can both deliver one more time.
For the prelims preview, click here. For an audio preview, click here.
Calvin Kattar vs. Josh Emmett, Featherweight
Kattar is a perfect example of how much mental acuity counts for in the fighting game. Kattar has never been a special athlete. Nor does he possess heart-stopping power. Sure, he does have a long and lanky frame that he knows how to use to great extent, but it’s rare for someone who relies on being tall to climb to the heights Kattar has. It takes a high level of craft to use it as well as Kattar does. Perhaps most indicative is how Kattar endured an all-time beatdown at the hands of Max Holloway – going all five rounds in the process – and rebounded to give Giga Chikadze a hell of a beatdown himself. That takes a very strong mind to come back in that manner.
There isn’t an area that could be qualified as a major weakness for Kattar either. If an opponent gives him the opening, he can hit a takedown. Once the fight hits the mat, Kattar is about as fundamentally sound as it gets. Granted, Kattar hasn’t secured a submission win since 2009, but he’s always been more focused on position over submission and pounding out his opponents once the desired position is achieved. Good luck doing the same to him. If one were forced to identify a weakness on him, I suppose it would be his striking defense. After all, it’s hard to believe someone would absorb 445 significant strikes in a contest if they’re defensively sound, right?
Two things there: one doesn’t land that many strikes unless they are a truly special fighter. Holloway is. Secondly, Kattar was forced to open himself up in hopes of outdueling Holloway. He wasn’t going to win sitting on the outside trying to avoid Holloway’s offense. That isn’t to say Kattar is a defensive savant, but it would be incorrect to say it’s a gaping hole in his armor. Regardless, the question is whether it is porous enough for Emmett to make a clean connection to Kattar’s jaw with his fist.
That feels like the only way Emmett is going to win this. The longtime Team Alpha Male product does pack an exceptional amount of power in his fists – perhaps more than anyone else at featherweight – and has made noticeable leaps in his timing and technique since entering the UFC. In other words, he’s never truly out of a fight with the type of power he has. In one of the craziest statistics I can think of, Emmett has secured a knockdown in all seven of his fights at featherweight. We’re not talking about heavyweight; this is talking about guys cutting down to 145. That’s freaking nuts.
However, as Emmett has climbed the rankings, he has become more one-dimensional. Sure, he has gone the distance and won in his last two fights, but he was also outstruck in significant strikes in each contest. Not by much in either case, but he was reliant on his very noticeable power being the difference in the eyes of the judges. It used to be that he could fall back on his credentialed wrestling. The problem is he has barely utilized it since moving to featherweight. Emmett may not be tall, but he is THICK. I’m sure the weight cut for him is brutal. Given that he has faded down the stretch of his three round fights in which he barely utilizes traditional wrestling, it seems foolish to believe he might look to do that in a five-round contest, especially given Kattar tends build momentum as the fight goes.
Another phase that I feel is getting overlooked is the tendency of Emmett’s body to break down. The 37-year-old has had several long stretches between fights. Granted, he has shown the ability to tough it out and win as he did when his knee gave out against Shane Burgos. But fighters overcoming a severe injury in the course of a fight to win is the exception, not the rule.
Emmett only has one avenue to victory. Don’t get me wrong, that is a very wide avenue. But there are multiple paths to victory for Kattar. While Kattar doesn’t come to mind when talking about the heaviest-handed 145ers, it’s not like he’s lacking in that department. Just ask Jeremy Stephens. I could even see Kattar securing a GnP stoppage. Sure, Emmett has been traditionally tough to take down. But it comes back to the five rounds again. If Kattar operates at his typical high pace, it wouldn’t be shocking to see Emmett fade down the stretch, Kattar securing the available takedown, and pounding him out. After all, Kattar’s GnP may be the most underrated part of his game. A bet on Emmett to win via KO isn’t crazy, but any other bet on him would be unlikely to cash. Kattar’s volume and stamina should give him the victory. Kattar via TKO of RD5
Throughout his UFC run, the book on Joe Lauzon never changed much, if it changed at all. One of the craftiest submission artists on the roster when he was in his prime, Lauzon made a habit of blitzing his opponents early, utilizing his controlled chaos to catch them off-guard. Given he himself is a limited athlete, it only worked to a certain point, but it sure as hell helped him win several fights he probably shouldn’t have. Nevertheless, after all the brutal battles he put his body through, the wear and tear began to catch up to him and he struggled to put away opponents he once would have walked over. It wasn’t just a loss in physical skills; it was declining durability. Lauzon did prove he was as good once as he ever was in winning his last fight, but that was back in 2019. Can he do the same to Donald Cerrone? Most would say the odds appear to be pretty good as Cerrone has always been a slow starter. Cerrone’s busy fight schedule appears to be getting the better of him as well, slowing considerably after a long career of taking as many fights as the UFC would give him. Cerrone’s chin doesn’t appear to be what it once was, but has it sunk to the level that Lauzon’s did? We won’t find out until fight time. If Cerrone can survive the inevitable early onslaught from Lauzon, the fight should be his. Being the larger fighter and far superior striker should make it easy for him to pick off a fading Lauzon. However, that’s a big if, especially given the fight is taking place at lightweight. There’s no guarantee Cerrone can make the weight comfortably as he edges up on his 40th birthday. There’s even more reason to worry given the day of cancellation of their fight. It very well may have been a case of food poisoning that sidelined Cerrone. That also could have been a cover…. Lauzon via submission of RD1
I don’t know how Tim Means continues to win. Despite being 38, having spent several years in prison, and abusing his body with drugs before his fighting career took off, Means enters his contest with Kevin Holland on a three-fight win streak. Means is still most dangerous in the clinch, throwing slicing elbows and leveraging his knees into his opponent’s body. However, despite his recent success, it can’t be denied that his durability isn’t what it once was, meaning he can’t take the regular damage that would occur as he looked to cover the ground to get into the clinch. Means has adapted by staying on the outside with greater regularity and sharpening his jab. That’ll be a tough route with the incredibly lanky Holland. Possessing a long reach when he made his bones at middleweight, Holland’s 81” reach at welterweight is utterly insane. If given enough time to get a feel for his opponent’s movement and timing, Holland can land with pinpoint accuracy. What has always been the Achilles heel of Holland is his wrestling, but Means doesn’t have the pedigree or size that has troubled Holland in the past. Throw in Holland’s impressive durability and overall edge in athleticism and it’s hard to see how the experienced Means extends his win streak, even if he has defied the odds several times in his career. Holland via TKO of RD2
Ever since his all-time great KO of Impa Kasanganay a few years ago, the UFC has been giving Joaquin Buckley every opportunity to develop into a star, pitting him against fellow strikers in hopes of bringing out the best of him. It looks like they might be running out of patience with him as the organization is pitting him against the first notable wrestler in his UFC run in Albert Duraev. Then again, Duraev’s wrestling disappointed in his UFC debut, securing a single takedown despite a plethora of attempts. It nearly cost him too, as Roman Kopylov came thisclose to putting him away on the feet. Duraev does have power, but it’s hard to believe his wide swinging ways wouldn’t be exposed by the explosive and more direct Buckley. However, Buckley struggled to stay upright against Abdul Razak Alhassan. If Alhassan can take Buckley down, it’s impossible to believe Duraev wouldn’t be able to do the same. I get the feeling Duraev can end the contest too if he gets the appropriate positioning on the mat. The question is whether it’s via GnP or a submission. Duraev via submission of RD1
The consensus is both Damir Ismagulov and Guram Kutateladze are talented enough to enter the official UFC rankings someday. Hell, if their dominoes had fallen in a different way, it wouldn’t be a shock if they were there now. Ismagulov hasn’t gotten much of a shine due to his penchant for playing it safe. I’m not faulting him; he only has one career loss on his ledger. However, it has prevented him from building up much of a highlight reel, which makes it hard for the UFC to want to push him, much less actually make the issue to push him. Due to that, I get the feeling they’re silently rooting for Kutateladze to pull this one out. The native of Georgia employs an unorthodox style heavy on kicks that is difficult to prepare for. Just ask the studious Mateusz Gamrot. What Gamrot was most unprepared for was the tricky ground game employed by Kutateladze, his active guard making it difficult to capitalize on his spotty takedown defense, clambering back to his feet quickly to prevent the typically smothering Gamrot from exercising much control. Of course, Gamrot is much smaller than Ismagulov, meaning Kutateladze may not be able to find the same success against the native of Kazakhstan. If I didn’t have the concerns about Ismagulov’s ability to make weight – his last contest was cancelled due to him missing weight by eight pounds – I’d be confident in picking him. Instead, I don’t feel like I can count on him to be in fighting shape. It’s not like cutting weight gets easier as one gets older. Kutateladze via decision
Julian Marquez is fortunate to have a granite chin. The heavy-handed brawler pays little attention to his opponent’s return fire, relying heavily on his impressive durability to carry him through the day. It’s worked out well for him so far, falling back on his impressive strength to produce an impressive squeeze in his chokes. However, at some point, Marquez’s defensive deficiencies and subpar athleticism is going to have him pay a price beyond just losing a fight; he’s going to end up going to sleep at some point. Is Gregory Rodrigues going to be the one to do the honors? There’s no doubt the lanky Brazilian has the skill set to do so. The Brazilian has proven himself to be in possession of plus power himself, not to mention a grappling pedigree that tends to get overlooked due to his preference for throwing fisticuffs. Given Marquez’s question marks extend to his abilities to stop takedowns, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Rodrigues return to his grounded roots and completely forget about trying to crack Marquez’s chin. Given Rodrigues’ chin doesn’t have the reputation of Marquez’s, spamming takedowns might be the wise thing for him to do. Unfortunately, I don’t trust Rodrigues will do that, leaving a fair amount of doubt in my pick. I’m still going with Rodrigues as he has the deeper toolbox, but that isn’t always the difference maker at the end of the day. Rodrigues via decision
Jon Jones is inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame at MGM Park Arena on Sept. 23, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. | Photo by Louis Grasse/PxImages
“I think that thing gets passed around like a doobie at a Snoop Dogg concert.”
Brendan Schaub was impressed with Jiri Prochazka’s performance against Glover Teixeira, but he isn’t convinced the newly-crowned light heavyweight champion will hold onto the title for long.
Speaking on a recent episode of his podcast, The Schaub Show, Schaub hailed Jon Jones a once-in-a-lifetime athlete whose reign as light heavyweight champion will never be equaled in the UFC.
Schaub commented that he expects the light heavyweight belt to get passed around “like a doobie at a Snoop Dogg concert” unless a new contender emerges and takes the division by storm.
“I think [the UFC light heavyweight belt] gets circulated just non-stop,” Schaub said (h/t Sportskeeda). “I think that thing gets passed around like a doobie at a Snoop Dogg concert; just here you go, here you go, here you go, here you go.”
“I think you’re going to get multiple world champions in the next two years and when I look at the division, you know, unless there’s some freak that comes along soon that we haven’t heard of, you’re not getting another Jon Jones in this lifetime; a guy who’s just absolutely dominant.”
Prochazka claimed the light heavyweight title this past weekend at UFC 275 where he submitted Teixeira in the fifth round to become the first Czech Republican champion in UFC history. The 29-year-old is on a thirteen-fight winning streak and 3-0 in the UFC since making his promotional debut in 2020.
Gilbert Burns attends the UFC 273 pre-fight press conference ahead of his welterweight bout with Khamzat Chimaev. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
“I can sign the contract — no takedowns. Let’s just do it. I’m looking forward to it.”
Gilbert Burns is so confident in his striking ability that he is willing to fight Jorge Masvidal with a no takedowns clause included in the contract.
Burns is coming off a Fight of the Year candidate against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 273 and is looking to put on another exciting show for the fans in his next outing.
That’s why the Brazilian thinks it makes sense to fight Masvidal, the UFC ‘BMF’ champion, next.
“For me, what would make sense for me, is Jorge Masvidal,” Burns, who is looking to bounce back from his decision loss to Chimaev, told MMA Fighting in a recent interview. “Like I said multiple times, the guy’s got over 50 fights. Crazy knockouts. Remember the Ben Askren one, remember the Darren Till one. The guy just beat Nate Diaz. That’s the fight that I want.
“He’s coming from two losses, but that’s to Kamaru Usman, the pound-for-pound champion, and Colby Covington, No. 1 [ranked welterweight]. That’s the fight that I want. It’s the fight that makes sense. That’s the one that’s going to get me going, motivate me, and I still believe I can beat the guy. That’s the fight that I want next, Jorge Masvidal.
“He already showed a lot of interest in it, too. I think the UFC showed interest. I think that’s next. Just got to see when and I think we’re going to put on a hell of a show for everybody. I’m going to try to beat him up, he’s going to try to do the same, it’s going to be a crazy one.”
Burns explained why he would be willing to fight Masvidal in a striking battle despite possessing a clear advantage over ‘Gamebred’ on the ground.
“I can sign the contract — no takedowns,” Burns said. “Let’s just do it. I’m looking forward to it. I’m looking forward to putting on a show. Another crazy fight and another crazy finish and I do believe I can strike with Jorge Masvidal.
“Once again, I’ve got a lot of respect for the guy. I think he’s very tough, he’s one of the BMF’s, over 50 fights, but I still believe I can knock him out.”
Burns engaging in a stand-up war with an ex-street fighter like Masvidal might be a dangerous tactic on paper but ‘Durinho’ wants nothing more than to continue entertaining the fans and building his reputation as a BMF.
“To be honest, to be who I am, I want a little bit more juice I got from the last fight,” Burns admitted. “A lot of love and support from the fans and I kind of fell in love with that. I always want to fight like that. I told my coach a couple times, I want to fight like [Michael] Chandler, like Justin Gaethje, I want to fight like that. I love the way it was the last time.
“For sure, I want the win but I like the love and the support from the community. I want that back. I want to fight with Masvidal and I want to go to war with him. I’m not looking for an easy fight. I felt both medicines. I felt holding down ‘Wonderboy’ [Stephen Thompson] and getting all the hate with the win and losing to Khamzat, having that war and getting all the love. I want that back. I want a war with Jorge Masvidal. He wants it, I want it, why not? Especially if they come to South Florida? That’s sold out right there. All the Brazilians against the Cubans, it’s going to be a crazy one.”
Don’t be too surprised if the UFC officially announces this matchup (with takedowns included) in the next few weeks.
Zabit Magomedsharipov during weigh-ins for UFC on ESPN+ 21. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
The former UFC featherweight contender has given his reasons for retiring from active competition.
Zabit Magomedsharipov has explained his decision to retire from mixed martial arts competition.
The former UFC featherweight contender recently notified the promotion of his retirement, ending his professional career at 18-1 overall. Magomedsharipov won all six of his UFC fights, with his most recent one being a unanimous decision against Calvin Kattar in a ‘Fight of the Night’ awarded appearance at UFC on ESPN+ 21 over two years ago.
Plagued by serious health issues and canceled fights, Magomedsharipov has not fought since his win over Kattar. Though he was said to resume training again in anticipation of a return, the 31-year-old revealed on social media that the aforementioned reasons were why he decided against it.
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A post shared by Zabit (@zabit_magomedsharipov)
“Assalamu alaikum friends! I know that many of you were waiting for my return, there was not a single day that someone did not ask when is my next fight was,” wrote Magomedsharipov on Instagram. “But I decided to end my pro sports career.
“Disruptions of fights, then health problems — all this did not allow me to perform/fight earlier,” continued Magomedsharipov. “I have recovered now, but I don’t feel the way I used to. Thank you to everyone who has supported me for such a long time. I didn’t have time to become a champion, but I think, even without this, I hope I was able to please/entertain you. I cease to be an active athlete, but I do not leave the sport. I have something and with whom to share my knowledge. So don’t say goodbye, friends!”
Magomedsharipov has already hinted at his post-fight career as a doctor. The former Absolute Championship Berkut (ACB) featherweight champion shared a photo of himself in a Doctors of the World office this past April.
Given his suggestion that he would still be involved in the sport, Magomedsharipov may be seen cornering his younger brother, Khasan, who fights under the Bellator MMA banner.
Nate Diaz taunts Leon Edwards after rocking him with a left hand at UFC 263. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Leon Edwards talks about that one moment in the fifth round when he was rocked by a left hand from Nate Diaz.
Leon Edwards had a clear upper hand on Nate Diaz when they fought each other at UFC 263 last June. But there was one moment around the final minute of the fight when “Rocky” was put on wobbly legs by a Stockton one-two.
️ ️ ️ pic.twitter.com/pymiXOux4F
— Milan Ordoñez (@Mr_Ordonez) June 13, 2021
Edwards appeared to be on the brink of defeat, had Diaz decided to finish him off instead of pausing to taunt him a bit. But as the streaking welterweight explained in a recent episode of the Blockparty podcast, boredom may have also played a role in that slight tide change.
“24 minutes of schooling him, it was so easy I got bored while I was fighting him,” (quotes via MMA Mania). “Otherwise, let’s say if it was the first or second round, it never would have landed.
“The reason why it didn’t land is because I was alert and sharp. I thought ‘okay, this fight’s kinda easy, it’s last-minute,’ but then he caught that shot. It’s something I’m working on now with my coaches, to stay sharp all the way through.”
Edwards will finally get his due title shot when he faces reigning champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 278 on August 20th.
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