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Khabib Nurmagomedov has no lack of confidence in Islam Makhachev heading into the Dagestani lightweight’s title fight against Charles Oliveira later this month.

Khabib Nurmagomedov has no doubts that he’ll be seeing the UFC lightweight title once again in the near future.

Nurmagomedov retired as the UFC lightweight champion following his submission win over Justin Gaethje in October 2020. That victory came months after his father and trainer, Abdulmanap, passed away at age 57 following a battle with COVID-19. After defending the belt one last time Nurmagomedov revealed that he had told his mother his fight with Gaethje would be his last.

The ‘Eagle’ has since transitioned seamlessly in to a coaching role. And on October 22, he’ll be Octagon side to corner Islam Makhachev for his title fight against former UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira in the main event of UFC 280. Oliveira lost the belt onto the scale in May when he failed to make weight for his own scheduled title defense against Gaethje. The Brazilian won that bout via first-round submission.

Nurmagomedov recently spoke to UFC Russia about the upcoming UFC 280 matchup between his protege and ‘Do Bronx’.

“I think Islam is more skilled than Oliveira,” Nurmagomedov said in an interview with UFC Russia (transcript via MMA Junkie). “Secondly, his experience as an amateur fighter. Also, he’s at his peak. Islam is at his peak. Islam isn’t 23, 26 or 27. He’s 30. A week after the fight, he’ll be 31. It’s the best time for any athlete. It’s a time when your mental and physical state should be in synergy. Sometimes your mental state is high, but your physical state is going down.

“Or when you’re 27 and at your physical peak, but mentally you’re not there yet, because you’re just 27, not 31. And Islam is at his peak. I think Islam is better overall. Of course, there are some potential dangers that we’re working on where Islam needs to be careful. Other than that, Islam should roll over him.”

The 31-year-old Makhachev brings a 22-1 record to his matchup against Oliveira. His only loss was an October 2015 knockout setback to Adriano Martins. Makhachev has won 10 straight fights in the years since. His most recent victory was a February TKO win over Bobby Green in a 160-pound catchweight fight. Green took that bout on short notice, replacing the injured Beneil Dariush.

Only two years older than Makhachev, the 32-year-old Oliveira has a substantial edge in experience. The Chute Boxe Diego Lima athlete has a career record of 33-8 (1 NC). The ex-champ has the longest current winning streak in the UFC’s lightweight division with 11 consecutive victories. His May submission win over Gaethje was his most recent triumph. Before that, he successfully defended the UFC 155-pound title with a submission win over Dustin Poirier.

UFC 280 takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The main card streams on ESPN+ pay-per-view following prelims on ESPNEWS. If either Oliveira or Makhachev can’t make it to the Octagon on fight night, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has been tabbed to play the role of short notice replacement.

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Deontay Wilder is in talks for a boxing match with Francis Ngannou.

Deontay Wilder has revealed talks are underway for a mega-fight with Francis Ngannou after the latter previously hinted at a boxing match with WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.

Knockout artist Wilder, whose only two career losses come to undefeated champ Fury, told The Insider ahead of his Oct. 15 return that the fight would generate a lot of interest — and lots of dollars — due to both fighters’ respective styles.

Wilder is considered one of the biggest hitters in boxing while Ngannou is regarded as the most devastating puncher in mixed martial arts, landing the most powerful punch ever recorded at the UFC Performance Institute in 2017.

Wilder claims he and his manager Al Haymon have reached out to Ngannou over the proposed matchup and that the UFC heavyweight champion is most definitely interested.

“It was mentioned to me before, and Al agreed,” Wilder, who fights Robert Helenius on Saturday, said. “There’s the old saying, ‘If it makes dollars, it makes sense.’ And he agreed as well… I think that would be an intriguing fight, and it would be a fight that would bring a lot of interest.”

Ngannou is currently sidelined with a torn ACL but is expected to return to competition by early next year. The Cameroonian-born champion hopes to reach a new deal with the UFC enabling him to compete in boxing and MMA, although negotiations appear to have stalled.

Ngannou last fought at UFC 270 where he defeated ex-MMA Factory teammate Ciryl Gane to retain his heavyweight title. He is currently #5 in the UFC men’s pound-for-pound rankings.

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Volkanovski says his corners are being flown and he’s getting paid to serve as UFC 280 main event backup

It appears there is a backup fighter for the UFC 280 main event matchup between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev. However, it’s not clear who that fighter is.

About a month ago, Beneil Dariush, who is the No. 6 fighter in the official UFC lightweight rankings, told MMA Fighting that his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, told him he would serve as the backup for the Oliveira vs. Makhachev scrap. The Oliveira vs. Makhachev contest is for the vacant UFC lightweight title.

Earlier this week, UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski made an interesting claim when he said he was “locked in” as the backup for the fight.

Volkanovski’s assertion left Dariush scratching his head. Dariush, who is booked to fight Mateusz Gamrot on the UFC 280 card, said the UFC booked him on the October 22 event as a failsafe.

“That’s the whole point of having another lightweight fight on that card, just in case something goes wrong,” Dariush said. “I don’t understand what’s going on here. I’m trying to get to the bottom of it, but ultimately I have one goal and that’s Gamrot. I really thought I was the fill in. That’s what I was told.”

On Wednesday, Volkanovski said on The MMA Hour that no games were being played. The UFC 145-pound champ then offered more detail on why he feels he — and not Dariush — is the real backup plan for the UFC 280 main event.

“Maybe they did tell you you could be very early, whether this was a couple of months ago, whether his manager had that conversation saying that you will be, and he just assumed he was and hasn’t looked into it since, I don’t know,” said Volkanovski. “But my corners are being flown up. I’m getting paid for this, all that type of stuff. It’s locked in. I’m not playing any games.”

An easy way to end this back-and-forth would be for one of the fighters to produce a written and signed contract.

UFC 280 takes place on October 22. The ESPN+ streaming pay-per-view card takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

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Bellator featherweight champion Patricio Freire would like the chance to take on former UFC champ Jose Aldo whatever the arena and whatever the stakes may be.

The Bellator featherweight champion sounds like he’d do whatever he could to take on his former UFC counterpart in a sporting context. Now that Jose Aldo has oficially retired from the MMA, Patricio Freire is intrigued by the idea that his fellow countryman doesn’t seem to be entirely done with combat sports.

While Aldo is still young enough to compete, Freire tells Ag Fight he would more than welcome taking on Jose in the boxing ring. A skilled striker himself, ‘Pitbull’ pointed out how many years he has been honing his hands and thinks a match against Aldo could be interesting for both parts.

“I’m sure he’s headed to boxing, that’s obvious to me. He likes that sport a lot, he’s been training with the navy a lot,” Freire explained. “It seems like he has had some beef with (former boxing champion) Popo Freitas. I don’t know. Let’s see what happens. There’s room for everyone. He does his job, I do mine. Then, if it happens, it happens. I’ve been training boxing with the Brazilian national team for 12 years now. I like boxing, too. It’s one of the arts we use in MMA that I like to practice the most. I’m open (to face Aldo in a boxing fight). Any fight, a marbles game. I’m in.”

In his last outing, Freire (34-5) defended his title yet again—defeating Adam Borics via unanimous decision at Bellator 286. Before that, the 35-year-old also scored a unanimous decision win over A.J. McKee, in April of this year. The victory came right after a submission loss to the ‘Mercenary’ when they first met in July 2021.

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‘Triple’ C has set some lofty goals for himself ahead of his much-anticipated return. 

Henry Cejudo has the UFC bantamweight and featherweight championships on his mind ahead of his much-anticipated return to the Octagon.

The former two-division champion announced he was ending his retirement and re-entering the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) drug testing pool earlier this year. Once he completes six months of testing, Cejudo can compete again.

For his first appearance in over two years, Cejudo has set his sights on the winner of Aljamain Sterling vs. T.J. Dillashaw, the co-headliner of UFC 280 scheduled for Oct. 22 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Though he and the ‘Funk Master’ have teased a potential fight on several occasions, ‘Triple C’ revealed recently he was more inclined to accept one against Dillashaw, should he defeat Sterling.

“I’m going for T.J.,” said Cejudo during a Q&A on his YouTube channel. “In the beginning, I was going for Aljo, but I don’t think Aljamain wants to fight me. And I think there’s a bigger storyline with me and T.J. So I come back, beat the brakes off of him, go up to 145 pounds and then beat the brakes out of Alexander ‘The Average’ [Volkanovski]. That’s the plan.”

Cejudo dispatched Dillashaw in 32 seconds for his first—and only—defense of the flyweight championship at UFC Brooklyn. Shortly after his loss to Cejudo, Dillashaw tested positive for erythropoietin (EPO) and was suspended for two years. In his return, the former UFC bantamweight champion reinserted himself into contention with a split decision win over Cory Sandhagen at UFC Vegas 32 last July.

As for his featherweight aspirations, Cejudo may have to wait a while for those to materialize. Alexander Volkanovski has hinted at moving up to lightweight, and the reigning UFC featherweight champion is now one step closer to doing that after he was tapped to serve as the backup fighter for the vacant title fight between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev.

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Johnny Walker expects the traditional Brazilian chant to get under Paul Craig’s skin at UFC 283, in January.

Light heavyweight contender Johnny Walker is taking a break before he starts his next training camp. Having recently been paired up against grappler Paul Craig for a fight at the UFC 283 card, in his home country of Brazil, the 30-year-old counts on the well-known local crowd to play its part in the fight.

In an interview with Ag Fight, Walker explained he is going to start the training camp in Thailand and emphasized how mental health plays a part as important as the physical during preparation. However, when Craig enters the arena, Johnny fully expects the ‘Uh, vai morrer’ chant to intimidate the ‘Bearjew’ in Brazil.

“I’m in Thailand. I got here last Friday night. I’m going to start my camp here. A vacation and a camp. Because the weather is good, so you take advantage of that. There’s the food, too. I’m going to relax, do something different before I start the hard part of the camp. I want to go to the beach. I like Thailand because it has a good energy. It’s refreshing. It’s really good for your mental health breathe in this air. It keeps you motivated. You can’t just focus on your diet, physical therapy, your body. You also have to take care of your mind,”

“I’m always training, always giving my best,” Walker said. “I’m bringing Brazil another win at home. I count on everybody to cheer for me. Whoever is watching at the arena, you want to loudly chant ‘Uh, vai morrer’ (You’re going to die). That way my opponent will sh-t himself. I’m ready and I’ll give you another win.”

In his last outing, Walker (19-7) scored his first UFC submission victory in the UFC, when he tapped out Ion Cutelaba with a rear-naked, choke, back in September. The victory snapped a two-fight losing skid for the Brazilian, with losses to Jamahal Hill and Thiago Santos.

Now, Walker is scheduled to take on Craig at UFC 283, on January 21, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The card is expected to be headlined by a flyweight title fight between the champion Deiveson Figueiredo and former title-holder Brandon Moreno in their fourth Octagon encounter.

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There is some confusion over who is the actual backup fighter for Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev at UFC 280. 

Beneil Dariush thought he was the backup fighter for Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev at UFC 280, but it appears as though someone else got the role.

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski revealed Monday he received clearance to return to competition and was ‘locked in’ as the backup should anything happen to Oliveira or Makhachev. The ‘Great’ has campaigned for the opportunity to become a two-division champion, so the revelation was unsurprising. However, it was surprising to Dariush, who was supposed to fill in, especially since he fights Mateusz Gamrot in a potential No. 1 contender on the very same pay-per-view event.

Dariush told Damon Martin of MMA Fighting this past September that his manager Ali Abdelaziz let him know if something went wrong, ‘they would put me in’ to compete for the vacant UFC lightweight championship. So when he heard the claim by Volkanovski, the No. 6 lightweight was perplexed.

“Honestly, I’m confused,” said Dariush on Sirius XM. “I’m not sure if he’s playing games or the UFC is playing games, because I was told I’m the fill-in.

“That’s the whole point of having another lightweight fight on that card, just in case something goes wrong,” continued Dariush. “I don’t understand what’s going on here. I’m trying to get to the bottom of it, but ultimately I have one goal and that’s Gamrot. I really thought I was the fill in. That’s what I was told.”

Though not included in his contract, Dariush believed his role as backup was all but confirmed considering the inclusion of his fight against Gamrot on the line-up.

“My manager said they were putting me on the card [on the] same day because if not, why come all the way to Abu Dhabi, you know? Him and I could headline a card and then we can fight somewhere else. But the reason why they brought us here [is] just in case something goes wrong, I would jump in and fill in for the main event.”

A win over Gamrot would not only see Dariush extend his win streak to eight, but it could also secure a title shot against the winner of Oliveira vs. Makhachev in the near future.

UFC 280 is set for Sat., Oct. 22, at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.

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The former Chute Boxe talent and longtime Kings MMA captain has big plans for one of his star pupils heading into Abu Dhabi on October 22nd.

Kings MMA head coach Rafael Cordeiro sees a bright future for one of his most promising lightweight fighters. While Beneil Dariush prepares to take on Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280, his trainer believes an impressive win could finally move them closer to a title shot.

In an interview with Combate, Cordeiro called the pairing an opportunity for Dariush to shine on the main card of highly-touted event. The way Cordeiro sees it, the Gamrot match could finally be the chance they’ve been waiting for to show that Dariush is ready to make his claim for UFC gold.

“I think this is a great opportunity for him to show his worth against an excellent opponent. Benny has been training hard for a long time and waiting for the opportunity to face someone that would lead him to a title shot. We’re taking it one fight at a time, but we’re keeping our eyes on the prize. Our job is to fight whoever they put in front of us,”

“Benny has something that keeps him training all year round.” Cordeiro said. “He’s always helping other fighters and by doing that, he’s always developing his own technique and cardio. That makes a big difference these days.”

Unfortunately for Dariush’s title hopes, however, featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski recently revealed that not only is he the official backup for the UFC 280 main event, but even if he doesn’t get an opportunity to sub in for that fight, he expects to be next in line for a shot at lightweight gold.

Currently on a seven-fight winning streak, Dariush (21-4-1) defeated Tony Ferguson in his last outing, back in May 2021, via unanimous decision. During his streak, the 33-year-old also defeated other notable names, such as Carlos Diego Ferreira, Drew Dober and Scott Holtzman. His latest loss took place in March 2018, when he got knocked out by Alexander Hernandez.

Dariush is expected to face Gamrot on the PPV portion of UFC 280, in Abu Dhabi, on October 22. The card is scheduled to be headlined by a bout for the vacant lightweight title, between former champion Charles Oliveira and contender Islam Makhachev.

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The American MMA fighter turned Russian propagandist admitted he hopes to avoid being drafted in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

After spending the last few months working on a propaganda documentary promoting Russia’s war in Ukraine, Jeff Monson admitted he would rather not be sent to the frontlines.

Speaking to Russian news source Metaratings, the former UFC title challenger revealed that he does not want to get called up as part of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s recent conscription drive.

“I hope I don’t get drafted,” Monson said. “I think everyone hopes that he will not be called up. I want Russia to win this confrontation as quickly as possible.”

Monson, who was granted Russian citizenship by Putin in 2018, has long been a useful propaganda tool for the Kremlin and its occupied states in eastern Ukraine. When widespread protests took place across Russia in 2017, Russian state television opted to distract viewers from potential dissent by shifting the focus to a combat sports gym in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine where Monson hosted an MMA masterclass to a group of small children while lamenting on how the people of Luhansk were the “victims of the government of Ukraine.”

In the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Monson has continued to regurgitate Kremlin disinformation regarding Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine. In April, the All-Russia People’s Front—a political coalition started by Russian President Vladimir Putin—posted several videos featuring Monson parroting Kremlin talking points. These included claims that Russia was not interested in occupying Ukraine and that its only intention was to rid the country of fascism. Then in September, Monson announced that he was working on a documentary about the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine, which was recently annexed by the Russian Federation.

Despite admitting his hopes to avoid being conscripted, Monson added that he would be willing to fight to defend his “home.”

“I love this country. It has done a lot for me,” Monson said. “This is my home, the home of my children, my wife. If we all live here and say: “No”, then who will protect the country? But if they call me, I will go.”

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Longtime UFC veteran Aleksei Oleinik is no longer listed on the promotion’s roster.

It seemed like it would never happen, but we all knew that at some point it would have to. UFC Roster Watch has reported that the seemingly eternal Aleksei Oleinik is no longer listed on the UFC roster, after completing his contract.

The 45-year-old Oleinik has a legendary record of 60-17-1, and has spent the last eight years under the UFC banner. In the world’s premiere MMA league, Aleksei went 9-8 including a 1-1 stint in the 2022 calendar year. “The Boa Constrictor” submitted Jared Vanderaa with a scarf hold at UFC 273 in April of this year, and then just dropped a decision to Ilir Latifi at UFC Vegas 61 at the beginning of this month. Zooming out just a bit, you will see that Oleinik has only won one out of his last five fights.

Oleinik has been the ultimate I.Q. test for the heavyweight division. He lures people into grappling exchanges that have often resulted in him snagging sneaky submissions from unorthodox positions. His neck crank and no-gi Ezekiel chokes have been his go to maneuvers, and although his foes knew it was coming, they couldn’t help but fall into a trap.

Over the years, Aleksei posted up submission wins over guys like Mark Hunt, Mirko Cro Cop, Jeff Monson, and Travis Browne. He even has a victory over fellow grappling guru Fabrício Werdum.

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