Diyar Nurgozhay and Bartosz Szewczyk | Jeff Bottari, Zuffa LLC
MMA Fighting has DWCS Season 8: Week 8 results for all the action from season eight, week eight of UFC’s Contender Series on Tuesday night at UFC APEX in Las Vegas.
In the main event, undefeated light heavyweight Diyar Nurgozhay (9-0) fights Polish standout Bartosz Szewczyk (8-2-1). Nurgozhay most recently fought for UAE Warriors this past May, when he defeated 2019 PFL champion Emiliano Sordi via first-round TKO.
Szewczyk has primarily competed for Poland’s Fight Exclusive Night promotion, where he won a light heavyweight title this past February.
In the penultimate bout of the evening, former Combate Global fighter Alberto Montes (10-1) fights Carlos Calderon (6-2) in a featherweight bout.
Thus far 29 contracts have been awarded this season, with only two events seeing all five winners earn a shot in the UFC. That includes last week, where a flurry of first-round finishes led to an enthusiastic Dana White signing all the victorious fighters.
Umar Nurmagomedov | Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Umar Nurmagomedov is staying busy as he waits for UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili.
The 18-0 MMA fighter faces two-time Bellator champion Eduardo Dantas in a grappling match that headlines ADXC 7 in Abu Dhabi, the promotion announced Monday. The card goes down at Mubadala Arena on Oct. 25, a day before UFC 308 lands in the United Arab Emirates.
Nurmagomedov hopes to get a shot at newly crowned 135-pound champion Merab Dvalishvili after winning six in a row under the UFC banner, capped off by a unanimous decision over Cory Sandhagen this past August. Nurmagomedov’s first two UFC wins came via submission, with seven total throughout his MMA career.
Dantas, a black belt in jiu-jitsu and 23-8 in MMA, has also won seven fights by way of submission, including a second-round arm-triangle choke to tap Zach Makovsky to win a Bellator belt in 2012. He then successfully defended it with a rear-naked choke of Anthony Leone.
ADXC 7 also features a match between jiu-jitsu world champion Isaque Bahiense and Bruno Lima, as well as Jansen Gomes vs. Uanderson Ferreira.
A welterweight showdown between Abdoul Abdouraguimov and Laureano Staropoli will top the PFL Europe Championships card in Lyon, France, on Dec. 14, the company announced Monday.
Abdouraguimov has won his past eight with seven stoppages to his credit, while Staropoli aims to rebound from a loss to Murad Ramazanov this past April, which snapped his four-fight winning streak.
The Lyon event features four European season finals. The matchups were set this past Saturday, when PFL held a show in Glasgow, Scotland.
Lewis McGrillen knocked out Dean Garnett to set up a bantamweight final with Alexander Luster, who tapped Julien Pierre Lopez. In the welterweight division, Daniele Miceli and Florim Zendeli collide for the PFL Europe title following wins over Ibrahima Mane and Jack Grant, respectively.
The third championship contest has Connor Hughes taking on Jakub Kaszuba in the lightweight division. Hughes clinched the spot with unanimous decision over Ignacio Capella, while Kaszuba advanced with a decision against Daniele Scatizzi.
The 2024 PFL Europe women’s flyweight champion will be crowned when Paulina Wisniewska meets Shanelle Dyer in a battle of undefeated talents. Both flyweights scored decision victories in the semifinals against Karolina Wojcik and Valentina Scatizzi, respectively.
“France has quickly become one of the biggest MMA destinations in the world,” PFL CEO Pete Murray stated in a release, “not only due to the high-level athletes that are being produced by the country, but the incredible fans that bring world-class atmosphere every single time we visit. It was an easy decision to bring the PFL Europe Championships here, and there was no better time to make our debut in Lyon. Our PFL Europe Championships will see the continent’s best mixed martial artists compete for our prestigious title and a $ 100,000 prize, and with everything on the line, we know the fans are in for a night of MMA that will be talked about for years to come.”
Check the updated PFL Europe Championships Lyon lineup below.
Khalil Rountree (right) competes in the UFC 307 main event Saturday night. | Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
The UFC 307 fight card, start time is for all the UFC action at Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Saturday night.
In the main event, UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira puts his belt on the line against Khalil Rountree. This marks the third defense for Pereira, who is coming off a Performance of the Night bonus with his second-round TKO of Jiri Prochazka at UFC 303 this past June.
Raquel Pennington defends the UFC bantamweight title against former UFC champion Julianna Peña in the co-main event. This is Pennington’s first title defense. Peña hasn’t fought since losing the title in a rematch against Amanda Nunes at UFC 277 on July 30, 2022.
The UFC 307 prelims begin on ESPN+ at 6 p.m. ET, and the main card is on ESPN+ pay-per-view at 10 p.m. ET.
On the first episode of UFC 307 Embedded, UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira goes hiking with his team, former bantamweight champion Julianna Peña gets ready for fight week, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson trains his grappling, Roman Dolidze goes camping in the mountains, Khalil Rountree has a run-in with Big Foot, and more.
Is Renato Moicano ready for the top of the lightweight division? More importantly, is the top of the lightweight division ready for “Money” after he ran through Benoit Saint Denis and then cut another lively promo in front of a rabid UFC Paris crowd?
On an all-new edition of On To the Next One, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and Alexander K. Lee discuss what’s next for Moicano following an absolute drubbing of Saint Denis. Additionally, future matchups are discussed for Nassourdine Imavov who continued to roll by beating Brendan Allen, William Gomis after improving to 4-0 in the UFC on Saturday, plus is Bryan Battle the best-kept secret in the welterweight division? Also, what’s next for main card standouts Morgan Charriere, Fares Ziam, and more.
Audio-only versions of the podcast can be found below, on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, iHeartRadio, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov | Photo by GIUSEPPE CACACE/AFP via Getty Images
Islam Makhachev appears ready to return in the New Year.
That’s the word from Makhachev’s longtime teammate, friend and coach Khabib Nurmagomedov, who revealed plans for the UFC lightweight champion to next defend his title in January against a still unnamed opponent.
“UFC offered us a fight already, in January. We accepted it,” Nurmagomedov revealed during an appearance in Indonesia this past weekend (video provided by Ushatayka).
Nurmagomedov didn’t mention any names, although it’s almost certainly going to be a rematch against No. 1 contender Arman Tsarukyan.
Tsarukyan cemented himself as the next title challenger after he defeated former champion Charles Oliveira at UFC 300 to extend his winning streak to four in a row. In his octagon debut back in 2019, Tsarukyan actually faced Makhachev and earned a Fight of the Night bonus following a grueling three-round war that ended in Tsarukyan taking a unanimous decision loss.
Now Tsarukyan seeks revenge while attempting to become UFC champion for the first time in his career.
As far as that potential challenge or anybody else coming for Makhachev’s title, Nurmagomedov acknowledged that his 32-year-old prodigy is always going to bring the best out of any opponent because of what he represents.
“Islam is now not only champion but he is pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world today,” Nurmagomedov said.
Makhachev hasn’t tasted defeat since his second fight in the UFC — a stunning upset loss to Adriano Martins — and he’s now rattled off a remarkable 14 wins in a row including victories over three former UFC champions and four fighters currently ranked among the top 15 in the UFC’s lightweight division.
Merab Dvalishvili | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC
Merab Dvalishvili and Umar Nurmagomedov are escalating their verbal duel.
The latest volley in the ongoing rivalry saw Dvalishvili kick things off by vowing he will “smash” the undefeated Nurmagomedov should they meet in the octagon. Dvalishvili recently became bantamweight champion with a commanding decision win over Sean O’Malley at UFC 306, and Nurmagomedov is in pole position to be his first challenger coming off of an important win over Cory Sandhagen that improved his pro record to 18-0.
See Dvalishvili’s social media shot below, along with Nurmagomedov’s response.
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“I smacked Petr Yan’s a** like a b****,” Dvalishvili wrote. “I carried Henry Cejudo like a baby, I kissed Sean O’Malley like his daddy BUT I will simply SMASH Umar if the UFC puts him in front of me next.”
Nurmagomedov replied, “There is no if. There is only one contender and that is me. you became champion only because you did not accept a fight with me twice before. For the same reason there are no fighters from the top 10 in my list of fights, you and those like you did not accept a fight with me.”
In six UFC appearances, Nurmagomedov has finished three of his opponents and he defeated his first ranked opponent when he won a five-round decision over Sandhagen this past August. He is currently No. 2 at bantamweight in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, behind only Dvalishvilli.
Dvalishvili did not take Nurmagomedov’s words lying down as he put his Twitter fingers to work to address Nurmagomedov’s claim.
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“Umar now not only are you disrespectful, you are a liar,” Dvalishvili wrote. “If UFC offered you to fight with me 2 times – show the fans the contract and the dates. They offered me to fight you right after I beat Petr Yan with a broken hand in 6 weeks. I accepted the fight verbally even though I was no. 1 contender and you were no. 13 rank and even with broken hand.
“Ultimately the doctor said no to this and I had surgery. So lets see the contract of the second offering??!!! So if the UFC is gifting you the title defense – wtf are you talking trash and with disrespect? I’m done with you now because you keep lying – you lost my respect as a man and a martial artist. I will wait to hear from the UFC.”
Unwilling to let Dvalishvili have the last word, Nurmagomedov accused Dvalishvili of being willing to fight through injury to accept a fight with Sandhagen, but not him.
Is that the same injury you were ready to fight Cory with? I am just basing this on the manager’s words . Since prehistoric times no one cares about the respect of cowards. https://t.co/bsqtqQazMU
— Umar Nurmagomedov (@UNmgdv) September 30, 2024
“Is that the same injury you were ready to fight Cory with?” Nurmagomedov wrote. “I am just basing this on the manager’s words. Since prehistoric times no one cares about the respect of cowards.”
He also shared an image of himself with his cousin, UFC legend Khabib Nurmagomedov, writing, “Merab doesn’t have any other options, his only choice is to fight with me. I’m the next contender to fight for the UFC bantamweight championship.”
Merab doesn’t have any other options, his only choice is to fight with me I’m the next contender to fight for the UFC Bantamweight Championship InshaAllah ☝ pic.twitter.com/eykg41bW3z
— Umar Nurmagomedov (@UNmgdv) September 30, 2024
Dvalishvili is yet to respond to the latest Nurmagomedov statement, though he likely has his mind on other matters as he recently received a hero’s welcome in his home country of Georgia.
‘The Machine’ is a superstar! @MerabDvalishvil receiving a hero’s welcome in Georgia pic.twitter.com/gRHj6HR6sW
No fighter has seen their stock soar quite like Pereira’s over the past few years as he’s gone from kickboxing champion to UFC go-to guy with titles in two divisions to his name. This Saturday, he sees a true test of his star power as he defends his light heavyweight belt against the dangerous, but lightly regarded Khalil Rountree in the main event of UFC 307. Should “Poatan” put on another legend-building performance, does another marquee matchup await him?
UFC 307 also sees the return of the polarizing Julianna Peña as she challenges bantamweight champion Raquel Pennington. The immediate implications of this grudge match are clear, but could the result of the co-main event—and a key undercard matchup between Kayla Harrison and Ketlen Vieira—also coax women’s MMA GOAT Amanda Nunes back into action?
MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Alexander K. Lee, and Damon Martin ponder these questions ahead of Saturday’s card at Delta Center in Salt Lake City.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLCJon Jones and Alex Pereira
1. What’s next for Alex Pereira with a win on Saturday?
Martin: Champ-champ status.
That’s not the answer Magomed Ankalaev wants to hear as the rightful No. 1 contender in the light heavyweight division, but the reality is Pereira has bailed out the UFC so many times in 2024 that he should get his wish for whatever he wants next and it certainly seems like he’s chasing gold in another division. Pereira already stated that he plans to go back down to 185 pounds for some inexplicable reason to challenge Dricus du Plessis for his middleweight title. That actually seems like a bad idea, but if that’s what Pereira wants, so be it.
The more interesting challenge lies at heavyweight where Pereira could potentially make Jon Jones put off his retirement for one more fight if he gets through Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. Pereira has to know that facing Jones would be the biggest, most meaningful, and most lucrative fight available to him in the UFC. Outside of Conor McGregor fighting again, Pereira vs. Jones might actually be the most promotable fight the UFC could stage.
There’s also a world where Pereira can’t keep Jones from calling it a career so he challenges Tom Aspinall instead and there’s another marquee matchup in the heavyweight division. Either way, Pereira gets to call his shot and that means either middleweight or heavyweight in his immediate future.
Heck: Whatever the hell he wants.
While it’s not as much of a story this time around, Pereira has stepped in to save the UFC again here. With all due respect to Pennington and Peña, that just isn’t the main event Salt Lake City is paying for. And as worthy of a challenger as Rountree is, it’s Pereira that is—to quote the legend Jon Anik—the man with whom this card is built around.
One way or another, this fight is going to be electric. There’s no way it will be boring, or bad, or a slog in any way. The many, many fans who complained about the UFC 306 main event between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley will feel the exact opposite when this fight is over. Either Pereira obliterates Rountree in seven minutes or less to move to 3-0, or we get another absolutely stunning card ender.
My guess is the former, and the options are aplenty. Could Pereira fight Magomed Ankalaev if he’s victorious at UFC 308? Yeah, and I’d be down for that one. Would middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis be an option? Sure seems like it. Plus, there’s that chance at history, and winning a third belt. I know Jon Jones is saying his fight with Stipe Miocic will likely be his last, but I don’t believe that for a second if Pereira wins on Saturday. I’d be willing to bet a couple of weeks worth of Dunkin’ coffees that Jones calls Pereira out if they both win. But whatever Pereira, himself, decides to do next, he would get.
Lee: Tommy Aspinall, come on down!
No, Aspinall doesn’t bring the historical significance of Jon Jones or Stipe Miocic and yes, Magomed Ankalaev is the rightful challenger at 205 pounds (assuming he beats Aleksandar Rakic, which I am). The problem is that Pereira has as much leverage as anyone right now and he deserves to take advantage of it. That means calling for a heavyweight title opportunity. And that means Pereira vs. Aspinall.
Jones and Stipe, enjoy your little title fight at Madison Square Garden. The atmosphere is going to be electric, and if we do see a double retirement, I’ll shed a tear or two. I’m not made of stone. But I’m not overly sentimental either and I’ll be ready to move on by Sunday morning, which means elevating Aspinall to undisputed status (he’s already the No. 1 heavyweight as far as the real rankings are concerned) and setting him up against Pereira, who will be waiting for the call after dispatching Rountree.
The UFC’s gears grind more efficiently than ever these days, so Dana White and co. will gratefully give Jones and Miocic their gift basket and send them on their way before booking Pereira vs. Aspinall for sometime in the first half of 2025.
As the kids say, “Chama!”
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty ImagesAmanda Nunes
2. What outcome at UFC 307 could lead to Amanda Nunes making a comeback?
Lee: Uh, is it bad form to say there isn’t one?
Not to be the turd in the punch bowl right off the bat, but I grow increasingly confident with each passing day that Nunes’ #MMARetirement is one that will actually stick. Don’t get me wrong, I was with pretty much everyone else when she hung up the gloves 15 months ago (feels longer than that, doesn’t it?) in thinking that she was simply taking a well-deserved break while also leaving the door open for new challengers to emerge.
That scenario hasn’t exactly played out, with Raquel Pennington—an opponent Nunes crushed at UFC 224—becoming the first post-Nunes champion and Kayla Harrison not making her UFC debut until this past April. Oh, Julianna Peña is still around, too.
The mix just doesn’t feel quite right for a Nunes comeback. Not only was Nunes’ first fight with Pennington decisive, the two are friends and not in any rush to square off again. Harrison should go after the UFC title with a win Saturday, not chase after an inactive fighter. Oh, Julianna Peña is still around, too.
Then there’s the possibility that Ketlen Vieira upsets Harrison, and if that happens? Let’s just say that in the jungle, the mighty jungle, “The Lioness” will sleep well tonight.
Martin: A couple of Tetris pieces have to fall in place for Nunes to take another step towards her return to the octagon.
First up, Harrison needs to go full Kennedy Blades and just launch Vieira across the octagon and demolish her — as most expect the two-time Olympic gold medalist to do. Then Pennington needs to successfully defend her title by dispatching Peña in the co-main event to set up a future fight against Harrison.
You might be thinking wouldn’t Peña winning make Nunes more interested after they split a pair of past fights? Wouldn’t a trilogy to settle the score with Peña convince Nunes to come back?
Here’s the thing: Nunes loathes Peña and never giving her the satisfaction of a third fight probably means more to the women’s GOAT than actually beating Peña up again. But playing the long game to set up a potential showdown against a former teammate in Harrison — assuming she beats Pennington to become champion — might be just the trick to get Nunes’ attention.
Nunes and Harrison were once friends and trained under the same coaches at American Top Team in Florida. Nunes eventually split with the gym and started doing her own thing, but some comments she made about her former team didn’t sit well with Harrison. That immediately sparks a rivalry and the potential for a massive fight — both factors that could play a part in Nunes deciding to come back.
Heck: Directly? Absolutely nothing that happens on Saturday brings Nunes back to the octagon, but momentum likely moves forward towards it happening.
I’m not here to mince words, Ketlen Vieira beating Kayla Harrison would be one of the most shocking results of the year in MMA, and there’s a real case it would be the most shocking. Harrison likely runs over Vieira to set her up for the winner of the title fight between Pennington and Peña.
Now, if Pennington wins, she’ll likely play the, ‘I’m ready for whoever the UFC gives me’ card, or directly just say that she’s ready for Harrison. What else can she do? If Peña regains the title, she’ll call for Nunes — which will go over so silently, you’ll be able to hear a pin drop in the highly elevated arena. I also could see her calling for a rematch with once-again flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko. Neither will happen, and she’d have no choice but to fight Harrison.
After Harrison gets her shot, then we can revisit.
Photo by Leandro Bernardes/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesJose Aldo
3. Which veteran fighter needs a win the most on the undercard?
Heck: Easy, one of the top-5 fighters of all-time — Jose Freaking Aldo. After completing his previous UFC contract at UFC 301 in May, Aldo elected to remain with the organization. And in his first fight under the new deal, he gets to fight in elevation, in the same place where he was booked in the worst piece of matchmaking in UFC bantamweight history when he lost to Merab Dvalishvili. He should’ve fought for the belt, end of story.
But I digress.
Aldo now faces Mario Bautista, who is on a nice run, but to go from Jonathan Martinez to Mario Bautista is not the kind of leap up the ladder of the rankings, or name value most were looking for. If Aldo wins, a big fight awaits — maybe even with the likes of a Cory Sandhagen, or, perhaps, Sean O’Malley. A loss would pretty much put an end to Aldo’s hopes to win a second divisional title, and likely lead to a booking against another 135-pounder on a win streak that not a lot of people know about.
Lee: For the sake of all of our sanities, Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson, please beat Joaquin Buckley.
It makes all the sense in the world for Buckley to use that impressive physique of his to wrestle Thompson to the mat for three rounds and leave Salt Lake City with a decision and another absurd callout in hand. Time waits for no man, and the streaking Buckley is on the cusp of becoming a genuine threat to challenge for UFC gold if he beats Thompson, a two-time title challenger.
And that’s why Thompson needs to take care of business, so we don’t have to hear Buckley call out Belal Muhammad. So we don’t have to hear how he’s more deserving of a championship opportunity than Shavkat Rakhmonov, Jack Della Maddalena, Sean Brady, Ian Machado Garry, or any other number of talents that are ahead of him in the pecking order. Where they should be.
Thompson is apparently not considering retirement, so win or lose he should be fine. It’s the rest of us that might consider taking a break from MMA if we have to hear Buckley deliver another eye-rolling post-fight promo.
Martin: Maybe this ends up as an unpopular answer, but Carla Esparza winning her final fight would be a feel-good moment for UFC 307.
Because she was never the loudest fighter or the flashiest competitor scoring dramatic finishes, Esparza’s long list of accomplishments kind of get swept under the rug. But Esparza was a pioneer for the strawweight division after she became the first-ever 115-pound champion for Invicta FC. Injuries to both her and her potential opponents prevented Esparza from defending her belt and she eventually left the all-women promotion to sign with the UFC where she was made the No. 1 seed on season 20 of The Ultimate Fighter, which featured a tournament to crown the company’s inaugural strawweight champion.
Esparza won that as well after mauling Rose Namajunas in the finals. She lost the title to Joanna Jedrzejczyk one fight later, but through trials, tribulations, wins and losses, Esparza somehow got back to the belt seven years later when she beat Namajunas again to become a two-time UFC champion.
Heading into UFC 307, Esparza announced her matchup against Tecia Pennington would be the final fight of her career. It’s so rare that a former champion like Esparza goes out on a win with a happy memory to leave behind. Esparza getting her hand raised before riding off into the sunset would be the perfect bookend to her Hall of Fame career.
Jose Aldo | Photo by Alexandre Loureiro/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Jose Aldo vs. Mario Bautista is now the third fight of the main card of next week’s UFC 307 after an injury forced the postponement of Aljamain Sterling vs. Movsar Evloev to UFC 310 in December.
The promotion announced the move during the UFC Paris broadcast Saturday. UFC 307 takes place at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City on Oct. 5.
Aldo, a former UFC and WEC featherweight champion, seeks his second victory since returning from retirement earlier this year with a dominant win over Jonathan Martinez in Brazil. Bautista has won past six octagon bouts, which includes a trio of submissions.
UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira tops the card in a title defense against Khalil Rountree, while Raquel Pennington puts her bantamweight belt on the line for the first time versus ex-champion Julianna Peña. Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison and Roman Dolidze vs. Kevin Holland complete the main card.
Below is the updated fight card and lineup for UFC 307.
Main Card (ESPN+ PPV at 10 p.m. ET)
Alex Pereira vs. Khalil Rountree Jr. — for light heavyweight title
Raquel Pennington vs. Julianna Peña – for bantamweight title
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
Photo by Leandro Bernardes/PxImages/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
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