Two lightweights remained undefeated as professional MMA fighters on Saturday: Magomed Zaynukov and Nurullo Aliev.

Magomed Zaynukov:

Zaynukov carried plenty of hype into the UFC following his contract-winning performance on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2025. He quickly became arguably the most talked-about fighter from Season 9. His UFC debut went even better as he dominated Damian Rzepecki across three rounds.

Before transitioning to MMA, Zaynukov built an extensive muay thai career, compiling an 18-3 record while becoming a four-time Russian and European champion. In 2021, he made the move to MMA full time.

Zaynukov also comes from the renowned camp founded by Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov. The father of Khabib Nurmagomedov, Abdulmanap was widely regarded as one of the greatest coaches in the sport before his tragic passing due to COVID-19 in 2020. His gym has continued to thrive under Khabib’s leadership.

Of course, Abdulmanap’s camp—and Dagestani fighters as a whole—are primarily known for their elite sambo-based wrestling. That’s what makes Zaynukov particularly intriguing. He has already proven himself to be a dangerous striker, yet he has also spent years training alongside some of the greatest wrestlers in MMA history, including Khabib Nurmagomedov and welterweight champion Islam Makhachev. Zaynukov showcased flashes of his grappling pedigree on both Dana White’s Contender Series and in his UFC debut, but he has largely continued to rely on his striking.

Nurullo Aliev:

Unlike Zaynukov, Nurullo Aliev has largely flown under the radar during his UFC career. A native of Tajikistan, Aliev earned a UFC contract in 2022 and has since gone 4-0 inside the Octagon, improving his professional record to 12-0 with a victory over Mike Davis on Saturday.

There are several reasons why Aliev hasn’t generated the same level of buzz as Zaynukov. For one, he simply hasn’t had the most memorable or exciting fights. The 25-year-old owns a modest 17% finish rate across his 12 professional victories and was heavily criticized for his performance on Saturday. Although he accumulated 12:25 of control time, Aliev rarely took risks and showed little urgency to pursue a finish. He is an outstanding wrestler, but the rest of his game remains less developed.

Another factor is his marketability. Aliev does not speak English, which naturally makes it more difficult to connect with the UFC’s primarily American audience. While Zaynukov also isn’t fluent in English, his personality has been amplified through his association with high-profile figures like Khabib Nurmagomedov and Islam Makhachev. Aliev is beloved in his native Tajikistan but has yet to receive much attention elsewhere.

Perhaps more than anything, Aliev’s biggest obstacle has been inactivity. Since joining the UFC in 2022, “The Tajik Eagle” has fought just four times as injuries have repeatedly stalled his momentum. In fact, 2025 was the first year he competed more than once in a calendar year since signing with the promotion.

Despite the criticism, Aliev is undeniably talented, and at just 25 years old, he has an incredibly bright future.

A potential Matchup between Zaynukov and Aliev:

That brings us to Magomed Zaynukov’s callout. “Wild Chanko” is clearly not interested in easing into UFC competition. He has already shown a willingness to take on difficult opponents as he looks to stay active and work his way toward the rankings. Aliev may have his critics, but defeating an undefeated prospect like him would instantly boost Zaynukov’s résumé and likely earn him even more fans, while potentially putting him in line for a ranked opponent.

Will this fight ever come together? Who knows. It’s entirely possible the UFC will keep two of its undefeated lightweight prospects apart for the time being. It’s also important to note that Aliev does hold a win over Magomed’s brother, Makkasharip, from 2018. Zaynukov has made it clear he’s willing to accept the challenge, and look for some family revenge. If this matchup does happen, it would present one of the most fascinating stylistic clashes amongst undefeated fighters in the division.

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MMA fighter Bartłomiej “Bucketboy” Skowyra turned a second-round stoppage into a viral moment Saturday, pulling out a joint from his shorts and lighting it while perched on the cage at DWM Fight Night 10 in Gliwice, Poland. The celebration followed Skowyra’s win over Pablo Moura, and the video has since made the rounds well beyond the regional MMA scene.

Skowyra, a 23-year-old Polish fighter, faced Portugal’s Moura at the July 25 event inside Gliwice’s PreZero Arena. Moura, described as a grappling specialist, repeatedly looked for leg locks, but Skowyra shut down those attempts and took control on the floor.

MMA Fighter Celebrates KO By Pulling Joint From Shorts And Lighting Up

The finish came at 2:28 of Round 2. Skowyra landed a run of elbows from top position, forcing the referee to wave off the fight as Moura absorbed unanswered shots. The official result is a TKO through ground elbows, even though early clips and headlines have loosely called it a knockout.

Then came the part nobody had on their bingo card.

Skowyra sprang up, climbed the fence, reached into his shorts and pulled out a rolled item that appeared to be a joint. He also had a lighter ready, lit it in front of the crowd and cameras, and took a few puffs while sitting on top of the cage before returning to the canvas for the official decision.

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The clip captured both parts of the sequence: the elbows that ended Moura’s night, followed by Skowyra’s unusual smoke break. In a sport full of post-fight backflips, roar-at-the-camera celebrations and callouts, “Bucketboy” went with something closer to a post-training wind-down, except it happened above the cage after a professional fight.

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The victory reportedly moved Skowyra’s professional record to 6-5. DWM 10 featured 10 fights and aired in Poland via Kanał Sportowy, with the Skowyra-Moura bout quickly becoming one of the event’s most circulated moments online.

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Darren Till will meet Yoel Romero in a 180-pound bare-knuckle bout when BKFC 94 lands at Manchester’s AO Arena on September 26. The card will also feature champion David Mundell defending the BKFC middleweight title against Jack Cullen.

The fight puts Liverpool’s Till against Romero, the former UFC title challenger and Olympic freestyle wrestling silver medallist. It comes after an extended back-and-forth between the pair, with Till writing: “I’ve finally got over my years of trauma & nightmares of Yoel Romero. So, let’s f* do this!!”

Romero responded: “He’s been running his mouth for too long, on September 26 I’m going to close it permanently in Manchester.”

Darren Till vs. Yoel Romero

Till entered BKFC in May at BKFC 90 in Birmingham, stopping Aaron Chalmers 22 seconds into the second round. Chalmers had dropped Till earlier in the contest, but Till turned the fight with a counter left hand at the Utilita Arena.

Before BKFC, Till competed in the UFC and subsequently took part in professional boxing. His first bare-knuckle outing gave the promotion a recognisable UK name, and a return in Manchester provides a home-region stage against one of the most experienced fighters he has faced.

Romero made his BKFC debut in September 2025, defeating Theo Doukas by second-round TKO at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Hollywood, Florida. Romero scored three knockdowns before the referee stopped the heavyweight fight at 1:56 of round two.

The Cuban-born fighter compiled a 16-7 MMA record, with 13 wins by knockout or TKO, during spells in the UFC and Bellator. He challenged for UFC middleweight titles, then defeated Thiago Santos by unanimous decision at the PFL vs. Bellator event in February 2024 in his most recent MMA bout.

Mundell will defend his 175-pound BKFC championship against Cullen in the co-main event. The Florida fighter brings a 10-2 bare-knuckle record into the booking, while Cullen arrives as a former British Commonwealth boxing champion.

BKFC founder and president David Feldman described Till vs. Romero as the promotion’s largest UK event involving two international combat-sports names. The promotion is expected to announce the remaining undercard at a later date.

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