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Knock on wood?

Khamzat Chimaev finally makes his highly-anticipated return to active competition in UFC 308’s pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event this weekend (Sat., Oct. 26, 2024) against No. 3-ranked Middleweight, Robert Whittaker, from inside Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Ever since this Middleweight mega-fight was announced earlier this year, there have been legitimate concerns about whether Chimaev will make the walk to the Octagon — he has a rich history of withdrawing from important fights. Plus, “Borz” and Whittaker were supposed to clash in Saudi Arabia this past summer, but health issues torpedoed it.

Well, there is (more) good news because ESPN MMA posted a clip of Chimaev looking, “strong and healthy.” Check it out below:

Unfortunately, the mixed martial arts (MMA) world will not know if Chimaev will make it to fight until the cage locks behind him on Saturday, mainly because the hardest part of the process is still to come: the dreaded weight cut. So, let’s knock on wood and hope Chimaev doesn’t walk under any ladders.

For what it’s worth, Chimaev is coming off a ho-hum decision win over former Welterweight champion, Kamaru Usman, at UFC 294 back in Oct. 2023 and has been perfect inside the Octagon thus far (7-0).

Whittaker, meanwhile, has been on a roll since losing to now-champion Dricus Du Plessis … and he is hunting for Chimaev to secure another coveted 185-pound title shot.

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 308 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET (simulcast on ESPNews at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 2 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 308: “Topuria vs. Holloway” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Francis Ngannou vs. Jon Jones might not be likely, but it is possible, at least so says PFL Chairman Donn Davis.

This past weekend, Ngannou made his long-awaited return to MMA, stopping Renan Ferreira in the main event of PFL Superfights: Battle of the Giants. The bout was Ngannou’s first fight for the PFL and vaulted “The Predator” back into the MMA Fighting Global Rankings to the No. 2 spot at heavyweight. It also re-ignited talk of the now-lost Ngannou vs. Jon Jones superfight that captivated fan imaginations for years. But for the PFL Chairman, that matchup may not be as lost as many believe.

“I’m a pretty optimistic guy,” Davis told MMA Fighting during a Town Hall on Wednesday. “I’m a realist from a business standpoint, but I’m always optimistic. Even Jon Jones’s Tweets struck me as very interesting. … That’s a lot different than the last three years. That’s a lot different than the last three years between those two guys.

“So for me, I’m an optimistic, can-do guy. To me, it hasn’t happened in the past but the future is the future.”

Ngannou and Jones teased a possible fight with each other for over a year when both men were in the UFC, but the bout never came to fruition. After Ngannou left the promotion in 2023 to sign with the PFL, Jones then finally made his move up to heavyweight, claiming the vacant UFC title by beating Ciryl Gane at UFC 285.

But despite now fighting for different promotions, the heat between Ngannou and Jones never fully dissipated, with the two even having an impromptu face off at a PFL event last year. And though UFC CEO Dana White is staunchly opposed to co-promotion and has repeatedly dismissed the idea of working with the PFL for this, Davis thinks the odds are better than you might think.

“If I was a betting person, if you gave me even odds, no,” Davis said. “Even odds are is it likely? Is that a good bet? No. But if you gave me four to one? I would take those odds. I would take that bet. So do I think it’s possible? Yes. Likely? No.

“And do I think, since it’s the biggest fight that could ever be made in MMA in perhaps the last or next decade, that’s why I think it’s possible. Because it’s so big and it’s so thrilling. And sometimes people say, ‘What the eff. We’re going to find a way to do it. Let’s find a way to do it.’ So that’s why I think it’s possible.”

And while a co-promotion between the UFC and PFL does seem extremely unlikely, there is one thing that can always change the equation: money. Dana White is notoriously opposed to MMA fighters crossing over into boxing, but famously allowed Conor McGregor to do so against Floyd Mayweather for one of the biggest sporting events of the year.

Something similar could happen here, Davis suggests, especially with the the involvment of Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia. Alalshikh has invested heavily in combat sports over the past few years, and already has relationships with both promotions, and has shown a desire to make the biggest fights possible. Given that, Davis believes that anything is possible.

“I have a ton of respect for Dana,” Davis said. “He built the entire industry. Does he want to be part of the biggest fight in 10 years, that he made happen? Turki is the biggest man in combat sports. Could he make the biggest fight happen? Sure. I just think there’s a lot of cool stuff that could happen here. I’m the least important guy here. Turki and Dana are the most important guys here. I’m just the guy that said yes.”

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway is finally here.

This Saturday, UFC 308 takes place at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, headlined by the featherweight title fight that has captured the interest of the entire MMA world. On top of that, a five-round middleweight showdown between Robert Whittaker and Khamzat Chimaev will finally take place. With all that going down, MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew is back to break down all the fights.

This week, Jed runs solo, breaking down all the key aspects of this Saturday’s card. Topics discussed include whether Topuria can back up all his trash talk, whether Chimaev can finally earn a title shot, whether Magomed Ankalaev can convince the UFC he deserves a shot at Alex Pereira, and much more.

Tune in for episode 105 of No Bets Barred.

New episodes of the No Bets Barred podcast drop every Wednesday and are available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever else you find your favorite podcasts. The latest episode can be heard below.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

PFL founder and chairman Donn Davis joins a special town hall with the MMA Fighting community.

Following Saturday’s PFL Battle of the Giants event in Saudi Arabia — which saw Francis Ngannou close the show with a ferocious first-round knockout of Renan Ferreira — joins MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck as he answers question live from the viewers.

Join the show live Wednesday at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT. You can begin submitting your questions in the video link above.

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Enemy Territory
| BJPenn.com

The Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk feud has been “Reignited.”

Both pugilists were on hand today to help launch the kickoff press conference for their Dec. 21 rematch in Riyadh, with Usyk putting his WBO, WBC and WBA heavyweight titles up for grabs. The Ukrainian “Cat” defeated “The Gypsy King” in their first meeting last May.

Fury remains a betting underdog for their second showdown.

Moving forward with the Fury rematch cost Usyk the IFB title because it prevented him from facing mandatory title challenger Filip Hrgovic. That said, a second fight against Fury is likely to prove far more lucrative than a bout against the Croatian.

Check out the “Reignited” press conference video highlights below:

“We’ve got to put that [loss] behind us, what happened in the fight,” Fury said. “I have to be a little bit more focused and a little bit more smart to get the victory. I always end up knocking them out in the rematch. Whoever I’ve faced more than once, I’ve ended up knocking them out in the rematch. I believe it’s my time this time. I believe that all things that happen, negative or positive, are lessons.”

We’ll find out on Dec. 21 in Riyadh.

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