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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

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.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

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.

“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.

“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?” 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.”

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.

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Allen Speaks Out
| BJPenn.com

The “Countdown” has begun.

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is counting down the days until its UFC 307: “Pereira vs. Rountree Jr.” pay-per-view (PPV) event, locked and loaded for this Sat. night (Oct. 7, 2024) at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. As the name implies, UFC 307 is headlined by the light heavyweight title fight pitting reigning 205-pound champion Alex Pereira opposite No. 8-ranked contender Khalil Rountree Jr., a five-round showdown that is unlikely to go the distance.

In the championship co-main event, women’s bantamweight titleholder Raquel Pennington locks horns with former division champion Julianna Pena. In addition, Jose Aldo returns to bantamweight to face off against the red-hot Mario Bautista, while Kayla Harrison looks to cement her status as No. 1 contender by turning away the rough-and-tumble Ketlen Vieira. Kicking off the UFC 307 PPV main card will be the middleweight contest pitting Roman Dolidze against Kevin Holland.

Expect fireworks.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 307 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPNN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC 307: “Pereira vs. Rountree Jr.” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 307 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Alex Pereira is the man of the hour.

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 LLC

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 Images

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 Images

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.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts