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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Muhammad Mokaev’s rough stretch just keeps getting rougher.

Less than a week after getting unceremoniously dumped by the UFC following a victory over Manel Kape at UFC 304, Mokaev saw his options for future employment shrink further when PFL president Ray Sefo shot down PFL’s interest in vying for the flyweight’s services.

“I’ve spoken to people that are in the know and apparently he’s just a pain in the ass to deal with,” Sefo said Friday after PFL 7. “And so, no, we’re not interested.”

Mokaev, 24, is generally regarded as one of the top flyweight talents in the world, currently sitting at No. 10 on MMA Fighting’s global rankings. His victory over Kape pushed his UFC record to 7-0, with additional wins over ranked contenders Tim Elliott, Alex Perez, and Cody Durden. However, UFC 304 also served as the last fight on Mokaev’s contract, and UFC CEO Dana White made it clear after the event that UFC is not interested in re-signing Mokaev.

“The matchmakers aren’t big fans of his for many different reasons,” White said.

“I think the PFL’s going to get a great undefeated guy. Good luck to him.”

The lead-up to UFC 304 did not help Mokaev’s case, as the two fighters got into a brawl at the UFC Performance Institute and then went for round two at the host hotel during fight week in Manchester. Following the latter incident, Mokaev openly admitted that he tricked Kape into taking a photo together before sucker-punching him and igniting a wild scene.

Mokaev ultimately defeated Kape in a largely uneventful decision, but White noted that Mokaev’s behavior surrounding UFC 304 was only one part of a larger picture.

“There was so much bad shit that happened behind the scenes with that thing,” White said.

“Listen, the stuff that played out here over the last several months that started at the [UFC Performance Institute] and other stories of this breaking out, plus many other things — these guys [UFC matchmakers] don’t want to re-sign him.”

After hearing White’s comments, Mokaev attempted to explain his actions on social media and stated that his dream is still to become UFC champion.

“I hope Dana re-signs me,” Mokaev wrote.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Things are beginning to heat up between former featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski and new welterweight world champion Belal Muhammad.

Going into his scrap with Leon Edwards at UFC 304, Muhammad was a sizeable underdog with practically everyone in the MMA community betting on ‘Rocky’ to come out on top by a wide margin. Instead, ‘Remember The Name’ secured a dominant five-round victory on Edwards’ own turf and has been on a bit of an ‘I told you so tour’ ever since.

Recently, Muhammad snapped back at Volkanovski after ‘The Great’ jokingly said that he’d step into the UFC 304 headliner on short notice and suggested that Muhammad would be a “good matchup” for him.

“Cry, right? You guys that were talking,” Muhammad said on the Anik & Florian Podcast. “You guys were hating. All these guys wanted to come out. [Alexander] Volkanovski, ‘Man, I think Belal’s a good matchup for me if I fight him.’ Shut up, bro. I’ll smack the hell out of you. All these guys, right?”

Alexander Volkanovski snaps back at Belal Muhammad

Despite scoring the unanimous decision, Volkanovski was still unimpressed with what ‘Bully B’ showcased inside the Octagon and made that very clear in an unexpected retort on social media.

“@bullyb170 you have every reason to hate on what I said about you being a good stylistic match up for me but I truly believe that, even after your last fight, you didn’t show me anything different,” Volkanovski wrote on X. “You still mad because I accidentally missed your call…pathetic! Say “shut up, I’ll smack the shit out of you” to my face and see what happens.”

While we wouldn’t hold our breath for a cross-division clash between Volk and Muhammad, the new welterweight champ has his sights set on his first title defense in either November or December.

And in a refreshing bit of news, he didn’t call out Conor McGregor or try to plant the seeds for a second UFC belt. Instead, Muhammad did the unthinkable and called out the next man up in his division, Shavkat Rakhmonov.

“I’m not going to sit there and call out these random guys,” he said at the post-fight press conference. “Who’s next in line, who’s best in line. I’m going to show you who I am, what I can do. They thought Leon could walk through me, now I’m going to walk through all these other guys” (h/t BJPenn.com).

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

MMA Fighting has UFC Abu Dhabi results for the Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov fight card, live blogs for the top five fights, and more from the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, on Saturday afternoon.

In the main event, Cory Sandhagen will to hand Umar Nurmagomedov his first career loss in a key bantamweight contest. Sandhagen has won his past three fights.

Shara Magomedov and Michal Oleksiejczuk will compete in the co-main event in a middleweight fight.

Check out UFC Abu Dhabi results below.

Main Card (ABC, ESPN+ at 3 p.m. ET)

Cory Sandhagen vs. Umar Nurmagomedov

Shara Magomedov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk

Marlon Vera vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chiesa

Mackenzie Dern vs. Loopy Godinez

Joel Alvarez vs. Elves Brener

Preliminary Card (ESPN2, ESPN+ at 12 p.m. ET)

Alonzo Menifield vs. Azamat Murzakanov

Mohammad Yahya vs. Kaue Fernandes

Shamil Gaziev vs. Don’Tale Mayes

Guram Kutateladze vs. Jordan Vucenic

Viktoriia Dudakova vs. Sam Hughes

Jai Herbert vs. Rolando Bedoya

Sedriques Dumas vs. Denis Tiuliulin

MMA Fighting – All Posts

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Cory Sandhagen and Umar Nurmagomedov, the floor is yours.

Everything is lining up for one of Saturday’s UFC Abu Dhabi headliners to lay claim to the No. 1 contender spot at 135 pounds. Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley finally faces off with Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 306 on Sept. 14, and a fresh challenger could be waiting for them before they even step into the octagon.

Will it be the battle-tested Sandhagen? “The Sandman” has already been in one championship fight, an interim title clash with Petr Yan that was one of the best fights of 2021. It was also a loss for Sandhagen, and he’s had to rattle off three straight wins over ranked opponents to stay in title contention. If he beats the heavily favored Nurmagomedov, that surely puts him at the front of the line.

The path looks even clearer for Nurmagomedov, the bearer of a name that now resonates more with the average fan than “Gracie.” Nurmagomedov is the blueprint for the modern MMA fighter, and he’s yet to taste defeat in his 17-fight career. For pundits who have closely followed him, it’s a matter of when for Nurmagomedov, not if.

Stars fill out the rest of the UFC Abu Dhabi main card, including unbeaten Shara Magomedov taking on Michal Oleksiejczuk in the middleweight co-main event, bantamweight contenders Marlon Vera and Deiveson Figueiredo squaring off, fan favorite Tony Ferguson aiming to avoid the longest losing streak in UFC history when he fights Michael Chiesa, strawweight standouts Mackenzie Dern and Loopy Godinez in action, and an absolute banger of an opener between lightweights Joel Alvarez and Elves Brener.

What: UFC Abu Dhabi

Where: Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi

When: Saturday, Aug. 3. The seven-fight preliminary card begins at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN2 and ESPN+, followed by a six-fight main card at 3 p.m. ET on ABC and ESPN+.

(Numbers in parentheses indicate standing in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings)

Cory Sandhagen (4) vs. Umar Nurmagomedov (8)

Yeah, I’ve settled at about a 16/10 as far as my level of excitement for this one.

Isn’t this why we watch MMA? To see the best fight the best? For the stars to align to give us a true No. 1 contender in a division? And make no mistake, whoever wins Saturday has every right to hold out for a title shot as soon as one can be booked.

Cory Sandhagen has an airtight case if he becomes the first fighter to hand Umar Nurmagomedov an L. The proud Coloradan has built his reputation on being that dude in the division who will fight anyone, anywhere. Just look at his résumé over the past few years, it’s nothing but the absolute best at 135 pounds, including Marlon Vera, who was tagged for a title shot over Sandhagen due to his history with Sean O’Malley.

Wherever the fight goes, Sandhagen is a handful for Nurmagomedov. He wants to keep the fight standing, but he’s also adept at mixing the martial arts. He’ll chase highlights, but he’s not afraid to grind out a win either. He’s the perfect foil at this stage of Nurmagomedov’s career.

Nurmagomedov made his UFC debut in 2021 with a ton of hype behind him and outside of a few hiccups, he’s more than lived up to it. When it comes to the middle tier of bantamweights, he’s faced some of the best, including Raoni Barcelos and the under-appreciated Sergey Morozov, not to mention dangerous newcomer Bekzat Almakhan. Still, the fact stands: Sandhagen is an enormous step up in competition from anyone Nurmagomedov has previously fought.

Normally, I put a lot of weight on experience and strength of schedule, but Nurmagomedov is a special talent. He’s always been levels above the opponents he’s faced, so he’s well-prepared to take on a contender of Sandhagen’s caliber. This won’t be an easy fight for either man — if one of them somehow dominates the other, just book the title shot as soon as they finish their post-fight interview — so I’m going with Nurmagomedov to win a decision in a Fight of the Year candidate.

Pick: Nurmagomedov

Shara Magomedov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk

If Sandhagen vs. Nurmagomedov is the ideal contenders’ fight, this is the ideal replacement co-main event.

With respect to Nick Diaz and Vicente Luque, little was lost when that bout was postponed and replaced by Shara Magomedov vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk. They might not have the same name value, but if I have to choose between seeing these two wild boys throw down and a 41-year-old Diaz dragging himself to the cage for a paycheck, the choice is easy.

“Shara Bullet” has been inconsistent in his two UFC fights, so the time is now for him to show that he has skills are as impressive as his social media numbers. He’s an awesome striker with some truly scary finishes on his résumé, but if he doesn’t start showing that he can get it done inside the octagon, it won’t be long until fans sour on his act.

Even though a win over Oleksiejczuk won’t put a number next to Magomedov’s name, this is a beatable opponent being served up on a platter. Oleksiejczuk rarely goes to the cards, so the pressure is on Magomedov to match that pace and deliver a finish.

Magomedov by first-round knockout. Don’t make me regret this pick, Shara Bullet!

Pick: Magomedov

Marlon Vera (12) vs. Deiveson Figueiredo (T9)

My logic for picking Deiveson Figueiredo here is that the two-time flyweight champion is just … better? Searing analysis, I know.

With respect to Marlon Vera, it feels like we’ve seen his ceiling. He’s a slow starter, he can finish anywhere, and he’s tough as all hell. Despite being in the cage with a slew of knockout artists, none of them have put a significant dent in Chito’s chin. It’s remarkable.

Figueiredo was widely recognized as one of the hardest hitters in the flyweight division and while the impact of his strikes is understandably dulled 10 pounds up, he still has more than enough pop to earn Vera’s respect. Vera can’t just walk Figueiredo down if he expects to win.

The size difference can’t make up for the skill difference here, because Vera isn’t going to just hoss Figueiredo around. He’ll test Figueiredo’s standup, land a few good shots, and look to power his way to a decision. It’s a strategy that has served him well in his career, but against the speedy “Deus da Guerra,” I can’t see him connecting enough times to take the decision. This is Figgy’s fight to lose.

Pick: Figueiredo

Tony Ferguson vs. Michael Chiesa

What’s this? A winnable fight for Tony Ferguson?

Look, I really want to talk myself into an “El Cucuy” comeback here. If we cherry pick the best moments from his recent performances (remember how well he was doing against Michael Chandler before his face was removed from his face?), we can see hints of the guy who once looked unbeatable at 155 pounds. On paper, Michael Chiesa shouldn’t be an impossible opponent for him to beat, especially if the Chiesa that fell so flat against Kevin Holland shows up.

It’s not like Chiesa is a spring chicken either, having turned 36 this year, only four years younger than Ferguson. His performance against Holland might have been a sign that his best days are truly behind him.

All that said, Chiesa has a clear path to victory with his grappling and easy to picture Ferguson avoiding being wrestled into oblivion. I close my eyes to envision how this fight goes and all I see is Charles Oliveira and Beneil Dariush ragdolling Ferguson for 15 minutes. Chiesa isn’t as good as either of those guys, but he doesn’t need to be.

This is MMA, so Ferguson pulling a rabbit out of a hat would be a delight, but I vowed a long time ago to stop picking Ferguson to win fights and I see no reason to veer from that strategy.

Chiesa by decision.

Pick: Chiesa

Mackenzie Dern (8) vs. Loopy Godinez (10)

The strawweight division is fun!

Look, I could not care less at this point whether or not Mackenzie Dern ever “wins the big one” or whatever narrative we’re imposing on her fights these days. She always puts on a show, even if it’s at her own expense, and at this point in her career that’s all you can ask for. Maybe she fights for a title someday. Maybe she doesn’t. ‘Tis of no concern to me.

I feel much the same about Loopy Godinez, an absolute maniac who would fight every week if medically permitted to do so. Godinez is going to see red as soon as that bell rings. Don’t be surprised if she tackles Dern right out of the gate and dares the jiu-jitsu queen to tap her out. I mean, she probably can, but I guarantee you Godinez doesn’t give a hoot.

Dern’s limitations are well-documented. She struggles to find another gear of offense even when she has a dominant position, and on the feet she remains a hard puncher with limited setups. It’s entirely possible that Godinez exploits these weaknesses and cruises to a decision.

I still think Dern is below the elite (her past four losses are to fighters who have competed in title fights, and Marina Rodriguez, a woman who would have were it not for bad timing), but a notch above the next tier of fighters, which includes Godinez. Dern holds onto her spot here, catching Godinez with a submission in the second or third round.

Pick: Dern

Joel Alvarez vs. Elves Brener

Elves Brener is a premier agent of chaos and I like his chances to score the upset against Joel Alvarez.

If this goes to the ground, the wiry Alvarez presents all kinds of problems for Brener and it will likely be a matter of time before Alvarez adds to his impressive submission tally. It’s imperative that Brener keep this on the feet if he’s to work his unique brand of madness. Brener is a serious submission threat in his own right, but the size difference will be too much for him if this turns into a strict grappling contest.

Look for Brener to use his grappling defensively to stifle Alvarez’s offense and tire him out, before letting his hands go after a tense opening minutes. Alvarez will do his best to return fire before eventually succumbing to a power punch on the money.

Brener by first-round knockout.

Pick: Brener

Preliminaries

Azamat Murzakanov (15) def. Alonzo Menifield

Kaue Fernandes def. Mohammad Yahya

Shamil Gaziev def. Don’Tale Mayes

Jordan Vucenic def. Guram Kutateladze

Viktoriia Dudakova def. Sam Hughes

Jai Herbert def. Rolando Bedoya

Sedriques Dumas def. Denis Tiuliulin

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Apology envisioned
| BJPenn.com

The 2024 Professional Fighters League (PFL) playoffs kick off later TONIGHT (Fri., Aug. 2, 2024) inside Municipal Auditorium in Nashville, Tennessee. In the main event of the evening, Denis Goltsov will face off against Tim Johnson. In the co-headlining act, Dakota Ditcheva will battle Jena Bishop, while former UFC stars Liz Carmouche and Taila Santos face off in a 125-pound affair.

The event will stream on ESPN+ and ESPN for United States-based viewers, while international mixed martial arts (MMA) fans can catch the action via DAZN starting at 6 p.m. ET.

PFL Nashville Quick Results:

265 lbs.: Denis Goltsov vs. Tim Johnson
125 lbs.: Dakota Ditcheva vs. Jena Bishop
265 lbs.: Oleg Popov vs. Linton Vassell
125 lbs.: Liz Carmouche vs. Taila Santos – Santos via unanimous decision
265 lbs.: Tyrell Fortune vs. Sergei Bilostenniy – Bilostenniy via submission (heel hook)
145 lbs.: Alexei Pergande vs. Daniel Boehle – Pergande via unanimous decision
155 lbs.: Sergio Cossio vs. Dedrek Sanders -Sanders via first-round knockout
145 lbs.: Cody Law vs. Zachary Hicks – Law via first-round submission (rear-naked choke) 170 lbs.: Jaleel Willis vs. Anthony Ivy – Ivy via second-round submission (rear-naked choke)
170 lbs.: Kevin Pease vs. Nick Meck – Pease via unanimous decision

PFL Nashville Card Highlights:

To checkout the latest PFL-related news and notes click here.

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