Day: 7. August 2026

Coach Javier Mendez’s confidence in Islam Makhachev’s striking has grown leaps and bounds over the years.

Makhachev (28-1) is scheduled to defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title for the first time against Ian Garry (17-1) at UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. While Makhachev is known for his wrestling and grappling prowess and Garry’s main asset is his evasive striking, Mendez claims his pupil won’t be out of his depth on the feet.

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‘People sleep on his striking’: Javier Mendez hails Islam Makhachev’s well-rounded skillset Makhachev’s striking has developed impressively with time, as he held his own against Dustin Poirier and knocked out Alexander Volkanovski with a head kick. Coach Mendez believes Makhachev doesn’t necessarily need to take Garry down to the canvas to beat him.

While Makhachev will likely have a massive advantage on the mat, Mendez believes the champion can win with his striking alone.<…

Jan Blachowicz is eager to bounce back from his recent defeat in the Ultimate Fighting Championship and has singled out who he wants to return against.

Blachowicz took on Navajo Stirling in the main event of UFC Belgrade. Stirling had accepted the matchup on less than three weeks’ notice, making a 40-day turnaround from a win over Ion Cutelaba, and finished Blachowicz via vicious ground-and-pound in less than three minutes.

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Jan Blachowicz wants Robert Whittaker next after his loss to Navajo Stirling Stirling’s teammate, Robert Whittaker, recently mentioned Blachowicz while discussing future matchups. The former middleweight champ said that he would have been interested in fighting Blachowicz if the Polish veteran hadn’t lost to Stirling.

Blachowicz has now called out Whittaker on X.

“Hey, [Robert Whittaker]! Let’s turn your words into action,” Blachowicz posted.

Whittaker (27-9) made his light heavyweight debut last month after back-to…

Islam Makhachev assures fans that his manager, Ali Abdelaziz, isn’t running his social media.

Abdelaziz manages several fighters from the Caucasus region, who aren’t very fluent in English. The veteran manager has often been accused of running his fighters’ social media accounts when they chirp at their opponents in English, although he doesn’t appear to be behind Makhachev’s online posts.

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Islam Makhachev denies that Ali Abdelaziz runs his social media Makhachev (28-1) will look to defend his Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title against Ian Garry (17-1) at UFC 330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.

Ahead of his first title defense at 170 pounds, the Dagestani took to X to reveal that Abdelaziz doesn’t have his password alongside an image of his manager.

“Ali don’t have my password don’t worry,” Makhachev posted.

While Abdelaziz has been accused of posting online on behalf of high-profile fighters who don’t …

Usman Nurmagomedov’s manager, Ali Abdelaziz, has made some bold predictions.

Nurmagomedov (22-0) is currently a free agent, having exhausted his Professional Fighters League contract after defending his lightweight title against Archie Colgan. While the PFL has a 90-day exclusive negotiation window with Nurmagomedov, the Ultimate Fighting Championship is also looking to sign the undefeated Dagestani.

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Usman Nurmagomedov’s manager predicts wins over Ilia Topuria, Charles Oliveira and other UFC contenders Abdelaziz wants Nurmagomedov to fight Ilia Topuria in his UFC debut if he signs with the promotion. The veteran manager believes Nurmagomedov would make the former two-division UFC champion quit.

Abdelaziz and Nurmagomedov both regard current UFC champion Justin Gaethje as the best lightweight in the world. However, Abdelaziz believes Nurmagomedov would dominate most other elite UFC contenders at 155 pounds.

According to Abdelaziz, Paddy Pimbl…

How to watch Aaron McKenna vs. Etinosa Oliha: Paramount+, Sky Sports and the full Zuffa Boxing 10 lineup Zuffa Boxing is set to make its Irish debut Saturday at 3Arena in Dublin.

Here’s a brief rundown for those who want to watch the event.

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How to watch Zuffa Boxing 10 in the United States Zuffa Boxing 10 will air live on Paramount+ at 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT on Aug. 8.

Aaron McKenna (20-0) will have the home crowd rallying behind him as he takes on Italy’s Etinosa Oliha (21-0) for the vacant IBF middleweight title in the main event. Both boxers have 10 knockouts and will put their undefeated records on the line.

How to watch Zuffa Boxing 10 in the United Kingdom U.K. fans can watch the event live on Sky Sports at 7 p.m. BST.

Here’s a complete look at the card as of Aug. 6:

Aaron McKenna vs. Etinosa OlihaCallum Walsh vs. Tyler DennyJoe Ward vs. Artjom KasparianSam Hickey vs. Brad AxeLouis Grenne vs. Daniel BuciucStevie McKenna vs. Owen O’Ne…

The early odds are out for the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s next event in Los Angeles, set for Sept. 19 at Crypto.com Arena.

Joshua Van (17-2) will put his flyweight title on the line in a rematch against Alexandre Pantoja (30-6) in the main event of UFC 331. Pantoja defended the title four times before losing it to Van last December. The odds have their upcoming rematch as nearly a pick’em.

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UFC 331 opening odds for Joshua Van vs. Alexandre Pantoja, Arman Tsarukyan and Gable Steveson Pantoja injured his arm while attempting to brace his fall after Van caught a kick and dumped him, prompting the referee to step in less than 30 seconds into the fight. Van has since defended his title with a final-round stoppage win over Tatsuro Taira. He is on a seven-fight winning streak since his lone UFC loss in 2024. The oddsmakers have it as a coin-flip matchup, with Van opening at -115 and Pantoja at -105, according to Bet Online.

Meanwhile, Arman Tsarukyan…