Shavkat Rakhmonov hasn't competed since defeating Ian Machado Garry, essentially on one leg, after dealing with knee injuries for nearly two years.
Rakhmonov was slated to fight then-champ Belal Muhammad at UFC 310 in December 2024, but Muhammd withdrew due to injury. Rakhmonov, despite having a miniscus and ACL injury, remained on the card and faced Machado Garry in a No. 1 contender fight, winning a competitive decision.
In a rare interview, Rakhmonov discusses his injuries, and decision making, while also taking a shot at Khabib Nurmagomedov and current welterweight champ Islam Makhachev.
"Well that's my problem, I couldn't fight," Rakhmonov told Alf Global. "If I had fought, I could've become champion, but that's how it turned out. I was injured. What can I do? We are only human. We are bound to make plenty of mistakes. …
"I actually shouldn't even have fought Ian Garry at all. With injuries like that, I shouldn't have fought at all, I just took a risk. That's the Kazakh way. Kazakhs are very daring. They're not afraid. If it had been some other Dagestani fighter like Khabib or Islam Makhachev, they definitely would've refused."

#fight #islam

Undefeated Turkish juggernaut Shamil Erdogan has forged one of the most impressive resumes in ONE Championship. Armed with pure stopping power, the 36-year-old brings a suffocating brand of dominance that leaves opponents with few paths to survival.
The Dagestani-born star has carved out a flawless 13-0 professional record, boasting a 100 percent finishing rate across three weight classes in the world's largest martial arts organization.
His arrival at heavyweight comes at the perfect moment. With the ONE Heavyweight MMA World Championship sitting vacant in the wake of former three-division king Anatoly "Sladkiy" Malykhin's retirement, the division is wide open.
Erdogan takes one step closer to the coveted 26 pounds of gold when he meets fellow knockout artist Paul "King of the North" Elliott at ONE Fight Night 48 on Prime Video. The highly anticipated heavyweight clash broadcasts live in U.S. primetime from Bangkok's storied Lumpinee Stadium on Friday, October 2.
Ahead of his pivotal showdown, let's look back at the trail of destruction Erdogan has left on the global stage.

#heavyweight

The early betting lines are in for the Ultimate Fighting Championship's next trip to Abu Dhabi.

The promotion announced UFC 333's lineup during the UFC330 broadcast, with AlexanderVolkanovski set to defend his featherweight championshipagainst MovsarEvloev. In the co-headliner, Petr Yan willrun it back with MerabDvalishvili in a trilogy bout for the bantamweightchampionship.

Furthermore, with IslamMakhachev retaining his welterweight ******* le at UFC 330, odds forhis next bout have also dropped.
UFC 333 is set for Oct. 24 in Abu Dhabi and BetOnline Sports has released odds for bothtitle fights on the card. Volkanovski, the reigning 145-poundchamp, opened as a slight favorite at -130 against the unbeatenEvloev (+110).

Meanwhile, Yan is a larger favorite at -170 against Dvalishvili(+150) for their third meeting. Their two bouts so far have beenstark contrasts from one another, with Dvalishvili thoroughlyoutwrestling Yan in their first meeting and the latter putting on amasterclass in their rematch to win the ******* le.

Makhachev defended his welterweight ******* le at UFC 330, earning ahard-fought decision win over Ian Garry.The Dagestani is now targeting CarlosPrates for his next ******* le defense and opened as a -250 favoriteagainst the Brazilian (+210).

However, undefeated 170-pounder MichaelMorales, who was the backup for Makhachev vs. Garry, is also inthe running. The welterweight champion opened as a -210 favoriteagainst Morales (+180).

#welterweight #dvalishvili #makhachev #bout

Back in the day, fans threw snowballs at Santa Claus in Philadelphia during a halftime show of an Eagles game at old Franklin Field. Thirty years later, when games were held in the concrete fortress known as Veterans Stadium, a makeshift courtroom and jail were built in the bowels of the stadium because a quick justice system was needed to deal with rowdies.
It's well-documented that it can be a harsh crowd in the City of Brotherly Love.
But you know who Philadelphia loved on Saturday night? Islam Makhachev. Dagestan may be over 5,000 miles from Philly, but the city embraced the UFC's welterweight champion in his first ***** le defense against Ian Machado Garry, in large part because of Ian Machado Garry. The fans didn't like him. Not as a challenger. Not as a person. Not as a potential spoiler. At one point during UFC 330's main event, a chant broke out that couldn't help but tip their hand.
"F*** Ian Garry!" the chant went. Thousands joined in.
It wasn't what you might call the friendly confines for the Irishman, who showed up with the daunting task of trying to overthrow the UFC's best pound-for-pound fighter. Vegas oddsmakers installed Garry as a sizable underdog, which in other towns might've been enough to sway some sentiment.

#back

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) returns to Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia, Pa., TONIGHT (Sat., Aug. 15, 2026), where two of the very best mixed martial arts (MMA) Welterweight talents — Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado-Garry — are set to collide in UFC 330's Paramount+-streamed main event.
For 170-pound kingpin, Makhachev, the opportunity is about adding another chapter to an already historic run. The former Lightweight champion enters "The City of Brotherly Love" unbeaten for nearly a decade, riding a remarkable 16-fight win streak — one of the sport's seemingly untouchable records he co-owns with the legendary Anderson Silva.
Despite all of his accomplishments, questions (like this) remain about how his dominance would translate against another elite contender at 170 pounds.
Standing across from him was Garry, who has spent the last several years proving that his nickname is no longer a prediction. Indeed, "The Future" rapidly climbed UFC's rankings ladder, emerging as one of the division's most accomplished and confident (or arrogant?) young stars.
Something has to give when Dagestan meets Dublin in Philadelphia momentarily. Will Makhachev continue his historic march toward all-time greatness or will Garry score the biggest victory of his career and finally prove all the doubters wrong?

#garry #mobile

IslamMakhachev showed off his fishing skills ahead of his maidentitle defense at welterweight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Before facing Ian Garry(17-1) at UFC330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia,Makhachev (28-1) has been enjoying his off-time while based in NewJersey. While he frequently fishes back in his home country andwhile doing training camps in the United States, the Russian'sresolve was recently tested by a shark.
Makhachev has now done two training camps on the East Coast, withNew Jersey serving as the Dagestani's team's base. Notably, theformer lightweight champ did his training camp in Jersey last yearahead of the welterweight ***** le-winning effort against JackDella Maddalena in New York. Fishing has emerged as one of hisfavorite pastimes when he isn't training.

The latest episode of the UFC's "Embedded" video series on YouTubefollowed Makhachev and some of his teammates fishing by thecoastline. In the video, Makhachev is seen using a large fishingrod before eventually reeling in a shark. His segment ends with thechampion posing for a picture while jokingly bemoaning that he hasto train the following day after being pushed to the limit by theshark.

He addressed his hobby in the first episode of "Embedded" as well,proudly showcasing his fishing rod.

#embedded #islammakhachev

Fighting Nerds teammates Jean Silvaand CaioBorralho seemingly disagree on how the upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight ***** le fight willplay out.

IanGarry (17-1) is scheduled to challenge IslamMakhachev (28-1) for the 170-pound ***** le at UFC330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Whilethe reigning champion is a massive betting favorite, many fightershave picked Garry to pull off an upset.
While Silva is backing Garry to come out on top, he admits thatsupporting the Irishman is challenging, likely referring to histeammate CarlosPrates' loss to "The Future" last year.

"I like Ian Garry, I prefer Ian Garry," Silva said in a recentinterview. "I have little problem for my team."

Meanwhile, Borralho shook his head in disagreement as Silva weighedin on the fight.

Garry has nine wins in the UFC and has only lost to ShavkatRakhmonov, who is currently sidelined as he recovers frominjury. The former Cage Warriors champion has beaten the likes of Prates, BelalMuhammad, Geoff Nealand NeilMagny.

Meanwhile, Makhachev is on a 16-fight winning streak, tied withAndersonSilva for the longest in UFC history. The Dagestani championdefended the lightweight ***** le four times before moving up towelterweight and dethroning JackDella Maddalena.

#fight #fighting #meanwhile #jean

UsmanNurmagomedov and IliaTopuria could be on a collision course, and the Russian'smanager has now weighed in on the matchup.

Nurmagomedov (22-0) is the most sought-after free agent in mixedmartial arts presently. The undefeated Professional Fighters League lightweight exhausted his currentcontract with the promotion by defending his ****** le with a knockoutwin over ArchieColgan at PFL New York.

Usman's manager has now addressed how he'd fare against the formertwo-division Ultimate Fighting Championship ****** leholder.
Topuria (17-1) was the fastest-rising fighter in the sport untilhis ****** le loss to JustinGaethje at UFC Freedom 250, the first defeat of his pro career. Despitebeing no longer unbeaten, he remains one of the biggest stars inthe UFC.

Ali Abdelaziz manages both Gaethje and Nurmagomedov. With rumors ofNurmagomedov looking to sign with the UFC now circulating,Abdelaziz predicts that the Dagestani standout will stop Topuria bythe fourth round, as Gaethje did.

"I told everyone before that Justin Gaethje would beat IliaTopuria," Abdelaziz wrote on X. "And I'm telling you today: UsmanNurmagomedov will stop Ilia Topuria within four rounds."

It remains to be seen whether Nurmagomedov re-signs with the PFLamid their merger with Jake Paul'sMost Valuable Promotions. Notably, DanaWhite confirmed the UFC's interest in the 28-year-old followingUFC Belgrade.

#topuria #gaethje #title #russian 'smanager

Professional Fighters League's return to UBS Arena in LongIsland, New York, was punctuated by a majestic performance in themain event.

The PFL New York headliner saw current 155-pound ***** leholderUsmanNurmagomedov (22-0, 1 NC; 4-0 PFL) defend his championshipagainst ArchieColgan (13-1, 2-1 PFL). After a feeling-out couple of minutesin the center of the cage, Nurmagomedov connected with a head kickon his opponent's temple before following up with a big left handthat dropped Colgan. Shortly after the American managed torecompose himself and get back to his feet, Nurmagomedov followedup with more uppercuts that sent "King" to his knees. Smellingblood, the Dagestani landed more punches before referee KeithPeterson waved it off at the 3:42 mark of Round 1. In hispost-fight interview, Nurmagomedov was noncommittal about hisfuture in the promotion, since Friday's fight was the last on hiscurrent contract.

In the co-main event, DakotaDitcheva (16-0, 11-0 PFL) made a successful return from ayear-long injury hiatus, taking on former BellatorMMA ***** le challenger DeniseKielholtz (9-6, 1-1 PFL). "Dangerous" showed no cage rust,combining clean, sharp striking with effective takedowns, puttingany concerns about the injured hand to rest. Ditcheva made the mostof her reach, attacking from range with front kicks to the head andmidsection, while Kielholtz answered with a few spinning attacksbut overall posed little threat. The pace slowed in the thirdframe, drawing scattered boos as Ditcheva went the distance for thethird time in her otherwise finish-heavy career. When the dustsettled, all three judges scored it 30-27 for Ditcheva.

In a 157-pound catchweight tilt, AmruMagomedov (10-0, 2-0 PFL) kept his record unblemished byovercoming AngelAlvarez (11-3, 1-1 PFL). Magomedov attacked with a variety ofstrikes out of the gate, but his kicks proved to be his most lethalweapon. After "Salsa King," who failed to make the contracted155-pound weight limit the day before, crumpled from the damage,Magomedov poured it on until referee Dan Miragliotta stepped in at 4:28 ofRound 2.

An elitemiddleweight clash headlines PFL Charlotte: Tune on Friday, Aug. 7at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN.

The main card opener saw former Ares Fighting Championship205-pound kingpin MoustaphaDiakhate (6-0-1, 1-0 PFL) make a statement in his promotionaldebut, crushing last-minute replacement DarrylKing Walker (2-1, 0-1 PFL). "Black Black" hunted his opponentdown with strikes from the opening bell before taking the fight to the canvas and finishing "The Sacred Beast"from mount at 2:35 into the opening stanza.

In the featured fight on the preliminary card, LazaroDayron (11-0-1, 3-0-1 PFL) relied on his crisp striking andwell-timed takedowns to outpoint former interim Bellator MMA135-pound ***** leholder RaufeonStots (21-5, 1-3 PFL) at the end of a close contest, with twojudges scoring 29-28 in favor of "El Cazador" and one 29-28 for"Supa"; earlier, Sean Gauci(12-1, 2-0 PFL) dominated AllanB

Javier Mendez doesn't see Islam Makhachev vs. Ian Machado Garry continuing the Dagestan vs. Ireland rivalry.
Welterweight champion Makhachev (28-1 MMA, 17-1 UFC) makes his first ***** le defense against Machado Garry (17-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) in the UFC 330 main event on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia (Paramount+).
Machado Garry has called his fight against Makhachev Ireland vs. Dagestan 2, referring to Conor McGregor's bad blood with Khabib Nurmagomedov. Things got so personal with McGregor and Nurmagomedov, that Nurmagomedov jumped McGregor's corner immediately after choking him out at UFC 229.
Mendez says you can't compare the two fights.
"There are zero similarities to Conor vs. Khabib," Mendez said in an interview with NewBettingSites. "Unless Ian starts disrespecting family and religion or country, but I don't see him doing that or Islam doing it either. It's a fight between them, and I feel like if they want to include me and Khabib that's fine. We are fair game, we are trainers and part of the team. They should leave everyone else alone though."

#garry #conor

Image: Ben Duffy/Sherdog.com illustration
We at Sherdog provide regular, in-depth preview coverage for allmajor events, including our oft-praised preview column along withour "Sheehan Show" handling all sorts of related matters includingbetting. With those official sources for picks handled, we wouldlike to take the edge off here and get a bit lighter with ourbreakdowns.

The industry of sports betting is exploding before our very eyes,with billions of dollars pumping in since legalization stateside.Oftentimes, those driving the lines are right on the money withtheir openings, valuations and ****** yses. Occasionally they are wayoff, or otherwise merit some additional conversation. That is wherewe come in with this reinvigorated series of Prime Picks, where,stealing a line from game show host Sam Reich, we hold hands andjump into the abyss together for Saturday morning's Ultimate Fighting Championship's jaunt toAbu Dhabi. Try it out.
MagomedAnkalaev (-575)
MagomedZaynukov (-290)
MagomedTuchalov (-900)

We admit, we're getting away with a technicality here by notincluding MuhammadSaid in our same-name parlay. After all, Magomed is the Russiantransliteration of Muhammad. Also, good luck trying to search thename "Muhammad Said" without any additional qualifiers and stillgarner any information about the fighter of that namesake. All ofthese Magomeds are rightful favorites, and in the case of two ofthe more expected victors of Tuchalov and Ankalaev, moneyline betsare just not worth it.

Therefore, we pair these three gents together, all of whom haveclear paths to victory against foes who have displayed exploitableweaknesses. Some are giving BogdanGuskov a proverbial "puncher's chance" to win this fight,although he might have some surprise jiu-jitsu in his back pocket.Nevertheless, unless Ankalaev chooses to take things horizontal—heis not nearly as keen on doing this despite his reputation, onlydoing so in his first triumphant meeting against AlexPereira. Against "Poatan," he did attempt a clean dozen shots.While he did not land a single one, the mere threat of the takedownallowed him to get in on the stoic striker and do some work. A fewfaked shots against "Hitman," whose takedown defense has alreadycome into question despite his recent successes, would payimmediate dividends.

We get to the meat of the order. More specifically, the pork. JohnPork. "Wild Chanco" Zaynukov, who actually had his nickname onFight Finder as "John Pork" until specifically reaching out torequest that it be taken down. RobertWhittaker didn't have the same problem when Ben Fowlkes andChad Dundas first crowned him "Bobby Knuckles" in the always-great"Co-Main Event Podcast" and it stuck. Even though DamianRzepecki will hold a slight bit more experience and morestoppages on his ledger, he and Zaynukov stand at differentterraces in their respective careers.

To get signed through the promotion, the Dagestan native in thepipeline of the Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov School

Javier Mendez detailed Islam Makhachev's preparation for his upcoming welterweight ***** le bout against Ian Machado Garry. The bout will headline UFC 330, marking Makhachev's first welterweight ***** le defense.
Mendez, Makhachev's longtime coach at AKA, believes his pupil has the correct strategy to defeat Machado Garry. The Dagestani, who is known for his grappling ability, can also hold his own on the feet, making him a well-rounded fighter. Although he does not have a training partner that can replicate the Irishman's fighting style, he benefits from training with Usman Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov, the current PFL lightweight champion, is also preparing for his fight at PFL New York. As a result, he and Makhachev can maximize their training sessions while preparing for their respective bouts.
"We don't have somebody [like Machado Garry] at our disposal that is that good. But, we do have who I happen to believe is the No.1 lightweight in the world, Usman, as a main sparring partner," Mendez exclusively told Heavy Sports via NewBettingSites.uk.
Javier Mendez also revealed how Usman Nurmagomedov has helped Islam Makhachev during his training camp. Mendez stressed the importance of Makhachev's timing, particularly when throwing strikes.

#training

Javier Mendez detailed Islam Makhachev's preparation for his upcoming welterweight **** le bout against Ian Machado Garry. The bout will headline UFC 330, marking Makhachev's first welterweight **** le defense.
Mendez, Makhachev's longtime coach at AKA, believes his pupil has the correct strategy to defeat Machado Garry. The Dagestani, who is known for his grappling ability, can also hold his own on the feet, making him a well-rounded fighter. Although he does not have a training partner that can replicate the Irishman's fighting style, he benefits from training with Usman Nurmagomedov.
Nurmagomedov, the current PFL lightweight champion, is also preparing for his fight at PFL New York. As a result, he and Makhachev can maximize their training sessions while preparing for their respective bouts.
"We don't have somebody [like Machado Garry] at our disposal that is that good. But, we do have who I happen to believe is the No.1 lightweight in the world, Usman, as a main sparring partner," Mendez exclusively told Heavy Sports via NewBettingSites.uk.
Javier Mendez also revealed how Usman Nurmagomedov has helped Islam Makhachev during his training camp. Mendez stressed the importance of Makhachev's timing, particularly when throwing strikes.

#welterweight

After months of waiting, it’s finally “John Pork” fight week!
Everyone’s favorite viral fighter Magomed Zaynukov is set to make his official promotional debut at UFC Abu Dhabi where he faces fellow newcomer Damian Rzepecki on the main card of Saturday’s Fight Night event. Zaynukov came into the UFC via Dana White’s Contender Series, scoring an impressive decision win over Lucas Caldas.
That performance isn’t why Zaynukov has become something of a sensation, though. All the extra attention comes via two unfortunate events: someone making a meme joking that his nickname is “John Pork,” and Zaynukov attacking Dillon Danis in the crowd at UFC 322 in Madison Square Garden.
The “John Pork” thing has raised his profile, but it’s clearly an annoyance to Zaynukov, whose real nickname is “Chanko” after his hometown in Dagestan.
“It started back in 2009 when I was beginning my Muay Thai career,” he explained to Anatomy Of A Fight. “At the Dagestan Muay Thai Championships, my coach Ibrahim Khedirov started calling me ‘Chanko.’ I trained under him for nearly 12 years, and the name just stuck. From then on, everyone called me Chanko. Some people even thought it was my real name. Now when people hear ‘Chanko’ they know it’s me.”

#pork #fight #dagestan

Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer KhabibNurmagomedov believes IslamMakhachev is in for a tricky outing against IanGarry.

Makhachev (28-1) is set to defend his welterweight **** le for thefirst time against Garry (17-1) in the main event of UFC330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia.Makhachev's friend and mentor, Nurmagomedov, notes that his protégéhas never faced an opponent as tall as Garry.
Nurmagomedov admits that Garry's elusive style is a difficultpuzzle to crack. "The Eagle" further notes that Makhachev, nearing35, is six years older than Garry. According to the former unbeatenlightweight champion, the stylistic threat from Garry, combinedwith the age difference, makes it a difficult matchup forMakhachev.

"We've never faced an opponent this tall - 193 cm [6'4"],"Nurmagomedov said on the "Smol Talk" podcast. "We'll have to chasehim, close the distance, grab him, and take him down. It will be adifficult fight. And Islam is almost 35. The stylistic matchup andthe age together make this a difficult fight… I expect a hardfight, **** uming we don't get an early finish. Spending five roundswith this opponent won't be easy. The training camp will bedifficult too, first because we have to find someone who canimitate him."

American Kickboxing Academy founder and head coach of theDagestani team, Javier Mendez, recently revealed that Professional Fighters League champion UsmanNurmagomedov is helping Makhachev by mimicking Garry intraining.

Garry has racked up 10 UFC wins and suffered his lone professionalloss to ShavkatRakhmonov, who is sidelined due to an injury. Meanwhile,Makhachev is undefeated in 16 straight Octagon outings, includingsix **** le fights. The latter is tied with AndersonSilva for consecutive UFC wins, and a victory at UFC 330 willsee the Dagestani set a new record.

For 24 consecutive professional fights, Aslamjon “El Pantera” Ortikov had never experienced the bitter walk back to the locker room without a victory beside his name.
That flawless reality finally changed at The Inner Circle 20 on June 26, when the Uzbek phenom suffered a razor-close split-decision defeat to Asadula “The Dagestan Ninja” Imangazaliev in their epic battle for the vacant ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World ****** le.
The high-stakes, five-round main event at Bangkok’s historic Lumpinee Stadium featured all the creativity, blinding speed, and deep unpredictability expected from two undefeated strikers operating at the absolute pinnacle of the sport.
However, when the official scorecards were read in the center of the ring, two of the three judges ultimately sided with Imangazaliev — ending Ortikov’s perfect run and leaving him with the very first defeat of his career.
Ortikov shared:

Magomed Zaynukov has yet to make his UFC debut, but the undefeated lightweight has already made a name for himself in the combat sports community.
In addition to winning his fight on Dana White's "Contender Series" last fall, the 8-0 "Chanco" — also known as "John Pork" following a garbled ****** unciation from Islam Makhachev — endeared himself to MMA fans by putting hands on industry troll Dillon Danis.
Now it's time to see if Zaynukov, 31, can replicate those performances inside the Octagon.
The promotion recently booked Zaynukov opposite fellow undefeated newcomer Damian Rzepecki for the upcoming UFC Abu Dhabi fight card on July 25, according to Marcel Dorff. The 24-year-old Rzepecki (10-0) spent his entire career on the International circuit, competing mostly for Fight Exclusive Night (FEN) in Poland.
Zaynukov did the bulk of his work in Dagestan and UAE.

ONE Championship returns to Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand, on Friday, June 26, with another exclusive card for members of The Inner Circle, streaming live at live.onefc.com.
The Inner Circle 20 features two undefeated fighters who meet for the first time to crown a new ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World Champion in the main event, while a legendary Thai rivalry reignites in a third and deciding chapter in the co-main event.
In the headliner, Asadula Imangazaliev and Aslamjon Ortikov meet for the vacant ONE Flyweight Muay Thai World ******* le in a bout that marks the first time in ONE Championship history that two undefeated ONE Friday Fights contract winners will compete for 26 pounds of gold. Both men earned their contracts with knockout performances at Lumpinee Stadium, and neither has ever tasted defeat.
Imangazaliev is 12-0 with nine stoppages and has been one of the most destructive forces on the weekly series since his arrival. The 22-year-old Dagestani, training out of Team Mehdi Zatout and Team Chingiz Allazov, has knocked out both Nong-O Hama and Kongthoranee Sor Sommai — the two men fighting directly below him on this very card — and carries the kind of raw finishing ability that makes every exchange feel dangerous.
Ortikov is 24-0 with 13 finishes and has drawn comparisons to the Lomachenko of Muay Thai for his fluid, switching, unpredictable style that makes opponents look foolish just when they think they have him figured out.