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MMA Fighting’s 2026 Submission of the Midyear: Murtazali Magomedov’s mind-blowing Scottish twister

Published

4 months ago

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MMA Fighting’s 2026 Submission of the Midyear: Murtazali Magomedov’s mind-blowing Scottish twister

Halfway through 2026 and MMA has seen no shortage of memorable manglings.

Sure, we've yet to see a major title fight decided by a submission yet, but what's great about the mixing of the martial arts is that sometimes you see some of the most amazing finishes happen when you least expect it, and that's doubly true when it comes to fighters forcing their opponents to tap out.

Six months into the year, we've seen all kinds of submissions from airtight chokes to body-bending holds to classic armbars, so we had plenty of options to choose from when deciding which was the best for our Midyear awards. In the end, we landed on a Dana White Contender Series signing making a debut that will be tough to top, a talented flyweight contender putting an exclamation point on an impressive performance against one of his division's most dangerous spoilers, and never-before-seen-in-the-UFC leg lock courtesy of a streaking strawweight who's proving she's more than just a meme machine.

So let's look at MMA Fighting's top-3 submissions of 2026 so far.

No. 1: Murtazali Magomedov vs. Melsik Baghdasaryan (UFC Vegas 119)

You could be forgiven for mistaking Murtazali Magomedov for a striker.

For many fans, their first introduction to Magomedov came on the Contender Series, where he showed slick hands to put away Brahyam Zurcher and earn a UFC contract. Even his last Octagon League featherweight championship defense came courtesy of a hellacious knockout knee up the middle. Magomedov might be a wrestler, but he certainly doesn't shy away from throwing hammers on the feet.

However, his UFC debut reminded everyone he has a dangerous submission game. Once Magomedov put Melsik Baghdasaryan on the mat, he didn't settle for a pedestrian rear-naked choke or hunt for a joint lock; no, that wouldn't be satisfying enough. Instead, he waited for Baghdasaryan to turn into his body lock, trapping him halfway through, and then twisting him in such a way that his upper half threatened to separate from his lower half.

The official call was Scottish twister and the official result was Magomedov putting the 145-pound division on notice that he is not to be messed with when it comes to grappling.

No. 2: Asu Almabayev vs. Charles Johnson (UFC Baku)

Asu Almabayev is so close to breaking into that elite tier of flyweights and he moved one step closer to cementing a spot with his latest win.

Kazakhstan's Almabayev has been a healthy favorite in his past couple of fights, but it's one thing to look good on paper and another to look good inside the octagon. For two rounds, against flyweight kingmaker Charles Johnson, Almabayev showed off a complete game, especially his superior wrestling.

Up on the cards heading into Round 3, Almabayev could have cruised to a decision win. Why risk giving Johnson even the slightest window for a comeback considering his history of upsets (UFC champion Joshua Van and Lone'er Kavanagh know all too well how dangerous Johnson is) when you're in control of the cards? With less than two minutes left in the fight, Almabayev took advantage of Johnson attempting to stand up out of back control, snatched Johnson's leg to break his base, and then utilized a classic Suloev stretch to yank his foot way over his head. Tap or say goodbye to your hamstring.

With just one loss in eight UFC appearances, don't be surprised if this is the performance that pushes Almabayev towards an eventual title shot.

No. 3: Alice Ardelean vs. Polyana Viana (UFC Vegas 117)

Is Alice Ardelean… good?

Even the most positive-minded fight fan (me!) had a difficult time reconciling Ardelean being signed to the UFC in 2024. Her two claims to fame were her considerable social media following (millions are subscribed to Ardelean's socials for her viral reaction face) and having previously lost to Zhang Weili. Her pro record was 9-5. And then she lost to Shauna Bannon and Melissa Martinez. Like, what are we doing?

Then something weird happened. Ardelean stuck to it. She could have settled for using a brief UFC run to further boost her profile, but she actually started winning fights. A Fight of the Night-winning performance against Rayanne dos Santos. Another decision nod over Montserrat Conejo. And then a matchup with Polyana Viana, a struggling veteran, but a woman that knows a thing or too about internet notoriety.

Ardelean made sure both of them went viral again. With Ardelean in top position, Viana countered with a body lock from bottom position, aiming to control Ardelean's posture. However, what she didn't know was that Ardelean is terminally online and guess what? That's a pretty dangerous base for MMA in 2026.

With Viana's foot tucked between her legs, Ardelean turned body lock defense into leg lock offense and soon it was Viana being forced to signal her submission.

I don't know if Ardelean ever becomes a serious contender. I don't know if she even comes close to cracking the top 15. But she's already made her mark, becoming the first fighter ever to say that they successfully scored a Capsule Lock submission in a UFC fight.

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MMA

UFC Vegas 124 ‘Cortes-Acosta vs. Walker’ play-by-play, results & round scoring

Published

6 hours ago

on

November 7, 2026

By

UFC Vegas 124 ‘Cortes-Acosta vs. Walker’ play-by-play, results & round scoring

Sherdog’s live
UFC Vegas 124 coverage will begin Saturday at 5 p.m. ET. The
event is also known as
UFC Fight Night 293.

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Sloan scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

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Mike Sloan scores the round:

Round 3

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The Official Result

Round 1

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Mike Sloan scores the round:

Round 2

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Round 3

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The Official Result

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Round 2

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Round 3

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The Official Result

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Round 2

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Round 3

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The Official Result

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Round 2

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Round 3

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The Official Result

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Round 2

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Round 3

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The Official Result

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Round 2

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Round 3

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The Official Result

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Round 2

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Round 3

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The Official Result

Round 1

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Brian Knapp scores the round:
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Round 2

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Round 3

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The Official Result

Round 1

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Round 2

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Round 3

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Mike Sloan scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

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Round 2

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Brian Knapp scores the round:
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Mike Sloan scores the round:

Round 3

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Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Sloan scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

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Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Sloan scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Sloan scores the round:

Round 3

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Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Sloan scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Sloan scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Sloan scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Sloan scores the round:

The Official Result

Round 1

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Sloan scores the round:

Round 2

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Sloan scores the round:

Round 3

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Sloan scores the round:

Round 4

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Sloan scores the round:

Round 5

Sherdog Scores

Brian Knapp scores the round:
Tudor Leonte scores the round:
Mike Sloan scores the round:

The Official Result

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MMA

Dana White calls out Islam Makhachev over UFC activity: ‘It backs up the division’

Published

1 day ago

on

November 6, 2026

By

Dana White calls out Islam Makhachev over UFC activity: ‘It backs up the division’
Dana White has slammed Islam
Makhachev’s activity.

After defending his title against Ian Garry in
August, Makhachev called for another title defense before Ramadan
2027. The Dagestani even singled out Carlos
Prates as his next challenger. According to the
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO, the matchup was verbally
agreed for UFC
336 on Jan. 30, 2027, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto before
Makhachev changed his mind.

Dana White claims Islam Makhachev vs. Carlos Prates was
‘verbally agreed'

While White doesn't expect Makhachev to fight three times a year at
this stage in his career, he would like him to fight at least twice
a year.

“That was verbally agreed to… I like when guys fight a lot,†White
said during a media scrum captured by TheMacLife. “Being a
champion, I don’t really expect you to fight three times a year.
But twice would be nice. It backs up the division; there are many
guys who would like a shot at the title.â€

Makhachev (29-1) hasn't fought more than twice a year since 2022.
Prates (24-7) and unbeaten welterweight contender Michael
Morales (19-0) are now set to contest interim gold at UFC 336,
with the winner set to fight Makhachev after Ramadan.

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MMA

UFC champion reveals mother may have final say in retirement call: ‘I will obey her word’

Published

1 day ago

on

November 6, 2026

By

UFC champion reveals mother may have final say in retirement call: ‘I will obey her word’

Islam Makhachev has followed Khabib Nurmagomedov's footsteps in more ways than one, and that might include how he decides to end his fighting career.

Nurmagomedov, Makhachev's close friend and mentor, memorably retired in October 2020 following a win over Justin Gaethje that marked his third straight defense of the UFC lightweight title and improved his flawless record to 29-0. Afterwards, Nurmagomedov declared he was done with fighting, citing a promise to his mother that he would no longer fight with the recent passing of his father, legendary coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov.

Now, Makhachev is making a similar vow.

“My mother has always been against me fighting,†Makhachev told Red Corner MMA at the Sambo World Championship event in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. “I've always listened to my mother, so soon I will obey her word.â€

Like Nurmagomedov, Makhachev has carved out an unassailable legacy in MMA. The 35-year-old recorded his first successful welterweight title defense by defeating Ian Machado Garry this past August at UFC 330, and holds the record for the most consecutive successful title defenses in the lightweight division with four. He has won 17 straight fights since losing to Adriano Martins in his second UFC appearance, and holds a pro record of 29-1.

Makhachev's next challenger will be determined by an interim title bout between Carlos Prates and Michael Morales at UFC 336 in January, and after he faces the winner, he's still not sure when exactly he'll make a decision on his final fight.

“There's no number,†Makhachev said. “I am just reaching the finish line. There aren't many things that could give me motivation in this sport. I'm at the finish line. I just want to fight the contenders, but I don't see any new names.â€

Makhachev has received criticism for not facing neither Prates nor Morales in January, instead letting one of the challengers remove the other from the equation. Asked which fighter presents a bigger threat to his championship reign, Makhachev sounded unworried.

“It's a good fight and I think both of them deserve a title shot,†Makhachev said. “That's why I would like to see which of them is more deserving. We'll find out in January.â€

“They are both good,†he added. “They are both punchers. Although, I wouldn't say either of them is a threat for me. I am a bad matchup for them stylistically.â€

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