Muhammad
Mokaev claims four elite opponents turned down a grappling
match against him.

Mokaev says he accepted four grappling bouts in a week against
former One
Championship titleholder Adriano
Moraes and
Ultimate Fighting Championship flyweights Asu
Almabayev, Alibi
Idiris and Ramazonbek
Temirov. He alleges that all four opponents agreed to fight
him, only to pull out the very next day.

Former UFC flyweight Muhammad Mokaev details a ‘crazy week' of
failed grappling matchups

Mokaev eventually secured a grappling matchup against Moris
Boleian. They will compete for the ACBJJ 60kg Grand Title on Aug.
30 at Ora Arena in Istanbul, Turkey.

“It was crazy week,†the former UFC flyweight wrote on X. “Signed
to compete 4 names in 1 week (Adriano Moraes, Asu Almabayev, Alibi
Idiris & Ramazan Temirov) And they all too but next day the didn't
want to. At the end only this guy accepted.â€

Mokaev (16-0) has finished three of his four MMA wins and one in
Karate Combat since his UFC exit in 2024. The undefeated flyweight
is also active on the grappling circuit, where he suffered a loss
against a much bigger Arman
Tsarukyan in his last match. Meanwhile, Boleian (8-1) has
finished all eight of his professional wins via submission before
suffering his lone career loss via split decision at UAE Warriors
this past January.

It was crazy week 😄
Signed to compete 4 names in 1 week (Adriano
Moraes, Asu
Almabayev, Alibi Idris & Ramazan Temirov)
And they all too but next day the didn't want to 🤷ðŸ»â€â™‚ï¸
At the end only this guy accepted pic.twitter.com/DHhUBxIAFe

— Muhammad
Mokaev (@muhammadmokaev)
August 17, 2026

UFC superstar Conor McGregor shared his first thoughts on Ian Machado Garry's unanimous decision loss to Islam Makhachev.

Ian Machado Garry's first shot at UFC gold fell short last weekend at UFC 330. UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev successfully defended his title against Garry, defeating the rising star by unanimous decision.

Garry's loss snapped a recent run of success in the Octagon that featured wins over Carlos Prates and former titleholder Belal Muhammad. The former Cage Warriors champ is considered the ‘future' of the UFC's welterweight division.

Despite suffering from the jaws of defeat, Garry received support from around Mixed Martial Arts, including from his hero Conor McGregor.

Conor McGregor shows support for Ian Machado Garry after UFC 330 loss

In a recent video uploaded to Instagram, Garry shared his first remarks after his loss to Makhachev, to which McGregor replied.

“Tonight wasn't my night,†Garry said.

“I feel great, I did great, Islam was just better than me tonight, and that's OK. I want everybody who loves me and supports me and wants to see me do better, I want you to know that I'm gonna be back. I'm not disheartened by this. I'm bulletproof in my mind. I'll be back. I'm 28 years of age. I just fought arguably the greatest fighter we've ever seen in this sport – and I pushed him to the f—— wire, and I'm so proud of myself, and I'm so proud of my team, and everything that we've done.

“I'm so proud of what I've done in this world and who I've become; nobody's stopping me,†Garry continued.

After Garry's comments went viral, McGregor showed his support for his fellow Irishman.

“Champion mindset!†McGregor commented.

McGregor's UFC 329 comeback lasted mere seconds last month after injuring his right leg against Max Holloway. Before UFC 329, McGregor teased a potential future showdown with Garry for the UFC welterweight title, a plan which is now off the table.

Who should Ian Machado Garry fight next after UFC 330? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan doesn't have a lot of sympathy for Charles Oliveira after their scratched UFC 331 rematch.

Top UFC lightweight Arman Tsarukyan and BMF titleholder Charles Oliveira were rumored to run it back at UFC 331 next month. Tsarukyan defeated Oliveira in a closely contested bout at UFC 300 earlier in their careers.

Despite recent rumors, the UFC matchmakers booked Tsarukyan for the UFC 331 co-main event against surging contender Mauricio Ruffy. Oliveira's teammate Allan Nascimento's tragic death was proposed as the likely reason for Oliveira's sudden withdrawal from the rumored UFC 331 matchup.

But just days after the new UFC 331 fight announcement, Oliveira has posted training footage on his social media accounts, as fans await news on the BMF champ's return. According to Tsarukyan, the validity of Oliveira's apparent pullout from UFC 331 should be questioned.

Arman Tsarukyan: Charles Oliveira used teammate's death to ‘duck' rematch

In a recent interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, Tsarukyan was asked about Oliveira pulling out of their rumored rematch at UFC 331.

“Charles' friend died, and he cannot train; but I don't understand, in 3-4 days he's doing training and back in camp,†Tsarukyan said of Oliveira.

“Probably they already set up a fight with Diego Lopes. He was just finding an excuse. To lose somebody is so hard, but you could beat me and dedicate the victory to your friend. Fight me or Diego Lopes? For sure, he would pick Diego Lopes.†(h/t MMA Mania)

A matchup between Oliveira and former UFC featherweight title challenger Diego Lopes has been proposed as a potential future bout. Lopes recently announced his full-time move to the lightweight division after back-to-back losses to featherweight champ Alexander Volkanovski.

Oliveira last fought against Max Holloway at UFC 326, winning by unanimous decision to earn the BMF title. The former UFC lightweight champion is looking to make another title push after a recent vacant title loss to Ilia Topuria.

What is your prediction for Arman Tsarukyan vs. Mauricio Ruffy? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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