Arman Tsarukyan vs. Charles Oliveira 2 cancelled as Tsarukyan set for new UFC 331 fight
Credit: Jeff Bottari/Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC/Getty
UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev hinted that Usman Nurmagomedov could be signing with the promotion soon.
Islam Makhachev will defend his UFC welterweight title this Saturday against Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330. Makhachev returns to the Octagon after becoming the UFC's latest two-division champ by defeating Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322.
As Makhachev continues his final preparations for UFC 330, one of his longtime teammates could be on the way to the promotion. PFL lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov, cousin of Khabib Nurmagomedov, is a free agent and could potentially sign with the UFC in the coming weeks.
UFC CEO Dana White recently expressed interest in signing the undefeated champion, and manager Ali Abdelaziz hinted that the promotion has reached out. Nurmagomedov most recently finished Archie Colgan at PFL New York.
Ahead of UFC 330, Makhachev not only hinted that a Nurmagomedov UFC signing could be imminent, but also teased a few potential matchups for the PFL champ.
Islam Makhachev tabs Usman Nurmagomedov for immediate UFC title shot
During his UFC 330 media day press conference, Makhachev was asked about Nurmagomedov's potential UFC signing and hinted at a potential deal in the works.
“Usman has been training with us since he was really young. I know 100 percent that he's ready to fight for the UFC title tomorrow,†Makhachev said of Nurmagomedov.
“In my opinion, Usman did his job in the PFL, and he's ready to show a good performance in the UFC. Right now, is the time for Usman in the UFC and we have some people in mind. We want Justin for the belt, but if he has to do one more [fight], he'll face Arman [Tsarukyan] or [Mauricio] Ruffy.â€
Arman Tsarukyan and Mauricio Ruffy will clash in the UFC 331 co-main event next month in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, lightweight champ Justin Gaethje's return timeline remains uncertain, although he's widely speculated to face the Tsarukyan vs. Ruffy winner for his first title defense.
Can Usman Nurmagomedov win a UFC title? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
Eddie Hearn is standing firm amid the ongoing Tyson
Fury-Anthony
Joshua saga.
Hearn has pushed back after Dana
White recently addressed the ongoing discourse surrounding the
heavyweight matchup. The head of Matchroom Boxing discussed the
involvement of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO and Zuffa Boxing in putting
together the fight and clarified Joshua's stance on the same.
Anthony Joshua’s stance on Dana White and Zuffa Boxing
complicates Tyson Fury fight talks
Hearn was asked about the highly anticipated Fury-Joshua bout after
the Katie Taylor vs. Flora Pili press conference in Dublin,
Ireland, and reiterated that, as per Joshua's contract, there's no
need for Zuffa to get involved.
“No, or else there will be no fight and we'll just keep going,â€
Hearn said at a media scrum captured by Bloody Elbow. “You have to
understand, right? AJ is one of my closest friends; AJ is a
shareholder of Matchroom. So, I know the narrative run by Tyson
Fury is, ‘Oh, Eddie's ego…' No, no, no. We are a team, and AJ will
say to me, ‘Why are they involved?' I said, ‘Exactly, so are you OK
with them not being involved?' He says, ‘Yeah.'â€
Hearn also insists that the exclusion of White and TKO is not
simply his personal preference.
“So, the responses in the addendum are not ‘Eddie Hearn's wishes';
they're Anthony Joshua's wishes,†Hearn added. “The addendum
doesn't have to include ‘still no Dana' because that is in the
original contract. The addendum is just changes.â€
Salahdine
Parnasse believes Dan Hooker is
the “perfect†matchup for his
Ultimate Fighting Championship debut.
Parnasse will make his Octagon debut against Hooker in the
UFC Paris main event on Sept. 5. The former two-division
KSW champion claims the UFC veteran is the ideal opponent to
showcase his skills against.
Salahdine Parnasse expects his aggressive style to mesh with
Dan Hooker at UFC Paris
Parnasse (23-2) enters the UFC with a ton of hype. While he sees
his upcoming opponent as a “big challenge,†given Hooker's 12-year
run in the UFC, the French fighter likes the stylistic matchup,
especially considering his Kiwi counterpart's aggressive fighting
style.
“Dan Hooker is very strong, very experienced,†Parnasse said at UFC
Paris media day. “That’s why he is at the top of the UFC and I
think he is a big challenge and I love this challenge. I think he
is a very explosive guy who likes to do a lot in his fights. And I
think that with me, it’s a perfect fight because we are both two
guys who like to go out there and put on a great show in the
cage.â€
Parnasse enters the bout riding a five-fight winning streak, with
his last win coming on
Most Valuable Promotions' inaugural mixed martial arts event.
Meanwhile, Hooker is looking to rebound from consecutive losses to
top-ranked lightweights Benoit St.
Denis and Arman
Tsarukyan.
“I want to show all of my talent.â€
Salahdine
Parnasse (@SalahdineP) is
ready to launch himself into the thick of the lightweight rankings
as he makes his debut and headlines #UFCParis.
Fight by Fight Preview âž¡ï¸: https://t.co/fbp0AErhpM pic.twitter.com/ctmTfC2fih
Aline
Pereira could join her brother, Alex
Pereira, in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Pereira is reportedly set to face Smilla
Sundell in a bantamweight matchup on the final episode of
Dana White's Contender Series Season 10 on Oct. 13 at Meta Apex
in Las Vegas.
Aline Pereira reportedly draws Smilla Sundell for DWCS Week
10
Aline, 35, is the younger sister of Alex, a former two-division UFC
champion. In her last outing, she defeated Jade
Masson-Wong at
Most Valuable Promotions' inaugural mixed martial arts event.
Although Aline (3-2) has limited professional MMA experience, she
has established herself in kickboxing (6-2) and Karate Combat
(3-0).
Meanwhile, Sundell (2-0) has recorded both her pro MMA victories
via technical knockout under the Tuff-N-Uff
banner. The 21-year-old Swede was previously a standout in One
Championship, where she won and defended the muay thai
strawweight title.
The matchup, slated for
Week 10 of DWCS 2026, was first reported by Leo Guimaraes.
EXCLUSIVO: pude apurar que Aline Pereira,
irmã de Alex Poatan, foi escalada para lutar no Contender Series
dia 13 de outubro