MMA
Khabib Nurmagomedov praises 'legend' Edson Barboza after former rival's retirement
Credit: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLCUFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov applauded his former rival Edson Barboza following his UFC 330 retirement.
Khabib Nurmagomedov stood cageside as his longtime friend and pupil, Islam Makhachev, successfully defended his UFC welterweight title at UFC 330 last weekend. Makhachev, the UFC's pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter, defeated Ian Machado Garry by unanimous decision in a grueling battle.
Before making the full-time transition to coaching, Nurmagomedov wrapped up his legendary career as the UFC's pound-for-pound king with a win over Justin Gaethje at UFC 254. Despite being in the middle of his prime, Nurmagomedov retired to fulfill a promise to his mother following the tragic death of his father, Abdulmanap.
On his way to highlight-reel wins over Conor McGregor, Dustin Poirier, and Gaethje, Nurmagomedov went through a gauntlet in the UFC's lightweight division. His win over Edson Barboza at UFC 219 clinched his long-awaited lightweight title shot, defeating Barboza by unanimous decision.
Following a loss at UFC 330, Barboza dropped the gloves and announced his retirement from Mixed Martial Arts at 40 years old. Nurmagomedov, who was backstage preparing Makhachev for his fight at the time of Barboza's announcement, had a classy message for his former rival.
Khabib Nurmagomedov's live reaction to Edson Barboza's UFC 330 retirement
During a recent episode of Anatomy of a Fighter, Nurmagomedov shared his live reaction to Barboza's retirement at UFC 330.
“Long time ago, the sport left him. But today, he leaves the sport, too,†Nurmagomedov said of Barboza.
“This happens. When you're 40 years old, you have to think about your family. Family is better than being beat up like this. Just my opinion. But he's a legend!â€
Barboza earned wins over the likes of Paul Felder, Beneil Dariush, and Anthony Pettis during his illustrious UFC career. He made his promotional debut at UFC 123.
What is your favorite memory from Edson Barboza's UFC career? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
MMA
VIDEO | Islam Makhachev shares heartwarming message with cancer patient after UFC 330: 'Never give up!'
Credit: Anatomy of a FighterUFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev had an inspiring message for one of his biggest fans after his UFC 330 title win.
Islam Makhachev broke UFC Hall of Famer Anderson Silva's record for most consecutive wins in UFC history by defeating Ian Machado Garry last Saturday. In the UFC 330 main event, Makhachev put on another mostly dominant performance to successfully defend the welterweight title.
The UFC's pound-for-pound king, Makhachev, continued to make his case as one of the greatest fighters in UFC history. Ahead of UFC 330, Makhachev surprised one of his biggest fans, who is battling cancer, by flying them out for the fights.
Makhachev met the fan in person on Thursday just before the UFC 330 pre-fight press conference in Philadelphia. After their viral meetup, Makhachev invited the fan backstage following his win and sent the cancer patient home with an inspiring message.
WATCH: Islam Makhachev tells fan he flew out to UFC 330 to ‘never give up'
Watch Makhachev meet the fan backstage, as filmed by Anatomy of a Fighter, below.
Islam Makhachev took time to speak with a fan battling cancer after his win over Ian Garry â¤ï¸
“You see, from the first second to last second I go war. I have hard time, but never give up. Also yourself, never give up, okay? You are warrior.â€
(via @WillHarrisAOAF) pic.twitter.com/Vrf393GCCp
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) August 18, 2026
Valentin heads home with his daughter, Alexis, to continue ongoing treatment for his life-threatening illness in Salem, OR.
Meanwhile, Makhachev capped off an eventful night at UFC 330 with another impressive performance against Garry. Next, Makhachev will likely face rising star Carlos Prates for his next welterweight title defense.
UFC commentator Joe Rogan raised eyebrows after UFC 330 when he suggested Makhachev return to the lightweight division for his next fight. Makhachev vacated the lightweight title last year following a win over Renato Moicano at UFC 311.
Before defeating Garry, Makhachev won the UFC welterweight title by unanimous decision against Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 322.
All of us at BJPenn wish Valentin the best in his ongoing battle with cancer.
Who should Islam Makhachev fight next after UFC 330? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
MMA
Islam Makhachev's coach picks apart Ian Machado Garry's 'killer instinct' criticism from Dana White
Credit: Chris Unger/Zuffa LLCUFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev's longtime coach believes Ian Machado Garry didn't need ‘killer instinct' at UFC 330.
UFC welterweight champ Islam Makhachev defended his title unanimously against Ian Machado Garry last weekend at UFC 330. After becoming the UFC's latest two-division champ, Makhachev put on another impressive performance to stop Garry's meteoric rise.
Garry's pattern of showing respect for Makhachev throughout their fight led UFC CEO Dana White to question his ‘killer instinct'. During the UFC 330 post-fight press conference, White criticized Garry's last-fight pace, saying if he had a ‘killer instinct', he could've had Makhachev in a lot of trouble.
But Makhachev's longtime coach doesn't believe a ‘killer instinct' would've made the difference at UFC 330.
Islam Makhachev's longtime coach questions Dana White's ‘killer instinct' criticism
In a recent interview with Parimach Online Casino, Islam Makhachev's longtime coach Javier Mendez reacted to White's post-fight criticism of Garry.
“I think every fighter is different,†Mendez said of Garry's lack of ‘killer instinct' against Makhachev.
“I have so many fighters that, if they have that killer instinct, they usually tighten up. They try too hard, whereas if they have a relaxed time, like what he did, it kind of throws you off guard. That's what he did at the very beginning. He came out, shook everybody's hands, shook all the coaches' hands. I've never had that happen to me.
“He was smiling like he had this in the bag, and for me, that got me right away. I went, ‘Oh, he's really confident here. Very, very confident.' What Dana took one way, I took as super, super confident,†Makhachev's longtime coach continued on Garry. “I felt he was telling us goodbye, ‘Thank you, guys, but I'm winning this.' That's what I felt. He came out with that attitude too. I don't think it had anything to do with what Dana said. I think that's just for him to motivate himself, and I think he did fantastic.†(h/t MMA Junkie)
Garry earned recent wins over Belal Muhammad and Carlos Prates before the loss to Makhachev. The 28-year-old has plenty of time to potentially get another shot at UFC gold.
Will Ian Machado Garry fight for a UFC welterweight title again? Let us know your thoughts on his future in the comments!
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
Teofimo Lopez Challenges Fathers Corner Decisions After Shakur Stevenson Defeat
Khabib Nurmagomedov praises 'legend' Edson Barboza after former rival's retirement
DWCS Week 2 official after all 10 fighters make weight
-
MMA2 days agoDin Thomas retires from cornering after Gillian Robertson’s UFC 330 loss
-
MMA2 days agoIan Machado Garry sends defiant message after Islam Makhachev defeat
-
MMA2 days agoCharles Johnson’s wild UFC 330 submission was no fluke: ‘Once or twice a week’
-
MMA2 days agoChidi Njokuani explains bizarre UFC 330 weigh-in mix-up
-
MMA2 days agoLucas Fernando nearly quit MMA before breakthrough UFC 330 victory
-
MMA2 days agoNeil Magny closes in on Jim Miller’s all-time UFC wins record
-
MMA2 days agoIan Garry confronts Michael Morales at UFC 330: ‘Make sure you back it up’
-
MMA2 days agoIslam Makhachev breaks down Ian Garry’s tricky UFC 330 strategy