Charles
Oliveira believes Ian Garry can
dethrone Islam
Makhachev.

Garry (17-1) is scheduled to challenge Makhachev (28-1) for the

Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight title at UFC
330 on Aug. 15 at Xfinity Mobile Center in Philadelphia.
Oliveira claims the challenger's fighting style will fare well
against the reigning pound-for-pound king.

Charles Oliveira breaks down why Ian Machado Garry could
threaten Islam Makhachev at UFC 330

Garry regularly trains with Oliveira at
Chute Boxe in Brazil and “do Bronxs†believes the Irish
170-pounder has a good chance of beating Makhachev.

Oliveira, who shared the Octagon with Makhachev in 2022, credits
Garry being a “strategic fighter†as the former
Cage Warriors champ's greatest asset.

“Ian has a very good chance of beating Makhachev,†Oliveira said in
an interview with MMA Fighting. “I'm not saying that because he's
my friend or because he's part of our team, but because of what we
have seen and how he's been training. We know there's an incredibly
tough guy on the other side, someone who deserves all the respect
in the world… But honestly, in my opinion, Ian has a great chance
of winning because he's such a strategic fighter and never abandons
the game plan.â€

Charles
Oliveira says Ian Machado
Garry has a “very good chance” of dethroning Islam
Makhachev at #UFC330

(Via @guicruzzz)
pic.twitter.com/RpmUll5Zzh

— MMA Fighting (@MMAFighting)
August 3, 2026

Paul
Hughes believes fighters are cheating the
Professional Fighters League's current drug testing
program.

Hughes recently called for increased drug testing in the merger
between PFL and Jake Paul's

Most Valuable Promotions.

Paul Hughes on PFL drug-testing: ‘Not good enough'

PFL lightweight Alexandr
Shabliy was recently suspended for six months after testing
positive for recombinant erythropoietin (rEPO) in an
out-of-competition sample. Hughes believes Shabliy should have been
banned for life instead. Hughes also wanted the same for former PFL
champ Movlid
Khaybulaev, who was banned for a year and stripped of his title
after testing positive for rEPO last year. The Irishman claims he
has only been drug tested a day before his fights, which is
inadequate.

“I have seen Shabliy calling for the next title shot,†Hughes said
on social media. “He got popped for EPO… The guy should be f*cking
banned for life. And speaking of that, PFL-MVP merger here, I'd
need to see increased drug testing. There's him getting done for
EPO and a six-month suspension. What the f*ck even is that ban?
There's Khaybulaev, former PFL featherweight champion out of team
Khabib, popped for EPO as well. Should be banned for life… All the
drug testing that I have gotten has been just a day before the
fights. That's not good enough; people are cheating that.â€

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

The PFL's drug-testing partner is USADA, the former drug-testing
partner of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship. As the merged promotion will
operate under the MVP banner, it remains to be seen if they will
continue with USADA.

Hughes (14-3) has made two unsuccessful title bids against Usman
Nurmagomedov in his last three outings. He claims he was unable
to train for six weeks due to back-to-back surgeries ahead of his
rematch against Nurmagomedov last October.

Addressing some things.

Nurmagomedov could be No1 in the world right now, congrats to him.
But that story is not finished.

I would like to see more drug testing in the new era of MVP/PFL.
Drug cheats should be banned for life.

Alfie
Davis, I will finish your career if you… pic.twitter.com/qA7iglqYcC

— Paul
Hughes MMA (@paulhughesmma)
August 3, 2026

An eight-man tournament with a World Title shot waiting at the end begins this week for one of kickboxing's most traveled veterans.

Marat Grigorian opens his run in the ONE SAMURAI Featherweight Kickboxing Tournament against Russian standout Mamuka Usubyan at The Inner Circle 25 this Friday, August 7, inside Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium.

The winner of the eight-man bracket earns a guaranteed shot at reigning ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World Champion Superbon. Grigorian enters as one of the favourites off the back of a spectacular victory over Kaito Ono at ONE SAMURAI 1 this past April in Tokyo.

The Hemmers Gym representative has previously challenged for ONE Featherweight Kickboxing World gold, and a run through this bracket would put him back in that conversation.

Between training camps, the three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion has built a reputation for something beyond the ring: a genuine passion for travel that helps him recover between fights. Raised by parents who worked tirelessly to build a better future for their family, Grigorian has never taken the rewards of his career for granted.

“After my fights, I take some time off just to focus on my life,†Grigorian said. “There's no better way to just shut down everything and relax at a destination. This helps me grow mentally. It keeps my mind fresh before and after fights, restores my energy levels, and keeps me sharp before I continue fight camp or training.â€

Marat Grigorian eyes a path to Superbon

Should Marat Grigorian advance through the bracket, his immediate travel plans will be put firmly on hold in favour of camp and competition. A deep Christian faith and a longstanding wish to bring his parents to Jerusalem sit near the top of his priorities once the tournament run is complete, but that ambition waits behind Friday's opening assignment.

“I actually don't have anywhere planned for my next trip,†he said. “But we'll see. Now, I'm just focused on this fight and the tournament. I don't want to think about my next holiday yet. If I win the tournament, I'll maybe take a nice holiday and celebrate it with my parents.â€

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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