Arman Tsarukyan vs. Charles Oliveira 2 cancelled as Tsarukyan set for new UFC 331 fight
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PFL CEO John Martin says the UFC has to overcome several hurdles before potentially signing Usman Nurmagomedov in free agency.
Professional Fighters League superstar Usman Nurmagomedov, cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, is arguably the biggest name to hit MMA free agency in years. Nurmagomedov most recently defended the PFL lightweight title by brutally knocking out Archie Colgan at PFL New York.
UFC CEO Dana White raised eyebrows when he admitted that the promotion is interested in adding Nurmagomedov to its lightweight division. Many believe it's a foregone conclusion that Nurmagomedov will sign with the UFC instead of re-signing with the PFL.
But the top PFL executive revealed that notion is misleading, and that the league is in the process of negotiating a mega deal with Nurmagomedov.
John Martin updates on the state of Usman Nurmagomedov/PFL negotiations
In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, PFL CEO John Martin was asked about Nurmagomedov's future and how confident he is that he will return to the league.
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“There is so much misinformation. The UFC has not given him an offer. They're not legally allowed to. We have an exclusive negotiating period. We're putting together an offer, and we're going to sit down and talk with them. I think our offer will be competitive,†Martin said of Nurmagomedov's free agency.
“It's really up to him. We would love to have him. We would love to keep him… I do have to say, it's a little bit funny… I started saying a year ago, ‘This guy is one of the best lightweights in the world,' and I think people were almost mocking me. The original speculation was that he wouldn't even be top 15 in the UFC… Now I find it kind of ironic that he is being paraded around like he's the salvation of mixed martial arts.
“I mean, he's a terrific talent, and we would love to keep him and work with him,†Martin continued on Nurmagomedov. “We'd love for him to be a meaningful part of our promotion. If he chooses that's not the path he wants to take, then we have a lot of great fighters here, and it's a dynamic ecosystem.â€
Will the UFC sign Usman Nurmagomedov? Let us know your prediction in the comments!
UFC 334 goes down this Saturday with two pretty damn intriguing title fights.
In the main event, undisputed* heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane goes for his first defense against, yes, one of the most talked-about fighters of 2026, the undefeated Josh Hokit. Folks, there’s a well-above zero chance that Hokit closes out the year as the UFC’s heavyweight king. Wowza.
Then you have the bantamweight matchup of destiny between champion Kayla Harrison and the GOAT herself Amanda Nunes. Where these two legends and the division go after UFC 334 is anybody’s guess, but this fight had to happen and it’s finally going down in Madison Square Garden.
So what’s your level of excitement as we kick off fight week?
Andre
Galvao is embracing a daunting challenge as he prepares to face
Rousimar
“Toquinho†Palhares at ACBJJ 23 on Nov. 13 in Rio de
Janeiro.
The Brazilian grappler will face Palhares in a rematch of their
2011 ADCC final, this time under rules that permit strikes to the
body.
Andre Galvao prepares for Rousimar Palhares at ACBJJ 23 under
rules allowing body strikes
Galvao, 44, told Sherdog that a renewed desire to compete and an
attractive offer from the promotion prompted his return. He
initially expected the rematch to follow the rules of their
previous encounter, but the format changed as plans developed.
“First they got my yes, then came the surprises,†Galvao said.
“Later on they told me it would be up to 100kg (220 pounds); then
that it would be nine minutes of fighting instead of seven; and
finally they informed me that punches and kicks would be
allowed.â€
The prospect of facing Palhares under those conditions concerned
some of Galvao's friends and students. However, the Atos Jiu-Jitsu
leader believes his MMA experience has prepared him for the
challenge.
“Several friends came to me and said, ‘You're crazy, coming back
right away against Toquinho and with strikes allowed?'†Galvao
recalled. “The fact is that since I built my career more in
Jiu-Jitsu and Grappling, the youngsters forget that I've already
had seven MMA fights, and during that period I was training with
champions like Anderson, Rafael Feijão and Ronaldo Jacare, so
taking punches isn't exactly something that scares me that
much.â€
Galvao nevertheless recognizes the threat Palhares poses.
“Toquinho is a monster, he's incredibly strong. I joke that I'm
prepared to face a monster on Friday the 13th,†Galvao said. “That
fight of ours in the ADCC final in London in 2011 is still
considered one of the best in history. I'm sure we're going to put
on another great fight and make history again.â€
Galvao won their first meeting 9-4 in the under-88-kilogram ADCC
final in Nottingham, England. Their rematch will headline ACBJJ 23
at Farmasi Arena.
Johnny
Walker's heavyweight run is going faster than he planned.
Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweights Sean Brady
and Gabriel
Bonfim were originally scheduled to headline
UFC Vegas 124 on Nov. 7 at Meta Apex in Las Vegas. However,
Brady pulled out because of a severe staph infection and the
promotion didn't book a replacement to keep Bonfim on the card.
Walker then accepted the headlining matchup against Waldo
Cortes-Acosta on nine days' notice.
What a victory over Waldo Cortes-Acosta could mean for Johnny
Walker
Walker (23-10, 1 NC) made his heavyweight debut against Mick Parkin
in October, scoring a bonus-winning first-round knockout. The
former light heavyweight recently revealed he originally wanted to
take things slow in his new weight class.
“I was thinking to take small steps and go slow in the division,â€
Walker said at media day ahead of UFC Vegas 124. “See how I feel at
heavyweight. That was my plan. God had different plans than me. God
has better plans for me.â€
Cortes-Acosta (17-4) was riding a three-fight win streak before
losing to Alexander
Volkov and Curtis
Blaydes this year. A win over “Salsa Boy†will launch Walker
into the heavyweight Top 10 in just his second appearance in the
division.