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Usman Nurmagomedov's PFL future shut down by Islam Makhachev as he teases likely UFC signing

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Usman Nurmagomedov's PFL future shut down by Islam Makhachev as he teases likely UFC signing

It sounds like Professional Fighters League lightweight champion Usman Nurmagomedov's tenure is coming to an imminent conclusion.

Usman Nurmagomedov remains the top free agent in Mixed Martial Arts after his Professional Fighters League contract expired following a win over Archie Colgan earlier this year. The PFL lightweight champion recently turned down the league's reported $2 million initial offer to re-sign with the promotion, hinting at a potential move to the UFC.

Usman, the cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, could potentially sign with the UFC after PFL contract talks have stalled out. If he signed with the UFC, he'll be a top threat in the stacked lightweight division.

Despite a potential UFC signing, the PFL could still offer Nurmagomedov a top-end deal to return to the league. But UFC welterweight champion Islam Makhachev, Nurmagomedov's teammate, recently expressed little chance of that coming to fruition.

Islam Makhachev hints at imminent Usman Nurmagomedov UFC signing

In a recent interview with Match TV, Makhachev was asked about the chances of Nurmagomedov signing with the UFC, and claimed there was a 90 percent chance of it coming to fruition.

“It's the perfect move for him; he needs to prove he's the best in the world. He could face a top-10 rival and soon earn a title shot,†Makhachev said of Nurmagomedov.

“He grew up alongside Khabib and me, has trained with the best from the start of his career and has extensive experience working with champions; now is the best time for him to join the UFC.†(h/t Bloody Elbow)

As of this writing, Nurmagomedov remains a free agent, but could potentially join the UFC in the coming weeks. Usman was in Umar Nurmagomedov's corner at UFC Shanghai last month.

Will Usman Nurmagomedov eventually win a UFC lightweight title? Share your thoughts in the comments!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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Ex-IBF champion Lee Selby gets unbeaten test in BKB 61 main event

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Ex-IBF champion Lee Selby gets unbeaten test in BKB 61 main event
Lee “Lightning†Selby will headline BKB 61 against Ollie “The
Death†Sentance on Nov. 14 at Indigo at The O2 in London.

BKB announced the all-British matchup Tuesday, with the former IBF
featherweight champion set to make his second appearance in the
promotion's Trigon. Selby had previously been confirmed for the
event, but his opponent had not been announced.

Lee Selby faces 2-0 bare-knuckle finisher Ollie Sentance in
London

Selby retired from professional boxing in 2022, bringing an end to
a career in which he captured the IBF featherweight championship.
He made his BKB debut at BKB 55 in June, stopping Antonio Rizzo via
second-round TKO.

The 39-year-old Welshman will now make his first BKB appearance in
London, where he will face another undefeated bare-knuckle fighter
in Sentance.

“I'm really looking forward to getting back in the Trigon and
fighting in London again,†Selby said. “Ollie is a tough opponent
and I know he'll be coming to bring a fight, so I'm expecting a
proper battle. It's always special fighting in front of the British
fans and I'm excited to headline BKB 61 and put on a great night
for everyone at The O2.â€

Sentance enters the matchup with a 2-0 bare-knuckle record, with
both victories coming by stoppage. The Kidderminster,
Worcestershire, native made his BKB debut in February, stopping
Nico Earwaker in the fourth round before adding another TKO victory
over Corey Healey at BKB 55.

The 29-year-old competed in several combat sports, including mixed
martial arts and kickboxing, before moving into bare-knuckle
boxing.

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Jiri Prochazka headlines UFC Qatar; Aljamain Sterling, Dan Hooker return

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Jiri Prochazka headlines UFC Qatar; Aljamain Sterling, Dan Hooker return

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka will return at UFC Qatar for his first bout since losing to Carlos Ulberg.

The UFC light heavyweight title picture remains in a peculiar spot as titleholder Carlos Ulberg continues to recover from a leg injury suffered at UFC 327. Earlier this year, Ulberg rallied against Jiri Prochazka to earn a TKO win after injuring his leg just minutes into the fight.

Now, the light heavyweight titleholder remains on the sidelines as Prochazka and other top contenders make their cases for a title shot. Prochazka is looking to secure another title shot after recent championship losses to Alex Pereira and Ulberg.

As he looks to move closer to another potential title fight, Prochazka will headline the UFC's return to Qatar against one of the division's most dangerous young contenders.

Jiri Prochazka vs. Navajo Stirling headlines stacked card at UFC Qatar

As the UFC announced on Tuesday, Prochazka will face Navajo Stirling (11-0) in the UFC Qatar main event on November 21st.

Stirling returns to the Octagon after recent knockout wins over Jan Blachowicz, Ion Cutelaba, and Bruno Lopes. He was a longtime teammate of Israel Adesanya at City Kickboxing before Adesanya left the gym earlier this year.

A win over Prochazka would likely give Stirling the nod for a title shot over some of the other top contenders. Prochazka was briefly linked to a fight against former UFC title challenger Paulo Costa before negotiations fell apart.

UFC Qatar features the returns of top names like Aljamain Sterling, Dan Hooker, and the highly anticipated debut of super prospect Akbar Abdullaev. Stirling will face surging featherweight contender Kevin Vallejos in the co-main event.

Hooker, who returns after a loss at UFC Paris earlier this month, will fight Brian Ortega in the latter's long-awaited lightweight debut.

What is your prediction for Jiri Prochazka vs. Navajo Stirling? Share your thoughts in the comments!

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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Payton Talbott reveals why rumored Sean O'Malley fight at White House didn't happen

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Payton Talbott reveals why rumored Sean O'Malley fight at White House didn't happen

Payton Talbott reveals he was in talks to face Sean O'Malley at the White House.

O'Malley ended up facing Aiemann Zahabi on the card, whom he knocked out, but Talbott was in the running for that fight. It would have been a major fight, but for whatever reason it didn't come to fruition.

According to Talbott, the UFC told him O'Malley wasn't available after asking about the fight, and then it was announced he was facing Zahabi.

“I was supposed to fight Sean [O'Malley], then I was supposed to fight him, I was supposed to fight her, all kinds of names,†Talbott said. “Supposedly when I was supposed to fight them, they all had a broken foot. I was like, ‘Dude, what's up with everybody's feet?‘ It must be something in the water.

“They were like, ‘Oh, so and so broke his foot. He really wants to fight you, but his foot is broken. This guy, he was gonna fight you, but this morning he broke his foot.' Then it's funny, because the same names that said their feet were broken are suddenly getting booked … it could be UFC, it could be people scared. I wonder which?â€

Why the UFC offered the fight and then walked it back isn't known. But perhaps the promotion is waiting for it to be a potential title fight, or No. 1 contender fight, to book it.

Payton Talbott is set to take on Deiveson Figueiredo in the co-main event of UFC 332 on Saturday in Utah. Should he beat the former flyweight champ, he could start to enter the title conversation at bantamweight.

Talbott enters the fight on a two-fight winning streak and is coming off a decision win over Henry Cejudo.

UFC 332 Fight Card

The full fight card for UFC 332 on Saturday is as follows:

  • Natalia Silva vs. Wang Cong – women's flyweight title fight
  • Payton Talbott vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
  • Roman Kopylov vs. Ateba Gautier
  • King Green vs. Esteban Ribovics
  • Khaos Williams vs. Roberto Soldic
  • Mick Parkin vs. Johnny Walker
  • Alden Cora vs. Imanol Rodriguez
  • Damian Pinas vs. Andrey Pulyaev
  • Court McGee vs. Eric Nolan
  • Marvin Vettori vs. Ismail Naurdiev
  • Alexander Hernandez vs. Rafael dos Anjos
  • Marcus McGhee vs. Benardo Sopaj
  • Anthony Wint vs. Lucas Armand
  • Jacobe Smith vs. Bruce Whitehead

Stay locked to BJPENN.com all week for your UFC 332 fight coverage.

Who do you think would have won, Payton Talbott or Sean O'Malley?

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM


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