Islam
Makhachev's sense of humor has no mercy.

Makhachev is already in the United States less than a month ahead
of his maiden welterweight title defense. He takes on Ian Garry at
Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on Aug. 15. The
Ultimate Fighting Championship welterweight king attended the
somewhat uneventful FIFA World Cup final between Spain and
Argentina along with his mentor Khabib
Nurmagomedov, manager Ali Abdelaziz and other members of their
team.

The game was dominated by Spain until Barcelona's Ferran Torres
scored the lone goal in extra time. Like most, Makhachev found the
matchup lackluster.

“It was a very bad game, very boring, but it's OK,†Makhachev said
on Abdelaziz's Instagram.

Known for his sense of humor, Makhachev couldn't help trolling an
Argentine fan sitting next to him.

“Hey, second place. You happy?†he said.

The fan, who was clapping enthusiastically, said that he was still
happy despite Argentina's loss. It was enough for the fan that
soccer legend Lionel Messi made it to the final, while fellow GOAT
contender Cristiano Ronaldo didn't.

“Yes, I'm happy. Because Ronaldo is not here. Messi is here,†the
fan replied.

Islam
Makhachev was in attendance for the 2026 FIFA World Cup Final
and couldn't resist poking fun at the Argentina supporter sitting
beside him after Spain edged their way to the trophy. 😅

“It was a very bad game, very boring, but it's OK,†Makhachev said,
before turning to… pic.twitter.com/lMPAhbTemd

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA)
July 20, 2026

Bo Nickal admits Colby Covington put in some solid work in his RAF 11 victory this past Saturday, but he feels a potential match between the two would play out far differently.

Covington looked to continue his momentum in freestyle wrestling against top UFC lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan inside the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena. Covington earned a 5-3 win over Tsarukyan to improve his RAF record to 4-0. He has now nabbed victories over Tsarukyan, Chris Weidman, Dillon Danis, and Luke Rockhold.

Nickal saw Covington's match against Tsarukyan, and he won't deny that the former interim UFC Welterweight Champion put in the work to earn his victory. While Nickal had praise for the performance, he still believes Covington would be in for a rude awakening if they share the mat.

“Colby actually looked pretty good vs Arman but there's levels. If yall want to see an absolute massacre give me that @RAFWrestlingUSA cross over belt match up next. Easy work.â€

Nickal and Covington have gotten into a war of words in the past. Nickal has claimed that Covington lied about a proposed UFC Freedom 250 fight that never came to fruition. He even said that he had “receipts†to prove that “Chaos†was lying about him turning down a bout.

Covington has retired from pro MMA competition and has been focusing on freestyle wrestling. It appears the only way the two could settle things is under the RAF banner.

Both Nickal and Covington have their next freestyle wrestling matches booked. Nickal will be facing Max McEnelly at RAF 12 on Aug. 22 in Cleveland. Covington is set to compete on that same card against Belal Muhammad. While Nickal and Covington had their aforementioned banter, things have gotten personal between “Chaos†and Muhammad.

If Bo Nickal and Colby Covington collide under the RAF banner, who would you give the edge to? Sound off in the comments below.

Ian Machado Garry can see the comparison being made with his upcoming title fight to Conor McGregor's game-changing win over Jose Aldo.

Garry is set to challenge for UFC gold for the first time on Aug. 15. “The Future†will be meeting welterweight titleholder Islam Makhachev inside the Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia. Garry had long pounded the table for a crack at the 170-pound title, and wins over Belal Muhammad, Carlos Prates, and Michael Page earned him the shot.

Makhachev is currently the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter on the UFC roster, and he hasn't suffered a loss since 2015. He is a surefire future Hall of Famer and has held gold in two weight classes. Garry, a rising Irish star, is aware that some have compared his ascension leading up to UFC 330 to McGregor's road to knocking Aldo out in a matter of seconds back in late 2015.

In an interview with High Performance, Garry discussed the parallels, and he doesn't necessarily disagree (via Red Corner MMA).

“I've had a lot of pressure from the outside world, from the fans and the sport itself, to be the star and hype that Conor McGregor set. I've had a lot of comparisons to Conor due to the fact that we're both from Ireland.

When Conor fought for his first UFC title, he fought the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, who hadn't been beaten in a decade, and he knocked him out in 13 seconds. My next opponent is the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter.â€

Going into UFC 330, Garry hovers around at +280 as the underdog. McGregor was actually a slight betting favorite before his career-defining moment against Aldo. The deck is certainly stacked against Garry, but he isn't short on confidence.

What chance do you give Ian Machado Garry of overcoming the odds against Islam Makhachev? Join the conversation in the comments below.