MMA
VIDEO | Islam Makhachev shares heartwarming message with cancer patient after UFC 330: 'Never give up!'
Published
8 hours agoon
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
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MMA
Islam Makhachev's coach picks apart Ian Machado Garry's 'killer instinct' criticism from Dana White
Published
9 hours agoon
August 18, 2026
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
MMA
Anthony Smith pleads not guilty to four felony charges in Nebraska
Published
10 hours agoon
August 18, 2026
Smith has pleaded not guilty to four felony charges stemming
from a July domestic incident in Nebraska.
Court records confirmed
Smith’s plea, resulting in the cancellation of an arraignment
scheduled for Aug. 17. The former
Ultimate Fighting Championship light heavyweight title
challenger is now due back in court for a status hearing Sept. 21
in Sarpy County.
Former UFC title challenger Anthony Smith faces four felony
charges stemming from an alleged July domestic incident in Gretna,
Nebraska
Smith faces one Class 2 felony count involving an attempted Class 1
offense, a terroristic-threats charge and two counts of
first-degree false imprisonment, all classified as Class 3A
felonies. A Class 2 felony in Nebraska can carry a prison term of
one to 50 years, while Class 3A felonies carry up to three years of
imprisonment and 18 months of post-release supervision.
Prosecutors allege that Smith became involved in an altercation
with his wife at a Gretna, Nebraska, bar on July 26. They claim
Smith threatened to kill his wife, forced her into his vehicle and
later attempted to strike her with the vehicle after she exited it.
His wife was not physically injured, according to prosecutors’
account.
Smith has not publicly addressed the allegations. His wife, Mikhala
Renee Newman, previously offered a different characterization of
the incident, saying Smith was experiencing a mental health crisis
and that she had sought help to protect him from himself.
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VIDEO | Islam Makhachev shares heartwarming message with cancer patient after UFC 330: 'Never give up!'
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