According to Javier Mendez, Khabib Nurmagomedov will go down in history not just as a great fighter but also as a great coach. Since hanging up his gloves in October 2020, Nurmagomedov has taken on a coaching position. He will be in the corners of Islam Makhachev, Zubaira Tukhugov, and Belal Muhammad at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. However, the head of the American Kickboxing Academy, Mendez, who assisted Nurmagomedov in coaching throughout his career, claims that "The Eagle" had already been instructing boxers before he retired. “He’s been coaching forever,” Mendez said on the UFC Unfiltered podcast. “Even when he was fighting, he was coaching. He’d be sparring through these five rounds and all of a sudden he’d be sitting there with us coaching the guys. He’s been doing that forever. His father had trained him from such a young age to take the responsibility over – as a fighter, as a coach – and he’s taking over his father’s footsteps. “He’s learned from me, he’s learned from his father – mostly his father. But to me, he’s on track – in my opinion because of his age, what he’s doing, the camp I see, the fighters he has – he’s on track to being the greatest coach of all time, in my opinion. I see it. I see the writing on the wall.” When Makhachev challenges Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in the main event of UFC 280 on October 22 at Etihad Arena, Nurmagomedov will have the chance to assist in the cornering of his first world champion.

Although Islam Makhachev has been heavily taunted for being promoted and lauded by his comrade Hall of famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, but he still remains a major threat in the lightweight division. The Dagestani warrior is on a 10-fight win streak and has dominated each of his fight. Mateusz Gamrot has found Islam Makhachev as a worthy opponent when he finally gets his title shot. Gamrot (21-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) might make a significant breakthrough if he defeats Beneil Dariush on October 22 at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. He is getting closer to being in the lightweight title picture. Oliveira lost the lightweight strap earlier this year as a result of a disastrous weight-cut attempt before to UFC 274. He'll compete against Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov's protégé who wants to succeed him as the next Dagestani UFC champion and Gamrot predicts Makhachev will emerge as victorious. “This is my dream fight,” Gamrot said in an interview with MMA News. “When I train MMA, I’m thinking about I want to fight with the best guys. Islam is for sure the best in this division, I think future champ. I think my fight with Islam is gonna be the biggest fight in Europe ever.” Islam has an excellent ability to wrestle and has controlled most of his fight through it. Gamrot, a former two-division KSW champion, predicts Makhachev to win but does not expect him to finish Oliveira. “This is gonna be a great fight,” Gamrot said. “I think if Islam doesn’t make stupid mistakes in this fight, he should win. I think my pick is gonna be Islam beating Oliveira. … I think this is gonna be a decision.” Gamrot must defeat the streaking Dariush, who he concedes is a skilled grappler like himself, before he can face Makhachev as he wants. “Dariush is a tough opponent,” Gamrot said. “All-around, big, strong, high-level wrestling and jiu-jitsu. This guy is one of the best in the lightweight division. I’m super excited, but I’m super ready.” Mateusz Gamrot has quickly ascended the ladder after joining the UFC in 2020. After five UFC fights, "Gamer" is already listed No. 9 in the lightweight division and has defeated three of his opponents by knockout. Gamrot recently defeated the highly regarded Arman Tsarukyan at UFC Fight Night in June. 'Gamer' was forced to accept a unanimous decision victory after failing to secure a finish.

A potential No. 1 contender in the light heavyweight division is set. In the packed lineup for the final pay-per-view event of 2022, Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev joins the fray. On December 10, at UFC 282, Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev will square off in a battle that may create a new No. 1 contender in the light heavyweight category. The fight between Blachowicz and Ankalaev was set up after the UFC chose to go ahead with Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira's immediate rematch. The replay is still planned for the same event but there is a possibility that it moves to January at UFC 283, In either case, Blachowicz and Ankalaev will face off in a matchup of two of the best 205-pound competitors in the globe. Blachowicz hoped that his victory against Aleksandar Rakic would earn him a crack at gold right away after he lost the UFC light heavyweight title to Teixeira in 2021. Instead, The Polish Powerhouse will be matched up with the dominant force in the division, Ankalaev, who has steadily moved up the UFC rankings and become a major threat ever since joining the company. Ankalaev has won nine straight matches since his only defeat in his MMA career to Paul Craig in his debut UFC bout four years ago. The former WFCA light heavyweight champion has defeated former title challengers Volkan Oezdemir, Thiago Santos, and Anthony Smith in some of his most recent contests. Ankalaev's title chance would most likely be secured with a victory against Blachowicz, raising the stakes for their fight at the UFC's final pay-per-view in 2022. There are also a lot of well-known athletes on the undercard. For the event, Robbie Lawler vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio and Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Chris Daukaus are two other noteworthy matches that are scheduled. Bo Nickal, a very excellent wrestler, will face Jamie Pickett in the event's UFC debut.

In the promotion's final pay-per-view event of 2022, two of the most seasoned veterans in the light heavyweight division are likely to face off. Alexander Gustafsson, a three-time UFC championship contender, is anticipated to encounter former interim title contender Ovince Saint Preux in a light heavyweight contest. Gustafsson is looking for his first victory since May 2017, when he defeated Glover Teixeira in his backyard, in Sweden, by knockout in the fifth round. Gustafsson was given a second chance to face Jon Jones for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 232 as a result of his victory, but Jones yet again became victorious. "The Mauler" has lost four straight fights, most recently in July in London when Nikita Krylov knocked him out in 67 seconds after moving up to the 205-pound weight class. There were numerous calls for the stalwart of the light-heavyweight division to retire after the loss. The Swede stopped talking about a comeback in the following months. He appears to have already planned a fight and has opted not to retire. In December, Gustafsson will make a comeback at UFC 282. Across the cage with Alexander Gustafsson would be Ovince Saint Preux, another former contender for the crown. 'OSP' has been a mainstay of the division for ten years, just like 'The Mauler'. His most memorable moment was in 2016 when he competed against Jon Jones for the interim gold medal but lost. The fighter from Haiti recently defeated Shogun Rua in a rematch in May. The Brazilian was brutally knocked out in the first round of their match in 2014. Eight years later, Saint Preux and Rua faced off again, and Saint Preux won by a split decision to make it 2-0 in the series. The inclusion of the light-heavyweight match only boosts UFC 282. Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira's rematch for the championship is currently scheduled as the main event of the card. The Czech boxer triumphed via submission in the fifth round of their maiden bout in June. Numerous well-known athletes are included on the undercard as well. Other significant contests are scheduled for the event, including Robbie Lawler vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio and Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Chris Daukaus. At the event, Bo Nickal, a highly talented fighter, will make his UFC debut against Jamie Pickett.

At the end of the month, Anderson Silva, a former UFC champion, will face Jake Paul. Everyone has that puncher's chance in combat sports, and even a fighter with less experience like "The Problem Child" can pull off an unexpected victory. In a recent interview with the Nelk Boys on the Full Send podcast, Silva discussed his approach to the fight despite the prospect of losing to a former YouTuber who is now 5-0 in professional boxing. At the end of the month, Anderson Silva, a former UFC champion, will face Jake Paul. Everyone has that puncher's chance in combat sports, and even a fighter with less experience like "The Problem Child" can pull off an unexpected victory. In a recent interview with the Nelk Boys on the Full Send podcast, Silva discussed his approach to the fight despite the prospect of losing to a former YouTuber who is now 5-0 in professional boxing. The 47-year-old Silva has made it more about respecting the sport than anything else after resuming his pro boxing career in 2021. “I don’t know (if) I go knock out Jake Paul or not. But I promise I go prove my respect for boxing world. That’s my goal. I train with the GOAT Olympic game guy in boxing. That’s why I train (with) professional boxers. That’s why I do my best every day. “That’s what I need to do, prove my respect for boxing. Boxing’s very interesting because not to disrespect other sports, but in boxing, a lot of people die to make the sport huge. A lot of people lost everything to make the sport huge. “I can’t come to the sport and don’t do my best and prove my respect for boxing. It’s not about knocking out Jake Paul or knocking out other opponents. It’s just go inside and prove your respect for boxing.” Since then, Silva has gone 2-0 (and altogether, 3-1 in pro boxing), taking down Tito Ortiz and Julio Cesar Chavez, two other former UFC champions. Additionally, he wants another fight after the Jake Paul boxing contest, but with different regulations this time. “I go talk to Jake and say, ‘Let’s go do one more fight, but exhibition, kickboxing. You kick me, I can kick you. But I promise I don’t go kick you hard." Silva vs. Paul happens on October 29 in Arizona.

Aspen Ladd will make her PFL debut next month against a former Bellator champion. On November 25 at the Hulu Theater in New York City, a women's featherweight fight between Ladd (9-3) and Julia Budd (16-4) is scheduled. Pay-per-view is used for the main card. Following an initial report from MMA Mania, MMA Junkie confirmed the booking with two persons familiar with the situation on Wednesday. Because the promotion hasn't yet made an announcement, the people spoke on the condition of anonymity. After leaving the UFC after seven fights, Ladd, 27, joined with PFL earlier this month. After Ladd's dismissal, UFC president Dana White praised her, but added that her well-known problems with weight loss as a bantamweight should not be overlooked. Ladd's career is entering a new phase as she prepares to take on one of the most decorated female boxers in 145-pound history. Budd, a 39-year-old former Bellator champion who joined the PFL in 2021, was defeated by Kaitlin Young in her professional debut in October 2021. Due to an injury, she was unable to compete against Kayla Harrison in July. The latest 2022 PFL Championships lineup now includes: Kayla Harrison vs. Larissa Pacheco – for women’s lightweight championship Bubba Jenkins vs. Brendan Loughnane – for featherweight championship Olivier Aubin-Mercier vs. Stevie Ray – for lightweight championship Sadibou Sy vs. Dilano Taylor – for welterweight championship Omari Akhmedov vs. Rob Wilkinson – for light heavyweight championship Ante Delija vs. Matheus Scheffel – for heavyweight championship Shane Burgos vs. Marlon Moraes Julia Budd vs. Aspen Ladd Biaggio Ali Walsh vs. opponent TBA

Rafael Fiziev, a lightweight contender in the UFC, challenged Justin Gaethje, a former interim champion, to a fight at the end of the year. Both of them are the UFC's two most intriguing lightweights. They're both in good health and could be willing to come back in December or January. Fiziev has already stated that he wants this matchup, and both fighters have recently had their noses fixed. In the summer, Fiziev defeated Rafael dos Anjos via fifth-round TKO to earn his biggest MMA victory to date and solidify his place among the top 155-pound competitors. Fiziev is still aiming to advance in the rankings and obtain a crack at the crown, and the only way to do so is to compete against opponents who are ranked higher than him. Gaethje is one such competitor who just suffered a stoppage loss to champion Charles Oliveira in May. If Fiziev gets his wish, then this would be the next bout arranged. Both Fiziev and Gaethje are entertaining standup fighters who would undoubtedly put on a show for the crowd. “I think I can fight December,” Fiziev told The AllStar. “But I want this guy, bro. This yellow guy. I want him because it’s a very big challenge for me and really, this is nice fight. He like fighting stand up, and I like fighting stand up. Of course, he want to take me down, but everybody know how much Gaethje love the top.” Since defeating the former champion RDA, Fiziev has called out Gaethje, but the communication has only been one-way. Although he hasn't received a reaction to his appeals for a fight, "Ataman" thinks that's because Gaethje wants a great fight with Conor McGregor or another opponent who isn't as challenging. Fiziev is willing to wait for the fight if the former interim lightweight champion is serious. “We’ll see, but hopefully I fight December or January with this guy,” Fiziev said. “Maybe January. I can wait (for) him. I can wait (for) him, I can wait like next year, for sure. No problem. I like it because now, my body is – I just rest, I feel good, I eat everything, what I want already. And now, mentally, I’m already want (to get) back to schedule, want (to get) back to diet, want to stay in shape. Skinny, you know? I miss for this.” Fiziev, who fights twice a year on average, wants to begin or end his 2022 or 2023 campaign with a difficult opponent. He doesn't anticipate a change in his level of activity even with a fixed nose and a rested body. While Justin Gaethje, a former title challenger, underwent surgery to fix a long-standing problem with his nose. That implies he will be sidelined until sometime in the first quarter of next year. “I told them next year,” Gaethje told MMA Fighting. “They got a fight for the title [at UFC 280], so somebody’s got to fight the loser. Michael Chandler and Dustin Poirier are going to fight, somebody’s got to fight the winner. I’ll be ready next year, ideally January, February, or March, whatever they want to do. I’m not sure when Kamaru [Usman] is going to London [for the Leon Edwards rematch], but I wouldn’t mind fighting in London.”

UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards publicly claimed that Kamaru Usman's trilogy showdown with him must take place in the United Kingdom. He also gave a possible timescale for the much-awaited fight. Khamzat Chimaev missing the weight for the UFC 279 main event against Nate Diaz, has really affected the reputation that he built over the years. Now that Borz is out of the picture for the welterweight title fight, the trilogy bout between the champion Leon Edwards and Kamaru Usman is imminent. When Edwards defeated Kamaru Usman to win the welterweight championship at UFC 278, he surprised the MMA community. The Nigerian Nightmare, who had a solid opening round for the Brit, found his rhythm in the following three rounds and dominated. Usman was left out flat after receiving a wonderfully timed head kick from "Rocky" four minutes into the fifth round, while the score was still in favor of the Nigerian. UFC president Dana White has confessed that now that Edwards is the champion, he sees a fantastic opportunity in the U.K although he is against the thought of stadium events. The Birmingham native will exert all necessary effort to make that possible. In a recent interview with Troopz on the Back Again podcast, the 31-year-old Edwards said: “It’s in Wembley, bro,” “We’re going back to the sites. I’m not going over (to the U.S.) now. I did my job. I went to over to (Usman’s) backyard and took it off him, so now he has to come to my backyard. I’m not going over there again. It’s on my terms now. He has to come over here.” The UFC often visits the UK in March, so Edwards anticipates the title fight to actually happen then. The champion is currently aware of two potential sites. “They said early next year, March-ish,” Edwards said. “Early next year over here in the U.K. – the stadium show. I think they’re coming to Wembley because it’s probably cold in March. It might be Cardiff (in Wales).” After Michael Bisping, Leon Edwards became the second British UFC champion in history. Like Bisping did when he defended the middleweight belt against Dan Henderson, he now requests the same opportunity to defend the title at home.

Frank Mir would like his last fight card to feature a lot of his loved ones. The former UFC heavyweight champion revealed on the Fight Night Flashbacks podcast that he intends to schedule his final fight in 2023 and that it would take place on a card that will also feature his daughter Bella, an unbeaten mixed martial artist. “Next year I’m going to go and fight again because actually, I want to fight once on the same card with Bella, as my last fight,” Mir said. “She can headline the card, I can open it.” The 43-year-old Mir last battled for Bellator in October 2019, defeating "Big Country" Roy Nelson by a unanimous decision to win that match for the second time in his career. Bella is fresh off back-to-back first-round submission victories and has shined in three professional fights. The 19-year-old submitted Jessica Link by armbar in her most recent match this past June and stated that she hoped to become "a larger icon" than her father, who has been a professional wrestler since 2001. Dad has no doubts about "Lady's" ability and has even compared her to recently signed UFC fighter Bo Nickal, who is widely seen as a lock to win the championship. “How many times is [a father and daughter fighting on the same card] going to happen in history?” Mir said. “Barring lightning striking, or a car accident, Bella’s the UFC champ, whatever league she wants to join. It’s a no-brainer. It’s like me when I look at Bo Nickal.”

Islam Makhachev is undeterred in his fight against Charles Oliveira. In the main event of UFC 280 on October 22 in Abu Dhabi, Makhachev (22-1 MMA, 11-1 UFC) challenges Oliveira (33-8 MMA, 21-8 UFC) for the vacant lightweight title. The promotion's all-time champion in submission victories and total finishes, Oliveira, is Makhachev's opponent, but the Sambo champion is unfazed. “His last three or four opponents, they knock him down and nobody goes to grappling,” Makhachev said in an interview with The National. “Nobody tried to finish him there. Nobody tried to do some ground-and-pound. That’s why nobody from these opponents could stop him. “But I’m not scared of his jiu-jitsu skills because I have good skills in Sambo and grappling and will give him a hard time in striking. That’s why I’m going to knock him down and try to finish him. Because this guy has most finishes in the UFC, my goal is I have to finish him. I’m going to take his record.” Head instructor of the American Kickboxing Academy Javier Mendez praised Makhachev's striking and referred to him as the greatest lightweight of all time. However, Oliveira demonstrated that he poses a threat above the mat by knocking out Michael Chandler and dropping Justin Gaethje prior to his submission. Despite Oliveira entering their battle with an aura of invincibility, Makhachev recognized, despite his own confidence in himself. “Charles is very dangerous,” Makhachev said. “He always finishes his opponent, and he’s dangerous in the striking and on the ground. But I believe in my skills. I’m ready for the fight standing up or on the ground – it doesn’t matter. “I don’t think this is the biggest test (of my career). Maybe I’ve beat some guy who has more skills. But right now, he’s the champion. And, right now, at this moment in his career, because he has a good win streak – he had many losses before and he finished all his opponents – he feels like nobody can stop him. But Oct. 22, I’m going to come to the cage and stop him there.”

Volkanovski revealed his interest in moving up to the 155-pound division after settling the score with Max Holloway in their trilogy bout at UFC 276. 'The Great' made the following remarks when appearing on the Australian UFC show Fight Week on Fox: "I’m in a position now where I want to take my best options. What’s the best route for me and things like that. Obviously lightweight — I’ve been talking about wanting to do that, and I didn’t wait until I went out there and finished that chapter with Max to really call for it." Now the UFC featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski is nearing getting his wish fulfilled as he received some amazing news regarding his wounded hand, and he has since made himself available for a massive opportunity. Volkanovski disclosed on Monday that his physician had given the go-ahead for him to resume fighting after he sustained a hand injury during his five-round decision victory over Max Holloway in July. Volkanovski will now take a flight to Abu Dhabi where he will compete as the official substitute for the lightweight title clash between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev. On Oct. 22 in Abu Dhabi, Oliveira and Makhachev are slated to square off in the main event of UFC 280. “We’re locked in as a backup fighter,” Volkanovski said on his YouTube channel. “I’ve been calling it, I said I wanted it, just had to make sure the hand was all good, so we’re all good. We’re locked in, and we got the clearance to fight. “The UFC is on board, everyone is on board, so I’ll be at UFC 280 to make weight, and yeah, looking forward to it. We’ll see what happens. If someone doesn’t make it, I’m there to save the day. If not, at least I’m locked in as the next guy to fight for that lightweight title, and that’s that.” To ensure that the main event or title fight doesn't lose out if one of the athletes participating is unable to contest for any reason, the UFC has started using substitute fighters for big events over the past couple of years. During the global pandemic, backup fighters were particularly essential since positive COVID tests frequently caused last-minute changes to events. Beneil Dariush, a lightweight who is on a 7-fight win streak, will compete against Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280, was another option for the promotion, but Volkanovski insisted. He would still be in Abu Dhabi regardless of what happened. Volkanovski has a perfect UFC record. In 2013, when competing in an Australian Fighting Championship welterweight competition, he suffered his lone professional defeat. He has defeated renowned featherweight fighters like Holloway (twice), Jose Aldo, Chad Mendes, Chan Sung Jung, and Brian Ortega throughout his incredible 23-fight winning streak. Oliveira has a history of losing weight, although the majority of those incidents occurred when he was a featherweight weighing 145 pounds. Before he was forced to give up his belt after failing to make weight for a title defense against Justin Gaethje in May, the Brazilian had not had a weight problem in years. Oliveira eventually defeated Gaethje, but he still dropped the belt. Volkanovski will weigh in with the other athletes in Abu Dhabi as part of the backup fighter process, and he must reach 155 pounds to potentially replace one of the participants in the lightweight title bout.

Between 2020 and 2022, Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan fought intensely for control of the UFC bantamweight championship. Yan was disqualified from their first fight for taking an illegal knee. Despite the clarity of the foul, Sterling was often charged with staging an injury in order to "capture" Yan's belt. In their rematch a year later, Sterling prevailed by a tight split decision to establish his reign as the undisputed 135-pound champion. Between the two battles and in the run-up to them, there was a lot of trash-talking, with Yan fans being especially harsh to "Funkmaster." Following the DQ incident, Petr alluded to Aljamain as a clown, and the American's social media was bombarded with clown emojis for months as he gradually recovered from neck surgery. Prior to their individual UFC 280 matches, Yan, and his bitter ran into each other in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Surprisingly, they got along well. Although Yan has never acknowledged the reality of the outcome of their second fight, he appears to have forgotten about the years-long public hatred he displayed toward Sterling. The interaction was posted by Aljamain Sterling on his YouTube channel with the caption "unexpected outcome." Aljamain was engaged in small talk with Petr, who questioned his arrival time. Then, without being asked, Yan took the step to shake hands with "Funkmaster." Before leaving for Abu Dhabi, Sterling expressed his thoughts for Yan in an interview with Sports Illustrated. “Right now, Yan’s not a factor for me,” he said. “But I’m sure there will still be some tension between us. In the back of his mind, I’m sure he wants to run it back. In the back of my mind, I know I’m going to step back in there with him. I know how good he is, and I know he’ll get back to the championship level. I’ll see him again.” At UFC 280, Sterling will defend the 135-pound title against T.J. Dillashaw, the former bantamweight champion who lost his title after testing positive for EPO. Although Dillashaw recently served a two-year suspension and had knee surgery, bookmakers are rating him as an underdog against the favorite Sterling in a close odd. Petr Yan will compete against rising star Sean O'Malley. Everyone believes that Yan will prevail in this match, but the underdog O'Malley is no pushover. Yan has mainly stopped his social media trash talk after referring to "Suga" as a "pink poodle" in order to focus on his training. The Russian says, "My fists will do the talking."