Aberdeen striker Kevin Nisbet has been called up to Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures against Croatia and Portugal.

The 27-year-old has not played for his country since a substitute appearance in a 2-0 win over Georgia in June 2023, but replaces Lawrence Shankland in the squad after helping Aberdeen to 13 consecutive wins at the start of this season.

Nisbet joined the Pittodrie club on loan from Millwall over the summer and has scored three goals in seven outings for Jimmy Thelin’s side.

He joins Aberdeen teammates Nicky Devlin and Jack MacKenzie in the squad, while Shankland’s withdrawal – after he missed training on Tuesday – adds to an ever-growing injury list.

Captain Andy Robertson was also not at Tuesday’s training session in Glasgow, along with Scott McTominay, Kenny McLean and John Souttar.

First-choice goalkeeper Angus Gunn (ribs) and left-back Greg Taylor (calf) had already been ruled out of the double header, with 10 others unavailable for selection, including influential vice-captain John McGinn.

Scotland visit Zagreb on Saturday before hosting Portugal three days later.

Portugal lead Group A1 on six points, with Croatia and Poland both on three and Scotland yet to get off the mark.

OKTAGON MMA is days away from putting on one of the highest-attended MMA events in history.

With more than 58,000 tickets sold for Saturday’s OKTAGON 62 at Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt, Germany, the budding European-based organization will draw what could be the biggest crowed ever for an all-time MMA fight.

The UFC’s announced attendance record sits at 57,127 for UFC 243, which took place at Marvel Stadium in Melbourne, Australia in October 2019 with a Robert Whittaker vs. Israel Adesanya middleweight title headliner.

The only higher attendance figured have come out of the now-defunct PRIDE organization in Japan. A hybrid PRIDE/K-1 kickboxing event in August 2002 claims to have more than 91,000 seats filled, while the all-MMA PRIDE Final Conflict 2003 show announced 67,451. There is no formal confirmation of these numbers, however.

OKATAGON MMA promoters Ondrej Novotny and Pavol Neruda claim their figure is entirely authentic, and fans from all over the world have purchased tickets to be on the scene.

“It’s definitely various spots, but most of them are definitely from Frankfurt and the whole of Germany,” Novotny told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. “A few thousand coming form Czech Republic and then people who like big events. Not just MMA, but big events, they are coming from all over the world. Around 46 with different kinds of people from business, show business or also fighters and fans.”

Novotny said there are approximately 600 tickets still remaining, and encouraged fans to snatch them up to be part of a historic show. The organization is going all-out to make it a spectacle for both those at the venue and watching from home.

“We have almost 500 different kinds of lights,” Novotny said. “Some crazy fires and fireworks inside the arena. Definitely there’s some special entrances but we don’t want to spoil them before. There will be some superstars from the German rap scene. We’ve got a halftime show with John Newman, who is a crazy DJ who was just in Tomorrowland. He has many hits. It’s going to be really crazy.”

The attempt for OKTAGON MMA to differentiate itself from a production perspective is fully intentional. They want to put on events that can’t be compared to others in the industry, and for a show of this magnitude, the ante was upped event further.

“We will have a special drone which is allowed to fly above the people and it will go into the live stream,” Neruda said. “We have a special 360 degree camera with a VR set. It will be a crazy experience. We also have cameras on the referees that are live. As far as I know we are the only one who is doing it live. You can see it from an action perspective. Plus open scoring. A lot of these elements that make to entertained for the whole night.

“We love it. All the members of OKTAGON team, if you have this passion about something it’s never enough. You are never satisfied. You achieve something, you want more and to make it better and entertain people more. We are always going to events that are musical or another type of entertainment around the world or sports event, we watch what’s going on and try to inspire and bring it to the world of MMA.”

OKTAGON 62, which can be ordered via online pay-per-view from the company website, will feature 11 bouts and three championship fights. There is a local flair to the headliner, with German athletes Christian Eckerlin and Christian Jungwirth fighting for a special “King of Germany” belt.

“The main event is the biggest thing to ever happen on German soil,” Neruda said. “It’s Christian Jungwirth vs. Christian Eckerlin. Two huge stars. Very similar styles of fighter. One is from Frankfurt, and another from Stuttgart. Both used to be pro football players who dreamed on one day playing in a big stadium, and now it turned out the event they will be in a stadium will not be as a football players, but as fighters. We call this title ‘The King of Germany.’ It’s a welterweight fight. It’s going to be crazy. We prepared a special belt.”

LAS VEGAS – It wouldn’t be the first time a champion kickboxer transitioned to MMA to chase a former foe holding a UFC title, and Artem Vakhitov isn’t hiding the fact he hopes to face Alex Pereira again.

Vakhitov (3-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) earned a UFC contract by finishing Islem Masraf in the first round at Dana White’s Contender Series 75. Now that he’s in the same promotion with UFC light heavyweight champion Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC), the chase is on.

The pair battled twice in kickboxing, splitting decision results in 2021. Neither man denies the storyline in a potential trilogy, much like when Pereira entered the UFC and was fast-tracked to a third, and then fourth, meeting with then-middleweight champion Israel Adesanya.

Pereira, 37, who just retained his light heavyweight title by defeating Khalil Rountree in a Fight of the Night main event at UFC 307, flew in to watch Vakhitov, 33, compete at the UFC Apex.

“I had no idea he was going to be here, but as I was walking out, I saw that he was sitting in the audience, and to be honest, it kind of lit the fire a little bit, kind of motivated me even more.” Vakhitov said through an interpreter during a post-fight news conference.”

The motivation worked, as Vakhitov turned in a first-round TKO finish. Not just a motivator from the sideline, Pereira also ended up being the convincing voice urging UFC CEO Dana White to sign him after his performance.

The storyline for a potential meeting in the UFC writes itself. But unlike Adesanya, who couldn’t get over the Pereira hump until their fourth meeting, the series between Vakhitov and Pereira is tied, and there is no animosity between them.

“I respect him and he respects me,” Vakhitov said. “There’s nothing but respect through both of our teams. We had a great history in kickboxing, and when we left that chapter of our life, we left on really good terms. I’ve never had any ill will towards him.

“He also congratulated me on the fight. He said it was a great fight and I told him that we soon will see each other. It’s going to take some time. I have nothing but a sportsman-like interest in seeing him in the octagon. When it happens eventually, I think it’s going to be also done with respect, just like in kickboxing. I really do think that both of us are very much just good sportsmen. We’re respectful, we respect each other’s team, and just going to see each other as fighters.”

Even with the story outlined, Vakhitov said he won’t rush through the chapters. He is well aware of where both he and Pereira are at this point in their careers, and is ready to climb the ladder to eventually reach the top of the division.

Vakhitov is also aware of the pressure that comes with each appearance he makes moving forward, as many will expect him to fulfill the destiny of earning a trilogy with Pereira.

“I thought about eventually there was maybe a possibility that we would fight again,” Vakhitov said. “To be honest, we’re 1-1. That’s what the history books say, but obviously, I think it’s 2-0.

“… A loss today was not an option. We had to come here, we knew we were coming into the cage with the win in mind. I’m sure that going forward, whether it’s debut or other fights, it’s going to be on my shoulders; it’s going to be hanging over me even more because there’s that narrative.”

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UFC 308 is right around the corner, and the headliners Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway are itching to step into the cage to settle things for the featherweight title.

The undefeated champion Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) is confident he will not only retain his gold, but also become the first to finish former champ Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) by knockout.

The fight goes down in the main event of UFC 308 on Oct. 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. While there are still two weeks before they can get their hands on each other, that hasn’t stopped them from hurling verbal jabs at one another.

“You already know how it feels to bounce back,” Topuria said to Holloway in a pre-fight interview moderated by Brendan Fitzgerald. “You already have seven professional defeats. I have zero. So, you’re going to do it once again really well, I don’t have any doubts about that. You are a great example of that.”

The interview began with respectful yet sarcastic banter, but with each exchange, the sarcasm grew until full-on insults were spewed.

“I took a lot of people’s doughnuts, bro,” Holloway replied. “I hope you like churros because you’re about to get one come Oct. 26, buddy.”

Topuria dismissed Holloway, and claimed he will become the first person to knock out the former featherweight champion, whose only stoppage loss came by submission to Dustin Poirier at UFC 143 in 2012.

“The only thing I’m going to do is take your lights out and party with all my people, all my team. That’s what I’m going to do,” Topuria said. “And Still. This is what’s going to happen.

“… I don’t have any doubts that I will be the first one to knock you out. I don’t even want you to trust in that because if you’re starting to trust in what I’m saying, you’re not going to show up, and I need you to show up for the fight.”

Topuria explained his confidence comes from studying the division’s greats before him, including Alexander Volkanovski and Holloway. Topuria knocked out the former in his last fight at UFC 298, finishing the former champion in the second round.

Holloway enters this title opportunity coming off a Knockout of the Year contender at UFC 300, when he violently slept Justin Gaethje with one second left on the clock after pointing to the ground, inviting him to trade bombs until the final horn.

Topuria was not impressed with that fight, nor the finish. He even took it a step further, issuing a challenge to Holloway.

“Bro, I was so bored watching that fight,” Topuria said. “The only thing exciting about that fight was the last 10 seconds, to be honest. But I didn’t see any technique in that fight. I didn’t see any strategy. I didn’t see any f*cking thing. I just saw a bar fight, to be honest. It was very spectacular for the fans, but for me, as a professional, it was a – I don’t know. Not something very impressive.

“I challenge you to have that exchange in the first 10 seconds of the fight and you will see what’s going to happen. When you face a fighter like me inside the octagon, who brings that technique and that power, you can’t do that. I’m going to take your head off if you do that.”

Holloway laughed at the challenge and said Topuria wouldn’t do it because he gets tired quickly. The recurring response from “Blessed” was to express his excitement for fight night while repeating, “We’ll see,” and, “We’re going to find out,” in rebuttal to Topuria’s bold opinions.

Topuria claimed Holloway didn’t want to take the fight against him and would have rathered face Michael Chandler, which prompted a fiery reply.

“You were the first guy I asked for,” Holloway said. “I said I want Ilia Topuria. I want the easiest fight. I want Ilia Topuria. That’s what I said.”

Yaroslav Amosov hopes to claim gold once again, but this time in the UFC.

Approaching one year since his most recent fight, the Ukrainian star Amosov (27-1) is a free agent. His sights are firmly set on the same end location they’ve been for a few years now behind the scenes.

“We have a plan,” Amosov recently told MMA Junkie in his first interview since his Bellator departure. “We want to sign a contract for just one fight (somewhere). After one fight, we want to go to the UFC.”

According to Amosov, the conclusion of his Bellator contract was the result of an expiration of time, not the conclusion of fights. Amosov says he informed the promotion in 2022 or 2023 of his plans to explore free agency and thinks perhaps that’s what led to a delayed exit.

When he withdrew from a bout vs. Michael Page to fight in the Russia-Ukraine war, Amosov said one year was tacked onto the end of his contract – but claims he was not offered additional fights during this time.

“In 2023, one maybe two years ago, we said, ‘Bellator, we have plan. We don’t want to sign new contract. After finishing the contract, we’ll go outside.’ I think that’s maybe why they continued my contract one year. Maybe that’s why. But yes, we have plan to go to the UFC.”

Manager Andriy Spivachuk hinted his client might already know where he’s going next, but elected to not yet publicly announce.

“They promised, but they didn’t give,” Spivachuk said.

Amosov aims for a January 2025 return to action. Renowned for his strong grappling abilities, Amosov thinks he might have to show more exciting aspects of his game to twist the arm of UFC matchmaker Sean Shelby.

That’s why he’s training boxing with WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk (19-0), a fellow countryman.

“I feel I can change my style,” Amosov said. “That’s why I’m an MMA fighter. That’s why I’m an MMA fighter because I can fight in striking, grappling. Now, the last couple months, I trained in boxing. Maybe a couple months ago, I’ve been in boxing camp. Then, maybe now I go to boxing camp again now in Spain. … For me, I think I can grapple and striking. Sometimes, for me, I feel better if I do takedowns and ground-and-pound. Maybe submissions. It’s maybe better for me. I feel it’s, for me, comfortable.”

Despite the result of his last fight, a TKO loss to Jason Jackson in November 2023 that shocked bookmakers, Amosov said he’s identified the problems that went wrong and is not deterred from UFC title gold aspirations.

“I had in my last fight it was many problems in my camp,” Amosov said. “I had many situations close to my family about my country and I had a couple problems. It’s just my problem and he’s a very hard guy. 100 percent. But my last fight was me, but not me.

“… Of course, I have big motivation because my last fight was not so good. I want to show this world I’m a good fighter and I will be champion. My last fight is my fault. I want to show it’s just a mistake. I show this world this mistake. … I think I can do this. I will do this. Maybe that’s better. I’ve trained with many guys, many years and I feel I can do this. I’ll take this belt.”