MMA fighter Allan Nascimento has died at the age of 34, the UFC has announced.

The Brazilian flyweight was found dead on Monday morning after suffering an apparent heart attack in his sleep.

A statement from UFC read: “This morning, Monday, August 3rd, our beloved fighter and exemplary flyweight, Allan Nascimento, was found unresponsive after suffering an apparent heart attack in his sleep.

“Despite the efforts of the responding medical team, he was pronounced deceased at the scene.Our thoughts and deepest condolences are with Allan’s family, friends, teammates, and loved ones during this incredibly difficult time.”

Nascimento had been in the UFC since 2021 and his last fight was a loss to Mitch Raposo in June.

He trained at Chute Boxe in Brazil.

Chute Boxer paid tribute on social media, saying that their team had lost a “warrior, friend, dedicated competitor and extraordinary human being”.

“He earned the respect and admiration of all who had the privilege of knowing him.

“Allan inspired on and off the mats with his determination, humility, respect and fighting spirit.

“Your presence will be missed immeasurable, rest in peace Allan, your name, your story and your legacy will live forever through our star.”

A tribute to Nascimento on The UFC site added: “A member of the famed Chute Boxe Diego Lima team, Nascimento made six trips into the Octagon, amassing a 4-2 record while building a reputation as a skilled competitor and consummate professional.

“For his career, ‘Puro Osso’ compiled a 22-7 record with 16 of his wins coming by way of submission.

“A fixture on the doorstep of the Top 15, Nascimento was a constant presence alongside his teammates whenever they made the walk, sharing an especially close bond with former lightweight champion and current BMF titleholder Charles Oliveira.

“Our condolences go out to Nascimento’s family and friends, the Chute Boxe Diego Lima team, and all those impacted by this sudden, heartbreaking loss.”

Oliveira posted a tribute on social media: “Today I lost a brother that the fight game gave me.”

“Thank you for always being by my side, for sharing the mats and the corner.

“I have nothing but gratitude for having you with me in training, in the corner, and just hanging out. I love you, man; you’re a legend.”

The stakes have been raised in the Moses Itauma vs. Filip Hrgovic fight after a world heavyweight title was added to the contest.

Itauma and Hrgovic will meet at The O2 Arena in London on August 29, in a bout that was already set to have big implications for the division.

After Oleksandr Usyk vacated his unified titles earlier this summer, there has been plenty of movement, with Agit Kabayel upgraded to WBC champion, Murat Gassiev now the WBA champion, while Daniel Dubois remains WBO champion.

The one remaining vacant title was the IBF strap, but that won’t be the case any longer after it was revealed that the belt will now be on the line between Itauma and Hrgovic, and Warren has told BBC Sport about how big an opportunity this is in Itauma’s career.

“A lot of people have high expectations of him as I have, by the way. We signed him when he was 16. He was an amateur. We sponsored him and he turned professional with us. And he’s been amazing and sort of taken the world by storm.

“This is a big moment for him. But I’m confident he can do it.”

Itauma had originally been ordered to have a final eliminator with Frank Sanchez for the vacant belt, and Warren also revealed that they have paid the Cuban some step-aside money in order to allow this month’s bout to be contested for the title instead.

“We paid [Sanchez] some money. We said whoever wins the fight, you’re not losing out and you’ll get the opportunity to fight for the title against the winner.”

At just 21-years-old, Itauma would become the second youngest world heavyweight champion in history if he is successful against Hrgovic later this month.

The Commonwealth Games 2026 concluded on Sunday, August 2, with India enjoying a successful campaign despite the Games being restricted to just 10 sporting disciplines.

India finished fourth on the medal table with 39 medals — 13 gold, 17 silver and nine bronze.

While athletics (16 medals) and boxing (10 medals) spearheaded India’s medal surge in the latter half of the Games, weightlifting laid the foundation for the campaign in the opening days. The sport also delivered India’s first gold medal through seasoned campaigner Mirabai Chanu.

An eight-medal haul would ordinarily be considered an excellent return. However, a closer look reveals a far less encouraging picture. India not only registered their lowest weightlifting medal tally since the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games but also recorded their fewest gold medals in the discipline across the past five editions.

The number of gold medals keeps dropping

India’s weightlifting programme had steadily progressed after the 2010 Commonwealth Games, winning two gold medals in Delhi before improving to three at Glasgow 2014 and peaking with five gold medals at Gold Coast 2018.

The tally dipped to three gold medals at Birmingham 2022, but the overall campaign still reflected India’s dominance in the sport.

That trend has now worsened. At the Commonwealth Games 2026, only Mirabai Chanu managed to stand atop the podium, reducing India’s gold-medal tally to just one.

More significantly, this is the first time since 2010 that India’s gold-medal count in weightlifting has declined at two successive Commonwealth Games, suggesting that the Birmingham drop was not an isolated setback but part of a broader trend.

India’s medals in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games since 2010

Why is the drop in gold medals at the Commonwealth Games worrisome for India?

Looking only at the overall medal count, India’s campaign may not appear disappointing. Eight medals are still among the better returns by any nation in Glasgow.

The concern emerges when the performance is viewed in the context of India’s global ambitions. The Commonwealth Games have traditionally been India’s strongest international event in weightlifting. Since 2010, the country has won 46 medals in the competition.

The contrast with bigger competitions is stark. India have won just 14 weightlifting medals in the history of the Asian Games and only two Olympic medals.

In other words, even when the level of competition is comparatively lower at the Commonwealth Games, India have historically found it easier to dominate. If that dominance is beginning to fade, expectations of significantly improved performances at the Asian Games and the Olympics become increasingly difficult to justify.

Why India’s gold-medal numbers are dropping

The decline in India’s gold-medal tally is not merely a statistical anomaly but a reflection of a shrinking pool of athletes capable of dominating international competition.

India still produced eight medals in Glasgow, but six of them were silver. That indicates that the country continues to produce finalists, yet struggles to convert podium finishes into titles. At elite competitions, that final step often separates a good programme from a great one.

Nigeria and Australia have also remained consistent contenders. Winning medals is still well within India’s reach, but standing atop the podium has become significantly harder.

The bigger concern, however, lies beyond the Commonwealth Games. India have traditionally used the event as a benchmark because the level of competition is generally lower than at the Asian Games or the Olympics. 

If Indian lifters are now finding it difficult to dominate even at the Commonwealth level, expectations of significantly better performances against powerhouses such as China, North Korea, South Korea, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan become increasingly difficult to justify.

The silver-heavy campaign in Glasgow should, therefore, be viewed as a warning rather than a consolation. 

Yet Mirabai’s brilliance also exposes India’s biggest weakness.

One of the clearest indicators of India’s changing fortunes in Commonwealth weightlifting is the absence of a new generation of serial champions. India’s previous generation consistently returned to the Commonwealth Games and upgraded their performances. Sukhen Dey and Ravi Kumar followed their medals in Delhi 2010 with another podium finish in Glasgow 2014. Sanjita Chanu and Sathish Sivalingam defended their Commonwealth titles in 2018, while Punam Yadav progressed from bronze in 2014 to gold four years later. Mirabai herself set the benchmark by transforming a silver medal into three successive Commonwealth titles.

The current generation has also produced repeat medallists, but the progression has stalled. Harjinder Kaur, Bindyarani Devi and Lovepreet Singh have all returned to the podium, yet none has converted those performances into a Commonwealth title. In Glasgow, despite India winning eight weightlifting medals, not a single lifter apart from Mirabai managed to stand atop the podium. Six settled for silver, suggesting India continue to produce international-standard medallists but far fewer athletes capable of consistently becoming champions.

As Mirabai enters the twilight of an extraordinary career at 31, India face an uncomfortable question: who replaces her? For nearly a decade, every Commonwealth Games campaign has begun and ended with Mirabai delivering exactly what was expected. Expecting her to remain India’s only guaranteed champion through Los Angeles 2028 and beyond could be a little far fetched wish for the nation. 

India’s high-risk approach needs refinement

Every cloud has a silver lining

While the drop in the number of medals, especially gold medals, can be a cause for concern for the future, one cannot deny that weightlifting still stood out as one of India’s strongest pillars at the Commonwealth Games in the absence of sports they have largely dominated, such as wrestling, badminton and hockey.

Improving the conversion of medals into gold will be a major task at hand, but the success of eight early medals definitely boosted India’s morale as they went on to better their overall tally as the tournament drew to a close.

India’s full list of medal winners in weightlifting at the Commonwealth Games 2026:

Angel Capital is poised for an early return, set to compete in the opening stakes race of the Sydney season as he embarks on what could be a career-defining campaign.

Trainer Chris Waller confirmed that the five-year-old gelding is scheduled to be nominated for the Group 2 Missile Stakes (1200m) at Randwick next Saturday, and the current intention is for him to race.

“Angel Capital will run next week in the Missile, then he can go second up into a Group One. The Memsie or the Winx Stakes,” Waller remarked. “He’s well suited at the set weights and penalties, where the others probably aren’t, and he’s got a bit more speed. (A horse like) Autumn Glow gets too much weight. He’s come back well. Mentally he’s great. There’s no reason why he can’t keep going for another year.”

A three-time placegetter at the highest level, including a runner-up finish to Jigsaw in the William Reid Stakes (1200m) at Caulfield in March, Angel Capital is being prepared with the aim of capturing an elusive Group 1 win this spring.

The valuable stallion prospect, owned by Yulong, has the potential to cement his future at stud by achieving this significant goal.

By taking advantage of an early run in the Missile Stakes, Waller is signalling his intent to give Angel Capital a genuine opportunity at Group 1 success in his second start.

“He’s a horse that needs to be rock-hard fit second-up at 1400 and he could win a Group One,” he said.

Angel Capital is expected to be Waller’s sole participant in the Missile Stakes. Additionally, Napoleonic, who placed in the Doomben 10,000, from the John O’Shea and Tom Charlton stable, is also anticipated to make his seasonal debut in the same race and is set to be a worthy adversary following two strong barrier trial performances.

Compare online bookmakers for the best racing odds on the Missile Stakes.

On WWE RAW after SummerSlam 2026, Big Cass finally returned to the sports entertainment juggernaut. Upon his comeback, the seven-foot giant destroyed one of the company’s rising stars, Je’Von Evans.

The Young OG competed against Ethan Page, and the match ended with Evans’ victory. However, after the match, Cass stormed the ring and laid out Je’Von. In this article, we will discuss three reasons why Big Cass attacked and targeted the Young OG on the red brand.

#3. WWE is planning a feud between them

One of the key reasons why Big Cass targeted Je’Von Evans on Monday Night RAW is that the Stamford-based promotion could be planning a feud between the two. For a long time, Evans has been booked in short-term feuds without a proper storyline.

The return of the former AEW star allowed the company to finally book the Young OG in a full-fledged feud. This could be the reason why Cass attacked him immediately upon his return to the red brand.

If that’s the case, then it appears to be a strategic move by the Triple H-led creative regime rather than a random booking decision.

#2. Triple H has big plans for Big Cass

Though the former AEW star returned to the sports entertainment juggernaut, attacking Je’Von Evans could be a sign that Triple H has no major plans for him, at least for now.

As a result, the Chief Content Officer decided to place Cass in a regular feud with Je’Von Evans. It’s worth noting that Baron Corbin also returned to WWE a few weeks ago.

However, at WWE SummerSlam, he captured the United States Championship, suggesting the company is high on him. Meanwhile, Cass attacking Evans suggests that The Game may not have any major plans for the 39-year-old star at the moment.

#1. WWE wants to build momentum for Cass

Over the past few weeks, the company had been generating hype for Big Cass through multiple video packages. Targeting Je’Von Evans on his return could be the beginning of something much bigger in the near future.

WWE could be trying to build momentum around Cass before inserting him into the mid-card title picture. This could be one of the main reasons why he attacked the Young OG on RAW after SummerSlam 2026.

With these smaller feuds, the company could gradually build momentum for Cass and eventually crown him the Intercontinental Champion.