Magomed Ankalaev claims he was ready to save UFC 310, but Alex Pereira wasn’t.

Ankalaev is eager to get his title shot against light heavyweight champion Pereira, to the point that he’s even willing to do it without a full camp. When welterweight champion Belal Muhammad was forced out of his title defense against Shavkat Rakhmonov, UFC 310 on Dec. 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas lost it’s main event.

Both Ankalaev (19-1-1 MMA, 10-1-1 UFC) and Pereira (12-2 MMA, 9-1 UFC) hinted that they’d be ready to replace that fight, but Ankalaev says only he was.

“Fake news, I’m the only one who was ready for December but he deserve rest.”

https://twitter.com/AnkalaevM/status/1853269283264143518

Pereira has competed in three title fights in the span of six months, knocking out Jamahal Hill, Jiri Prochazka, and most recently Khalil Rountree at UFC 307 in October.

He revealed in an interview with Brazilian podcast Podpah (h/t MMA Fighting) that his hand is still hurting him from his fight against Rountree.

“That fourth round, I was throwing jabs and hurting my hand,” Pereira said. “I swear. I was thinking, ‘My hand must be broken.’ It still hurts. Not all the time, no, but if I squeeze here, it hurts.”

Riding a 13-fight unbeaten streak, most recently defeating Aleksandar Rakic at UFC 308, Ankalaev jibed at Pereira for not accepting to fight him on short notice.

“Willing to fight everyone short notice but with me, he knows he have to be ready, he’s not stupid.”

https://twitter.com/AnkalaevM/status/1853312163781468188

Ankalaev also said that his title fight with Pereira could happen in the first quarter of 2025.

“I was offered three dates December, February, and March and I agreed to all three dates I have to win by KO I have no problem. It is condition.”

https://twitter.com/AnkalaevM/status/1853311478415122729

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.

The UFC is looking to get on the road more often in 2025.

For the past several years, a major talking point among MMA fans has been the rise of the UFC APEX. Built in 2019, the APEX became one of the UFC’s primary event venues during the COVID-19 pandemic as promotion continued to put on shows during the lockdown. However even after the lockdowns ended, the APEX remains a fixture of the UFC rotation to the dislike of some fans. But that may be changing soon.

This past Saturday, UFC Edmonton took place and per the promotion it broke the record for highest-grossing UFC Fight Night event in North American history. This comes on the heels of similar performances when the promotion visited other locations like Denver and Louisville earlier this year, and speaking with reporters after the event, UFC Vice President David Shaw told reporters that this continued success will lead to some changes for how often the UFC goes on the road in 2025.

“Yeah, there will be [more events on the road],” Shaw said. “There will be an increased number of events outside of the APEX relative to this year as we get into the 2025 schedule.”

This weekend marks the UFC’s 100th event in the APEX and will be the promotion’s 17th trip there this year. The promotion also used the APEX 17 times in 2023, down from the 21 times they held events there in 2022.

But while Shaw envisions a world where the UFC relies less heavily on the APEX, he also made it clear that things will not return to the pre-COVID era where every show was somewhere different.

“It’s tough for us to anticipate what two or three years down the road looks like, but it makes a lot of sense for a lot of reasons,” Shaw explained. “There’s a lot of fighters in Vegas, it’s easy for us operationally, it’s simple from a budgetary perspective. The rigor and the pressure and how laborious it can be to be on the road… It’s tough.

“So I think having home games and being in the APEX where we can just turn off the lights and lock the door, it makes a lot of sense for us. So will we ever get back to pre-COVID or no APEX? I don’t think so. But I think we’re going to find the right balance for us.”

And according to Shaw, more road shows does not just mean more opportunity for American fans to attend events. With the UFC’s media rights deal ending next year, Shaw says that more international trips is part of the promotion’s longterm planning as well.

“Are there more plans? Yes. We’re going to be back in the U.K. next year,” Shaw said “… Then as we get through next year which is sort of the last year of our current media deal in the U.S. and we start to plan out what we want to do in 2026 and beyond in terms of the number of international events we can have, the intention is to be able to go back to Europe more often.”

Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has lost his appeal against a five-game stadium ban.

The 57-year-old was found guilty of improper conduct for spitting on the floor as the match officials walked past following Forest’s 1-0 Premier League defeat by Fulham at the City Ground on 28 September.

In publishing its written reasons behind the decision, the commission said there was “no excuse” for such an “an egregious display of disrespectful behaviour” that could “fuel disrespect towards match officials”.

Marinakis, who has already served three games of the ban, denied the charge.

“An Appeal Board has dismissed an appeal by Nottingham Forest’s Evangelos Marinakis in relation to misconduct at their Premier League fixture on Saturday, 28 September against Fulham,” said the Football Association.

“It was alleged that the behaviour of Evangelos Marinakis around the tunnel area after full-time of that match was improper. He denied this charge, but it was found proven by an independent Regulatory Commission, and a five-match stadium/ground suspension was imposed.”

The incident occurred after Forest, who are third in the Premier League, lost to Fulham following a VAR-awarded penalty.

Referee Josh Smith, assistant referee James Mainwaring and fourth official Tim Robinson submitted written statements saying they saw Marinakis spitting on the floor in their direction as they made their way to the dressing room.

In his defence, Marinakis claimed that he had a hacking cough because he smokes two or three cigars a day and the incident was unintentional.

The commission rejected this defence, pointing to the fact none of the officials’ statements mentioned coughing and CCTV footage of the tunnel backed up that assertion.

It said it believed Marinakis “deliberately spat in a disrespectful and disgusting display of contempt towards the match officials”.

It concluded this was a case of serious misconduct that warranted a severe punishment to act as a deterrent.

Marinakis argued a ban from the tunnel and dressing room areas would suffice, but the commission disagreed given he is not required in those areas after games.

The punishment came after boss Nuno Espirito Santo was given a three-game touchline ban for his reaction to Morgan Gibbs-White’s red card at Brighton in October.

The head coach already had a one-game suspended ban, which was activated, for comments following Forest’s 2-0 defeat at Everton in April.

EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – Charles Jourdain beat Victor Henry with a second-round submission Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 246 at Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Take a look inside the fight with Jourdain, who snapped a two-fight skid with his second win in a row by guillotine choke – both of which have gotten him bonuses.

Charles Jourdain def. Victor Henry

Charles Jourdain

Result: Charles Jourdain def. Victor Henry via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 3:43
Updated records: Jourdain (16-8-1 MMA, 7-7-1 UFC), Henry (24-7 MMA, 3-2 UFC)
Key stats: Henry had four takedowns, but ultimately got caught in Jourdain’s masterful choke.

Jourdain on the fight’s key moment

Nov 2, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Charles Jourdain (red gloves) fights Victor Henry (blue gloves) in a bantamweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

“I just learned that I’m the first one that ever stopped Victor Henry, so I think that’s a very good way to start my career at bantamweight. … I’m like, ‘Man, he’s 37 – he’s got so many fights.’ So yeah: Hat’s off to me.”

Jourdain on finally going to bantamweight

“Immaturity, stupidity (is why I took so long). I don’t like when people are telling me to do stuff. I want to have my own experience. If you tell me fire burns, I’ll put my hand in it and I’m like, ‘Oh, you’re right.’ So I did a lot of stupid stuff. But now, I feel like the right place, and that’s a fantastic feeling.”

Jourdain on what he wants next

Nov 2, 2024; Edmonton, Alberta, Canada; Charles Jourdain (red gloves) celebrates after defeating Victor Henry (not pictured) in a bantamweight bout during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Place. Mandatory Credit: Perry Nelson-Imagn Images

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“I won’t drop names. I’m interested in anybody. But for now, I’m having a little boy and I’m going to take care of him in January. After that, I’ll be back in the octagon around May. Whatever UFC have in store for me, I’m not going to chase name. There’s a lot of very good fighters. There’s some very good veterans, as well. I grew up watching Jose Aldo and I see him fight, so that would that would be fun – but I’m in no position to call the ‘King of Rio’ right now.”

To hear more from Jourdain, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 246.

Awful officiating cast a pall over a submission finish in Kazakhstan this past weekend.

At a Dala Fighting Championship event in Astana on Saturday, Kazakh bantamweight Zhuman Zhumabekov locked in a Von Flue choke after executing a powerful slam and clearly had the fight wrapped up halfway into the opening round.

His opponent Abhilash Raut clearly goes limp with his eyes rolling back, but the bout was not waved off at that point due to the negligence of referee Baurzhan Zhumanov. Seemingly oblivious to Raut’s condition, Baurzhan Zhumanov actually appeared to call for Zhumabekov to continue to work on the ground, putting it on Zhumabekov to release the hold so the referee could see what had happened.

Watch the disturbing clip below.

An attentive Zhumabekov immediately looks to tend to Raut following the finish. Fortunately, Raut was able to stand on his own power and be part of the post-fight proceedings as he raised Zhumabekov’s hand and embraced him.

Watch the full fight, including the aftermath, below.