UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad has dismissed Conor McGregor’s recent social media attack.

Muhammad (24-3 MMA, 15-3 UFC) recently acquired the UFC’s welterweight crown by dominating Leon Edwards at UFC 304. McGregor (22-6 MMA, 10-4 UFC) fired verbal shots at Muhammad, criticizing his fighting style and drawing power, while vowing to become a three-division champion.

“I’d love to crush my left hook into Belal’s temple and take down the triple crown,” McGregor wrote in a since-deleted tweet. “I’d do it easily. And fast!

“To think this bum is now a UFC champion with zero knockdowns on his resume whatsoever is so bad. The UFC’s most abysmal zero revenue generating fighter in modern history.”

McGregor, who won titles in the UFC’s featherweight and lightweight divisions, has three times at 170 pounds in the UFC. Not only does Muhammad not see a path for a potential showdown in the octagon, he believes McGregor’s fighting career is over.

“I don’t think he fights again, ever,” Muhammad told MMA Junkie. “I think that he’s in that part of his life now where he’s starting to realize people are starting to forget about him. He loves that attention so much, so when he sees something happening in the UFC that’s getting headlines, he wants to take that attention.

“I get a fight announced and he wants to act like, ‘Oh, I’ll fight this guy,’ and he knows people are going to talk about it and speak about it. Even after big fights – watch after the Max Holloway fight against Ilia Topuria, he’s going to come up with a stupid speech.”

Muhammad is set for his first title defense less than five months after winning the title. He’ll take on undefeated Shavkat Rakhmonov in the main event of UFC 310 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

McGregor hasn’t competed since breaking his lower leg in July 2021 at UFC 264 in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier. He has long been linked to a fight against Michael Chandler, but the fight continued to get pushed back further to the point Chandler decided to move on.

Recently, McGregor has appeared at BKFC events, the bareknuckle boxing promotion of which he is now a part-owner. In interviews, the Irishman claims he’s eager to return to action, but he and the UFC cannot seem to get on the same page.

McGregor has found a new potential opponent in Dan Hooker, who recently agreed to fight while at a BKFC event.

Muhammad thinks it’s all a part of McGregor’s plan to stay on people’s minds.

“He knows what he’s doing,” Muhammad said. “He knows he’s going to get people to speak about him and say, ‘Oh, maybe McGregor will come back in 2027. Maybe McGregor will come back in 2028.

“I think he needs to hit rehab first. Once he gets clear and clean, then he can get back in the gym and get back to working out.”

The PFL Battle of the Giants start time and TV schedule for the Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira event at The Mayadeen in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Saturday afternoon is below.

The fight card is broken into two different parts and airs on multiple mediums. This post helps explain which fights are airing where and at which times.

The event kicks off with a four-fight preliminary card 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ and DAZN, headlined by a bantamweight bout between Raufeon Stots and Marcos Breno.

Raufeon Stots vs. Marcos Breno

Makkasharip Zaynukov vs. Dedrek Sanders

Ibragim Ibragimov vs. Nacho Campos

Tariq Ismail vs. Taha Bendaoud

The ESPN+ and DAZN pay-per-view begins at 4 p.m. ET and features three title fights. Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou and Renan Ferreira clash for the PFL Superfight Heavyweight Championship, while Larissa Pacheco and former UFC champion Cris Cyborg clash for the PFL Superfight Featherweight Championship. Johnny Eblen puts his Bellator middleweight belt on the line against Fabian Edwards on the main card as well.

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira

Larissa Pacheco vs. Cris Cyborg

Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards

Husein Kadimagomaev vs. Zafar Mohsen

A.J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes

Daniel Barez wants to test himself against one of the hottest names in the UFC’s flyweight division today.

The Spanish fighter is hoping to get booked against Mexico’s Ronaldo Rodriguez, better known as “Lazy Boy,” for his next trip to the octagon. Barez (17-6 MMA, 1-1 UFC) thinks it is a fight that lends itself to be a fan-friendly affair and thinks it is a next step that makes sense for both parties.

“He’s a fighter that had to go through a lot to get in the UFC as well,” Barez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “He went to Contender Series, lost, and then came back – which is very similar to my path.

“He’s a warrior, he’s Mexican, and I train in Mexico as well, and he has a warrior’s spirit. I think it would be a really good fight. He has really good boxing and good wrestling and jiu-jitsu. He has two UFC fights like me, so I don’t think I’m asking for anything crazy. I hope I get it.”

Barez is coming off a unanimous decision over Victor Altamirano at a UFC Fight Night in Paris last month. Meanwhile, “Lazy Boy” also comes off a decision win, as he outpointed Ode Osbourne at UFC 306 at Sphere.

Although he was already on his radar, Barez liked what he saw from Rodriguez (17-2 MMA, 2-0 UFC), which made him even more interested in calling him out.

“I thought it was a very tough fight, and yet he was able to pull off the comeback after getting knocked down by his opponent,” Barez said. “The truth is that that’s why I’d love to fight him. He’s a guy that fights till the very end, and I consider myself the same type of fighter. I fight till the end, and I don’t give up. That’s why I want to fight him.”

Barez was born and still lives in Spain, but he does a good chunk of his training camps at Entram Gym in Tijuana, Mexico. Throughout his years traveling to the Americas, Barez has picked up the world-famous Mexican boxing style – which he would like to put to the test against a native.

“He’s Mexican, and he trains his boxing with great pros,” Barez said. “I’m Spanish, but I’ve been training a long time in Mexico, so I’d love to box him. He boxes well, but so do I. I hit very hard and I can knock anyone out in the division, just like he can. So let’s see who has better Mexican boxing, let’s throw down.”

Francis Ngannou’s return to mixed martial arts is here.

After leaving the UFC, vacating the promotion’s heavyweight title, signing with the PFL, having two pro boxing matches against two of the biggest names in the sweet science, Ngannou faces knockout artist Renan Ferreira in the main event of PFL’s Battle of the Giants on Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

It’s no secret that Ngannou is dealing with a lot heading into this one, and while both fighters seemed respectful and Bull Durham-like in the build, things got heated up in the final faceoff — giving this fight an extra (and, frankly, well-needed) boost.

In the co-main event, Cris Cyborg battles Larissa Pacheco, while Johnny Eblen battles Fabian Edwards in a rematch. The other big main card highlight is a lightweight tilt between former Bellator champ A.J. McKee and Paul Hughes.

What: PFL Super Fights PPV: Battle of the Giants

Where: Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

When: Saturday, Oct. 19. The four-fight preliminary card begins at 1:30 p.m. ET on ESPN+ in the U.S. and internationally on DAZN, followed by a five-fight main card at 4 p.m. ET also on ESPN+ in the U.S. and internationally on DAZN.

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira

Francis Ngannou should win this fight, and I think he will, but there’s a reason a lot of people believe Renan Ferreira is a darling dog.

Momentum in combat sports is huge, and if we’re looking at this through a down-the-middle lens, Ferreira has it after obliterating Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader in seconds at PFL vs. Bellator. Ngannou has a lot of pressure heading into this fight, with the lineal heavyweight champ talk, the layoff, the two-fight trip into boxing, the PFL’s investment in him, not to mention what this fight means to him on a personal level.

Could the monster Ferreria find Ngannou’s chin with a big shot? Very, very possible. But when it comes to MMA, Ngannou is a sponge when it comes to game plans and execution. I actually see Ngannou getting a takedown or two in this fight, and eventually, landing some big shots on the floor in Round 2 to have a feel-good moment.

Question is: Does he return to the boxing ring after?

Pick: Francis Ngannou

Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco

This is a tremendous matchup on paper, but the road to it has been a weird one, hasn’t it?

It doesn’t seem like the transition from Bellator to PFLator for Cyborg has been all that pleasant if you’ve been following her on social media since the merger. She’s also only had two fights in MMA since April 2022, including a rematch with Arlene Blencowe that nobody asked for, and a straight destruction of Cat Zingano. But for the first time since she faced Amanda Nunes, Cyborg finds herself in a fight that seems it could go either way.

Pacheco has been outstanding — winning 10 fights in a row, a couple of $1 million checks, and is the only fighter on the planet to beat Kayla Harrison. While that’s a spectacular win on her résumé, I still don’t truly know how good Pacheco is, and while Cyborg doesn’t have her fastball anymore, she’s still a pretty damn good fist-fighter.

I’m not confident, most notably because Cyborg doesn’t seem all that thrilled to be a part of this fight week through my curious lens, but since I view this as a 50-50 fight, I’m leaning towards experience and accomplishment. Cyborg by decision is the pick and, what I predict, will be the first of multiple fights between the two.

Pick: Cris Cyborg

Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards

In my opinion, this is a pivotal moment for Johnny Eblen, and you can make a real case that he has the most to prove on this entire card.

I know, it’s weird to say that about a guy who is undefeated, but there was a moment or two not that long ago where a lot of pundits claimed Eblen was the best middleweight in the world. While Eblen did finish Edwards in their first meeting, he had to work a lot harder than most expected to do so. Many believed it was not his best night in the office, and then he had the fight with Impa Kasanganay, who gave Eblen a run for his money at PFL vs. Bellator.

Now, we’re running this one back, and frankly, this fight is happening for one reason — Eblen just has nobody else to dance with. Edwards is a fine fighter and has some good wins, but in most cases, he would’ve needed another win, probably two, after beating Aaron Jeffrey in a fight nobody will go back and re-watch.

To me, a win is not enough for Eblen. He needs to look like he’s in a showcase fight, and he has the opportunity to do exactly that. The pick is Eblen via third-round stoppage in a fight that isn’t as close as the original.

Pick: Johnny Eblen

A.J. McKee vs. Paul Hughes

Kudos to both of these guys for building interest for this fight from Jump Street. I can’t wait for it, honestly.

A.J. McKee has always been a damn good fighter, but now that he’s at lightweight, he’s also fun as hell, and that makes him even more dangerous. Hughes is a 27-year-old stud that has an extremely bright future. The scary thing about the longtime Cage Warriors star is that he’s nowhere near a finished product. He’s two to three years away from his athletic prime. Unfortunately, he’s facing a guy in McKee who is in that prime, and has been in there with way better competition.

I think this fight delivers the goods, and if Hughes wins, he can put himself in a position to be one of the top headlines of the weekend in MMA. The pick is to have our cake and eat it too — McKee wins a decision, and Hughes proves he belongs in defeat.

Pick: A.J. McKee

Other bouts:

Husein Kadimagomaev def. Zafar Mohsen

Raufeon Stots def. Marcos Breno

Makkasharip Zaynukov def. Dedrek Sanders

Ibragim Ibragimov def. Nacho Campos

Taha Bendaoud def. Tariq Ismail

Ipswich Town defender Axel Tuanzebe came “very close” to losing his thumb in a freak accident that will sideline him for “months”, says manager Kieran McKenna.

The former Manchester United centre-back sustained a deep cut to his thumb while he was washing dishes at his home in early October.

The 26-year-old DR Congo international, who had started all six of Ipswich’s Premier League matches until the injury kept him out of a 4-1 defeat by West Ham on 5 October, had surgery on his hand last week.

“It’s a household accident – very, very unfortunate and very, very serious,” McKenna said.

“He was very close to losing his thumb. He’s had surgery to repair the tendons in the thumb that was damaged; I think the recovery is going pretty well, but it’s a long-term injury.

“As much as it sounds a pretty innocuous body part regards the game of football, it’s a pretty important body part in human anatomy. He needs to let it recover.”

The Tractor Boys are without a win in their first seven Premier League fixtures since earning promotion back to the top flight.

Everton, who are one point and one place above Ipswich in 16th, visit Portman Road on Saturday (15:00 BST).

DR Congo qualified for the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations this month despite Tuanzebe’s absence from their Group H double-header against Tanzania.