Gane Torches Aspinall, Gaethje Sizes Up Topuria, UFC 332 Looms

We summarize the day's news in our own words. Full credit to the outlets below for the original reporting, click through to read their work:

• Ciryl Gane rips ‘mentally fragile’ Tom Aspinall over UFC fight aftermath (Sherdog)
• Justin Gaethje Says Ilia Topuria Is Undersized For UFC Lightweight Division (MiddleEasy)
• Usman Nurmagomedov explains why he still hasn't signed with the UFC (MMA Weekly)
• Mauricio Ruffy reveals costly mistake before Arman Tsarukyan KO (Sherdog)
• 【Lemino Shooto08】Riku Inoue pounds out Kubomura after a powerful slam, "Aiming to be champion in the UFC" (MMAPLANET (JP))
• UFC BJJ 11: Musumeci vs Mitchell Results (UFC News)
• Mauricio Ruffy issues first statement since knockout loss to Arman Tsarukyan: ‘It was my fault, my carelessness’ (MMA Fighting)
• Dana White Signs Six DWCS Fighters, Including Two Who Lost At Week 7 (MiddleEasy)
• Darren Till says he’s ‘really open’ to fighting Michael Venom Page following his shock UFC release (Bloody Elbow)
• Dana White Wants To Ban Jon Jones' Oblique Kick From the UFC, But How Dangerous Is It? (Yahoo Sports MMA)
• Justin Gaethje thinks Ilia Topuria is too small for lightweight, says Arman Tsarukyan is ‘next in line’ (MMA Fighting)
• Justin Gaethje is 100% sure who his next opponent will be if he opts against retirement (Bloody Elbow)
• Justin Gaethje unsure he’ll fight again: ‘I don’t need to’ (Sherdog)
• PFL Chicago full card set with two rematches on top (Sherdog)

Welcome to Open Scoring MMA. This is episode 98 for September 24th, 2026, your daily look at what's happening now and next across the world of MMA and UFC. DUKE: We gotta start with Ciryl Gane, because he did not hold back on Tom Aspinall.
NORA: No, he did not. Gane came out and called him mentally fragile.
DUKE: Straight up said it. You have the right to stop.
NORA: That eye poke line is doing a lot of work there.
DUKE: Right, he's saying Aspinall had a real complaint, an eye poke, but that everything Aspinall did after that crossed a line for him.
NORA: This is Gane still stewing over how the aftermath of that fight played out.
DUKE: And you don't say mentally fragile about the heavyweight champ unless you want smoke.
NORA: The Reddit crowd is already split on this one.
DUKE: Yeah, the r slash MMA community's having a field day, some people think Gane's got a point about the reaction, others think he's just salty.
NORA: Either way this rivalry isn't cooling off, and if these two are anywhere near each other on a heavyweight title picture again, this quote follows them into fight week.
DUKE: Guaranteed.
NORA: Big story, no fight date attached yet, but this is not a rivalry that's going away quietly.
DUKE: Alright, let's check in on some fighters and where their careers actually stand right now.
NORA: Start with Mauricio Ruffy, because he finally spoke since that knockout.
DUKE: Tough one to watch. He was co-main at UFC 331 in a lightweight title eliminator against Arman Tsarukyan, had a strong start, and then Arman Tsarukyan knocked him out cold with seconds left in the fight.
NORA: And now he's owning it. His quote was, "It was my fault, my carelessness."
DUKE: That's a mature response, but it doesn't change the fact that a title eliminator slipped through his fingers in the final seconds.
NORA: Right.
DUKE: Meanwhile Usman Nurmagomedov is still not on the UFC roster.
NORA: He's explained why he hasn't signed yet, he's still working through his own reasoning on the move.
DUKE: One of the most talked about free agents in the sport and he's just, still not there.
NORA: Until he actually signs, he's outside the conversation for any UFC lightweight or featherweight ranking, no matter how good the tape looks.
DUKE: And then there's Darren Till, who just got released by the UFC.
NORA: Shock release, and he's already pivoting.
DUKE: He says he's really open to fighting Michael Venom Page in bare-knuckle boxing, a British super-fight.
NORA: He's also gearing up to face Yoel Romero on that same path.
DUKE: Till's UFC run is over for now, and he's chasing the money fights outside the cage instead.
NORA: Makes sense for his career at this stage, bare-knuckle gives him bigger paydays without the grind of a full UFC camp cycle.
DUKE: Now let's get into the beef, because Justin Gaethje did not hold back on Ilia Topuria either.
NORA: He says Topuria's undersized for lightweight.
DUKE: And he named names, says Topuria would have real problems with Arman Tsarukyan and with our guy Paddy Pimblett.
NORA: Paddy gets a mention in a Gaethje quote, that's a good day.
DUKE: The Baddy is officially in Gaethje's title conversation, I love that for him.
NORA: Context matters here though. Gaethje is the lightweight champion right now. And Topuria hasn't taken that well, he's accused Gaethje of loading his gloves.
DUKE: Which is a wild accusation with nothing behind it that we've seen.
NORA: Gaethje's also named who's next in line if he keeps fighting, and that's Tsarukyan.
DUKE: Makes sense, Tsarukyan's coming off that finish over Ruffy we just talked about.
NORA: But here's the twist, Gaethje isn't even sure he wants to fight again.
DUKE: His quote was basically, "I don't need to."
NORA: He says if he does come back, he's a hundred percent sure who the opponent is.
DUKE: Which lines up with Tsarukyan being next in line.
NORA: So the lightweight division is frozen behind a champion who might just walk away.
DUKE: That's rough for Tsarukyan, he just earned the spot and the belt holder isn't sure he wants to defend it.
NORA: And brutal for Topuria too, he wants the rematch and Gaethje's barely engaging with the idea.
DUKE: Alright, let's move to roster moves and card changes, starting with Dana White handing out contracts again.
NORA: Six fighters signed off Contender Series week seven.
DUKE: And get this, two of them lost their fights and still got signed, Jaden Ortega and Callum Connor both lost decisions and still got the call.
NORA: That tells you the talent level on that show right now, losing a close one doesn't end your night anymore.
DUKE: White's clearly building depth fast, even out of losses.
NORA: Next, White also weighed in on a rule change, he wants to ban the oblique kick.
DUKE: He said it at a Contender Series press conference, agreeing with a suggestion to pull it from the sport entirely.
NORA: That kick's been a knee-destroyer for years, so there's a real safety argument, but it's also one of the sharpest tools in a striker's kit.
DUKE: Banning it changes how guys like Jon Jones fight, that's not a small tweak.
NORA: If this actually moves forward it's a real rule change conversation, not just talk.
DUKE: Over in the PFL, Chicago's card is set.
NORA: Two rematches sitting on top of a stacked lineup for their return to that city.
DUKE: PFL keeps building that Chicago market, good sign for them heading into their next stretch of events.
NORA: And on the grappling side, UFC BJJ 11 went down with Mickey Musumeci facing Gordon Ryan protege Mitchell on top.
DUKE: That series keeps giving the UFC's grappling arm real star power.
NORA: One more from the regional scene, Riku Inoue over in Japan.
DUKE: Fighting on Shooto, finished Yoshiteru Kubomura in the first round, thirty five seconds in, big slam into ground and pound.
NORA: And he said it himself, he's aiming to be champion in the UFC.
DUKE: Keep that name in your back pocket, that's the kind of finish that gets scouted.
NORA: Now let's get to what's actually coming up, because we've got fights in two days.
DUKE: UFC Fight Night, Rosas Jr. versus Barcelos, this Saturday.
NORA: Raul Rosas Jr. takes on Raoni Barcelos in the main event.
DUKE: Rosas Jr. is still one of the most closely watched prospects on the roster, this is a real gatekeeper test for him.
NORA: After that, Contender Series week eight lands Tuesday, five days out, Camila Reynoso versus Aieza Bertolso on top.
DUKE: But the big one on the horizon is UFC 332, Silva versus Wang, October third.
NORA: Natalia Silva takes on Wang Cong in the main event.
DUKE: Alright, let's get into it, our pick engine's got a number on this one.
NORA: We've got Talbott, and it's not close.
DUKE: How not close?
NORA: Eighty four percent for Payton Talbott.
DUKE: And the line?
NORA: The betting market's basically right there too.
DUKE: So we're not disagreeing with Vegas here.
NORA: Not really, we're lined up with the market on this one, which doesn't happen every week.
DUKE: Okay so walk me through why the model's this confident.
NORA: Talbott's got a five inch height edge and two and a half inches of reach on his opponent.
DUKE: That's a lot for a bantamweight fight.
NORA: It is, and he's eleven years younger on top of it.
DUKE: Huh.
NORA: And Talbott's undefeated with some real finishes on his resume, his opponent's coming off a win but he's been up and down the last couple years.
DUKE: Okay, I buy it, but his opponent's got that finishing power at any moment, that's the one thing that keeps this interesting for me.
NORA: Sure, and that's baked into the number, eighty four isn't a hundred.
DUKE: Fair, but it's still Talbott by a mile in our book. Alright, that's a stacked run of stories, but that's all we've got time for today.
NORA: Big weekend coming with Rosas Jr. and Barcelos, and UFC 332 right behind it.
DUKE: We'll be back tomorrow with more. Take care, everybody.
One more thing before we go. Payton Talbott is our pick. Who have you got, and why? And while you're here, two quick ones. Our free Fight Tracker is at tracker dot open scoring m m a dot com, with every upcoming UFC and PFL card, live odds, and where to watch, all in one place. And follow us on YouTube, just search Open Scoring MMA, for breaking news alerts, fight breakdowns, and videos you won't get here on the feed. That's it for today's Open Scoring MMA. Keep your hands up, and we'll see you next time.