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Final Tue, Sep 29UFCGeorge Staines (winner)vsLoai AbushaarFinal Sat, Oct 3UFCNatalia Silva (winner)vsWang CongFinal Tue, Oct 6UFCPreston LaGrange (winner)vsNell ArianoSat, Oct 10 5:00 PM PTUFCBrendan AllenvsChristian Leroy DuncanTue, Oct 13 4:00 PM PTUFCIlias BulaidvsErick ViscondeFri, Oct 16 8:00 PM PTPFLLiz CarmouchevsJena BishopSat, Oct 17 5:00 PM PTUFCMike MalottvsJoaquin BuckleySat, Oct 24 11:00 AM PTUFCAlexander VolkanovskivsMovsar EvloevSat, Oct 31 5:00 PM PTUFCRenato MoicanovsTom Nolan
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The Roundup: biggest MMA & UFC stories, Sep 29

Colby Covington defends his cruiserweight crossover title against Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of RAF Abu Dhabi on Nov. 14, UFC 332 week arrives in Salt Lake City, and Raoni Barcelos opens up about the scare that ended his war with Raul Rosas Jr.

Weeks of speculation are over: Khamzat Chimaev and Colby Covington are officially booked for November 15th in Abu Dhabi [1]. This isn't some exhibition sideshow either, it's for the RAF Cruiserweight Crossover Championship [1], with Covington defending the belt against Chimaev [8]. According to reports, the date for this event is expected to clash with UFC 334 fight week [4], which means fans get a genuine scheduling collision between two combat sports products on the same weekend.

UFC 332 Is Almost Here, and Talbott Is a Massive Favorite

UFC returns to Salt Lake City this Saturday for UFC 332 [2], headlined by Natalia Silva and Wang Cong fighting for the vacant women's flyweight championship [2]. The card streams live on CBS and Paramount+ [9]. Adding to the buzz, Talbott himself has been raving about training partner Raoni Barcelos, saying Barcelos was "doing tricks" and "bouncing" in recent work, calling what he saw genuinely impressive [5].

Barcelos Breaks His Silence on the Scary Finish at UFC Vegas 121

Speaking of Barcelos, he finally addressed what happened in his main event war with Raul Rosas Jr., which ended when Raul Rosas Jr. defeated Raoni Barcelos via fifth-round knockout at UFC Vegas 121 [10]. His own explanation was blunt: "I just fainted" [11]. Bruce Buffer weighed in afterward, praising the fighters for the fight they put on and sending Barcelos an encouraging note in the aftermath [10]. A fifth-round finish after that kind of firefight is unsettling no matter how it's framed, and it's a relief to hear Barcelos talking and explaining it himself rather than staying silent.

Strickland Tips His Hand on Imavov as the Next Title Challenger

Sean Strickland has been teasing his next opponent inside the octagon [3], and the signs point to Nassourdine Imavov [17]. Dustin Poirier and Jorge Masvidal both reacted to that teaser with immediate predictions [3], framing Imavov as the "technical" opponent in the matchup [3].

Evloev Wants a Finish, Not Just a Decision, Against Volkanovski

Movsar Evloev is stepping into his first UFC title opportunity when he meets Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 333 on October 24th, and he's not treating it as just another appearance on the record. Evloev is specifically targeting his first finish inside the UFC, wanting to make a statement rather than lean on his usual grinding decision formula [12]. That's a notable goal for a guy who's built his reputation on control rather than violence, and it tells you Evloev knows a decision win over Volkanovski might not be enough to fully convince people.

Hokit Throws a Grenade at Aspinall's Injury Story

Josh Hokit isn't holding back on Tom Aspinall, accusing him of faking an eye injury purely as a mechanism to get released from the UFC [18]. That's about as direct an accusation as you'll hear one fighter level at a champion, and it's the kind of claim that demands a response given how much weight Aspinall's heavyweight status carries. Whether or not Hokit's theory holds up, questioning the legitimacy of a title-holder's injury is not a small shot to take publicly.

Tye Ruotolo Jumps Into a Title Fight After Just Two MMA Bouts

Over in ONE Championship, Christian Lee will defend his lightweight title against Tye Ruotolo [15], and the wild part is that this comes in just Ruotolo's third professional MMA bout [15]. Grappling credentials aside, throwing a fighter with that little cage experience straight into a title fight against a proven MMA champion is an enormous gamble by ONE, and it's the kind of booking that either mints a new crossover star or exposes just how different the two disciplines really are.

Sources

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