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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, Oct 2

Sean Sharaf's shocking knockout of Gable Steveson is still the whole promotion's obsession, UFC 332 week just turned physical, and Dana White isn't backing down from Eddie Hearn.

Sean Sharaf Still Has Everyone Talking

Joe Rogan is out here wondering if Jon Jones made Gable Steveson too confident before his fight with Sean Sharaf, asking whether hanging around a guy like Jones makes you start thinking you're "the next guy" [1]. Steveson walked into UFC 331 as a -3000 favorite against the +1000 underdog Sharaf, and Sharaf clearly didn't read the odds sheet because he came out swinging and knocked Steveson out in the first round [1]. That finish was so fast and so violent that MMA Junkie Radio handed it their Knockout of the Month for September, noting Sharaf got the job done in just 12 seconds [10]. UFC commentator Jon Anik isn't convinced Steveson even sticks around long enough to rack up ten UFC fights after getting knocked unconscious that quickly [13]. Here's the twist nobody saw coming: word is Sharaf himself, the guy who just pulled off the upset, is considering retirement [15]. If that holds up, you'd have the wildest split outcome of the year: the underdog who ended a career walking away right after making his name.

UFC 332 Week Turns Physical

Fight week press conferences are supposed to be stare-downs and trash talk, but Deiveson Figueiredo decided words weren't enough and shoved Payton Talbott during the UFC 332 faceoffs [14]. That kind of heat usually means somebody's genuinely rattled, and Figueiredo doesn't strike anyone as a guy who fakes his intensity. The card itself lands tomorrow, October 3rd, airing on CBS and Paramount+, with Natalia Silva meeting Wang Cong in the main event [9].

Court McGee Rides Off Into the Sunset

Court McGee has been a UFC staple since 2010, back when he won Season 11 of "The Ultimate Fighter," and he's decided UFC 332 will be the last time he steps in the cage [7]. There's something fitting about a TUF winner closing the book on his own terms rather than getting quietly cut, and McGee is doing exactly that against Eric Nolan in the night's opening preliminary bout. It's not a glamorous spot on the card, but for a guy with that kind of tenure, getting to pick the exit is a win in itself.

Petrino Wants Blaydes, Not a Gatekeeper Fight

Vitor Petrino has gone 3-0 since moving up to heavyweight, and he's done waiting for the UFC to hand him a name [12]. He's calling out Curtis Blaydes directly, and that's not a modest ask for a guy who's still building his heavyweight resume [12]. Blaydes has been one of the division's steady top names for years, so this is Petrino basically announcing he thinks he belongs in the contender conversation right now, not later.

Figueiredo Wants Another Shot at Flyweight, Eyes Joshua Van

Deiveson Figueiredo left flyweight behind in 2023 after winning the title there twice, chasing a second UFC championship at bantamweight instead [3]. Now he's saying he wants to go back down and face Joshua Van [3]. For a guy who's already had this much success at 125, a run back at the weight he dominated makes plenty of sense, especially against a name like Van that could set up a real title shot down the line.

Dana White Isn't Letting Eddie Hearn Have the Last Word

Dana White is standing firm that he's the promoter behind Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua, and he's now claiming he's taken on an extra role in putting the fight together [11]. His response to Eddie Hearn was blunt: "the writing is on the wall" [11]. White doesn't usually let boxing promoters push him around in public, and this is him making sure everyone knows whose event this actually is.

Henry Cejudo Is Doing a Wrestling Exhibition with Urijah Faber

Faber's been retired from active UFC competition for years, so seeing him mat up with one of the sport's best current bantamweights is the kind of crossover that only makes sense in combat sports.

Sources

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