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UFC 335's all-Brazilian main event is drawing BMF comparisons while the middleweight division descends into a cash-offer standoff. Elsewhere, Zabit Magomedsharipov makes his comeback, Ian Garry and Michael Morales keep sniping at each other, and Demetrious Johnson is questioning Movsar Evloev's fighting style and how he is still in the UFC.

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Every source behind today's roundup (35)

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:

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Episode transcript

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Welcome to Open Scoring MMA. This is episode 110 for October 6th, 2026, your daily look at what's happening now and next across the world of MMA and UFC. DUKE: Big one to open with, Nora. UFC 335 just got a headliner and it is one hundred percent Brazilian.
NORA: Charles Oliveira versus Diego Lopes, December twelfth in Las Vegas.
DUKE: And Do Bronx is already the betting favorite.
NORA: Opened that way the moment the books put numbers on it.
DUKE: Oliveira put out a video on Instagram basically saying he is starving for this one.
NORA: Hungry is the word he used.
DUKE: And Eddie Alvarez is already calling it BMF worthy, says it can go everywhere, standing or on the mat.
NORA: That tracks. Oliveira's got the most finishes in UFC history and Lopes just brawls.
DUKE: Eddie Alvarez called this a hurricane running into a volcano.
NORA: That's not a bad description honestly.
DUKE: Lopes is coming off a run that's made him one of the most feared names at featherweight, and now he jumps up to share the cage with a former lightweight king.
NORA: The stylistic matchup is the whole sell here. Oliveira's submission grinding against Lopes' chaos striking.
DUKE: If this doesn't end with a BMF belt conversation attached, I don't know what does.
NORA: It's already being floated that way, and December twelfth just got a lot more interesting.
DUKE: Now on to the card news, because RAF just landed a name nobody expected.
NORA: Zabit Magomedsharipov is coming back.
DUKE: According to multiple reports, Zabit Magomedsharipov has signed a multi fight deal with RAF.
NORA: He faces Giga Chikadze, November fourteenth at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
DUKE: That's a featherweight UFC vet against a featherweight UFC vet, both former top contenders who never quite got their title shot.
NORA: Zabit was genuinely top five in the world before the injuries piled up. This is grappling rules, not straight MMA, so don't expect the kicks we remember from his UFC fights.
DUKE: Still, for a guy who's been out seven years, this is a real litmus test on where his body's at.
NORA: Over to Abu Dhabi again, sort of, because Israel Adesanya might be headed there too.
DUKE: Adesanya is reportedly set for Shara Magomedov on the potential UFC Saudi Arabia card, November twenty eighth.
NORA: That's a dangerous booking for Adesanya. Magomedov's a developing striker with real knockout power and Adesanya's coming off a rough stretch.
DUKE: If Izzy wants to climb back into the middleweight picture, this is the kind of fight he's got to win clean.
NORA: Last one here, PFL's filling out their Dubai card.
DUKE: Undefeated prospect Alexei Pergande is moving up in weight for that event.
NORA: PFL's clearly building depth behind their bigger stars for that Dubai show.
DUKE: Now on to the callouts, and this one's been brewing. Sean Strickland and Nassourdine Imavov.
NORA: Strickland confirmed there's a financial impasse holding the fight up.
DUKE: And Imavov's response was wild. He's offering Strickland five hundred thousand dollars of his own money just to make it happen.
NORA: He's also calling for the UFC to strip Strickland if he won't fight.
DUKE: That's a serious shot. Strickland's own word for how Imavov's camp is reacting was 'fear'.
NORA: Imavov's the number one contender at middleweight. He's not going to sit quiet while the champ ducks a pay dispute.
DUKE: If Strickland genuinely won't move off the money, the UFC's got a real problem at one hundred eighty five.
NORA: They do. A champion not fighting because of dollars is a bad look no matter who's right.
DUKE: Speaking of middleweight headaches, Khamzat Chimaev's back at it too.
NORA: Chimaev offered Strickland one million dollars, told him to, quote, send me location, end quote.
DUKE: That's the rematch call after Chimaev's only career loss, that split decision to Strickland at UFC 328.
NORA: He's made clear he doesn't even want the belt conversation first. He just wants Strickland in the cage.
DUKE: So now you've got Imavov offering half a million and Chimaev offering a full million, both chasing the same guy.
NORA: Strickland's suddenly the most expensive headache in the sport.
DUKE: Over at welterweight, Ian Garry says he already accepted a main event fight with Michael Morales.
NORA: Garry's claim is the UFC had it locked in for November twenty eighth in Saudi Arabia, and he's accusing Morales of making excuses.
DUKE: Garry even took a shot asking how long it's been since Morales actually fought.
NORA: Fair jab. Morales hasn't competed at all in 2026, and with the calendar filling up, 2027 is realistic for his return.
DUKE: Morales didn't back down though. He called out Islam Makhachev directly and said Carlos Prates would be an easy fight for Makhachev.
NORA: That's Morales throwing his name at the very top of welterweight while still not having a fight locked.
DUKE: Bold talk for a guy who hasn't been in the cage all year.
NORA: Very bold.
DUKE: Sean O'Malley's shutting down a rumor now too. He denied the UFC ever offered him Payton Talbott for that White House card.
NORA: Short and simple, but it kills a storyline fans had already started building in their heads.
DUKE: Now, this next one's got some real teeth. Demetrious Johnson is questioning how Movsar Evloev still has a job.
NORA: Evloev has 20 professional MMA wins, 10 of which are in the UFC, but he has zero finishes inside the Octagon. All 10 UFC wins are decisions.
DUKE: DJ's basically saying for a guy with that kind of dominance on paper, the lack of highlight finishes is a problem for his drawing power.
NORA: And it's a loaded question right now because Evloev gets Alexander Volkanovski for the title on October twenty fourth at UFC 333.
DUKE: That's a massive opportunity for a guy people are openly wondering should even be employed.
NORA: Volkanovski's going to defend his status as one of the best pound for pound fighters alive, and Evloev's unbeaten record is the only argument he's got against the doubters.
DUKE: Dana White's also still not done with Ian Garry, separate from the Morales stuff.
NORA: White doubled down, criticizing Garry for being too friendly with Islam Makhachev in the fifth round of their title fight at UFC 330.
DUKE: His words were pretty blunt, telling Garry you've got five minutes to shock the world and you didn't do it, save the hugging for after the fight's over.
NORA: That's Dana basically saying Garry's killer instinct wasn't there when it mattered most.
DUKE: And last callout, Henry Cejudo's going after referee Herb Dean again.
NORA: Cejudo said it's ridiculous Dean still has a job and that he should step aside after the UFC 332 stoppage controversy.
DUKE: When a Hall of Famer is publicly calling for a veteran ref to retire, that's not nothing. The scrutiny on officiating keeps building. The Reddit community's buzzing about something totally separate, Joshua Van is now the betting favorite over Alexandre Pantoja.
NORA: That's a flyweight champion being an underdog in his own fight, and fans over there are not happy about it.
DUKE: Now on to the business side of things, because the rankings shuffled a bit.
NORA: Miesha Tate got removed from the eligibility pool in the latest women's bantamweight media rankings after UFC 322.
DUKE: That opens a door, and Daria Zhelezniakova steps into the rankings at number fifteen.
NORA: It's a quiet move, but it shows the depth at one hundred thirty five keeps turning over as veterans step away from active status.
DUKE: Let's check the odds board real quick too.
NORA: Let's look ahead now. This Saturday, four days out, we've got UFC Fight Night with Brendan Allen against Christian Leroy Duncan. Then the following week, UFC 333 is the one circling back to our Evloev conversation, Alexander Volkanovski defending against Movsar Evloev.
DUKE: That's a loaded night, October twenty fourth.
NORA: Plenty to get into before then, including tonight's Contender Series card with Alivia Bierley against Summer Onley.
DUKE: We'll have more on all of it tomorrow.
NORA: We will.

One more thing before we go.

Imavov is offering five hundred grand of his own money just to get Strickland in the cage. Is that desperation, or is the champ really ducking him?

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.

Today’s stories

Ian Garry and Michael Morales Trade Jabs Over Potential Welterweight Main Event
Ian Machado Garry and Michael Morales are trading barbs over a potential welterweight main event, with the UFC's number two and number three contenders disagreeing on how close the fight actually is t
Zabit Magomedsharipov Signs with RAF, Set to Face Giga Chikadze in Abu Dhabi
Zabit Magomedsharipov ends his nearly seven year layoff with a multi-fight RAF deal, meeting Giga Chikadze in a wrestling match on Nov. 14 in Abu Dhabi.
Demetrious Johnson Wonders How Evloev Still Has a UFC Job
DJ says Movsar Evloev's lack of finishes is baffling as the unbeaten featherweight prepares for his upcoming bout against Alexander Volkanovski.
LaGrange Stuns Ariano on Short Notice, UFC Staffer Earns Contract
Preston LaGrange upset unbeaten Nell Ariano in the DWCS main event. UFC employee Sal Everett also earned a contract with a knockout win.

Stories from this edition publish across the day rather than all at once, so this list grows. All news.