Open Scoring MMA, 2026-10-15

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:

• Paddy Pimblett predicts Ilia Topuria will struggle after first career defeat (The Mac Life)
• Paddy Pimblett calls Ilia Topuria 'damaged goods' after Justin Gaethje loss (Sherdog)
• “I Didn’t Even Cry”, Paddy Pimblett Reveals How His UFC 324 Loss to Justin Gaethje Was Different (Yahoo Sports MMA)
• Justin Gaethje fight was Paddy Pimblett’s first time not crying after a loss because he ‘needed’ it (Bloody Elbow)
• Paddy Pimblett Questions Ilia Topuria’s Confidence After First Defeat (MiddleEasy)
• UFC 333 odds: Volkanovski & Evloev even, Yan favored in trilogy (Sherdog)
• Dana White Says UFC 333 Will Go Ahead In Abu Dhabi, Rules Out Contingency Plans (MiddleEasy)
• Former UFC champion Anthony Pettis set to box Neeraj Goyat in India (Sherdog)
• Ex-UFC champion faces Whindersson Nunes' tormentor in boxing (Ag. Fight (BR))
• Goyat, India's top boxer, to fight ex-UFC champ Pettis on Jan. 23 (ESPN MMA)
• Anthony Pettis to make comeback on ‘biggest card in Indian history’ against Jake Paul-promoted Neeraj Goyat (Bloody Elbow)
• Former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis to return to boxing in India (r/MMA)
• PFL Chicago: Date, fight card, where to watch (ESPN MMA)
• PFL Chicago full fight card, ESPN start time | Carmouche vs. Bishop 2 (MMA Mania)
• Dana White leaves door open for Shavkat Rakhmonov vs. Michael Morales (Sherdog)
• Paddy Pimblett Rules Out Early UFC Return, Targets March or April 2027 Comeback (Yahoo Sports MMA)
• Maurício Ruffy indicates return to the octagon after setback at UFC 331: “News” (Ag. Fight (BR))
• Damian Pinas Wants UFC 335 Return, Remains Open To Baisangur Susurkaev (MiddleEasy)
• Alexander Volkanovski wants ‘super fight’ that ends in two retirements after UFC 333 title defense (Bloody Elbow)
• Alexander Volkanovski Proposes Justin Gaethje Lightweight Title Superfight (MiddleEasy)
• Volk talks Movsar fight, and calls for Gaethje super fight! (r/MMA)
• Alexander the Great is interested in a superfight against Justin Gaethje for the lightweight title: Let's do a superfight, lightweight title on the line and then we can both retire. Then, straight after that, let the division sort themselves out. Let's make that happen. (r/ufc)
• Josh Hokit blasts Alex Poatan after accusation of manipulation in UFC: “Stupid son of a bitch” (Ag. Fight (BR))
• Josh Hokit responds to Bruce Buffer's criticism (MMA Weekly)
• Dana White responds to Alex Poatan's accusation of UFC manipulation: “Paranoid” (Ag. Fight (BR))
• Ex-UFC champion responds to Alex Poatan's accusation: “I was not instructed” (Ag. Fight (BR))
• Dana White dismisses Alex Pereira’s claims against Daniel Cormier: ‘I don’t tell anybody what to say’ (MMA Fighting)
• Merab Dvalishvili plans to show Petr Yan some tools he hasn't seen at UFC 333 (MMA Weekly)
• Merab Dvalishvili Explains Second-Round Turning Point In Petr Yan Rematch (MiddleEasy)
• Merab Dvalishvili plans to show Petr Yan some tools he hasn't seen at UFC 333 (Yahoo Sports MMA)
• Petr Yan slightly favoured to win Merab Dvalishvili UFC 333 trilogy by UFC Edmonton bantamweight (BJPenn.com)
• Merab Dvalishvili Sends Brutal Message to Petr Yan Ahead of UFC 333 Showdown (LowKick MMA)
• Paulo Costa says UFC interpreter makes 'low-IQ' fighters sound smarter (Sherdog)

Welcome to Open Scoring MMA. This is episode 119 for October 15th, 2026, your daily look at what's happening now and next across the world of MMA and UFC. DUKE: Paddy Pimblett is not letting Ilia Topuria off the hook, and honestly, I'm here for it.
NORA: Pimblett called Topuria damaged goods after the Gaethje loss.
DUKE: Damaged goods. That's brutal.
NORA: Topuria's still the top ranked lightweight contender, but Pimblett doesn't think that matters anymore.
DUKE: The Baddy thinks Topuria's confidence is shot.
NORA: Pimblett is questioning how Topuria recovers from a first career loss, period.
DUKE: And here's the part that got me. Pimblett said with Gaethje, he didn't even cry after losing.
NORA: Pimblett said he needed to cry after losing to Gaethje.
DUKE: That's a different side of Paddy right there.
NORA: It is. Most guys bury that stuff, he's just saying it out loud.
DUKE: And fans on X are already fired up about his Topuria comments, that post is getting a ton of traction.
NORA: Of course it is, Pimblett versus Topuria is a money fight whenever it happens.
DUKE: It's not booked, but you know everyone wants it.
NORA: Everyone.
DUKE: Now on to the card news, because UFC 333 is locked in and Dana White is shutting down any doubt about it.
NORA: White says it's going ahead in Abu Dhabi on October 24th, no contingency plans, full stop.
DUKE: Two title fights at Etihad Arena: Volkanovski versus Evloev and the Dvalishvili versus Yan trilogy.
NORA: And the odds reflect how tight both of those are. Volkanovski and Evloev are basically even money.
DUKE: Even money for a featherweight title fight? That's rare.
NORA: It tells you nobody's sure which way that one goes.
DUKE: What about the Dvalishvili versus Yan bantamweight trilogy?
NORA: Yan's the favorite in the trilogy, but it's slight, not a blowout line at all.
DUKE: A slight favorite in a trilogy fight makes sense, these two know each other too well.
NORA: Exactly, no secrets left.
DUKE: Over to a name we haven't talked about in a while, Anthony Pettis is going back to boxing.
NORA: He's fighting Neeraj Goyat, India's top boxer, on January 23rd, 2027.
DUKE: Goyat beat Whindersson Nunes in the ring before, so he's not just a tune up. It's being called the biggest card in Indian history.
NORA: A former UFC lightweight champ headlining boxing in India, that's a real crossover story.
DUKE: Pettis is a few months shy of forty, this feels like he's chasing paydays and new markets now.
NORA: That's fair, his UFC run speaks for itself, this is a different chapter.
DUKE: Let's talk PFL too, because Chicago is right around the corner. That's for the inaugural PFL Women's Flyweight World Championship.
NORA: First ever title fight at that weight for the promotion, so there's real history on the line.
DUKE: And one more quick one, Dana White left the door open on a welterweight matchup.
NORA: White is not ruling out Shavkat Rakhmonov versus Michael Morales down the line.
DUKE: That's a scary fight for anybody in that division.
NORA: Two of the best young strikers and wrestlers at one seventy, that's a legit title eliminator whenever it happens.
DUKE: Paddy Pimblett has his own timeline mapped out for his next fight. Why is he planning so far out?
NORA: The lightweight division's packed right now, and Pimblett said he never wants to cut weight in January again.
DUKE: Honestly that's smart planning, rushing back after a tough loss rarely goes well.
NORA: Agreed, better to pick his spot.
DUKE: Mauricio Ruffy is already teasing his comeback too.
NORA: Less than a month removed from losing to Arman Tsarukyan in the UFC 331 co-main, Ruffy's hinting at news on Instagram.
DUKE: Fast turnaround for a guy coming off a setback like that.
NORA: Ruffy's clearly trying to get right back in the win column before people start doubting him.
DUKE: And Damian Pinas wants back in before the year's out.
NORA: Pinas is eyeing a UFC 335 return and he's still open to fighting Baisangur Susurkaev.
DUKE: Pinas has also got his eye on an Israel Adesanya fight down the line.
NORA: That's a separate, bigger ambition, Susurkaev is the realistic next step.
DUKE: Now on to the callouts, and Volkanovski's the one making waves here.
NORA: Volkanovski wants a superfight with Justin Gaethje for the lightweight title. His quote was, let's do a superfight, lightweight title on the line, and then we can both retire, then let the division sort itself out.
DUKE: That's a wild proposal from a guy who's still featherweight champ.
NORA: It is, Volkanovski's clearly chasing legacy at this point, not just another title defense.
DUKE: You buy it happening?
NORA: Not until after Volkanovski gets through Evloev first, that's priority one.
DUKE: Fair, one fight at a time.
NORA: Right.
DUKE: Over to the heavyweight drama, because Josh Hokit and Alex Pereira are going at it.
NORA: Pereira accused the UFC of manipulating public opinion to promote Hokit versus Gane.
DUKE: And Hokit did not take that quietly. Whoa.
NORA: Dana White called Pereira paranoid, and Daniel Cormier denied ever being instructed to push the fight.
DUKE: So everybody's lining up against Poatan on this one.
NORA: Pretty much, White says he doesn't tell anybody what to say, and Cormier backed that up himself.
DUKE: That's a lot of heat for a fight that's still three weeks out.
NORA: It's UFC 334, November 14th, Hokit and Gane for the heavyweight title.
DUKE: Imagine the energy in that arena now.
NORA: Should be loud.
DUKE: Let's get into the bantamweight trilogy too, Merab and Yan have words for each other.
NORA: Dvalishvili says he's got tools Yan hasn't seen yet at UFC 333.
DUKE: Dvalishvili also broke down a second round takedown attempt from their last fight as the turning point.
NORA: Dvalishvili wants to fix that specific detail going into the trilogy.
DUKE: And per the schedule, Petr Yan's a slight favorite in the Dvalishvili trilogy.
NORA: Dvalishvili also sent what's being described as a brutal message to Yan ahead of the fight.
DUKE: These two clearly don't love each other.
NORA: No, and a rubber match with that kind of tension usually delivers.
DUKE: Last one in this segment, Paulo Costa had a funny one.
NORA: Costa praised UFC translator Fabiano Buskei, saying the interpreter makes, quote, low IQ fighters sound smarter.
DUKE: That's a backhanded compliment if I've ever heard one.
NORA: It is, but it's harmless, just Costa being Costa. UFC 333 hits Abu Dhabi on October 24th, with Volkanovski versus Evloev up top, and Dvalishvili versus Yan right behind it.
DUKE: Huge week coming either way.
NORA: Can't wait.
One more thing before we go. What did we get wrong today? Tell us in the comments. 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.