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Final Tue, Oct 13UFCIlias BulaidvsErick Visconde (winner)Final Fri, Oct 16PFLLiz CarmouchevsJena Bishop (winner)Final Sat, Oct 17UFCMike Malott (winner)vsJoaquin BuckleySat, Oct 24 11:00 AM PTUFCAlexander VolkanovskivsMovsar EvloevSat, Oct 31 5:00 PM PTUFCRenato MoicanovsTom NolanSat, Nov 7 5:00 PM PTUFCSean BradyvsGabriel BonfimSat, Nov 14 10:00 AM PTPFLVadim NemkovvsSergei BilostenniySat, Nov 14 6:00 PM PTUFCJosh HokitvsCiryl GaneSat, Nov 21 10:00 AM PTUFCJiří ProcházkavsNavajo Stirling
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The Roundup: biggest MMA & UFC stories, Oct 20

UFC 333 week is here, Malott's knockout shakes up welterweight, Ankalaev gripes about Pereira, and boxing's Paul-Jones-Hearn drama spills into MMA headlines.

UFC 333 Fight Week Is Here, and Volkanovski's Already Looking Past Evloev

Saturday brings UFC 333, with Alexander Volkanovski taking on Movsar Evloev in the main event. The UFC 333 Countdown show previews a bantamweight championship trilogy between Petr Yan and Merab Dvalishvili. The first episode of UFC 333 Embedded dropped Monday, giving fans an early look at fight week with Dvalishvili's blunt approach to the rematch summed up in one line: "I just take their zeros" [12]. Volkanovski isn't just focused on Evloev, either. He's already naming three potential title challengers for if he gets through Saturday [9]. Part of that forward-looking confidence comes from watching the division's young talent, and Volkanovski says he's genuinely impressed by 24-year-old Argentine prospect Kevin Vallejos, who's 4-0 in the UFC since signing last year [10].

Mike Malott's Knee Finishes Buckley, and the Rankings Shift

UFC Fight Night 291 in Edmonton produced real consequences, and Mike Malott's name is the one everyone's talking about. He knocked out Joaquin Buckley with a knee in the second round, pushing his UFC record to 8-1 with five straight wins [11]. According to reports, this win has already moved the needle in the latest UFC power rankings released after the card [1]. Malott made clear what he wants next in the Octagon off the back of that performance [11]. Edmonton also delivered the usual mix of elation and heartbreak, with winners and losers sounding off in the aftermath [16].

Ankalaev Says Pereira's Knockout Was Lucky, Not Great

Magomed Ankalaev isn't ready to give Alex Pereira full credit for how their UFC 320 title fight ended. Pereira knocked him out just 80 seconds into that bout to reclaim the light heavyweight title in what was Ankalaev's first defense at 205 pounds [17]. Ankalaev's take now is that Pereira landed what he's calling a "lucky punch" rather than a crafted finish [17]. That's a tough position to argue from the outside looking in, but it tells you the champion-turned-challenger isn't done processing that loss.

Oliveira Won't Apologize for How He Fought Holloway

Charles Oliveira is tired of hearing complaints about his BMF title fight with Max Holloway at UFC 326, and he's not backing down from how he approached it [15]. Oliveira stands firm on the gameplan he used that night and insists he'll use his full arsenal whenever the moment calls for it [15]. He's even willing to give up the belt rather than cave to demands that he fight purely as a brawler [15]. Say what you want about the result, but that's a fighter who knows exactly who he is.

The Jake Paul, Jon Jones, and Dana White Boxing Mess Keeps Growing

Boxing drama is bleeding straight into MMA headlines this week. After Shakur Stevenson asked for and received his release from Zuffa Boxing, Jake Paul publicly wondered whether Jon Jones would get the same treatment if he asked [5]. Jones pushed for one last superfight out of the UFC and didn't have the leverage to make it happen, which is exactly the comparison Paul is drawing [5]. Meanwhile, Eddie Hearn is piling on Dana White's boxing venture, calling its recent fumble of a boxing star "bad, embarrassing, and humiliating" [6]. Hearn's been in a running war of words with White over the state of that business [6]. On a separate note, Hearn is also giving real credit to Daniel Dubois for his heavyweight comeback, pointing to Dubois' maturity and confidence as what makes him dangerous now, while staying careful about hyping an Anthony Joshua rematch [4].

Basharat Says the UFC Released Him for Being "Boring"

Farid Basharat's release from the UFC is still raising eyebrows, and now he's explaining why. Basharat says the promotion told his team flat out that he was a boring fighter, which is why they cut him instead of offering a new deal [8]. That's a stunning explanation for a guy sitting on a 16-0 overall record, including a 7-0 mark inside the Octagon [8]. Fans scratching their heads over this release now have a reason why, even if it's not a satisfying one [8].

Prochazka Breaks Down His Game Plan for Stirling

Jiri Prochazka is already deep into preparation for his November 21 clash with Navajo Stirling, and he's leaning on his adaptability to get it done [3]. He also looked back at his fight with Carlos Ulberg, explaining the decision-making behind how that one played out [3]. Prochazka shared some qualified thoughts on the UFC 333 title fights happening this weekend, showing he's keeping tabs on the division even while locked into his own camp [3]. With Stirling looming and a loaded light heavyweight picture around him, Prochazka's comments carry more weight than your average fight-week soundbite.

Sources

Open Scoring MMA is a daily AI-produced MMA and UFC news podcast. Listen on Spotify, read the Feed, or get every episode by email.