Makhachev Backlash, Salkilld Headlines Sydney, PFL Dubai Set

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:

• UFC 336: Former champion backs Makhachev's refusal and praises Carlos Prates vs Morales (Ag. Fight (BR))
• Fans bring up Islam Makhachev quote that Dana White had displayed when criticizing UFC 336 decision (Bloody Elbow)
• Matt Brown defends Islam Makhachev, rips UFC for introducing another ‘f*cking interim title’ (MMA Fighting)
• Manager defends Makhachev after rivals' criticism: “They add nothing” (Ag. Fight (BR))
• UFC 336: Why Islam Makhachev’s absence doesn’t warrant interim title (Yahoo Sports MMA)
• Quillan Salkilld faces Benoit Saint Denis in main event of UFC Sydney (MMA Fighting)
• Salkilld, Saint Denis to headline UFC Fight Night in Sydney (ESPN MMA)
• Quillan Salkilld vs. Benoit St. Denis to headline UFC Sydney on Feb. 6 (Sherdog)
• UFC FIGHT NIGHT SYDNEY MAIN EVENT SET: QUILLAN SALKILLD TO FACE BENOÎT SAINT DENIS (UFC News)
• Quillan Salkilld vs Benoit Saint Denis to headline UFC FN Sydney February 6 (r/MMA)
• PFL Dubai card finalized with 15 fights, heavyweight title bout (MMA Fighting)
• PFL Dubai full card: Vadim Nemkov title defense tops 15-fight lineup (Sherdog)
• Full Card Confirmed for PFL Dubai on November 14 (Cageside Press)
• Arman Tsarukyan says the UFC will inform him by the end of November on whether Justin Gaethje will fight again or retire (r/MMA)
• Malcolm Wellmaker says UFC loss 'hurts' after American Top Team move (Sherdog)
• Malcolm Wellmaker says UFC loss 'hurts' after American Top Team move (Yahoo Sports MMA)
• Renato Moicano calls Ortega vs. Hooker 'worst fight in the UFC' (Sherdog)
• Renato Moicano explains why he moved on from Brian Ortega to fight Tom Nolan (Yahoo Sports MMA)
• Tsarukyan makes himself available to face Volkanovski and teases: “He’s old” (Ag. Fight (BR))
• Nobody Wants to Be in the UFC Anymore (r/MMA)

Welcome to Open Scoring MMA, episode 132 for October 28th, 2026.

Today's show is brought to you by Dealophant, from the team behind Open Scoring MMA. More on them in a minute. DUKE: Islam Makhachev turning down the UFC 336 headliner is still the loudest story in the sport, and now we've got a former champion jumping into his corner.
NORA: A former champion backed Makhachev's call to wait for a clear number one contender at welterweight instead of jumping into a fight right now.
DUKE: And he's getting killed for it everywhere else.
NORA: Dana White criticized the move, rivals in the division are piling on, and now there's an interim title being created for Carlos Prates and Michael Morales, according to reports.
DUKE: Wait, an interim belt because the champ wanted clarity on who he's actually supposed to fight?
NORA: That's Matt Brown's exact complaint, he defended Makhachev and ripped the promotion for rolling out, quote, another interim title, end quote.
DUKE: Brown's got a point too, Makhachev just defended his belt in August.
NORA: He's not ducking anybody, he fought three months ago.
DUKE: Then his manager Ali Abdelaziz jumped in on social media.
NORA: Abdelaziz hit back at the rivals criticizing Makhachev, saying of their jabs, quote, they add nothing, end quote.
DUKE: Fans are also digging up an old Makhachev quote about what it means to be a champion, the same one Dana White put up when he was ripping the decision.
NORA: Using his own words against him, that's cold.
DUKE: And the Reddit crowd is loving the chaos, there's a user-submitted post blowing up about Carlos Prates calling Islam Makhachev a coward for not taking a fight in January.
NORA: That's the heat right now, Prates gets his shot against Morales and Makhachev sits out the storm.
DUKE: Here's my issue though, an interim title at seventy seven kilos when the real champ just fought in August feels like the UFC covering for a scheduling problem, not an injury.
NORA: I get both sides, Prates and Morales deserve a vehicle to the top, but calling it interim muddies who the real number one contender even is.
DUKE: Messy all around.
NORA: Very messy.
Quick break for our sponsor. Dealophant shows the real price per unit on everyday Amazon buys, so you stop overpaying for the big box. It's free at dealophant dot com, and we may earn a commission if you buy. Now, back to the show. DUKE: Now on to the card news, and we got a big one out of Australia. Quillan Salkilld is headlining in his home country.
NORA: Salkilld faces fellow top ten ranked lightweight Benoit Saint Denis, it headlines UFC Sydney at the Afterpay Arena on February sixth.
DUKE: A West Australian main-eventing at home, that's a huge opportunity for him.
NORA: It is, no other bouts have been announced yet for that card, but locking in a ranked matchup like that as your first headliner says a lot about where the promotion sees him.
DUKE: Saint Denis is no gimme either, he's a dangerous finisher.
NORA: Exactly, this is a real top ten lightweight scrap, not a hometown gift.
DUKE: Let's swing over to PFL, because Dubai just got finalized.
NORA: Fifteen fights on the card November fourteenth at the Coca Cola Arena, topped by a heavyweight title fight between Vadim Nemkov and an opponent who has not yet been named.
DUKE: Two Russian knockout artists fighting for PFL gold, that's a scary main event, but we don't know who Nemkov is fighting yet.
NORA: And this comes as PFL is merging into Jake Paul's MVP starting next year, so Dubai is one of the last PFL-branded cards we're going to get.
DUKE: End of an era, basically.
NORA: Basically.
DUKE: Arman Tsarukyan says he'll know soon whether Justin Gaethje is even fighting again.
NORA: Tsarukyan says the UFC will inform him by the end of November on whether Gaethje continues his career or retires.
DUKE: That's a huge swing for the lightweight picture, Gaethje's been one of the most feared names at seventy.
NORA: If he's done, that opens up a lot of movement near the top of that division, and Tsarukyan's sitting right there waiting on his next step.
DUKE: Rough story on the other end of the roster too, Malcolm Wellmaker is on a three-fight losing streak and says his latest loss, quote, hurts, end quote.
NORA: Wellmaker says his latest loss, quote, hurts, end quote, after he made the move to American Top Team hoping for a turnaround. It did not, he's now on a three fight losing streak in the UFC, and that's the kind of skid that puts a roster spot in real jeopardy.
DUKE: Tough spot for a guy who did everything right on paper, new gym, fresh start, and still came up short.
NORA: Sometimes the changes don't show up in the result right away, and it's a tough business.
DUKE: Moicano called the upcoming Brian Ortega versus Dan Hooker matchup the, quote, worst fight in the UFC, end quote.
NORA: That's brutal, especially with Moicano himself fighting this Saturday.
DUKE: Right, he explained he tried repeatedly to get Ortega booked for himself, and when that didn't come together he moved on to face Tom Nolan instead.
NORA: So some sour grapes mixed in there for sure.
DUKE: A little, but it's also just him saying the matchup doesn't excite him stylistically.
NORA: Then there's Tsarukyan again, and this one's spicy, he's calling out Alexander Volkanovski.
DUKE: Tsarukyan, who sits at number two in the lightweight rankings, says he's available to fight Volkanovski, the current featherweight champion, and took a shot at him in the process.
NORA: What'd he say exactly?
DUKE: He teased, quote, he's old, end quote, about Volkanovski while pushing himself as the top threat climbing toward the lightweight title picture.
NORA: Bold, calling out a two division threat like Volkanovski while you're still chasing your own belt.
DUKE: It's a credibility play too, beating a legend like that would fast track him to a title shot no matter who holds the lightweight strap.
NORA: Now on to the around the sport segment, because there's a piece floating around with a blunt headline, nobody wants to be in the UFC anymore.
DUKE: It's getting discussion for pointing at the broader frustration fighters have with pay, scheduling and how the promotion treats its roster.
NORA: That tracks with everything we just talked about, Makhachev getting criticized for wanting clarity, Wellmaker getting cut loose on a losing streak.
DUKE: It's a pattern people are noticing, not just one guy complaining.
NORA: Let's look ahead. This Saturday, October thirty first, Renato Moicano headlines against Tom Nolan.
DUKE: We'll have to wait for the odds on that one. After that, on November seventh, Sean Brady meets Gabriel Bonfim.
NORA: Brady Bonfim is a legit welterweight crossroads fight.
DUKE: Both winners push straight into title contention conversations.
NORA: That's the show for today.
DUKE: Plenty more coming with Dubai, Sydney, and whatever Makhachev does next.
NORA: Catch you next time on Open Scoring MMA.

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