Prates Rips Makhachev, Jake Paul's Retirement Vow, and Rizin Gold on the Line

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:

• ‘Finish The Fight Immediately’, Komawut, Yodphupa Fire Shots Ahead Of Rematch At The Inner Circle 37 (ONE News)
• Saori Oshima vs. Natalia Kuziutina Set for Rizin Title Bout (r/MMA)
• Saori Oshima vs Natalia Kuziutina Vacant Title Bout Set For Super Rizin 6 (MMA Rising)
• Dana White's Contender Series' 'greatest talent' gets UFC debut opponent (Sherdog)
• Dana White's Contender Series' 'greatest talent' gets UFC debut opponent (Yahoo Sports MMA)
• Unbeaten KO Artist Gets Debut UFC Fight After 19-Second Win Stunned Dana White (Yahoo Sports MMA)
• REPORT: Akbar Abdullaev’s UFC debut booked after Dana White called him ‘greatest talent’ in DWCS history (BJPenn.com)
• Mairon Santos vs Akbar Abdullaev set for December 5, 2026 (r/MMA)
• Tatsuki Shinotsuka Returns Against Hinotori At Super RIZIN 6 (MiddleEasy)
• Jake Paul vows to ‘hang up the gloves’ if he loses to Cedric Doumbe (MMA Fighting)
• Who the fook is that guy? Logan Paul left clueless after Jake Paul reveals Cedric Doumbe as next boxing opponent | Video (MMA Mania)
• Jake Paul promises to retire with Cedric Doumbe loss on Christmas Eve, ‘I will hang up the gloves’ (MMA Mania)
• Jake Paul Vows To Retire From Boxing If Cedric Doumbe Beats Him (MMA News)
• Jake Paul vows to retire if he loses to Cedric Doumbe in December showdown (The Mac Life)
• Former UFC champion believes Movsar Evloev gave up in Alexander Volkanovski defeat (BJPenn.com)
• Makhachev or Morales? Carlos Prates assesses change of rivals at UFC 336: “Less difficult” (Ag. Fight (BR))
• Carlos Prates rips into Islam Makhachev over UFC 336 dilemma (BJPenn.com)
• “He Chickened Out”, Carlos Prates Mocks Islam Makhachev’s Active Champion Promise After UFC 336 Snub (Yahoo Sports MMA)
• Carlos Prates rips Islam Makhachev again for declining January UFC title fight (Sherdog)
• Carlos Prates ‘pretty pissed off’ at Islam Makhachev over change of plans: ‘He chickened out’ (MMA Fighting)
• Renato Moicano uses controversial UFC refereeing to promote his own MMA event; understand (Ag. Fight (BR))

Welcome to Open Scoring MMA, episode 139 for November 4th, 2026. Today's show is brought to you by Dealophant, from the team behind Open Scoring MMA. More on them in a minute. DUKE: Big fight week brewing in Thailand, Nora, ahead of The Inner Circle 37 this Friday, November 6th.
NORA: Komawut and Yodphupa running it back, and the trash talk's already flying.
DUKE: Yodphupa straight up said Komawut's lost his sharpness after a five fight skid.
NORA: Quote, "He doesn't look as sharp or physically dominant as he used to be," end quote. That's cold.
DUKE: That's fighting words going into a rematch.
NORA: Members can catch it live on the 6th.
DUKE: Rematches like this always bring extra heat when there is bad blood involved.
NORA: All Thai style, so expect fireworks, not a chess match.
DUKE: Now on to the card news, and there's a lot of it today.
NORA: Let's start in Japan. Rizin's building a big one for New Year's Eve.
DUKE: Saori Oshima versus Natalia Kuziutina for the vacant Super Atomweight title.
NORA: Super Rizin 6, December 31st, Nagoya.
DUKE: Oshima brings exceptional championship grappling into this clash against world class credentials.
NORA: And Kuziutina's an Olympic medallist, so this is a real crossover talent clash for that belt.
DUKE: Vacant strap, two accomplished women, that's a hell of a way to close the year.
NORA: And it's not the only addition to that card.
DUKE: Tatsuki Shinotsuka's also been added, against Hinotori.
NORA: Hinotori's the guy who actually replaced Shinotsuka on Rizin's July card.
DUKE: So this is Shinotsuka getting a shot at the man who stepped in for him.
NORA: Little bit of unfinished business built into that one.
DUKE: Over to the UFC now, big debut news out of Saudi Arabia.
NORA: Akbar Abdullaev is finally getting his UFC bow, December 5th against Mairon Santos.
DUKE: Dana White called this guy the greatest talent in Contender Series history.
NORA: He's unbeaten, a finishing machine, and he won his contract with a nineteen second knockout that reportedly stunned White himself.
DUKE: Short notice fight too, so they're doing it at a hundred fifty five pounds instead of his usual weight.
NORA: That's a tough ask for a debut, catchweight, short camp, against a live veteran in Santos.
DUKE: But if this guy's as good as advertised, we're gonna find out fast.
NORA: Saudi Arabia's becoming the spot for UFC to roll the dice on new blood.
DUKE: Switching over to boxing, and this one's wild. Jake Paul versus Cedric Doumbe, December 24th, Christmas Eve, in Dubai.
NORA: Coca-Cola Arena. And Paul's put his career on the line for it.
DUKE: He vowed to retire if he loses.
NORA: Doumbe's a two time world champion in kickboxing, hasn't competed in over two years though.
DUKE: Paul even said it himself, quote, "He's a two-time world champion and he's not scared of anybody, including me," end quote.
NORA: That's a respectful way to hype a retirement fight.
DUKE: And apparently Logan Paul had no idea who Doumbe even was when Jake announced it.
NORA: Funny, but also kind of telling. This isn't some household boxing name, it's a kickboxing crossover with real risk attached.
DUKE: Given Anthony Joshua broke his jaw in their fight last year, Paul's chin questions are fair.
NORA: Right, so this retirement vow isn't just a marketing line, there's actual stakes on both sides of it.
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 callouts, with Carlos Prates going off on Islam Makhachev.
NORA: Makhachev was supposed to defend the welterweight title against Prates at UFC 336 on January 30th in Toronto. Prates is furious about how everything played out after preparing for that championship date.
DUKE: He made it clear he feels Makhachev backed out of the bout when the date was on the table.
NORA: Prates also said he was quote, "pretty pissed off," and now Morales is, in his words, going to pay the price before he comes back for Makhachev.
DUKE: Strong words. But here's my question, does beating Morales actually get him Makhachev, or does it just create another detour?
NORA: That's the thing, Prates even said the swap with Morales might be, quote, "less difficult" for him stylistically.
DUKE: So he's mad, but he might also be getting an easier path to gold in the short term.
NORA: Exactly. Anger and opportunity, both true at once.
DUKE: The MMA community on Reddit and fans on X are already split on whether Makhachev's just protecting his legacy or actually ducking a live one.
NORA: Can't blame Prates for feeling jerked around after training camp specifically for that date.
DUKE: Now over to the business side of things.
NORA: Renato Moicano's turning UFC refereeing controversy into promotion for his own event.
DUKE: This stems from the criticism around the officiating at the main event of UFC Vegas 123 last Saturday.
NORA: Moicano's name got dragged into that debate, and now he's leaning into it to push his own MMA promotion.
DUKE: Smart, or a little cynical depending how you look at it, but it's working, we're talking about it.
NORA: Controversy drives clicks, and Moicano knows exactly what he's doing with his own brand right now. He is always looking for ways to capitalize on the news cycle.
DUKE: Absolutely, whenever there is drama in the air, he finds a way to turn those eyeballs right onto his own projects and keep people talking.
NORA: It keeps his profile high between fight camps, and fans definitely tune in to see what he has to say next.
DUKE: Let's look ahead to the next two cards on the books. This Saturday, November 7th, UFC Fight Night brings Johnny Walker against Waldo Cortes Acosta.
NORA: That is a wild clash in the heavyweight division, with Walker's sheer unpredictability meeting Cortes Acosta's heavy output.
DUKE: Serious finish potential on both sides in that main event, so do not blink when those two heavyweights make the walk.
NORA: Then the following week, November 14th, UFC 334, Ciryl Gane defends against Josh Hokit.
DUKE: That is a massive spotlight for Hokit stepping right into a title opportunity against one of the most technical heavyweights on the planet.
NORA: Huge test for the challenger, and Gane looking to make another statement at the top of the division.
DUKE: Before we go, quick reminder, we've got breaking news alerts, fight breakdowns, and videos you won't get here on the feed, all on our YouTube channel.
NORA: Go check that out between episodes.
One more thing before we go. Carlos Prates says Makhachev chickened out of UFC 336. Is that fair, or is Islam just managing a stacked division? 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.