Dricus du Plessis breaks silence – releases statement since loss. Khabib Nurmagomedov backs Arman Tsarukyan.
Mixed Martial Arts
Josh Emmett vs Yousef Zalal is booked for UFC 320 on October 4, 2025 in Las Vegas, NV.
Aljamain Sterling wants next at UFC Featherweight champion Alex Volkanovski but admits that Lerone Murphy is deserving of having the next shot too. Sterling notes that himself and Volkanovski are “old dogs” though, both age 36, thus makes the case for why not let him fight Volkanovski first while Murphy still has more time (age 34).
Tyron Woodley says in his era, current UFC Welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena wouldn’t have even got his attention.
“He wouldn't even have been in my crosshairs. But I can just think of ten people in my division at that time that was the champion that would have beat him.”
Umar Nurmagomedov compares his fight with Merab Dvalishvili vs Petr Yan’s.
“I don’t agree with it. Look at his fight with Merab. He got destroyed in that fight. Look at my fight, we had a competitive fight with Merab.”
Dricus du Plessis has released a statement since losing to UFC Middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev. In du Plessis’ statement, he accepts the loss with open arms, says losing is a part of life and is necessary in his pursuit of greatness. He will keep learning, and his comeback will be bigger than his original run; he makes no excuses for his loss and congratulates Chimaev. He gives thanks to all his fans for the love and support.
Khabib Nurmagomedov picks Arman Tsarukyan to beat UFC Lightweight champion Ilia Topuria in a potential bout.
“I don’t see a chance for Topuria. A big punch [won’t work]. Arman fights with strikers from a distance too much. He keeps his distance well, works better with his legs and now Arman is too good. Now you can already see what to fear from Topuria. I think right now, the best Lightweight is [Tsarukyan].”
MrBeast wants to connect to Syko Stu, the man viciously assaulted by Raja Jackson:
Ryan Garcia speaks out against streaming culture:
Islam Makhachev explains why the USA has been lacking in title holders recently.
“They just started signing more of our guys, that’s the reason. Our guys live for this sport. In the USA, they don’t work even if they competed bad. Behind our guys there is a family, the whole city, the whole republic. And he feels this responsibility and goes out with full responsibility and wins.”
Islam Makhachev says Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov would’ve approved him moving to 170lbs.
“If he saw I could gain the weight, he would’ve allowed it.”
Paulo Costa says he has one more fight left in 2025 – wants Dricus du Plessis.
Sean O’Malley says there’s still work to be done at 135lbs but 145lbs will happen and is easier to make weight; he can still make 135lbs healthily.
Boxing
Nothing new to flag.
Culture
Warner Bros. Pictures is developing a film titled ‘With the 8th Pick?’, exploring the near-miss moment when Kobe Bryant was almost drafted by the New Jersey Nets in 1996. Despite strong interest from multiple studios, Warner Bros. secured the script early, avoiding a bidding war. The film will focus on how then-Nets coach John Calipari’s decision not to draft Bryant changed the course of NBA history and cemented Bryant's eventual legacy with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The University of South Carolina issued a shelter-in-place alert Sunday evening after an unconfirmed report of an active shooter near the Thomas Cooper Library. Police responded quickly, searched the building floor by floor and later found no evidence of a shooter or gunfire. The alert was issued out of an abundance of caution and two minor injuries occurred during the evacuation. This incident follows similar false alarms at other universities, heightening concern as campuses begin their fall semesters.
