Sports Illustrated Notebook: Missing weight comes at a heavy price for Askar Askarov
An critical flyweight combat become set to take vicinity Saturday, with Brandon Royval trying to increase a -combat win streak towards Askar Askarov.
On Friday, the UFC showed that the combat is off due to “weight control issues” with Askarov. Royval published on social media that Askarov additionally refused to combat at catchweight. That is a terrible search for Askarov, in particular seeing that he’s coming off a loss. Askarov fought to a draw with Brandon Moreno 3 years in the past, and had he gained this combat towards Royval, he could had been a pinnacle candidate for a rematch, with the delivered ability of it being a name combat. Instead, Askarov is sure to drop from his fourth spot withinside the rankings, no question changed with the aid of using fifth-ranked Royval.
Askarov (14-1-1 MMA, three-1-1 UFC) suffered his first defeat ultimate March to Kai Kara-France, and this bout towards Royval (14-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) become his possibility to reassert himself as a pinnacle contender withinside the department.
“I wasn`t one hundred percentage towards Kara-France ultimate time after surgery, however I had to compete,” Askarov informed Sports Illustrated in advance this week via a translator. “In my mind, I gained that combat. Nothing will smash me.”
Oliveira, Makhachev to determine light-weight department
Charles Oliveira seeks to regain the light-weight name subsequent week at UFC 280.
For Islam Makhachev, this name bout represents what he believes is his destiny.
“I continually knew I could be here, combating for the name,” stated Makhachev. “Even once I become developing up, I knew I could be here. I even have labored my lifestyles for this.”
Dominant in his ultimate 10 bouts, Makhachev (22-1 MMA, eleven-1 UFC) has now no longer tasted defeat seeing that 2015. He possesses a grappling and putting skillset uniquely ready to defeat Oliveira, but he stays unproven towards an opponent of this caliber. Oliveira (33-eight MMA, 21-eight UFC) has gained eleven fights in a row, powering via a couple of pinnacle-5 opponents.
“I admire in which he comes from,” stated Makhachev. “He’s come from a difficult lifestyles. He has had many difficult fights on this recreation to get in which he’s now.”
The light-weight name is vacant after Oliveira become stripped for failing to make weight previous to his bout towards Justin Gaethje ultimate May. He then placed forth a assertion overall performance, filing Gaethje earlier than the combat should even attain its fourth minute. While Oliveira has but to get hold of the worldwide interest he deserves, he’s too busy making his declare because the first-rate withinside the global to note the slight. Remarkably, he enters this combat because the underdog, aleven though that still speaks to the overpowering hype surrounding Makhachev.
Most recently, Makhachev’s string of victories consists of Bobby Green, Dan Hooker, Thiago Moses and Drew Dober. No one in that class is everywhere close to the global-magnificence degree of Oliveira – or Gaethje, Dustin Poirier or Michael Chandler. Yet Makhachev isn’t intimidated with the aid of using his opponent. Undefeated in greater than seven years, Makhachev plans to increase that streak in his championship bout at 280.
“I even have skilled so difficult for this moment,” stated Makhachev. “This is the day I even have waited for. It may be very quickly and really close. It is my time to be UFC champion.”
Grasso positioning herself for a name shot
Sports Illustrated Notebook: Missing weight comes at a heavy price for Askar Askarov
This weekend’s headline bout is a women’s flyweight combat pitting Alexa Grasso towards Viviane Araujo.
Araujo (eleven-three MMA, 5-2 UFC) has gained 3 of her ultimate 4 fights, so this will be a sizeable win. Grasso (14-three MMA, 6-three UFC) moved from strawweight to flyweight years in the past, and he or she commenced her run withinside the department with the aid of using prevailing her first 3 fights. All of her performances had been impressive, and he or she is at the cusp of a name shot.
It is a long term coming for her – she appeared just like the subsequent huge issue seven years in the past whilst she placed on a masterful putting overall performance towards Mizuki Inoue, however she sincerely has now no longer generated sufficient momentum seeing that. Perhaps in an effort to extrade Saturday. If Grasso is victorious, specifically in a resounding manner, she must be subsequent in line for reigning champ Valentina Shevchenko.
This tale first posted at SI.com/MMA.
