Before the welterweight title fight lot fell to Jack Della Maddalena, it was Shavkat Rakhmonov who was slated to fight the former champion, Belal Muhammad. However, a torn MCL cost him the opportunity as he was forced to undergo surgery and rehabilitation. But now, as his return to the world of mixed martial arts has become imminent, he has taken his aim at the newly crowned welterweight champion, only to be stopped in his tracks by Ian Garry. The reason? That’s what we’ll find out in today’s episode of MMA News Roundup. 

After talking about Garry’s reignited feud with Rakhmonov, we’ll see how Craig Jones stole some of Della Maddalena’s moves during their training sessions. And finally, we’ll take a look at Jose Aldo’s dream that got him to Rio de Janeiro. So without any further ado, let’s dive right in!

Ian Garry contests Shavkat Rakhmonov’s title shot call

Following the events of UFC 315, Shavkat Rakhmonov took to X and wrote, “Congratulations to JDM. It was great performance after long layover and injuries. You know I’m the real challenge at 170. Sooner or later my time will come.” He was already the #1 welterweight contender when he injured his MCL. However, in his absence, Sean Brady and Belal Muhammad secured the top 2 contenders’ spots. But when Rakhmonov hinted at his desire to bounce back into the title picture, Ian Garry wasn’t going to keep his mouth shut. 

During his conversation with Ariel Helwani, the Irish mixed martial artist expressed his discontent with Rakhmonov’s move. He quoted, “I don’t believe Shavkat should just come back and get a title shot, especially if some of us fight again. But that’s not how it works sometimes, unfortunately.” Nevertheless, the final decision regarding that still lies with the matchmakers. But what is clear to everyone is that first, Della Maddalena will have to defend his welterweight belt against Islam Makhachev. This bring us to our next topic of the day: the welterweight champion’s bad habits.

Apparently, he frequently forgets his grappling moves, and Craig Jones has to teach them to him again. Let’s hear it directly from Jones. 

Craig Jones rips off Jack Della Maddalena, just not how you think

For his fight against ‘Remember The Name’ at UFC 315, Della Maddalena sought the BJJ legend for help. The two trained together, and Jones made sure that Della Maddalena was completely ready to stand strong against Muhammad’s relentless wrestling. Of course, had Muhammad used the biggest weapon in his arsenal, the outcome might have been different. But this time, the MMA Gods favored the Australian. But days after the bout, Jones came forth with some criticism for the champion. 

The BJJ legend said, “First time I trained with Della would have been doing some seminars in Perth. So, we had a relationship for a bit of time. But really I was just a fan. Like, I keep saying this, but I’ve stolen a lot of moves from him. But I think he smokes so many bongs that he forgets that those are his moves, and I got to re-teach them back to him, and take full credit for it.” 

The new champion might want to pay more attention to his own stock being sold back to him. Either way, Della Maddalena loves to scrap – whether on the mat or on the feet. And how can talks of grappling be complete without Brazil?

Brazilian MMA is almost synonymous with the name Jose Aldo. And today, it’s all about the dream that ‘Scarface’ carried with him. It’s the dream that pulled him towards Rio de Janeiro and turned him into a celebrated mixed martial artist. 

Jose Aldo weighs in on his dream to become a football player

Although Jose Aldo didn’t retire from the UFC with a win under his belt, he remains one of the most loved athletes. But the majority of that love comes from his hometown, Rio de Janeiro. He was born in Manaus, State of Amazonas, Brazil, and he came to be known as the ‘King of Rio’ for his stance on the city. But it all came around because of his dream to become a football player. 

Taking to Instagram, Aldo shared a video where he talked about his dream. He explained how the world of football got him to Jiu-Jitsu, and how he stuck around BJJ. It was indeed a nostalgic moment for ‘Junior’. In the caption, he wrote, “It all started with a dream ⚽️➡️🥋. Back when the plan was to be a football player, knew I was gonna be a athlete .. but it was in the tatame that I really found myself. Jiu-Jitsu showed me a new path and the will to win brought me to Rio with the face, the courage and a dream. This is just a part of my story.”

What are your thoughts on Garry’s words for Rakhmonov? Do you think Della Maddalena could have won against Muhammad without Jones’ help? What do you think of Aldo’s original dream? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.