As MMA fans tuned in to the low-key UFC Vegas 111 card, another event managed to steal a fair share of the spotlight – Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat, which electrified the California circuit last night. The action-packed card not only kept fans entertained but also drew attention from reigning UFC middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev. Although currently on a break, the UAE-based champion continues to support his teammates.

Meanwhile, one of them, 21-year-old Yusuf Esambaev, a fellow Chechen fighter, impressed everyone with a standout performance at A1 Combat 32. Esambaev faced Gavin Rice in what many expected to be a close fight, but he quickly took control once the bout began, displaying sharp striking and finishing the contest with a spectacular spinning backfist knockout.

Khamzat Chimaev praises his teammate following a highlight-reel victory at A1 Combat

The highlight-reel finish, aired live on UFC Fight Pass, quickly spread online. With this impressive performance, Esambaev improved his record to 3-0 and continued building momentum as a future star. After the event, A1 Combat shared the knockout clip on Instagram with the caption, “Stormborn scores another highlight reel KO at Hard Rock Live.” On that post, Khamzat Chimaev commented, “🐺💪🏻,” using the grey wolf emoji, a proud nod to Chechnya’s national animal, symbolizing courage and strength.

Following ‘Borz’s comment, UFC bantamweight champion Merab Dvalishvili also chimed in to applaud Esambaev’s performance, writing, “Great job.”  The official results of A1 Combat 32 are still pending updates on sites like Tapology and Sherdog, but thanks to social media, fans already have a glimpse of the action.

Beyond the event’s highlights, UFC veteran Urijah Faber has served as co-owner of the A1 Combat promotion since 2022. Faber began promoting a year ago, even before fighters like Conor McGregor and Jon Jones tried their hand as promoters. Faber is now set to make his MMA return nearly six years after retiring, with A1 Combat Sports 32 scheduled for January 30, 2026.

With his promotion, Faber once again made headlines by giving Khamzat Chimaev’s teammate the platform to kickstart his professional MMA career earlier this year. Meanwhile, Chimaev remains firmly focused on his UFC future.

Already the middleweight champion, he aims to capture two more belts, at 170 and 205 pounds, before retiring. ‘Borz’ is most eager to drop down to 170 pounds in the future, where Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev will contest the next title at UFC 322, a fight that could shape his path to becoming a two-division champion.

‘Borz’ offers his take on the UFC 322 fight between Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev

UFC 322 is just a week away, and all eyes are on Madison Square Garden for what promises to be a thrilling event. The main event features a welterweight title clash between reigning champion Jack Della Maddalena and Islam Makhachev, a matchup that has been generating hype for months. While oddsmakers heavily favor Makhachev, fighters like Israel Adesanya and Michael Chandler see the Australian champion as a formidable threat.

Amid the buzz, middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev shared his thoughts on Islam Makhachev’s upcoming fight. Despite it being Makhachev’s welterweight debut, many view Della Maddalena as the bigger and more dangerous opponent. However, ‘Borz’ said in a video on his social media, “Jack or Islam? I think Islam, we will see. Both are good fighters. Makhachev moving up is interesting to see how he’s gonna do, but I think Islam will win. He’s gonna use his wrestling more in this fight.”

Chimaev, who previously competed at welterweight, moved up to middleweight due to health concerns. His growing dominance now has him exploring other opportunities, fueling speculation that he could be eyeing a potential Dagestani vs Chechen showdown in the Octagon. Who do you think would come out on top if these two Russian stars faced off in the future? Share your thoughts below.