Welcome to the notebook, a quick catchup of all the smaller (but still important) stories from the world of MMA!
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Here are the latest stories we’re following:
UFC
- A “bad injury” has forced Johnny Walker (21-9) out of his light heavyweight matchup next weekend at UFC 311 against Bogdan Guskov (16-3), he announced via social media this week. UFC has reportedly already found a replacement in promotional newcomer Billy Elekana (7-1), per Alex Behunin of MMA Mania. Elekana enters the UFC on a three-fight winning streak, including a pair of non-tournament PFL appearances in 2023 and a first-round finish win from July. The 29-year-old has a tough challenge in Guskov, who is coming off back-to-back “Performance of the Night” finish wins, beating Zac Pauga and Ryan Spann last year.
- Abdul-Kareem Al-Selwady (15-4) has also received a change in opponent for UFC’s upcoming February 1st “Fight Night” card in Saudi Arabia. While initially targeted to face Jordan Leavitt (11-2), Nolan King and Farah Hannoun of MMA Junkie are reporting that he’s now being lined up to face Bolaji Oki (9-2). Al-Selwady had an unsuccessful UFC debut last year, getting stopped in the third round by Loik Radzhabov. Before then, he had attained a strong regional record, including titles in Brave CF and Fury FC. Oki, while successful in his early 2024 UFC debut against Timmy Cuamba, is coming back after a quick submission loss against Chris Duncan in September.
- Javid Basharat (14-1) will return from his first-ever pro loss when he faces Ricky Simon (20-6) at UFC’s February 22nd card in Seattle, Washington, per Alex Behunin of MMA Mania. Basharat’s flawless 14-win record was stopped in March, as Aiemann Zahabi scored a huge upset decision win over him. Before, Basharat had earned a trio of victories. He’s now matched against Simon, who has suffered three losses since 2023 against elite bantamweights like Song Yadong and Mario Bautista.
Fury FC
- Reminder: Fury FC is set to return tonight with their 100th numbered card, a pretty strong presentation of regional talent:
- Shimon Smotritsky (11-2) will look to gain welterweight gold in the main event against Sam Kilmer (8-4). Smotritsky has been a strong force on the regional scene but has struggled to join the UFC roster through two prior “Dana White’s Contender Series” appearances. Possibly a win on Sunday will further elevate him in a way past wins haven’t. 23-year-old Kilmer is coming off a pair of victories from 2024, most notably submitting former UFC fighter Josh Quinlan in the first round.
- Justice Torres (10-2) will look to defend his featherweight belt for the first time when he meets Cameron Graves (13-7). Torres went five rounds against former CFFC champ Vilson Ndregjoni in October, putting regional gold around his shoulder via decision. Graves will be looking to regain a belt he held back in 2021 before dropping it to now-UFC talent Fernando Padilla.
- Paris Moran (12-2), a champ who has held a chokehold over the flyweight division in his three most recent appearances, will look to defend his title for the third time when he faces Alden Coria (9-3).
- It’s expected to be a busy 18-fight card from Imagen Studios in Houston, Texas, with the main card starting at 5:30 p.m. ET (4:30 p.m. local time). You can see the full lineup here.
Knockdown News 