Hey everyone. You made it to Friday — awesome job all. In addition to being the end of most of y’all’s work weeks, this is the day when we open up the mailbag and answer some questions form you; the loyal readers of MMA Mania.
As always, we got a lot of great questions this week. A few of those were on the dramatic event we had last week in Shanghai. And a couple more were about the exciting card we’ve got in Paris this weekend. We also got a great prime vs. prime hypothetical to chew on.
Scroll down to check all that out.
ELMONT, NEW YORK – JULY 31: Jake Paul (L) looks on after Usman Nurmagomedov (foreground R) knocked Archie Colgan (not pictured) for the lightweight world title during PFL New York at UBS Arena on July 31, 2026 in Elmont, New York. (Photo by Ishika Samant/Getty Images) Getty Images
Question: Does Usman jumping into the cage to confront Song Yadong potentially affect his odds of being signed to the UFC? (Igl00Man)
Ryan Harkness: The UFC is probably just as excited about taking Usman away from the PFL as it is adding him to their own roster, so we doubt there’ll be a hitch. And as many other fighters have said, having Nurmagomedov as your last name seems to give you certain privileges and leeway. Maybe if Usman had actually caused an international incident by assaulting Song Yadong in the cage, it’d be different. But on the whole I’d bet Hunter Campbell looks at all this as more buzz for their soon-to-be signee.
Thomas Myers: I would say that it probably increases them – UFC is pretty good at capitalizing on momentum, good or bad. Maybe it can try and use it against him at the negotiating table, if anything, but I’d be shocked if Usman is not on UFC’s roster before the end of 2026.
Jesse Holland: A promotion that turns the other cheek for human garbage like Sedrique Dumbass and Hitler homies like Adolf Mitchell are not gonna bat an eyelash at cage jumping. “ThAt’S tHe CoMmIsSiOn’S dEpArTmEnT.”
Alex Behunin: I highly doubt it – the UFC brass doesn’t care about that that much – plus it was in China, so they don’t have to worry about athletic commissions (UFC was the governing body in Shanghai).
Tim Edwards: We are at an all time high for UFC disinterest in fighters’ conduct. So I don’t think this hurts him at all. If anything, the buzz it generated probably makes him even more attractive to the UFC. That being said, though, I think their interest in him is a little over blown. I wouldn’t be surprised if their main goal was to make PFL/MVP overpay for someone.
SHANGHAI, CHINA – AUGUST 29: Song Yadong of China reacts after a knockout victory against Umar Nurmagomedov of Russia in a bantamweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center on August 29, 2026 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Q: Did Song Yadong do enough to secure himself a title shot after knocking out Umar? (Igl00Man)
Ryan Harkness: A lot of times, who gets a title shot depends as much on the schedule as it does who’s actually the No. 1 contender. If the UFC has another card in China coming up and whoever holds the bantamweight belt is ready, I could see the promotion slotting Song Yadong in there without hesitation.
Thomas Myers: No, not at all. He already has decisive losses to Petr Yan and Sean O’Malley. And I’m pretty sure Merab would blank him on the scorecards. It’s pretty obvious to me: Mario Bautista is next. Then see how the Yan / O’Malley / Merab sweepstakes shakes out. I think he’s two more big wins away from a 135-pound title shot.
Jesse Holland: Petr Yan vs. Sean O’Malley 2 or Merab Dvalishvili vs. Mario Bautista is next. Song can have the loser of Yan-Dvalishvili 3.
Alex Behunin: If Merab defeats Petr Yan, I’m pretty confident Song Yadong will get the title shot over Mario Bautista. If Petr wins, Sean O’Malley will get the shot.
Tim: I wish! That win from Song was so much fun and I’d love to see that catapult him into the title picture. However, that loss to O’Malley is really hurting him here. It would be very strange to see him leapfrog Suga to get the next shot (after Merab). However… if somewhere in China has a big enough site fee and that’s the fight they want… maybe it happens?
SHANGHAI, CHINA – AUGUST 29: Bilal Hasan knocks out Nilson Rojas of Peru in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at SPD Bank Oriental Sports Center on August 29, 2026 in Shanghai, China. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Q: Is Bilal Hasan for real? I know, it’s way too early, but he looked amazing, again. right? (LoneCowboy)
Thomas Myers: He looks like a future champion. A little wild, a little overzealous – perhaps some Lone’r Kavanaugh-type vibes, meaning I could see him getting clipped in a wild exchange at some point; however, I think he’s special. I’m buying his stock now before it moons.
Jesse Holland: Too soon. Mridul Saikia lost on Road to UFC before losing to Hasan on Contender Series and Nilson Rojas was making his UFC debut. A couple of great knockouts, but let’s not break out the bubbly just yet.
Alex Behunin: I’m a mega Bilal Hasan fan, which you’ve probably figured out from my writing. He’s the entire package – speaks well, fights great, has a great personality and has a whole country behind him. It’s a little early to talk about title talk or even Top 5 opponents. I would like the UFC to slow roll him until mid-2027 or even early 2028 and then let him roll.
Andrew Richardson: Hasan definitely has the potential to grow into a title contender. Beyond that, however, capturing the title is a matter of circumstance and matchups unless you’re a Khabib or Jon Jones, and I wouldn’t go quite that far regarding Hasan. He’s legit though!
Tim Edwards: Hasan looks incredible. However, I’m wondering if this might be a case of just the baseline talent level at Flyweight being higher than any other division. The division is so stacked and guys come in already looking like superstars. Lone’er Kavanagh, Ramazan Temirov are too recent examples. Because of this, though, there are lots of tough fights out there waiting for Hasan. So we’ll see if he’s the real deal (a champion level Flyweight instead of just a super awesome technical and talented run-of-the-mill Flyweight) soon.
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA – MAY 16: Salahdine Parnasse celebrates after defeating Kenneth Cross by knockout in their lightweight bout during the main card of Netflix’s Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano at Intuit Dome on May 16, 2026 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images for Netflix) Getty Images for Netflix
What about Salahdine Parnasse, is he for real?
Q: If Parnasse’s name and KSW resume were removed and you only watched the tape, would you still make him a clear favorite over Dan Hooker? Or has the market gone too far pricing the shiny new toy? (TheMadAlchemist)
Thomas Myers: Odds might deserve to be tighter, but I think they got this one right – Hooker was hand-picked to give Parnasse an exciting, tough fight that launches him into the Top 10. I think it happens and Andrew Richardson will write an incredible Parnasse-themed “Morning After” about UFC’s shiny new, exciting toy.
Jesse Holland: I guess the bookies didn’t learn anything from Bella Mir because -600 is crazy and suddenly everyone is acting like KSW is 2006 PRIDE. Parnassemade a name for himself by beating up bums like Hyram Rodriguez, who has 44 career losses (not a typo).
Alex Behunin: Saladine Paranasse is that guy – whether he fought for KSW or not
Andrew Richardson: The odds are over the top. Hooker is legitimate, and Parnasse relies heavily on physicality to win fights — which tends to work less often in the UFC Top 15, where everybody is a serious physical force.
Tim Edwards: Oh yeah, dude is for real. He’s going to look superb in this Dan Hooker fight. He’s been winning for a long time. That’s hard in itself. But his competitive has not been terrible. And he passes the eye test with flying colours. He’s extremely athletic and his hand speed is incredible. He also throws amazing high kicks with zero telegraphing. He’s going to catch some bodies in the Octagon and that might start as soon as Saturday.
Mariusz Pudzianowski attends the KSW 51 Media Day in Warsaw, Poland, on November 4, 2019. KSW 51 (MMA fights) which will take place in Zagreb, Croatia on 9th November. (Photo by Foto Olimpik/NurPhoto via Getty Images) NurPhoto via Getty Images
Q: How would you rate KSW vs. piffletor? as a building ground for UFC fighters? (LoneCowboy)
Jesse Holland: I like KSW better as the Polish PRIDE where inflated goons like Mariusz Puzianowski and Eddie Hall punch each other until their hearts explode. I don’t think UFC makes a concerted effort to recruit international talent outside of its usual hot spots like Australia, London, and Abu Dhabi.
Alex Behunin: KSW is a great spot because book hard matchups. Obviously something is wrong with PFL/Bellator fighters coming over. But idk what that is.
Andrew Richardson: I wish KSW was streaming on ESPN+. They put on fun shows and certainly build up talented prospects. I always have a little more faith in fighters who crossover from KSW to find success in the UFC — it’s not an easy path up the ranks (unless your Pudz, as JH mentioned).
Tim Edwards: KSW is a legit proving ground for fighters. A big reasons for that is that they have a big roster full of talent and they put on massive shows in Poland. Iron sharpens iron out there and the fighters who rise to the top, among all the tough match-ups and high pressure/exposure fights, have to be very good. KSW has given us Dricus du Plessis, Jan Blachowicz and Mateusz Gamrot. And had Mamed Khalidov came over in his prime, he would have done pretty well, too. If Roberto Soldic came over today he would also do very well. While we’re talking KSW, I also want to point out that Phil De Fries has defended the Heavyweight title over there 14 times! There’s plenty of UFC Heavyweights he would stop.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 11: Gable Steveson reacts to his win in a heavyweight fight during the UFC 329 event at T-Mobile Arena on July 11, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
Q: Which currently unranked fighter is capable of fighting for the title before Dec 31 2027? If you could only give ONE name in any division with full confidence. (Casual_Monk)
Thomas Myers: Salahdine Parnasse. But, he won’t because Lightweight is loaded.
Jesse Holland: Gable Steveson. The heavyweight division is so thin you can floss with it and he only needs two or three big wins – and he’s very active.
Alex Behunin: Gable Steveson is probably the right answer but I’ll throw out Ateba Gautier just because the UFC is behind him.
Andrew Richardson: These guys picked the obvious ones, so I’ll stay as the lone man on the Fares Ziam hype train. He’s unranked again!
Tim Edwards: Gable and Parnasse are very good, and likely, picks. There’s also Kai Asakura, who looks like he could go on a run at Bantamweight. It’s hard to pick someone with ‘full confidence’, but I’ll pick Shanelle Dyer at Strawweight. She’s got Joanna Jędrzejczyk vibes.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – NOVEMBER 15: Valentina Shevchenko of Kyrgyzstan enters the Octagon in the UFC flyweight championship fight during the UFC 322 event at Madison Square Garden on November 15, 2025 in New York City. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
What’s The Opposite of Stacked?
Q: Who the heck is headlining UFC 332? (Shankalanka)
Thomas Myers: It’s going to be a bad interim title fight. Like, really bad.
Jesse Holland: It sucks for the fans who patiently wait for UFC to come to Salt Lake City because they are getting a watered down product. For the rest of us, who cares? Now that we don’t have to pay for numbered events, they’ve become just another weekend of fights.
Ryan Harkness: Right now it’s still TBD vs. TBD which is insane considering the card is just over 30 days away. Two months is considered short notice for top athletes competing in main events, and we’ve blown past that. The behind-the-scenes rumor mill points to a failed attempt to put together a somewhat compelling interim light heavyweight title fight for the well-paying Utah tourism boards. If Valentina Shevchenko vs. Natalia Silva for the women’s flyweight title becomes the main, you’ll know UFC matchmakers botched things up good.
Alex Behunin: It will be announced very soon … and it’s awful.
Andrew Richardson: It’s a real joke.
Tim Edwards: Not Valentina Shevchenko.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MARCH 14: Kevin Vallejos of Argentina reacts after a knockout victory against Josh Emmett in a featherweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at Meta APEX on March 14, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Q: Which division do you think currently has the best group of up and coming prospects, male or female? (Neiljohnson37)
Thomas Myers: Featherweight feels like so much fun right now – great fights, dynamic prospects and a lot of young, promising talent (Zalal, Vallejos, Pico, Delgado, etc.).
Alex Behunin: Flyweight, Featherweight, and Welterweight are on fire right now, with a ton of young, fun prospects
Andrew Richardson: Flyweight has seen a ton of young talent rise quickly, and that trend doesn’t appear to be slowing.
Tim Edwards: Flyweight is incredibly stacked. Every week we see someone else pop up who seems like they belong in the top five. This week it was Bilal Hasan and Rei Tsuruya.
HOUSTON, TEXAS – OCTOBER 19: Cain Velasquez (black shorts) celebrates after defeating Junior Dos Santos by TKO after referee Herb Dean calls a stop to the fight in their UFC heavyweight championship bout at the Toyota Center on October 19, 2013 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Nick Laham/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Q: Prime Cain Velasquez vs prime Fedor, who wins and how? How would Cain have done had he competed in Pride? (The Newfie)
Jesse Holland: Cain’s performance against Cheick Kongo tells me everything I need to know about that matchup, though I also confess to being a Fedor fanboy. I think Emelianenko’s Sambo was good enough to neutralize the wrestling and I’m not sure Velasquez could have survived the right hand (like the one that planted him at UFC on FOX 1).
Andrew Richardson: Prime Velasquez is nearly a myth in that he almost never actually fought. Still, the man who marauded “Bigfoot” is a tough matchup for anybody, including Prime Fedor … even if I still favor the legendary Russian to survive some adversity and land that overhand missile. As for Cain in PRIDE? Every chance he picks up a title at some point.
Tim Edwards: I’m not picking anyone over prime Fedor.
GLENDALE, CA – October 17: UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey works on the speed bag as coach Edmond Tarverdyan watches at the Glendale Fighting Club in Glendale,CA, Friday, October 17, 2015. Rousey will face Holly Holm during UFC 193, November 15, 2015 at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht/MediaNews Group/Los Angeles Daily News via Getty Images) MediaNews Group via Getty Images
Q: How would Yoel Romero do today at LHW in the UFC? And as a related follow-up, how high can former MW foes Whittaker and Costa ascend in the LHW rankings (up to and including a title)?(Ryan Hall v. Khabib)
Andrew Richardson: Yoel Romero was a little small at Light Heavyweight, so he probably gets outworked by the best of the best. I still would expect him to be in the Top Five though! At this stage of the game, I like Costa’s chances to climb the ladder better than Whittaker. I think he has a slim, outside shot at capturing gold.
Alex Behunin: I would assume Yoel would do just as well as Paulo will do at LHW. Beat some good guys, lose to the elite of the division.
Rob will beat lower-tier guys but struggle with the gigantic Light Heavyweights.
Jesse Holland: Yoel Romero would do very poorly at light heavyweight because he doesn’t throw punches, or anything else for that matter. At some point you can’t just stand there looking scary and expect your opponents to fold. I also think Robert Whittaker and Paulo Costa will hit their ceiling when they get into the Top 5.
Thomas Myers: Can UFC just book him against Paulo Costa once per-year? I think that should just be a thing.
Q: Given that LHW is pretty awful right now, how high is the ceiling for Whittaker? (cavemanoncomputer)
Andrew Richardson: I think Whittaker could beat Khalil or Blachowicz on his best night but would struggle with Ankalaev, Jiri, and Ulberg.
Jesse Holland: I’m not sure his trajectory looks any different than it did at middleweight. I think beats the crap out of the fighters ranked from 5-15, loses to everyone seated at 1-4 (as well as the champion).
Thomas Myers: He would need to seriously add about 10 pounds of muscle, probably more, if he wanted to really compete with the top of the division at 205. I don’t see him doing that at this stage of his career. RDR is a really large Middleweight and I remember Rob looked so small despite winning. I can’t imagine him going up against someone like Alex Pereira and thinking he has a legitimate chance to win. Whittaker vs. Rountree sounds like a great match up … would love to see that.
Ryan Harkness: Bobby Knuckles can give anyone a fight, but I’m not expecting anything but a good time out of his LHW run. Let’s hope UFC matchmakers book it accordingly.
Alex Behunin: I completely agree with Andrew
Anton Tabuena: Light heavyweight sucks, and he can climb the ladder with proper matchmaking. He’d beat most lower ranked guys, and maybe a Jiri fight could be chaotic and entertaining, but Ankalaev and Pereira might be too big for him. I think Whittaker has a better shot at beating Strickland, so he should probably try getting a middleweight title fight instead.
Q: Name one guy who can be a UFC champion right now but that the UFC is shelving or slow-playing and will possibly miss their window because of it (don’t say Arman—someone else) (Ryan Hall v. Khabib)
Andrew Richardson: Manel Kape could’ve been champion if he were fighting Joshua Van instead of Tatsuro Taira a few months ago.
Alex Behunin: Manel Kape is a good shout by Andrew. I’ll add Movsar Evloev – the guy is really good and has been putting on fun fights the last few outings even though they are grapple heavy.
I think Gable could be champion within 18 months, but it feels like they are going to slow roll him.
Jesse Holland: Movsar Evloev. But nobody except Movsar wants to see him as champion because he’s so boring. Dominant, no question, but boring – and this is show biz.