Exclusive: Saidyokub Kakhramonov accuses former management of monopolizing UFC opportunities

Saidyokub Kakhramonov will return to the octagon to face surging contender Said Nurmagomedov this weekend at UFC Fight Night: Cannonier vs. Strickland. Kakhramonov recently hit out at his former management for monopolizing UFC opportunities.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with James Lynch of Sportskeeda MMA, Saidyokub Kakhramonov opened up about how big management firms often turn down potentially dangerous matchups:

"I just think [that] when you're with a pack, when you're managed by the guy who has over a hundred people in the UFC, and most of them are bantamweights... I always got [a reply] like, 'Oh, they don't want to fight you, they don't want this."

He added:

"I think I had like 2-3 fight offers [and] I accepted all of them... But they just never happened. It's just weird stuff. I look at it like they're turning this sh*t into a monopoly. If they like you, they will give you a fight. If they don't, you've got to wait on the sidelines."

Catch Kakhramonov's exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA below:

This isn't the first time Saidyokub Kakhramonov has discussed the negative influence of managers.

In an earlier interview with The AllStar, Kahkhramanov shed light on how his former management company has been hampering his relationship with the UFC top-brass. The bantamweight contender apparently urged matchmaker Sean Shelby to have dinner with him for a face-to-face conversation.

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Saidyokub Kakhramonov weighs in on the UFC-James Krause situation

In the same exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Saidyokub Kakhramonov offered his stance on the ongoing UFC betting scandal with former MMA fighter-turned-coach James Krause at the helm of it.

The investigations into Krause were prompted by suspicious betting on a UFC bout between his fighters Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke on November 5. While Minner lost by TKO in the first round, multiple sportsbooks reported unusual wagering activity on Nuerdanbieke to win by first-round knockout, and for the fight to end in less than three rounds.

With several provinces ordering their licensed operators to cease offering betting on the UFC, the promotion announced that Krause's license has been suspended by the Nevada Athletic Commission.

Addressing the situation in his exclusive interview with Sportskeeda MMA, Saidyokub Kakhramonov said:

"I think there is nothing wrong with betting on yourself. I bet on myself in the first fight and second fight... But I will never bet against myself. That's where you land in trouble. I think you should still bet on yourself because why not bet on yourself?"

Kakhramonov added that he believes that the UFC has done a splendid job of tackling the situation.