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Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda's daily MMA News Roundup, where we present the biggest UFC updates and other stories from the world of mixed martial arts.
In the latest edition, we talk about veteran UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov's take on Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev, fans criticizing "company man" Michael Bisping for justifying a lopsided matchup, and more.
#3. Brendan Schaub thinks company trying to make Sean O'Malley the "new face of the UFC"
Sean O'Malley is receiving a huge step up in competition as he's set to take on former bantamweight champion Petr Yan at UFC 280.
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According to former UFC heavyweight Brendan Schaub, the decision to strap a rocket on O'Malley's back was done to fast-track his ascent to superstardom.
During an episode of The Schaub Show, the fighter-turned-comedian stated:
"He's such a massive star and he's also a guy who makes a lot of money outside the octagon. He's also a guy they have brought up slow. But at some point, let's see what we got. I kind of agree with them on this one. Can we put the company's brand and the name behind him and make him the face of the UFC as other guys are retiring?"
Catch the full podcast episode below:
#2. Fans criticize "company man" Michael Bisping for justifying Nate Diaz vs. Khamzat Chimaev
If betting odds are to be believed, Nate Diaz doesn't stand a good chance of offering Khamzat Chimaev a competitive fight. That's because Diaz, 37, is widely thought to be well past his prime and has shown signs of decline during his past few fights.
The veteran being paired up against fast-rising contender Chimaev has led fans and pundits to believe that the promotion has malicious intentions behind the booking. However, former middleweight champion Michael Bisping pushed back on the criticism, saying that Diaz will benefit from the fight.
Unfortunately for 'The Count', fans weren't buying his justification. Check out the best comments from social media below:
#1. Khabib Nurmagomedov explains why Charles Oliveira was avoiding Islam Makhachev fight in Abu Dhabi
Former lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov is convinced that Charles Oliveira originally didn't want to face Islam Makhachev in Abu Dhabi. According to 'The Eagle', Oliveira is aware that Abu Dhabi is home turf to the Dagestani and Russian fighters on the promotion's roster.
As such, the capital of the United Arab Emirates is expected to be hostile territory for Brazil's former titleholder. Khabib recently said in an interview with Mike Finch:
"We don't choose location. UFC send us location, we fly. Doesn't matter. They tell us, 'Okay, go to Brazil,' we gonna go Brazil, no problem. But Abu Dhabi, it's like, it's our territory brother. I think he understand this and he try to little bit, like, avoid, you know? But now, it is what it is."
Catch the full interview below:
Oliveira will take on Makhachev in the main event of UFC 280, which will take place in Abu Dhabi on October 22. The competitors will fight for the vacant lightweight title, which was taken away from Oliveira due to a botched weight cut in May.
