Russian spies in UFC gym, Joe Rogan slams Kamala Harris' "Grinch" act, Khabib Nurmagomedov reacts to Azerbaijani plane crash: MMA News Roundup

A UFC fighter accused his next opponent of sending spies to his gym. Elsewhere, Khabib Nurmagomedov penned a heartfelt tribute to the victims of the Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash.

Catch up with today's top combat sports updates with Sportskeeda MMA.

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Chris Curtis accuses next opponent of UFC espionage

Chris Curtis, who is set to fight Roman Kopylov on the UFC Fight Night card on Jan. 11, claimed that the Russian fighter had sent spies to his gym. Curtis trains at Xtreme Couture under Eric Nicksick, alongside Sean Strickland and Francis Ngannou.

Curtis wrote on his Instagram Story:

"Couple weeks ago, 2 Russians show up looking to be part of the team. After 2 weeks they vanish as soon as Kopylov comes to town and are now training together. Scumbag move Kopylov."

UFC fans found the allegation amusing. Some accused Curtis of making excuses, while others sided with the UFC fighter, stating that combat sports espionage is a legitimate problem in open gyms.

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Joe Rogan blasts Kamala Harris' "How dare we speak Merry Christmas?" speech

In December 2017, Kamala Harris delivered a speech against then-President Donald Trump announcing the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that protected illegal migrant kids from deportation. Harris said:

"And when we all sing happy tunes, and sing Merry Christmas, and wish each other Merry Christmas, these children are not going to have a Merry Christmas. How dare we speak Merry Christmas?"

Rogan brought the viral clip up during the Christmas Day episode of his podcast with comic Duncan Trussell as a guest. He hilariously referred to Harris as "Grinch," the green and hairy Dr. Seuss character known for hating Christmas:

"What could be the reason she would say, 'How dare we [speak] Merry Christmas?' Unless you're playing a character... [where] she's like, 'I want to read from my college play, where I was the Grinch.'''

Rogan went on to show a video of the speech to Trussell, who claimed he wasn't aware of the incident. Later, the UFC commentator said:

"Here's why you can't be charitable, because it's just a bad perspective... They're not mutually exclusive. Celebrating joy and happiness and some people suffering - you can't say no one is going to suffer anywhere before I celebrate, because that's crazy. Now you're taking in the entire earth's consciousness and all of its decisions as to whether or not you will or will not be happy."

Watch Joe Rogan and Duncan Trussell's conversation below (0:58):

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Khabib Nurmagomedov reacts to Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash

Azerbaijan Airlines flight J2-8243 crashed on Wednesday, Dec. 25 morning off the eastern coast of the Caspian Sea, killing 38 people on board. The plane caught fire on its way from Azerbaijan's capital Baku to the Chechen capital Grozny and hit the ground about 3 km from the city of Aktau in Kazakhstan. Official reports say there were 32 survivors.

Khabib Nurmagomedov, who hails from Dagestan, penned his heartfelt tribute to the victims and survivors of the crash. The retired UFC star posted a picture of the incident on his Instagram story with a text in Russian. It reads the following, translated:

"Indeed, we belong to Allah, and to Him we shall return! I extend my condolences to the brotherly regions. Patience and strength to the families of those who perished in the Baku-Grozny plane crash. Wishing a speedy recovery to the injured!"

Khabib Nurmagomedov's reaction to Azerbaijan Airlines crash [Image courtesy: @khabib_nurmagomedov via Instagram and Getty Images]

The accident occurred after the plane diverted from its original route due to heavy fog in Grozny, and an emergency landing was requested at Aktau airport.

Fellow Russian UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev also reacted to the tragedy, offering condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased passengers.