MMA today, Wednesday, September 9: 19 stories from around the leagues
19 stories from ONE Championship and UFC and the fight-media channels in the last day — each summarised in our own words and linked to its source. Anything this site has already covered in the past week is left out rather than repeated.
ONE Championship
'Everyone Wants Me To Win' – The Incredible Collective Effort Behind Yod-IQ’s Monumental ONE World Title Bid
On Friday, September 11, 2026, 24-year-old Yod-IQ Or Pimolsri will challenge reigning champion Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon for the ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Title. Riding a 10-fight winning streak, Yod-IQ will face Rambolek in the main event of The Inner Circle 30 at Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium. To prepare for the matchup, Yod-IQ trained with Ajarn Chanwit and Trainer Somwang, while receiving tactical advice from Sia Khaek, Tawanchai PK Saenchai, and Prajanchai Pongsuphan PK. His parents also supported his career early on by driving him 30 to 40 kilometers round-trip daily for training and pushing him to join the PK Saenchai Muaythaigym. — Full story: ONEFC.com
'I'm Going All Out' – Rambolek Promises Statement Victory In First World Title Defense At The Inner Circle 30
On September 11, ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Champion Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon will make his first title defense against Yod-IQ Or Pimolsri. The championship bout will serve as the main event of The Inner Circle 30, streaming live from Bangkok's Lumpinee Stadium. Rambolek won the vacant divisional belt in March at The Inner Circle 7 by defeating Nabil Anane via a five-round unanimous decision. The 23-year-old champion holds a professional striking record of 68-14, while his 24-year-old challenger enters the matchup with a 127-36 record. — Full story: ONEFC.com
3 Bouts That Could Steal The Show At ONE SAMURAI 3
ONE Championship will host the ONE SAMURAI 3 event on Saturday, September 12, streaming live from Yokohama Buntai in Japan. The card features a flyweight Muay Thai bout between Shimon Yoshinari, who holds five wins and one no contest in ONE, and Suablack Tor Pran49, who recently secured a second-round elbow knockout. Additionally, Japanese kickboxers Hyu and Hyuma Hitachi will face off in a flyweight kickboxing match. The event also includes an atomweight Muay Thai clash between Ryuya Okuwaki, who has three consecutive wins in the promotion, and Chokdee Maxjandee. — Full story: ONEFC.com
'My Hands Are Second To None' – Sangarthit Prepares For Epic Muay Thai Return At The Inner Circle 30
Sangarthit Looksaikongdin will make his return to Muay Thai against Logan Chan in a bantamweight bout at The Inner Circle 30. The event takes place on Friday, September 11, at Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok. The 22-year-old Sangarthit previously compiled a 19-0 professional boxing record and a 3-1 kickboxing record in ONE Championship. His opponent, Chan, holds a 3-1 record in the promotion, with all three of his victories coming by knockout in the first two rounds. — Full story: ONEFC.com
'I Want To Close The Show In Style' – Nadaka Ready To Give Yokohama A Night To Remember At ONE SAMURAI 3
ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka will make his promotional kickboxing debut against Har Ling Om at ONE SAMURAI 3. The bout will serve as the main event at the Yokohama Buntai in Yokohama, Japan, on Saturday, September 12. Nadaka enters the matchup with a 5-0 promotional record and an overall career record of 67-6. His opponent, Har Ling Om, has a background in bare-knuckle Lethwei and is also making his foray into kickboxing. — Full story: ONEFC.com
5 Electrifying Reasons To Watch ONE SAMURAI 3 On September 12
The ONE SAMURAI 3 event takes place on Saturday, September 12, at the Yokohama Buntai in Japan. In the headlining bout, ONE Atomweight Muay Thai World Champion Nadaka Yoshinari makes his promotional kickboxing debut against Myanmar's Har Ling Om. The co-main event features a flyweight MMA match between former champion Yuya Wakamatsu and Willie van Rooyen. Additionally, the card features a flyweight kickboxing matchup between Shimon Yoshinari and Suablack Tor Pran49, as well as the promotional debut of Pancrase Strawweight Champion Yuta Miyazawa against Hiroba Minowa. — Full story: ONEFC.com
UFC
Week 5 Results + Scorecards | Dana White's Contender Series, Season 10
Dana White's Contender Series Season 10, Week 5 took place on September 8, 2026, at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Four of the night's five winners—Christian Natividad, Martin Kozak, Isaac Moreno, and Quentin Pasley—earned UFC contracts from Dana White. In the featured bout, Quentin Pasley defeated Arlind Berisha via knockout at 4:41 of the first round using two massive elbows. Additionally, Isaac Moreno secured a unanimous decision victory over Reginaldo Junior with three identical scorecards of 29-28. — Full story: UFC.com
Jean Silva | Living In His Own Madness
Brazilian featherweight Jean Silva is scheduled to face Jose Miguel Delgado in the main event of Noche UFC in Glendale, Arizona. Delgado stepped in on four weeks' notice after Silva's original opponent, former interim champion Yair Rodriguez, withdrew due to an injury. Currently ranked sixth in the featherweight division, Silva has earned six wins and five finishes across his first seven UFC appearances. With a victory this weekend, Silva aims to secure a championship opportunity against the winner of the UFC 333 title fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Movsar Evloev. — Full story: UFC.com
Jose Miguel Delgado | Everything Has Built To This Moment
Jose Miguel Delgado stepped in on short notice to face Jean Silva in the main event of Noche UFC at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Delgado earned his second victory of the year in July with a dominant performance against Austin Bashi in Oklahoma City. His opponent, the 29-year-old Brazilian fighter Jean Silva, holds a 6-1 record in his first seven UFC appearances. Delgado, who trains at the MMA Lab in Glendale, expressed great excitement for the matchup and stated his intention to knock out Silva. — Full story: UFC.com
Alexa Grasso | Back at Noche UFC, Back on the Hunt for Gold
Former champion Alexa Grasso will face Manon Fiorot in a flyweight bout on the main card of Noche UFC this Saturday at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Grasso enters the matchup following a first-round finish of Maycee Barber in Seattle, which snapped a three-fight winless streak. The upcoming fight has gained significance after Valentina Shevchenko relinquished the flyweight title due to injury, leaving Natalia Silva and Wang Cong to fight for the vacant belt at UFC 332. This weekend's event marks the fourth Noche UFC, with Mexican athletes making up more than half of the scheduled matchups. — Full story: UFC.com
Fighters on the Rise | Noche UFC
The undefeated Tommy McMillen is scheduled to fight Marwan Rahiki at Noche UFC on Saturday. The 28-year-old McMillen holds an 11-0 record and has earned back-to-back stoppage victories in the UFC, including a third-round finish of Alberto Montes in July. His opponent, the 24-year-old Rahiki, is 9-0 and also holds a 2-0 record in the UFC after defeating Ollie Schmid in May. Additionally, 26-year-old Chinese lightweight Rongzhu will face Rafa Garcia at the event, entering the matchup on a three-fight winning streak. — Full story: UFC.com
From the fight media
Murtazali Magomedov · Jose Delano
Murtazali Magomedov and Jose Delano are scheduled to fight on November 8 at UFC Vegas 124. Both fighters currently hold a 1-0 record in the UFC. This matchup was reported by Alex Behunin of MMA Mania. — Source: Вестник MMA (@vestnik_mma)
Lee Morrison
Khaseyn Shaikhaev is scheduled to fight Lee Morrison at a Fusion Fight League event in Billings on September 26. Shaikhaev and his twin brother, Khuseyn Shaikhaev, left the ACA promotion several years ago to pursue careers in the American MMA market, where they have each fought only twice in nearly five years. This upcoming bout against the 41-year-old M-1 veteran Morrison will be Khaseyn's third fight since moving to the United States. — Source: Вестник MMA (@vestnik_mma)
Sean Sharaf
UFC fighter Sean Sharaf asked Floyd Mayweather to say "Free Palestine" and express support for his people. Mayweather avoided the question by asking "Who?" and then wishing Sharaf luck in everything he does. Sharaf identified himself as Palestinian during the interaction. — Source: Панчер (@puncher_sports)
Ian Machado Garry · Michael Morales
Ian Machado Garry stated that Michael Morales is the only fight that makes sense for him right now. He believes that defeating Morales will make him the only fighter who deserves a title shot. Garry plans to finish Morales and secure his path to a championship fight. — Source: Панчер (@puncher_sports)
Salahdine Parnasse · Dan Hooker · Mario Pinto
Following his debut at UFC Paris, Salahdine Parnasse has entered the lightweight division rankings at number nine. Additionally, Dan Hooker dropped three spots to number 13 in the lightweight rankings, while Shara Bullet re-entered the middleweight rankings in the top 15. In the heavyweight division, Mario Pinto has entered the rankings at number 14. — Source: KALUGIN MMA (@kaluginboy)
Merab Dvalishvili · Petr Yan
Merab Dvalishvili is confident in his superiority over Petr Yan. The Georgian fighter claims that he took a risk by accepting a trilogy fight on short notice with only two months to prepare. He promises to correct the situation in their third matchup. — Source: Панчер (@puncher_sports)
Leon Shahbazyan · Edmen Shahbazyan · Levan Chokheli
Leon Shahbazyan will face Nico Price at UFC Vegas 122 on October 10. Shahbazyan, the brother of Edmen Shahbazyan, lost his UFC debut by first-round knockout to Levan Chokheli this summer. Price enters the bout on a four-fight losing streak and has a 2-7-1 record in his last ten fights. — Source: KALUGIN MMA (@kaluginboy)
Rafael Fiziev · Mario Pinto
The updated rankings following UFC Paris have been released by journalists. In the lightweight division, Rafael Fiziev rose two spots, while Shara Bullet returned to the top 15 and Abusupiyan Magomedov climbed two positions in the middleweight division. Additionally, Saladin Parnasse entered the top 10 after defeating Hooker, and Mario Pinto entered the top 15 in the heavyweight division. — Source: Вестник MMA (@vestnik_mma)
This digest is compiled once a day from the official feeds of the promotions this site covers and from public fight-media channels, whose Russian-language reporting is translated and summarised here in our own words. On days those sources carry nothing new, no digest appears.
