Askhabov (23-1), who suffered the first defeat of his career against Jamall Emmers in February of 2023, has been handed a two-year ban by Combat Sports Anti-Doping (CSAD) after testing positive for Methandienone (aka Dianabol or D-Bol) metabolites following a drug test administered on February 6, 2024.

CSAD has replaced USADA in overseeing the UFC’s anti-doping program, with sample collection carried out by Drug Free Sport.

D-Bol, as it is commonly known, is an anabolic steroid banned at all times from competition.

Askhabov’s suspension is dated to February 8, 2024, the date he was notified of his positive test. He did not have a fight booked.

The Russian, who started his career a perfect 23-0, has had three fights fall through since the Emmers loss. The includes an October bout that saw him yanked from a fight with Daniel Pineda after Askhabov was arrested for armed robbery in Thailand. The fighter was later released, and charges against him and his brother dropped.

Coupled with this latest development, however, Khusein Askhabov is likely on thin ice with the promotion. And he will not be eligible to fight again until 2026, which combined with his current layoff will make three years on the sidelines.

The post Khusein Askhabov Saddled with Two Year Ban Following Doping Violation appeared first on Cageside Press.

The Russian fighter, who previously trained with Tiger Muay Thai in Thailand, has been hit with some serious charges based on a robbery carried out against an Italian man who was kidnapped, bound and gagged, and robbed of numerous valuables including a Rolex watch, Macbook, and iPhone 14. 40,000 euros in cash was also pilfered, along with the victim’s debit card, through which additional funds were illicitly obtained.

Askhabov is not believed to have personally taken part in the robbery, per a report by The Phuket News, but was rather involved in orchestrating the attack, carried out by three Kazakh men. Askhabov’s twin brother Khasan was also arrested following an investigation.

That report does not paint a pretty picture for Askhabov, who has been charged with offences relating to “the act of robbery done with cruelty to the extent that others receive it and endangering the body or mind through torture.”

In a statement released to media, UFC officials wrote that “UFC is aware of the recent arrest and allegations regarding Khusein Askhabov,” adding that “The organization will continue to gather additional details regarding the incident. UFC will allow the legal process to play out before making any additional statements, however, his scheduled fight on Oct. 7 has been canceled.”

Askhabov is 0-1 in the promotion, falling to Jamall Emmers in his debut earlier this year. The loss was the first of the Russian fighter’s career, following a 23-fight win streak dating back to 2012.

Luckily, with the event, headlined by Bobby Green and Grant Dawson, several weeks away, the prospects of finding a replacement opponent for Pineda are high. It may be a long while before Askhabov is able to fight again— if ever, based on the charges before him.

The post Khusein Askhabov Yanked From UFC Fight After Arrest in Thailand appeared first on Cageside Press.

Askhabov, a perfect 23-0 to start the night, had an eye-popping record, but had not competed for the better part of three years prior to the fight, with his debut delayed on multiple occasions.

Emmers himself was returning from an extended layoff as well. His last fight had been a 2021 loss to Pat Sabatini.

Jamall Emmers started off the fight with a couple of right hands and leg kicks. Askhabov changed it up by going for a takedown. He pressed Emmers against the cage but kneed Emmers in the groin causing the separation. After a brief pause and warning by the ref, they both traded a series of leg kicks. Askhabov was landing with a lot of impact and Emmers was throwing a lot of different kicks. A few times Askhabov was kicking the lead leg of Emmers buckling him. Askhabov threw a lot of kicks but did whiff on a big wheel kick. The round ended following a competitive five minutes.

Askhabov started round two with a takedown but Emmers easily stuffed it. Like in round one both guys kept clashing in the pocket but neither were landing anything significant.  When one landed clean the other was getting it right back. Emmers was doing a better job mixing in some strikes strikes to the body. Askhabov attempted another failed spinning attack and Emmers dropped him with a right. Emmers let Askhabov off the hook never jumping on top. Instead, he chopped at the legs of Askhabov. In the final thirty seconds of the round Askhabov was visibly tired. Emmers ended round two with a body kick.

In the final frame, it was another stuffed takedown from Emmers. Askhabov was tired and off another takedown Emmers just threw him to his back. Emmers got on top; he quickly moved to mount. He was too high and Askhabov shook him off but Emmers did regain the top position. Askhabov was scrambling but Emmers was a step ahead and would move to the mount. Emmers switched to the back and mount but let Askhabov scramble again back to his feet. Askhabov shot in for a lazy takedown and Emmers easily threw him off and got on top. Emmers ended the fight in the mount by going for the armbar at the bell.

No surprises on the scorecards, with Jamall Emmers serving up the first loss of Khusein Askhabov’s career.

Official Result: Jamall Emmers def. Khusein Askhabov by unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)

The post UFC Vegas 69: Jamall Emmers Drops Khusein Askhabov’s Record to 23-1 appeared first on Cageside Press.

Khusein “Nohcho” Askhabov
Standing at five-foot-eight
Fighting at 135 lbs (bantamweight)
28-years-old
Fighting out of Grozny, Russia
Training out of Tiger Muay Thai
A pro record of 23-0
6 KO/TKOs, 10 Submissions

How will Askhabov fare in the UFC:

It’s nice to see Askhabov finally making his UFC debut. He was signed to the UFC in late 2021 and had two cancelled fights that never got him in the cage.

There are some questions about the legitimacy of his record. However, it’s not as bad as people think. When he was 13-0 he lacked quality wins. In his last ten fights, he didn’t fight a single opponent with a losing record. No matter what anyone says, 23-0 is an impressive record.

Starting off, Askhabov is comfortable everywhere. There isn’t one area in the fight where he is completely a fish out of water. On the feet Askhabov is volume-based and very explosive. He could be much cleaner in his technique but you will see why he’s capable of some highlight-reel knockouts. Askhabov will throw a leg kick to a three-punch combination with his hands. He does a great job at mixing in his kicks and punches. I will highlight the way he throws his flying knee. He’ll come forward flash the knee and then come up with the other knee. It’s very well done.

Askhabov is an even better wrestler. He has a good whizzer, strong hips, can chain-wrestle, and has strong fundamental wrestling skills. Askhabov has good timing in his takedown entries and can make quick adjustments to get the fight down. I don’t have a problem at all with his wrestling. His grappling has looked good as well. Askhabov does have ten wins by submission which shows his grappling is credible. I will say he can be submission over position a lot but he is comfortable no matter where he’s at on the mat. He’s got a diverse submission attack being able to attack all limbs and the neck. I don’t like how often he goes to the heel hook because that’s a 40/60 position. On the mat overall I like what he does but there will be times he is over-aggressive and lets guys take his back.

I don’t think Askhabov is a fraud as some have suggested, but I do think his record may look better than it is. I don’t think anyone knows for sure how good Askhabov is. Once he has to dig deep and has to be more defensive than usual he’s going to prove where his level is. As of now, I don’t see him as a ranked fighter. Bantamweight is stacked so even at the bottom of the division he’s going to be tested.

How Askhabov and Emmers match up:

Jamall Emmers hasn’t had a good UFC run thus far. He’s 1-2 and has only fought three times in three years. His two losses are to Pat Sabatini and Giga Chikadze so no shame there. Emmers is a very technical striker that always throws one-two’s as the power isn’t there but the combinations and aggressiveness shine. Emmers’ wrestling is solid, his shots are perfectly-timed and solid execution is done very well.

Emmers is a tough fight for anyone debuting. People may forget that Emmers arguably beat Chikadze and dropped Sabatini leading up to him getting caught in a sub. If Askhabov is legit he wins this fight. I think Emmers is underrated and is more proven compared to Askhabov. Askhabov also hasn’t fought in three years so the pick in Emmers.

The post Welcome to the UFC: Khusein Askhabov appeared first on Cageside Press.

We’ve got ten names the UFC could add on to 135lbs all lined up. But first, here’s a look at last year’s list, featuring the only current UFC roster member, Timur Valiev, signing with the UFC in 2020. Jamie Siraj unfortunately retired recently due to health issues, while Magomed Magomedov was one of Bellator’s biggest signings last year.

Daniel Marcos
Francesco Nuzzi
Jack Cartwright
Jamie Siraj
Jose Johnson
Khusein Askhabov
Magomed Magomedov
Rustam Kerimov
Stephen Loman
Timur Valiev

Now on to this year’s list!

The post 10 Bantamweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2021 appeared first on Cageside Press.

In this feature, we take six journalists including our own Shawn Bitter, plus four hardcore MMA fans/Podcasters to get their take on who the UFC should sign by year’s end. So far this year, the UFC has signed major prospects like Jiri Prochazka, Shavkat Rakhmonov, Roman Bogatov, Umar Nurmagomedov, Jai Herbert, Manel Kape, Modestas Bukauskas, Nate Landwehr and more. Here, each member of our panel will give their picks on who they think the UFC should sign by the end of 2020.

The Journalists

Shawn Bitter

Middleweight, Roberto Soldic (17-3): Soldic has beaten some stiff competition in his career including Lewis Long (16-5), Borys Mańkowski (19-7-1), and Dricus Du Plessis (12-2), winning five titles including the KSW middleweight title. Soldic is easily one of the best welterweights on the global scene and the UFC would be very wise to try and pry him from KSW. Soldic is always coming forward and always looking for the finish in a controlled chaos manner. KSW has had talent that went to the UFC like Jan Błachowicz, Karolina Kowalkiewicz, Aleksei Oleinik, and others.

Featherweight, Igeu Kabesa (12-1): Kabesa’s only loss is to UFC fighter Danny Henry, which was a rematch of their first meeting, which Kabesa won. Of the two, Kabesa has a much higher ceiling. “Smiley” is one of the two best prospects out of South Africa along with Demarte Pena. He is the current EFC Worldwide featherweight champion and on a four-fight win streak. Kabesa is a very decorated wrestler being a 10-time Wrestling Nationals Champion. He is young and solid everywhere. Kabesa has amazing wrestling and grappling, he can move well on the mat and can reach mount fairly easy. His striking is good too, moving in-and-out with explosive punches quickly and his slips and counters are solid.

Featherweight, Joanderson Brito (11-2-1): Brito has been on a roll since his last loss in 2015, going 10-0-1 in his last eleven fights. He’s fought for the likes of Future FC and Thunder Fight which are two top promotions out of Brazil. He’s also the former Fusion FC champ, a promotion based in Peru. In his most recent fight, he made his U.S. debut for LFA and beat a top prospect in Jose Mariscal. Brito is a bull walking his foes down and throwing huge looping hooks with big power. He’s a power striker on the feet but has some good wrestling and better top position to fall back on. He’s arguably the best prospect right now out of Brazil.

Featherweight, Salahdine Parnasse (14-0-1): Parnasse in my opinion is the best prospect worldwide. Parnasse didn’t really become noticeable until he signed with one of the biggest European organizations in KSW in late 2017.  In April of last year, Parnasse beat Roman Szymański to become the interim KSW featherweight champion. Last December he beat the well-known Ivan Buchinger to retain his interim title. Parnasse would prefer to keep the fight on the feet where he can use his effective movement and a good kickboxing base. This would be one of the biggest if not the biggest signing if somehow the UFC could snatch him up.

Strawweight, Melissa Martinez (7-0): Martinez is currently signed with Combate Americas and is their current 115-pound champion. Recently, Combate champion Gustavo Lopez was able to be released from his contract. Rafa Garcia who is also a champion there has vacated his contract to sign to another promotion. So there is hope for the UFC picking up Martinez. “Super Melly” has the ability to break an opponent down with her chopping leg kicks. She also displays a quick release with her dangerous head kick that she has won a couple of times with. She looks really promising at such a young age and so early in her career.

The post Prospects the UFC Should Sign by the End of 2020 appeared first on Cageside Press.

The bantamweight division is awaiting (perhaps not so eagerly, if you’re Petr Yan or Aljamain Sterling) a title fight between champ Henry Cejudo and Jose Aldo later this year. The 135lb weight class has become a bit of a hotspot over the past year, consistently producing some exciting action.

So who should join it? We’ve got ten prospects who could jump right in.

First off, here’s a look at last year’s list, featuring current UFC roster members Jack Shore, Tony Gravely, and Miles Johns signing with the UFC in 2019:

Alexander Keshtov
Glyan Alves
Jack Shore
Miles Johns
Nathan Maness
Patrick Mix
Phil Caracappa
Raufeon Stots
Tony Gravely
Victor Henry

The post 10 Bantamweight Prospects the UFC Should Sign in 2020 appeared first on Cageside Press.

MMA has no off-season, resulting in an endless barrage of talent being thrust upon the masses. Some might argue that you can’t have too much of a good thing, but that still leaves a lot of fights to watch.  With that in mind, here’s the latest edition of our prospect watch, featuring up-and-comers who really stood out last month.

Welterweight, Louis Glismann (6-1)

Watching Glismann dominate and get the armbar (a favorite submission) was impressive. The fighter he beat was former UFC athlete Craig White. While White hasn’t always impressed, it’s hard to deny his toughness and how dangerous he is off his back. Glismann easily took him down and dominated with solid jiu-jitsu. He passed guard easily and would get the s mount and finish with the armbar. White verbally tapped.
Grade: C+

Louis Glismann gets the verbal tap to improve to 6-1! #CWUnplugged2 pic.twitter.com/F5RV71Tm4s

— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) September 6, 2019

Bantamweight, Jack Cartwright (7-0)

Cartwright was quite unknown coming into this Cage Warriors 4-man bantamweight tournament. He was the only competitor not to compete for a Cage Warriors title yet. He made the most of this opportunity and knocked out both Scott Malone and Marko Kovacevic in the first round. Being a bit wild, as shown in his second fight, he proved he can crack for a bantamweight. Cartwright also showed some solid TDD in both fights. 7-0 and seven first round stoppages.
Grade: B+

1st ROUND KO 💥 What a debut!

Jack Cartwright ends it in one! He advances to the finals of our bantamweight tournament by making quick work of his opponent 😱#CWUnplugged2 pic.twitter.com/SMTTkFDVSu

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) September 6, 2019

Now you know!

Jack Cartwright becomes the CW Bantamweight Champion by knocking out 2 former title challengers in the first round in one night! 🤯#CWUnplugged 🏆 pic.twitter.com/dinqbm2Le9

— Cage Warriors (@CageWarriors) September 6, 2019

Middleweight, Ty Gwerder (4-0)

Making his televised debut for Legacy Fighting Alliance, the Xtreme Couture product Gwerder looked good. Fighting a much more experienced fighter in Mike Jones (7-5), Gwerder ran through him ending it in the first round. Gwerder stunned Jones earlier in the fight with his hands before landing a brutal liver kick for the knockout.
Grade: C+

https://twitter.com/Grabaka_Hitman/status/1170146289318846465

Flyweight, Sean Gauci (6-1)

Flyweight struggles when it comes to prospects and it’s too soon to tell how good Gauci is, but he still looked solid. He got it done on the feet scoring the TKO finish in round one. Gauci sat in the pocket and showed good boxing with the jab, attacking the body and countering very well. He dropped his opponent early in the round with an overhand right. He didn’t find the finish then but almost locked in a guillotine. Not even a minute later Gauci landed a counter right dropping his foe again this time getting the finish. Good performance moving to three consecutive wins but needs a step up in competition.
Grade: C

Middleweight, Vladimir Mineev (12-1)

Making his return after nearly a year, Mineev got back to his winning ways walking through his foe. Mineev had a very articulate approach landing the jab, using some feints and most importantly his kicks. The Russian threw the front kick a few times to keep distance but it was the leg kicks that were the story. Mineev attacked that left leg of his opponent over and over landing it many times. He had his opponent hurt from those kicking attacks and would have him lifting his leg to check, setting things up for Mineev to get the easy takedown. Mineev standing in the guard had to land but one punch to the solar plexus, and his opponent was down and out.

A very easy first-round finish from Vladimir, who we’ll revisit later on as he fought twice in September.
Grade: C+

Welterweight, Ian Garry (2-0)

Italian opponent Matteo Ceglia wanted nothing to do with Garry on the feet so would pull guard every chance he had. Garry was never in danger showing good defense and always getting back to his feet. He landed the jab often and had a couple of heavy leg kicks. Garry into the second round landed a question mark jab smacking the jaw of Ceglia dropping him for the highlight finish.
Grade: C+

Strawweight, Aleksandra Rola (3-0)

Rola made her KSW debut against a tough Catherine Costigan and finished her in round two. Rola showed that on the feet is where she looks to be the most dangerous. She got a takedown in round one but had nothing to really show on top. The native out of Poland got the finish in round two in the thai plum landing elbows and knees until the ref stepped in.
Grade: C-

https://twitter.com/VonPreux/status/1172927334959198210

Bantamweight, Khusein Askhabov (20-0)

Askhabov fought a tough opponent in Luiz Filho and he ran through him early in round one. Askhabov opened up aggressive with two heavy outside leg kicks taking the legs out from underneath Filho. From there Askhabov landed an emphatic belly-to-back suplex and would quickly finish with the arm-in guillotine. That’s now a big 20-0 for the Luxembourg born.
Grade: B+

https://twitter.com/Grabaka_Hitman/status/1175476372145430528

Lightweight, Kirill Gorobets (9-1)

Gorobets continues to impress with highlight-reel finishes, this time ending the fight with a rare Peruvian Necktie. The Ukrainian did land a few glaring head kicks but really got it done with his wrestling and top control. He landed four takedowns and would get dominant positions such as the mount and the crucifix. Goroberts kept active with ground and pound and moved light on top until he eventually found the finish.
Grade: C+

Strawweight, Svetlana Gotsyk (13-4)

This was a very important fight for Gotsyk as she has fought Magdaléna Šormová previously, losing the WWFC title a little over a year ago. Gotsyk got off to a rocky start early in the fight getting easily taken down. Gotsyk though is comfortable fighting off her back. That comfort later allowed her to go for the head and arm throw, which is a 50/50 risk. And it did fail,  resulting in Gotsyk finding herself on her back again. Gotsyk stayed busy off her back in the guard working her legs up and would threaten with a triangle. Šormová attempted a Rampage-like slam and on the impact, Gotsyk locked in an armbar and Šormová tapped.
Grade: C-

https://twitter.com/Grabaka_Hitman/status/1175495594858754049

The post MMA Prospect Watch: The Most Impressive Fighters from September appeared first on Cageside Press.

Combate Americas | Friday | Mexico

Lightweight: Rafa Garcia (10-0)

Garcia is a top prospect out of Mexico who has beat some credible guys, even former UFC fighter Estevan Payan. Garcia is a solid wrestler/grappler with an overhand right. He’s not too technical on the feet but Garcia does hit hard mainly with leg kicks and that right hand. Garcia is really good at executing the single leg takedown and just using his wrestling in general. He has eight wins by submission which is proof that his jiu-jitsu is very solid. He fights Erick Gonzalez (10-3), who is a good test.

Strawweight: Yasmine Jauregui (3-0)

Still very green, Jauregui really impressed me in her last two outings. Her style really reminds me of UFC fighter Maycee Barber is a few ways. Jauregui as she’s shown solid ground and pound she looks to be more skilled on the feet. She will throw a lot of volume with her kicks and punches putting it all together well. Yasmine Jauregui is always throwing and looking to end the fight, which is why she has a 100% finish rate. She does need to work on some things like her movement and striking defense. With that said, I believe she can be very good. She fights Yajaira Romo (5-3), who at this point is a good test for Yasmine.

WWFC 16 | Saturday | Ukraine

Strawweight: Svetlana Gotsyk (12-4)

Gotsyk is mainly a wrestler with ferocious ground and pound until she sees an opening for an armbar. On the feet, she stands at 5″2′ making it hard for her to get inside and strike but that doesn’t affect her being able to stand and brawl, which is where she thrives. She is still really green, is lacking cardio and she pulls guard way too much, but she is only 22, so she has all the time in the world to develop. She fights Magdalena Sormova (9-1), who she did lose to, but I think has the better future.

Lightweight: Kirill Goroberts (8-1)

Ukraine’s Goroberts is a human highlight reel who has three wins by a head kick and a submission via banana split. Goroberts is very explosive who uses a lot of feints and explosiveness to find big shots. Being both creative and explosive, Goroberts is an ultra dangerous guy on both the feet and the mat. He’s very quick on the release and is diverse in his attack throwing good combos and likes to use spinning attacks. He fights Rinat Sayakbaev (13-5-1).

Featherweight: Khasan Askhabov (20-2)

A Luxembourg native and product out of Tiger Muay Thai, Khasan is the current WWFC Featherweight Champion. Khasan is a fighter who picks his shots and his spots being a reason that he has exceptional cardio. On the feet, he has a diverse kicking attack as he likes to spin and is accurate when doing so. What he does best is timing takedowns. His ability to trip his opponents to the mat or time a kick from his opponents and get the takedown is perfect. Khasan could be a bit more active, and if so, he’ll just be that much better. He fights Elismar Lima (19-7).

Bantamweight: Khusein Askhabov (19-0)

The twin brother of Khasan Askhabov, Khusein shares something with his sibling: they are both talented prospects. The 24-year-old star is also a top product out of Tiger Muay Thai. His stand up is good, he is quick and explosive and displays good kickboxing by throwing a lot of different kicks and staying active. It’s his ground game where Askhabov is best, using good wrestling and getting dominant positions easily. His submission awareness is very clean as he can go for submissions at a drop of a dime. He is quick but he has some work to do to mix all his skills to improve. He fights Luiz Filho (10-4), who is coming off a loss.

CFFC 78 | Saturday | Pennsylvania

Middleweight: Kyle Daukaus (7-0)

A veteran of the Contender Series this past summer, Daukaus is a good prospect despite not getting the contract. On the feet, he’s not great but throws a lot of volume and is very good using his length. He’s much more versed on the mat and his wrestling to get in there is good. Daukaus has a good submission base with six wins by submission and his D’Arce choke being a prime choice. He’s active with his submission attempts and his ground and pound as well. He fights former Contender Series fighter, Stephen Regman (9-4).

Lightweight: Pat Sabatini (11-2)

Sabatini has only two losses in his career to top prospects in Jose Mariscal and Robert Watley. Sabatini does have a background in grappling, competing in several competitions, and has a background in combat sambo. Sabatini is clearly dangerous on the mat with nine finishes all coming by submission. He is very improved with solid trip takedowns, good ground-and-pound, improved stand up and excellent cardio. He fights Rafael Barbosa (12-1)

Featherweight: Rafael Barbosa (12-1)

Barbosa has looked impressive and at only 21-years-old, he has a high ceiling. He fights with a karate stance, lasering the jab along with an excellent right kick to the liver. The Brazilian is slick on the feet with his jab and does a good job with his movement. Barbosa has some solid head movement, slipping and ripping his counters. He is still green on the mat though, but at his young age, there is still room for improvement. He fights Pat Sabatini (11-2).

The post Weekly MMA Prospect Report: Combate Americas, CFFC, and More appeared first on Cageside Press.