Zhumagulov (14-8) fought to a split decision with former LFA champ Charles Johnson at UFC Vegas 65 over the weekend, with two judges scoring the fight in favor of the American.

That result did not sit well with many watching at home. Especially since the former Fight Nights Global flyweight champion had seen four of his five UFC losses go the distance, with a couple ending in controversial fashion.

A short time after this most recent setback, the Kazakh fighter announced his retirement on social media.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/ClKYJmbJmLs

“Everyone saw the fight, what can I say?,” Zhumagulov stated (translation via Sherdog.com). “There is nothing to say — this was my last fight. Thanks to everyone who cheered for me. I don’t want to fight anymore. For some time I fight – the judges do not give me back. You plow, plow, do all the reasons – and just like that. Now, I’m not saying this out of emotion – as it is. Thank you to everyone who was rooting for me.”

Zhumagulov’s fight with Jeff Molina back in June, his most recent prior to the Johnson match-up, also ended in a split decision. Fights against Raulian Paiva and Amir Albazi also went the distance, but the fighter nicknamed “Zhako” could not catch a break with the judges even once.

His only win under the Ultimate Fighting Championship banner was a submission of Jerome Rivera at UFC 264. However prior to his time with the UFC, Zhumagulov had put together a solid 13-3 record, with victories over current UFC athletes Tyson Nam and Tagir Ulanbekov, plus former UFC flyweight standout Ali Bagautinov.

If it is to be his final fight, Zhumagulov finishes his UFC stint with a 1-5 record, while sitting at 14-8 overall.

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Booking MMA fighters with poor striking into boxing bouts aside, there was a lot of action this past weekend, with everyone from Combate Global to Cage Fury FC to LFA in action. As an honorable mention, LFA 147 was a very solid card with some great storylines attached, but we’re going to focus on the “big three” that were in action this weekend: the UFC, Bellator MMA, and ONE Championship.

We can get the UFC side of things out of the way quickly here. While the biggest UFC events almost always win the weekend by default, the quality of competition on the third weekend of November combined with the Derrick Lewis vs. Serghei Spivac UFC Vegas 65 main event falling through pretty much eliminates them from competition. Four finishes on what became an 11-fight card didn’t help, though some of the decisions were thrilling enough (h/t to Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Maria Oliveira). The biggest news coming out of UFC Vegas 65, aside from Derrick Lewis falling ill, was the continued emergence of Jack Della Maddalena, and Kennedy Nzechukwu making the most of a last-minute promotion to the main event.

That, however, isn’t enough to win the weekend when between the remaining two cards, you had three title fights. In Chicago, Bellator MMA had a double header, with Patricky Pitbull vs. Usman Nurmagomedov for lightweight gold, and Vadim Nemkov vs. Corey Anderson closing out the light heavyweight grand prix.

Both fights didn’t quite live up to expectations, mind you. Nurmagomedov was clearly in another gear in comparison to Brazil’s Pitbull, who appeared to be stuck in the mud through most of the fight. He could not close the distance on the Dagestani and on the odd occasion where he did, he paid dearly for it. The crowd grew restless throughout the fight, and after 25 minutes, Pitbull was left beltless, bloodied, and stranded at hospital when no one was around to stitch him up (insult, meet injury).

Nemkov vs. Anderson meanwhile was a solid enough fight, but with the Russian champ showing vastly improved takedown defense, it just didn’t live up to the pair’s first meeting. Anderson never really came close, and Nemkov proved to be unstoppable in rematches.

That said, the Bellator 288 undercard was very, very good. But if you want the best title fight on the night, you looked to ONE Championship, where Christian Lee survived a near-finish in the opening round of his fight against Kiamrian Abbasov to earn a TKO stoppage in the fourth. Lee vs. Abbasov was a back-and-forth war and everything you wanted from a title fight, with Abbasov missing weight and being stripped of his belt not really detracting from the action itself. Lee comes away with a second belt, but he may struggle with the size of opponents he’ll find in ONE’s welterweight division. That said, he still has his lightweight title to defend as well, and may be better suited to the smaller division (especially given ONE’s modified weight rules).

So, who did win the weekend? Does the ONE on Prime Video 4 main event give the Asian promotion the edge against Bellator’s two somewhat less entertaining title fights, despite Scott Coker’s org having the better overall card? We’ll call this one a draw, but what’s perhaps most remarkable is that, for the first time in a long time, the UFC sat in the bronze medal position on a busy weekend in MMA.

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With that, the co-main event of Kennedy Nzechukwu vs Ion Cutelaba was upgraded to a three-round main event. Let’s take a look at what could be next for the winners of the night.

Kennedy Nzechukwu

“The African Savage” made the most of his late spotlight opportunity, beating Ion Cutelaba in the second round. The victory came after he lost the first round due to Cutelaba’s wrestling, however, Cutelaba always tends to start fast and then declines as the fight goes on.

Nzechukwu came out in round two with that in mind, and decided to put on the forward pressure. The finishing sequence began with a perfectly timed knee up the middle that marked the beginning of the end for Cutelaba.

With this being the Nigerians first time headlining, he has seemingly taken his opportunity as well as possible. Depending on how the UFC wish to push him will determine on the level of opponent he faces next. Cutelaba is a fighter who is consistently in or around the top 15 at light heavyweight, so to score a comprehensive finish over him, puts Kennedy in good stead going forward.

If the UFC wish to push the 30-year-old into the top 15 and grant him a fight up the rankings next, then I would suggest Volkan Oezdemir as a potential next opponent for Kennedy. Failing that, Dustin Jacoby is currently occupying a ranking despite coming off a loss, so a fight between those two men could make sense if the UFC decide to take the slower approach with Nzechukwu.

Nzechukwu’s Next Fight: Dustin Jacoby (or Volkan Oezdemir)

Waldo Cortes-Acosta

“Salsa Boy” returned this weekend, despite having fought only three weeks ago against Jared Vanderaa. In that fight, Cortes-Acosta took quite a bit of damage to his lead leg, so making such a quick turnaround was impressive in itself.

As well as that, he came in against Chase Sherman and looked great. As expected, his boxing heavy approach allowed him to out-point Sherman through three rounds, putting himself in a great position to fight just outside, or in the rankings next.

Having said that, Cortes-Acosta made what in my opinion, is a horrific call out for his next fight. The 31-year-old has called for a fight with a certain Mohammed Usman. That fight in my opinion makes absolutely no sense for Cortes-Acosta. A fight against someone like Tanner Boser would make far more sense for the Contender Series winner.

Cortes-Acosta’s Next Fight: Tanner Boser

Muslim Salikhov

Muslim Salikhov put on a signature performance at UFC Vegas 65, returning to the win column. The “King of Kung Fu” looked absolutely flawless against a young hungry contender in Andre Fialho.

Salikhov now finds himself in a slightly strange spot; being at the age of 38, it is hard to predict what the Russian’s plans may be. Having said that, with him looking flawless in this performance, it seems there is still life left in the old dog.

It is doubtful that Salikhov fights inside the rankings having recently lost to Li Jingliang. Someone just outside the rankings, and ever improving, is Alex Morono. “The Great White” has looked extremely impressive in his last few outings, and a fight between these two flawless strikers, could be extremely fun in my opinion.

Salikhov’s Next Fight: Alex Morono

Jack Della Maddalena

With the scheduled main event falling hours into the event, Jack Della Maddalena vs Danny Roberts was the “peoples main event.” This stood as Della Maddalena’s toughest test to date, and if he could get through the tough Danny Roberts comprehensively, then he would be labelled as the real deal.

He did that, and did it without hardly breaking a sweat.

There is no doubt that Jack Della Maddalena is the cream of the crop, and is only getting better with every outing. At just 26-years-old, the Aussie is inches away from being a ranked UFC welterweight.

He once again exemplified extremely crisp and patient boxing, packing viscous power. Della Maddalena is ready for a fight inside the top 15 of the rankings, but there may not be many suitors sticking their hands up, offering to fight the streaking prospect.

Daniel Rodriguez is occupying rank 15 at this moment, and coming off a loss to Neil Magny. The boxing that would be on display between these two men would be utterly sensational.

Maddalena’s Next Fight: Daniel Rodriguez

Charles Johnson

Charles Johnson got back into the win column this past weekend with a win over Zhalgas Zhumagulov. The loss for Zhalgas marked his last fight in the sport, for now, as he shortly after announced his retirement.

The fight was an extremely close one, and despite Johnson picking up the win, the consensus with fans was that Zhumagulov should’ve been the one getting his hand raised.

Having said that, it doesn’t take away from the fact that “InnerG” picked up his first UFC win since moving over from LFA, and is enough to kickstart his promotional tenure. It would be difficult to make a case that Johnson has showed enough in his first two outings to suggest a fight inside the rankings next, however, that may be something that is on the horizon.

For his next fight, I would like to see him take on someone with more experience inside the cage, and Tyson Nam could be that exact man. Nam does have a fight booked with Bruno “Bulldog” Silva, but whoever gets the win could work.

Charles Johnson’s Next Fight: Tyson Nam vs. Bruno Silva winner

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As the new headliner, Nzechukwu scored a knockout victory over Cutelaba in the second round. Today we will be looking at what is next for the men and women who fell short at UFC Vegas 65.

Ion Cutelaba

Cutelaba is now 1-5-1 in the last two years and is it desperate need of a win in his next fight. His flashy fighting style should buy him an extra some extra leeway with the company meaning he should get another shot to turn things around. In his next fight, he should be looking to fight someone who is willing to stand and brawl with him.

Alonzo Menifield is on a two-fight win streak knocking out Askar Mozharov and Misha Cirkunov is his last two fights. Ten of his 13 wins are by knockout and he is 6-3 in the UFC. Menifield is rising in the light heavyweight division and would make for a great matchup for someone looking to keep their job like Cutelaba.

Cutelaba’s next fight: Alonzo Menifield 

Chase Sherman

Chase Sherman lost a decision to Waldo Cortes-Acosta this past weekend. Sherman was recently re-signed to the UFC in April for a short notice fight against Alexander Romanov. Prior to that fight he went 1-3 in the UFC and was released from the company. His last contract was for four fights so we should assume that his current contract is probably also for four fights meaning he has one more fight remaining. Since his return he is 1-2 only beating Jared Vanderaa by knockout in July.

Austen Lane won a UFC contract on the Contender Series back in September with a TKO win over Richard Jacobi. Lane is 8-2 since losing to Greg Hardy in his first appearance on DWCS in 2018. 11 of his 12 wins are by knockout and all three of his losses are by knockout. This is a guy that lives or dies by the sword. That is what makes him perfect for Sherman’s next fight. Sherman has a boxing background and does his best work when he can sit in the pocket and strike with his opponent.

Sherman’s next fight: Austen Lane 

Andre Fialho

Andre Fialho was knocked out by Muslim Salikhov at UFC Vegas 65, well technically. Frankly, Fialho would just not go down, and the ref waved it off on the feet. The fight was back and forth and Fialho landed some good shots but untimely got taken down a few times and was having trouble dealing with the kicks of Salikhov. This loss puts him on a two fight losing streak and makes him 2-3 in the UFC. He is 16-6-1 as a professional with 17 of his fights ending by KO. Making him an exciting fighter that will always be around to beef up some Vegas cards in the future.

Tim Means is also coming off back-to-back losses against Kevin Holland and Max Griffin.  Means is tough as nails and is always down to stand and bang. He has 19 wins by knockout but has only been knocked out in two of his 14 losses. Fighting Tim Means would be great for Fialho’s popularity and would give him a chance to get a win over a UFC vet.

Fialho’s next fight: Tim Means 

Danny Roberts

Danny Roberts can be considered the first step up for Jack Della Maddalena, and he passed that test with flying colors. Roberts is a 13-fight UFC veteran, with a 7-6 record who has lost back-to-back fights for the second time in his career.

All is not lost for Roberts, who will hopefully get a return day on an expected London card in the first quarter of next year. As for who he should face, how about another top prospect? Things didn’t go well against JDM; Roberts can try to redeem himself against Ireland’s Ian Garry.

Roberts’ next fight: Ian Garry

Zhalgas Zhumagulov

The Charles Johnson vs. Zhalgas Zhumagulov fight was bumped up to the UFC Vegas 65 main card due to the loss of Lewis vs. Spivac, and Johnson came away from the bout with his first UFC win. Not everyone was on board with the scores in the split decision fight, but a win is a win — and for Zhumagulov, a loss is another heartbreaking loss.

This one led to his retirement. Zhumagulov announced the news on social media, citing several decisions not going his way as his reason for hanging up the gloves.

Zhumagulov’s next fight: none (retired)

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That meant finishing fighters were batting 1.000 at the Fight Night event, which only had four finishes in total — all TKOs, as a matter of fact.

The end result was that Kennedy Nzechukwu, Jack Della Maddalena, Muslim Salikhov, and Natalia Silva all earned $50,000 Performance bonuses. No Fight of the Night was awarded at the event, which was thrown into chaos for a moment when the original main event of Derrick Lewis vs. Sergey Spivak fell through while the card was already underway.

Making the most of the larger spotlight, Kennedy Nzechukwu was able to fight through a low blow to finish Ion Cutelaba in the newly promoted main event. Nzechukwu vs. Cutelaba was originally booked as the evening’s co-feature, and the Nigerian finished the fight just over a minute into the second round.

With a knee having hurt Moldova’s Cutelaba, powerful punches put him away. A 2018 Dana White’s Contender Series winner, Kennedy Nzechukwu has now won two straight.

Also winning 50K on Saturday was Natalia Silva, in just her second UFC fight. She put away newcomer Tereza Bleda with a spinning back kick to the face, just as the Czech fighter was shooting in, finishing her off with ground n’ pound.

Maddalena, long a top welterweight prospect for those watching beyond the UFC, took less than a round to put away Danny “Hot Chocolate” Roberts. That’s the Australian’s third first round finish in three UFC fights, and may just land him a spot on UFC 284 at home in Perth next February.

Finally, Muslim Salikhov put away the tough-as-nails Andre Fialho at UFC Vegas 65 to earn his own Performance of the Night bonus. Multiple spinning kicks and body attacks landed for Salikhov, but Fialho refused to go down. Instead, the ref wound up saving him from himself.

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The question now is, who removed Krause from the event, and why?

While the UFC Vegas 65 broadcast said Krause was “unable to attend” the Fight Night show at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Johns said during his post-fight interview that Krause had been suspended.

Coach pulled and suspended? 🤔https://t.co/l8pfxVbf3m

— Jed I. Goodman © (@jedigoodman) November 19, 2022

Speaking to media outlets backstage, Johns, who was victorious on the night, explained that “I’m not really sure of the details about what exactly happened. They just called him last night and said that he was unable to corner me today.”

The head coach of Glory MMA and Fitness has been under scrutiny due to the whole Darrick Minner situation. Minner turned up injured at UFC Vegas 64 a few weeks back, falling in the first round after a wave of suspicious betting activity flooded sportsbooks. Krause is an avid betting enthusiast, creating a very bad look for one of MMA’s most successful coaches. The Nevada Athletic Commission, meanwhile, has signaled that it intends to pursue some form of sanction against Minner for not disclosing the injury.

What’s unclear at this time is just who suspended Krause — the promotion, or the Nevada commission. Miles Johns was not aware himself, saying “I honestly don’t know” when asked for clarification. Commission officials did not respond to a request for comment on the status of Krause’s license as a second prior to this piece being published (it being a weekend and all, that may still be forthcoming and will be updated accordingly). UFC officials approached Saturday were unaware of the suspension, suggesting it did not originate from their side.

According to a report by ESPN gambling writer David Payne Purdum, however, the promotion pulled Krause’ credentials. Meanwhile, a conflicting report by Yahoo! Sports suggested it was the commission who made the move.

“Multiple sources told ESPN that the UFC denied credentials to coach James Krause, who was expected to be in the corner for fighter Miles Johns today,” Purdum wrote. “Krause, a known bettor, was in the corner for a Nov. 5 fight that was flagged for suspicious betting and is under investigation.”

That report has not been verified (it was later updated to note that Krause did not corner Minner, though he is the fighter’s head coach), and as noted, UFC officials were unable to confirm when asked about the issue Saturday. However, the commission pulling Krause’s license as a second would seemingly make more sense, given they had already signaled their intent to pursue action against Minner for failing to disclose his injury.

The UFC continues to investigate the shift in betting activity ahead of the Minner fight with partner organization Don Best Sports, a betting integrity firm.

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Ion Cutelaba vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu was promoted to be a three-round main event of Fight Night card after Derrick Lewis was unfortunately hospitalized on fight day. Regardless of the reason why, both fighters were sure to go out there and put it all on the line in their first main event opportunity that could earn them a spot in the rankings in the near future.

Cuțelaba has been ranked in the past but came into this one off of back-to-back losses to ranked foes. Still, Ion has always been known as one of the most chaotic fighters in the division, both at weigh-ins and in the octagon. Meanwhile, Nzechukwu came into this fight after a recent knockout win against Karl Roberson. Both fighters were knockout artists and the fight was unlikely to go the distance.

That prediction certainly proved accurate on Saturday.

Cuțelaba connected very early and stunned Nzechukwu against the fence, but shot for a takedown instead of following up. He had a rear body lock in the clinch and used a trip to land short punches before once again trying to drag Nzechukwu to the mat.

Finally Cuțelaba was able to trip his opponent and land on top in full mount, an extremely dangerous position. Kennedy was able to regain half guard, however, and then full. He finally pushed Cuțelaba off of him and got to his feet where he got stuck in the clinch.

Nzechukwu was able to get double underhooks and turn Ion but Cuțelaba used a head and arm throw to land on top in a scarf hold. Cuțelaba attempted to secure a straight arm lock. In Ion’s haste to secure it Kennedy was able to escape, get to his feet, and gain the dominant position in the clinch. Cuțelaba looked for a kimura trap on the feet but the clinch position was stalled with no damage aside from foot stomps from Ion as the last ten seconds in the round ticked away.

The second round began with Nzechukwu letting go with his hands more but landing infrequently as they traded in the pocket a few times. Ion got his wild man act on, throwing spinning backfists and putting himself off-balance. Nzechukwu took advantage of the bad position of his opponent to land a big, perfectly-timed knee that hurt Cuțelaba badly. When Kennedy went to swarm his opponent he got unlucky in the chaos and absorbed a bad groin strike from a kick. However the Nigerian refused to take the break he was owed, knowing he had his opponent hurt, and got back to swarming with strikes. Another big knee from Nzechukwu caught Cuțelaba and dropped him where ground strikes enabled Kennedy to finish the fight.

This was the biggest win in Kennedy Nzechukwu’s career and despite being a soft spoken, almost a gentle giant at times, he was starting to finally find the aggression that could carry him to the top with his imposing physicality. His post-fight speech discussed the trials that he went through to get here, how he has grown up in the UFC octagon, and his mother’s heartbreaking late stage ALS.

Official Result: Kennedy Nzechukwu def. Ion Cutelaba by TKO (knee to ground and pound), Round 2, 1:02

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With the loss of Saturday’s main event with the card already underway, however, the fight suddenly found itself as the evening’s co-main event. If you needed a little storyline to go with the violence, Sherman was an ex-college football athlete; Cortes-Acosta a former minor league baseball player in the Cincinnati Reds organization.

Cortes-Acosta targeted the body early, while Sherman, taking a page out of the book of Cortes-Acosta’s previous opponent, Jared Vanderaa, chopped at his opponent’s lead leg. The Dominican heavyweight would have to be wary, given the damage he took in that fight just a few weeks ago.

As the round went on, the pair exchanged single strikes, until Waldo put together a combo. Moments later he caught a kick, forcing Sherman back to the fence; Chase reversed, separated, and landed a left hand. He tied things up moments later, looking for a trip. Cortes-Acosta started playing the “hands up/hands down” game, making himself a grounded opponent to avoid Sherman’s knees. They eventually broke with just over 20 seconds remaining, but Sherman finished the round with a takedown.

In the second, Cortes-Acosta came out strong, landing clean on Sherman. Sherman survived, tied things up, and bought some recovery time. After breaking, Sherman then used his hands to close distance and tie up again, but couldn’t get anything done. And at range, Cortes-Acosta was winning the exchanges. Sherman ripped a leg kick; Cortes-Acosta did a bit of showboating. He followed with a pair of jabs and a right hand. Sherman had a leg kick, leading to a low blow that the ref did not see — when Sherman complained, the ref ordered him to fight on.

Chase Sherman was now under fire, and ate a clean right hand. More blows followed, with another right landing flush. Sherman was covering up and trying to escape; Cortes-Acosta poured it on. Sherman somehow survived, firing a front kick. The round came to a close with Sherman still standing.

Despite that onslaught, Cortes-Acosta still had some gas in the tank in the third. He continued to land right hands, one of which rocked Sherman. He survived, and despite his corner’s instructions between rounds, Sherman hadn’t looked to get the fight down. He’d survive the fight, but lose the battle, with Waldo Cortes-Acosta coming away with the decision win.

Official Result: Waldo Cortes-Acosta def. Chase Sherman by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)

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Both striking welterweights were looking to return to the win column, coming in off the back of TKO losses. This match-up stood as Fialho’s fifth appearance in 2022, and he now ties the modern record for the most appearances in a calendar year.

Salikhov began the fight throwing his signature kicks, something he does extremely well. Fialho started the fight on his bike, circling Salikhov, calculating ways to get into range. Another leg kick from Salikhov was the only real action in the first two minutes of the fight. A quick 1-2 from Fialho was the start of him beginning to put on some pressure. Halfway through the round, Salikhov secured himself a single leg takedown, putting Fialho on his back, unexpectedly. Salikhov landed himself a body kick but received a big right hand for his troubles with the Russians eye swelling almost immediately. The highlight of the round fell to Fialho with the big counter right hook.

Salikhov, now visually impaired, decided to try and get his grappling going in the second stanza, and with that, landed a few heavy shots inside the clinch, slowing Fialho down momentarily. After two minutes of round two, you could tell Fialho had slowed down his pressure and had only thrown one strike. Salikhov decided to be the one to lead the dance and started dictating the fight with some unique shots that landed clean on Fialho. Another right hook and a body teep kick from Salikhov gave him the momentum of the round. Salikhov landed yet another heavy shot with Fialho dropping to the ground. Once the fight got to the ground, Fialho managed to regain some composure and the action halted.

Despite the fight coming extremely close to being stopped several times in the first two rounds, it made it to the final frame. A huge spinning back kick and right hook once again dropped Fialho to his backside with him getting up shortly after. Chris Tognoni began to take an extremely close look but then Salikhov landed a lightening fast spinning wheel kick on the chin of Fialho, and Tognoni stepped in and saved Fialho from any further impending damage.

Muslim Salikhov appears to have found a second wind in his career and returned to the win column Saturday.

Official Decision: Muslim Salikhov def. Andre Fialho by TKO, Round 3, 1:03

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Maddalena has earned fans with his high volume and electric striking ever since his Contender Series fight, and his two UFC knockouts kept that trend going. On the other hand, British fighter Roberts has had an up-and-down career in the UFC but no matter what, staying in the UFC for seven years is no small feet, especially when you fight the likes of Mike Perry, Michel Pereira, and Francisco Trinaldo.

With the action underway, Jack Della Maddalena came out southpaw, like his opponent, and used his straight punches to land early on. Roberts got backed up against the fence from the first thirty seconds. A swarming attack from Maddalena almost finished Roberts but Roberts was able to clinch up and survive, even landing a knee of his own.

A big right hand dropped Danny Roberts after one minute but he was able to stifle the ground and pound of JDM to stay in the fight. Roberts was then able to get back to his feet but he had trouble landing on Jack who was slipping and avoiding strikes before landing his own. Maddalena’s jab was on point as always. A big knee from the collar tie hurt Roberts once more but the Brit showed great toughness. Roberts shot a takedown with two minutes left in the round but JDM stuffed it and escaped from the ensuing clinch. Maddalena got back on the pressure and landed another swarming combination against the fence including a massive uppercut to the head of a doubled over Danny Roberts that finally sealed the deal, as ref Mark Smith stepped in.

LONGEST ACTIVE @UFC KNOCKOUT STREAKS

4 – Sergei Pavlovich
3 – Jack Della Maddalena
3 – Jamahal Hill
3 – Ilia Topuria

All #UFCVegas65 fight results ➡️: https://t.co/jyuvhEsO1t

— UFC News (@UFCNews) November 19, 2022

Michael Bisping and Paul Felder enthused over the future of Jack Della Maddalena in the aftermath, and rightly so, even calling him a future title contender. Maddalena was able to stay undefeated in his last thirteen and hopefully earn a step up in competition, potentially on UFC 284 in his hometown of Perth in 2023.

Official Result: Jack Della Maddalena def. Danny Roberts by TKO (punches), Round 1, 3:24

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