Sean Strickland recounted telling Francis Ngannou he would find the reason for carrying a gun by looking in the mirror. Carlos Prates and Jack Maddalena conducted their first face-off, with Prates appearing notably large for the welterweight division. Shamil Gaziev weighed approximately 140kg yesterday despite his category being up to 120kg, with concerns about recovery time in Australia being half of normal. Arman Tsarukyan revealed the UFC recently sent him an unexpected $42,000 bonus, possibly related to his social media work. The post serves as a news roundup without extensive details on individual stories.
Sean Strickland stirred up conversation ahead of his next outing by recounting a pointed exchange with Francis Ngannou, joking that he told Ngannou the reason for carrying a gun could be found by looking in the mirror. The middleweight champion also saw a welterweight face-off take place between Carlos Prates and Jack Della Maddalena, while heavyweight contender Shamil Gaziev raised eyebrows with a reported weight of around 140 kilograms — well above the 120kg heavyweight limit — with his fight drawing closer and recovery time in Australia reportedly half of what fighters would normally have.
Strickland, 35, holds a 31-7-0 record and currently sits atop the middleweight division for the United States-based Xtreme Couture camp. The six-foot-one champion carries a 76-inch reach and is one of the most active strikers in the promotion, landing 6.04 significant strikes per minute at 42 percent accuracy.
Della Maddalena, the Australian welterweight ranked fourth in his division and thirteenth pound-for-pound, squared off with Prates for the first time ahead of their upcoming bout. The 29-year-old carries an 18-4-0 record and is among the sharper strikers at 170 pounds, connecting at 51 percent accuracy with 5.57 significant strikes per minute for Scrappy MMA. Observers noted that Prates appeared notably large for the welterweight class during the face-off.
Gaziev, the number-11 ranked heavyweight out of Bahrain's KHK MMA, holds a 14-3-0 record and stands six-foot-four with a 78-inch reach. At 36 years old and weighing roughly 140 kilograms with his fight approaching, the condensed turnaround in Australia has prompted concern over whether he will have adequate time to complete his weight cut safely.
In a separate development, Armenian lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan disclosed that the UFC had sent him an unexpected $42,000 bonus, with speculation pointing to his social media activity as the likely reason.
Why it matters
- Gaziev's reported weight creates genuine uncertainty about his readiness and safety heading into fight week in Australia
- The Prates vs. Della Maddalena face-off signals that bout is close, with Prates's size drawing early attention in the welterweight matchup
- Tsarukyan's surprise bonus hints at the UFC placing growing value on fighter-driven social media engagement
