Scary UFC Abu Dhabi eye injury, Islam Makhachev talks Ilia Topuria's P4P status, Ben Askren shares shocking health update: MMA News Roundup

Islam Makhachev reacts to Ilia Topuria
Islam Makhachev reacts to Ilia Topuria's P4P rankings. [Image courtesy: Getty]

Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda MMA News Roundup! UFC Abu Dhabi saw a terrifying eye injury as Mohammad Yahya suffered multiple knockdowns in the loss to Steven Nguyen. Meanwhile, Islam Makhachev reacted to Ilia Topuria overtaking him in the pound-for-pound rankings. Lastly, former UFC star Ben Askren revealed an emotional and candid look at his recovery from a near-fatal lung transplant. Let's break them all down:

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Mohammad Yahya suffers vicious eye injury in record knockdown loss

UFC Abu Dhabi delivered one of the most disturbing injuries in recent memory as hometown fighter Mohammad Yahya endured a barrage of punishment from Steven Nguyen. The bout, held on the prelims, saw Nguyen knock Yahya down six times, setting a new UFC record.

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Five of those knockdowns came in the first round, and despite Yahya’s toughness, referee Jason Herzog stopped the bout after Round 2 when Yahya’s orbital started swelling.

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Check out the X post below:

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Islam Makhachev reacts to Ilia Topuria’s P4P rise

Islam Makhachev has finally broken his silence on Ilia Topuria leapfrogging him in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings. Speaking during UFC Abu Dhabi, Makhachev called the ranking change a calculated move by the UFC brass. He said:

"Well, it's marketing. They're doing it on purpose to promote this fight... So they do it right, and we'll be fighting for the #1 spot in the rankings."
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Check out Islam Makhachev's comments below:

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Topuria’s dominant win over Charles Oliveira earned him lightweight gold and two-division champ status, propelling him to No.1. But Makhachev, who remains undefeated at lightweight, sees it as manipulation.


Ben Askren shows shocking physical decline post-transplant

Ben Askren, in a vulnerable new video, revealed just how much his body has deteriorated since undergoing a lung transplant. Shirtless, frail, and supported by a walker, Askren shared that he’s lost 35 pounds and struggles to curl even a five-pound dumbbell.

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He took to Instagram to issue the fresh report, stating:

"I've been home for four days now. It's awesome. I can sleep in my own bed, eat my own food, and hang out with my family. It's great. That being said, I still have so many physical challenges to deal with. I'm still down about 35 pounds from where I should be. I have to walk with a walker. I can't walk."
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Askren added:

"This five-pound weight, this is actually hard for me to curl. Right before I had to go to the hospital, like in this video here, I was feeling strong. I was probably curling 45 pounds. I definitely wasn't using a walker. I was probably out doing hill sprints. So we go back to the Stockholm paradox I was talking about. I am where I am right now, but I'm going to be somewhere different in a month."
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Check out Ben Aksren's Instagram post below:

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Edited by Abhishek Nambiar
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