Sports

Jiu-Jitsu & Judo

Dakar Youth Olympics open judo with Azerbaijani and Turkish golds

Matar Diop's bronze gives host Senegal its first medal of the Games in any sport

DAKAR — Judo began Sunday at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic-level event held on African soil. Azerbaijan's Ibrahim Talibov won the first judo title, taking the boys' under-55 kg final over Croatia's Jona Zvorc after answering an early yuko with a waza-ari. Turkey's Sema Yuksel took the girls' under-44 kg gold over Jordan's Houda Wshah, scoring a waza-ari and then finishing with kata-guruma. In the boys' under-66 kg bronze contest, Senegal's Matar Diop beat France's Nathan Gbingbehi with a counter for waza-ari 17 seconds into golden score. The IJF says that is Senegal's first medal of the Games across all sports. Eight weight classes are being contested, and the competition ends Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Why it mattersYouth Olympic judo is the pipeline for future senior stars, and the first Games in Africa gives the continent's judo federations a visible stage.

IJF.org - Dakar's First Judo Podia Bring Joy and an Historic Medal for Senegal primary · IJF.org - Dakar Welcomes the World's Young Judoka primary

Tonon returns to grappling to face McNally for Polaris title

Polaris 40 on Nov. 21 in Southampton revives a 2022 ADCC upset

SOUTHAMPTON — Garry Tonon will return to submission grappling at Polaris 40 on Saturday, Nov. 21, at Southampton Central Hall. He faces Ireland's Sam McNally for the Polaris lightweight championship. It is Tonon's first jiu-jitsu superfight in nearly six years, after a stretch competing in MMA. The two met in the first round of the 2022 ADCC World Championships. McNally won 3-0 on points and eliminated the top-seeded Tonon. FloGrappling will stream the card. Polaris 39 on Oct. 3 produced a new bantamweight champion in Yuki Takahashi, who spoiled Shay Montague's debut. Tommy Langaker also edged Eoghan O'Flanagan on that card. Polaris has also announced that its PSG event returns to London in March.

Why it mattersA marquee name returning to the sport, with a title at stake and a rematch with history, gives the pro grappling calendar its next big draw after ADCC.

Polaris Pro Grappling primary · FloGrappling - Polaris 40: The Return of Garry Tonon trade

Judo's November: Belgrade team Europeans, Zagreb Grand Prix, Tokyo Slam ahead

The IJF and EJU calendars set the next five weeks of competition

After the Abu Dhabi Grand Slam and the Dakar Youth Olympics, judo's autumn calendar continues. The European Judo Championships Senior Mixed Team are listed for Belgrade on Nov. 7-8. The same weekend, the IJF's Montreal Panamerican Open runs Nov. 7-8, with 272 judoka from 33 countries listed. The Zagreb Grand Prix follows on Nov. 13-15, with 522 athletes from 67 nations on the IJF listing. The World Championships Juniors then open in Tashkent on Nov. 19, with individual events through Nov. 21 and teams on Nov. 22. The Tokyo Grand Slam is set for Dec. 5-6, and the Dushanbe World Judo Masters closes the schedule on Dec. 18-20.

Why it mattersWith Olympic qualification points at stake across the tour, the November events will shape rankings heading into the LA28 cycle.

IJF.org - World Tour calendar primary · European Judo Union - Event Calendar primary · IJF.org - Montreal Panamerican Open 2026 primary

MMA

UPDATEMoicano will not appeal Nevada loss over referee's stand-up

Fighter says the restart was wrong but he will not seek action against Miragliotta; both he and Hasanov had hospital scans

LAS VEGAS — Renato Moicano, the No. 8 lightweight, will not file an appeal with the Nevada State Athletic Commission over his third-round TKO loss to Tom Nolan at UFC Vegas 123. He also will not ask that referee Dan Miragliotta be disciplined or kept off his future bouts, MMA Mania reported Monday. Moicano said he was never warned the action could be restarted. Miragliotta stood the fight up in round two while Moicano held Nolan's back with a body triangle. Nolan then hurt him with a knee and finished him in round three at 1:28. Moicano said he should have finished the fight himself and credited Nolan's defense. He said hospital checks found nothing serious. UFC officials said Farman Hasanov was also taken for precautionary CT scans after a cut stopped his fight with Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani. The Unified Rules let referees restart a fight when neither man is making a meaningful effort to advance toward a finish.

Why it mattersThe absence of a formal appeal means the Nevada commission is unlikely to review a restart that critics say decided a ranked lightweight bout.

MMA Mania: Moicano won't appeal UFC Halloween loss trade · MMA Mania: Moicano, Hasanov transported to hospital trade · UFC.com: Moicano vs Nolan main card results primary

Edwards named standby for Harrison-Nunes title fight at Madison Square Garden

Bantamweight No. 1 gets the call despite weight-miss history as UFC 334 nears on Nov. 14

NEW YORK — Joselyne Edwards will weigh in as the official backup for the UFC women's bantamweight title fight between champion Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes at UFC 334, according to MMA Fighting reporting relayed by Bloody Elbow. Edwards is ranked No. 1 at 135 pounds. She has missed weight in three of her last nine UFC fights. Ailin Perez had publicly sought the standby role. The bout was first set for UFC 324 in January, but Harrison pulled out with herniated discs in her neck that needed surgery. Nunes, who retired in 2023, declined to fight another opponent for an interim belt while Harrison recovered. The card at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 14 is headlined by heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane against undefeated Josh Hokit, and the main card starts at 9 p.m. ET on Paramount+.

Why it mattersA late withdrawal has already cost this fight once, so the choice of a standby is a real contingency for a marquee title bout.

Bloody Elbow: Edwards named backup for Harrison vs Nunes trade · Forbes: UFC 334 card announced · Madison Square Garden: Polymarket UFC 334 primary

Ex-Oktagon double champion Szabova stops Lisboa in unbeaten UFC debut

Slovak's third-round TKO opened the Vegas 123 main card's flyweight slot, adding a new name to the 125-pound ranks

LAS VEGAS — Lucia Szabova, undefeated and a former women's bantamweight and flyweight champion in Europe's Oktagon promotion, won her UFC debut on Saturday. She beat Tainara Lisboa by TKO from punches at 3:20 of round three at UFC Vegas 123 in a 125-pound bout. Szabova dominated the fight, MMA News reported, and ended it with ground-and-pound against the cage. The card at Meta APEX also had Joseph Kropschot's armbar submission of Nick Klein in his debut, Sherdog reported. Oktagon held its own show the same weekend, Oktagon 96, where Gogoladze won a title by unanimous decision. UFC has been signing regional champions to fill out its flyweight and bantamweight divisions. Szabova's finish gives matchmakers a debut winner to test against ranked opposition in the women's flyweight division.

Why it mattersSzabova's finish is the clearest sign yet of whether Oktagon champions can make the jump to UFC's women's flyweight division.

MMA Mania: UFC Vegas 123 live results trade · MMA News: Szabova wins UFC debut trade · Sherdog: UFC Vegas 123 coverage and Oktagon 96 results trade