The 10 | Action-Packed August Ahead

Uros Medic vs Daniel Rodriguez

The main event in Serbia doesn’t fit with the overall theme of the month, but the clash between Medic and Rodriguez is nonetheless captivating.

Medic returns home for the first time in nearly seven years, headlining the initial UFC event in Belgrade and riding a three-fight winning streak. His activity and the highlight-reel nature of his wins have carried him into the rankings, and his ability to finish a fight in sudden fashion makes him an interesting new addition to the welterweight Top 15.

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Rodriguez is a battle-tested vet fighting for the first time in more than a year and looking to extend his winning streak to four. He’s tough to put away, game as all get out, and hoping to create a cool ending to the story of his last year, which he’s been framing as perfect for Hollywood.

There is big, natural pressure on Medic here, with a place in the rankings and likely an even bigger matchup hanging in the balance. I’m eager to see how this one shakes out.

Mateusz Gamrot vs Quillan Salkilld

This is a perfect matchup for both men at this moment, and it’s going to be fascinating to see how this plays out because there is a real possibility that the vanquished fighter doesn’t lose any ground in the pecking order despite the setback.

Gamrot might be the lightweight best suited to play this role, as he’s had a couple different chances to force his way into contention and faltered, but has also shown multiple times that he’s a legitimate Top 10 force with tons of experience and a well-rounded skill set. He’s beaten each of the last two up-and-coming foes he’s faced, though neither Ludovit Klein nor Esteban Ribovic had the same kind of momentum Salkilld carries into this one.

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After an excellent rookie campaign in 2025, Salkilld opened this year by running through Jamie Mullarkey in Sydney and then stopping Beneil Dariush in his hometown of Perth, earning both wins in the first round. Five wins, four first-round finishes, and four bonuses have thrust the Luistro Combat Academy product into the Top 15 and onto everyone’s list of emerging stars, but now he’s facing his toughest test to date, all while headlining for the first time.

This is one of those matchups where I can see a number of different outcomes and ways we get there, and I genuinely believe the only real shift in outlook on either of these fighters is going to come if Salkilld blows through the Polish veteran, who has only lost four times in his career and only been stopped once, and that was last year, on short notice, in Rio de Janeiro, against Charles Oliveira.

Huge fight. Great fight. Can’t wait.

Islam Makhachev vs Ian Machado Garry

Islam Makhachev looks to make history as he puts the welterweight title on the line for the first time in a showdown with "The Future" Ian Machado Garry.

The welterweight champ rolls into Xfinity Mobile Arena on a 16-fight winning streak, and a win would break his tie with Anderson Silva for the longest UFC winning streak of all time. He looked dominant in claiming the title from Jack Della Maddalena back in November and hasn’t encountered much trouble since his first bout with Alexander Volkanovski, showing time and again that he is the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet and one of the best of all time.

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This is such a fascinating spot for Machado Garry, who has been tabbed to be a championship threat from the outset and shown flashes of brilliance over the years, but doesn’t give off the same "menacing threat" vibe as Carlos Prates, whom he beat last year, but also had to scramble to avoid down the stretch of that fight. The Irishman is cerebral, skilled in every facet, and will have a considerable size advantage that he’ll need to lean on in order to be successful here.

Does Makhachev defend his title and establish a new mark for extended excellence inside the Octagon, or does Machado Garry become Ireland’s second UFC champion and fulfill his destiny?

UFC Fight Night: Nurmagomedov vs Song — Saturday, August 29 (Shanghai, China)

Rei Tsuruya vs Kevin Borjas

This one doesn’t fit the theme and instead is the customary "one for me" for the month, though you should be hyped for it too.

Tsuruya returned from more than a year on the shelf in May, registering a first-round submission win over Luis Gurule to get back in the win column after suffering the first loss of his career last year at UFC 313… to Joshua Van. Given how impressive the current champ has looked since that contest, the Japanese prospect should be on your radar as another young talent to track in the loaded flyweight division, and this is another opportunity for him to further prove himself.

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Right as everyone was saying how Borjas was "better than his record indicates" and discussing his strength of schedule, "El Gallo Negro" goes out and hands Andre Lima the first loss of his career. If he hadn’t missed weight, it would have been a flawless effort, but it was impressive nonetheless and a reminder that Borjas belongs at this level despite some previous stumbles.

Flyweight is thriving at the moment, and these two both want to get in on the excitement. Claiming a place in the Top 15 is difficult, but a decisive win on either side would bring the victor closer for sure.

Umar Nurmagomedov vs Song Yadong

The final bout of the month is another "not quite, but kinda" fight when it comes to the narrative theme for August, as Nurmagomedov looks to once again deny Song a place in the upper echelon of the bantamweight division.

I genuinely love the approach Nurmagomedov has taken since his title fight loss to Merab Dvalishvili back at the start of last year, as this will be his third tough assignment after besting Mario Bautista and Deiveson Figueiredo in his last two appearances. He remains one of the elite talents in the division, and another win here only further strengthens his case for another championship opportunity once things finally get moving at the very top of the division.

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Song bounced back from his loss to Sean O’Malley in January by submitting Figueiredo in May, which is a fun little "I did it better than you" wrinkle to this pairing. If there has been a knock on the Chinese standout—and to be clear, it is an unfair one—it has been that he cannot beat the best in the division, as his last three setbacks have all come against fighters stationed ahead of him in the rankings. This is his opportunity to do away with that with the biggest win possible.

Bantamweight remains one of the best divisions going, and this is an outstanding pairing between two fighters that should remain in the championship conversation for the next handful of years. How it plays out will have a genuine impact on the title picture going forward.