Welcome back to our latest edition of the daily round. Here, you can stay updated with the most happening stories from around the MMA world. So sit back and let’s start this compilation with Francis Ngannou. The former UFC champion opened up a bit on the recent passing of his 15-month-old son.

We’ll then jump immediately to a flyweight fighter, who’s been in the news. Muhammad Mokaev seems to have pledged allegiance to a rival MMA promotion following his UFC departure. Finally, news from Khabib Nurmagomedov will end this news compilation. The 30-0 legend joined the Olympic community to react to an unexpected, and rather surprising Olympic triumph of a track and field athlete.

Francis Ngannou talks about his son’s death

Earlier in April this year, Francis Ngannou bore the brunt of losing his 15-month-old son, Kobe. Understandably, that tragic loss resulted in many people, from fans to famous personalities, extending their love and support for the French-Cameroonian. Even months after the incident, Ngannou recently revealed that he still finds it difficult to put his mind in the right frame. “That’s something that I’ve never imagined, and all of a sudden, nothing really matters,” Francis Ngannou stated in ‘The Diary of A CEO’ podcast.

While adding that his personality has taken a shift from what it used to be after Kobe’s passing, Francis Ngannou also revealed to have focussed on the wrong things before the tragic death of his 15-month-old son. “[I am] Surviving, but not the same. I don’t think it will ever be the same,” Ngannou went on to add. ‘The Predator’ has kept his son in his heart and he intends to continue fighting in Kobe’s memory. His next announced fight will be in the PFL against Renan Ferreira in October.

Is Muhammad Mokaev returning to a Bahrain-based promotion?

Muhammad Mokaev was shown the door recently by the UFC and even the PFL didn’t feel the need to add him to their roster. Moreover, the latter’s president, Ray Sefo, even claimed that the 23-year-old was a “pain in the a**,” and it appeared as if the walls were closing in on Mokaev even though he’s undefeated. Moreover, an apology to Dana White in hopes of securing a new contract wasn’t enough either. As we all know, no means no for the 55-year-old. So what does ‘The Punisher’ do? Well, he seems to be opting to make a move back where he used to compete.

Muhammad Mokaev hinted at a move to Brave CF with a picture of a pair of MMA gloves that resembled the ones used in the Bahrain-based promotion. “New gloves but same goal,” wrote ‘The Punisher’ on social media. It’ll be a welcome-back situation for Mokaev, who competed in Brave CF before his advent into the UFC even if there’s an official confirmation soon. Can he make enough noise in his second Brave CF stint for the UFC or the PFL to come back for him? That remains to be seen.

Khabib Nurmagomedov reacts to Olympic record breaker

The South East Asian nation of Pakistan does not have a great track record in the Olympics. The country has so far registered just 11 medals, and since 1996, there has been a major drought among athletes who failed to win any medals. But the 2024 Paris Olympics changed everything. Arshad Nadeem, Pakistan’s sole javelin athlete in this year’s Olympics, shattered all records, and UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov took notice of it.

The previous Olympic javelin record stood at 90.57 meters, registered by Andreas Thorkildsen 16 years ago. The new Olympic record registered by Arshad Nadeem stands at 92.97 meters, and it was enough to earn him the gold medal. Khabib Nurmagomedov, as he often does, shared a post about this feat from Nadeem on his Instagram, acknowledging his record-breaking accolade.