MMA Junkie’s Submission of the Month for October: Muhammad Mokaev’s continues chase for history

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submission from October 2023.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best submissions from October 2023: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s Submission of the Month award for October.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting for your choice.

Nominees

DWCS 65 winner Rodolfo Bellato hopes for opportunity to avenge Vitor Petrino loss in the UFC

Rodolfo Bellato wants another shot at Vitor Petrino – the man that initially stopped his UFC dream.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Rodolfo Bellato[/autotag] wants another shot at [autotag]Vitor Petrino[/autotag] – the man that initially stopped his UFC dream.

In his second stint at Dana White’s Contender Series, Bellato (11-2) earned a UFC contract when he finished Murtaza Talha (6-1) by second-round TKO on Tuesday at DWCS 65.

Bellato fell short in his opportunity at a UFC contract last year, when Petrino knocked him out at DWCS 53. Now that he’s also a UFC fighter, Bellato hopes to run things back with Petrino (9-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) in the future.

“For sure,” Bellato told MMA Junkie and other reporters during the DWCS 65 post-fight press conference. “I told him (Petrino), ‘One day I will win you.’ So, yes, I want this fight. First, I need to stay in the UFC, I recover my face, and if Dana wants, I’m ready for the fight with Vitor Petrino.”

Since losing to Petrino, Bellato scored two wins in 2023 before getting a second shot at DWCS. Meanwhile, Petrino remained unbeaten after finishing Bellato, scoring two octagon wins over Anton Turkalj and Marcin Prachnio. He is currently booked against Modestas Bukauskas at UFC Fight Night 231 on Nov. 4.

According to Bellato, Petrino is up for a future rematch.

“He told me, ‘I want to fight with you in a big event of the UFC, and let’s do a show for everyone,'” Bellato said.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 65.

UFC fights at the Sphere? Dana White zones in on Mexican Independence Day for potential debut

U2 at the Sphere in Las Vegas has made all the international headlines. Could the UFC be next? Dana White likes the odds.

The Sphere in Las Vegas has made headlines across the world following the indoor show debut of U2 live performances.

While the $3.6 billion venue interiorly and exteriorly constructed with LED displays attached to the Venetian Resort doesn’t have any other live performers scheduled, the UFC could be among the first wave, according to CEO Dana White.

“It’s not (just) a ‘check it out,'” White told reporters including MMA Junkie at a DWCS 65 news conference Tuesday after being asked how serious the promotion is in its pursuit of the venue. “Everybody was buzzing about the U2 concert on Saturday. They said it was incredible. The guys from MSG, whom I have a great relationship and the guys who own it, MSG does everything right.”

While White was not present at Saturday’s U2 debut, he said he’s heard nothing but good things from those who were. From the experience to the food, White said the venue sounds like a home run. Already dead-set on a Mexican Independence Day weekend show in Las Vegas after a successful Noche UFC in September, White indicated two birds could be killed with one stone to create something truly special.

“First of all, the balls to open that place and do what they’re doing,” White said. “Then, to come in and hit an absolute grand slam, home run with the opening. You all know I want that date. That’s what I want. I want to do Mexican Independence Day there. Imagine the show I can put on at the Sphere with Mexican Independence Day. So yeah, we’ll f*cking put on an incredible show in that amazing arena for the next Mexican Independence Day. I’m very excited about it.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for DWCS 65.