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Aspinall Update, Parnasse Calls Out Holloway, and Our Moicano Value Play

Dana White confirms Tom Aspinall is still hurt, Salahdine Parnasse gets a green light to chase Max Holloway, and DWCS week five delivers wild finishes and a same day engagement.

Aspinall Update, Parnasse Calls Out Holloway, and Our Moicano Value Play

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Heavyweight fans are still waiting on their champion, but the promotion isn't slowing down anywhere else, from a fresh Contender Series class to a bold featherweight callout. Here's what's actually moving today.

Aspinall Still Sidelined

Dana White confirmed again that Tom Aspinall remains hurt, with the heavyweight champion still out since his no contest against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 last October following eye pokes that required multiple surgeries. That puts Aspinall at roughly eleven months on the shelf, and White's stance is that the division keeps moving without him until word changes. His manager Hearn gave the clearest picture of what comes next, telling Bloody Elbow, "It all depends on whether he'll be ready." Hearn added that Aspinall still has to clear additional testing before any return gets green lit, but stressed the champion wants back in there.

Parnasse Wants Holloway

Salahdine Parnasse threw out a bold callout aimed squarely at Max Holloway, and Dana White is already on board with making it happen. There's no fight announcement yet, just White expressing real interest in pairing them up, but that's usually the first sign a matchup is closer than fans think. Holloway remains one of the featherweight division's biggest draws, so a Parnasse fight would be a massive step up in competition and spotlight for the Frenchman.

DWCS Week Five Delivers Violence and a Wedding

Dana White's Contender Series kept its hot streak going in week five, with two finishes coming inside the first round alone. Martin Kozak's brutal finish made UFC history as part of his Slovakian signing, while Isaac Moreno celebrated his new contract in unusual fashion by announcing he's getting married just hours after his win. Christian Natividad added his own storyline, turning an eight days notice opportunity into a contract with a finish that took just 70 seconds, becoming the second fighter from his family to earn a UFC deal. The undefeated light heavyweight main event between Quentin Pasley and Arlind Berisha capped a card that fans won't forget anytime soon, and week six is already locked in for September 15.

UFC 332 Rounds Out Its Lineup

UFC 332 has added its final fight, pairing a former NFL player against an undefeated debutant, closing out a card that had already drawn plenty of chatter this year. That event lands on October 3.

Quick Hits Around the Sport

Former UFC star Diego Sanchez was arrested in New Mexico on September 7 on an aggravated DWI charge, an unfortunate headline for one of the sport's most beloved veterans. On a lighter note, Jean Silva said his only UFC loss, to Diego Lopes, is still his favorite fight of his career, an interesting mindset. Over in Dubai, PFL tournament winner Oleg Popov has been matched with an unbeaten finisher in a heavyweight showcase that should bring some serious power to that card.

Sources

Every source behind today's roundup (14)

We summarize the day's news in our own words. Full credit to the outlets below for the original reporting, click through to read their work:

Open Scoring MMA is a daily AI-produced MMA and UFC news podcast. Listen to today's episode, read the full Feed, or get every episode by email.

Episode transcript

Read the full episode transcript

Welcome to Open Scoring MMA. This is episode 83 for September 9th, 2026, your daily look at what's happening now and next across the world of MMA and UFC. DUKE: Let's get right into it, because the biggest story in the sport right now isn't even a fight, it's the absence of one.
NORA: Tom Aspinall.
DUKE: Tom Aspinall. Dana White got asked point blank about the heavyweight title picture and his answer was pretty blunt.
NORA: He said, quote, "Until we hear differently, the heavyweight division will just keep rolling," end quote.
DUKE: That is not exactly a vote of confidence for a fast return.
NORA: It's been eleven months since the no contest against Ciryl Gane at UFC three twenty one, the eye poke that needed multiple surgeries.
DUKE: Eleven months. For a reigning champion. That's brutal for a guy trying to build a run at the top of the division.
NORA: Eddie Hearn, who works with him, told Bloody Elbow, quote, "It all depends on whether he'll be ready," end quote.
DUKE: So even his own camp isn't promising a date.
NORA: Right. Hearn also said Aspinall's going to have to go through some additional testing before they clear him, but that he wants to fight.
DUKE: And meanwhile the division just moves on without him, which is exactly what White is signaling.
NORA: That's the real story here. A champion out this long, the interim title conversation doesn't go away just because nobody's said the words out loud yet.
DUKE: Speaking of guys angling for opportunities, Dana White is fully on board with Salahdine Parnasse calling out Max Holloway.
NORA: White straight up said he's interested in making that fight happen.
DUKE: Parnasse is undefeated and climbing, and Holloway's still one of the biggest names in the sport.
NORA: For Parnasse specifically, a fight with a former champion like Holloway is exactly the resume builder that vaults you up the rankings overnight.
DUKE: If White's already saying he likes it, I think we see this get made.
NORA: Agreed.
DUKE: Smaller note, but a fun one. Jean Silva named his loss to Diego Lopes as his favorite fight in the UFC.
NORA: That's notable just because it's literally the only loss on his record, and he's calling it his favorite anyway.
DUKE: Says a lot about his mentality. Doesn't sound like a guy who's haunted by it. Card news now. UFC three thirty two has reportedly added a matchup between a former NFL player and an undefeated debutant.
NORA: That fills out an event that's already been divisive with fans, remember the anger over the vacant flyweight title fight drama.
DUKE: Right, this addition rounds things out, but it doesn't erase the frustration already out there about how that card came together.
NORA: For context, UFC three thirty two lands October third.
DUKE: We'll circle back to that one in the preview. Let's run through Contender Series, because there was a lot happening Tuesday night at the Apex.
NORA: Martin Kozak, twenty four years old and undefeated, picked up a brutal finish, and it's a huge moment for Slovakian mixed martial arts.
DUKE: Love that. A country getting its guy into the UFC.
NORA: Christian Natividad turned eight days notice into a UFC contract in seventy seconds, and he's the second person from his family to earn a contract off this show.
DUKE: Seventy seconds. That's not a fight, that's a formality.
NORA: Isaac Moreno also picked up a contract, then announced he's getting married just hours after the win.
DUKE: Best week of his life, back to back.
NORA: And in the show's main event, Quentin Pasley and Arlind Berisha, both undefeated, squared off at light heavyweight for a possible contract.
DUKE: Big night for a lot of careers all at once. Over in the PFL, tournament winner Oleg Popov is drawing an unbeaten finisher for their upcoming event in Dubai.
NORA: A heavyweight collision, two power punchers, and it tells you a lot about where Popov sits in that division going forward.
DUKE: Dubai's become a real stop on the calendar for PFL heavyweights. Not a fun update, but former UFC star Diego Sanchez was arrested in New Mexico on September seventh on an aggravated DWI charge.
NORA: Tough one to see.
DUKE: Let's look ahead, because we've got a real run of cards coming up. First, Noche UFC this Saturday, September twelfth.
NORA: Silva's the guy who just told us his favorite fight in the UFC was actually a loss, so we'll see what that mentality does for him here.
DUKE: Then the following Saturday, September nineteenth, UFC three thirty one.
NORA: I've actually been sitting with this one. My gut's leaning toward Van, but I'm worried about Pantoja's ability to keep it standing.
DUKE: And if it hits the mat?
NORA: Different fight entirely. Van's youth could win out over Pantoja's stamina if it turns into a grinding affair.
DUKE: So you're not fully committed either way.
NORA: Leaning Van, but I want to see how the championship rounds shape up before I call it with real confidence.
DUKE: We've also got Contender Series week six on September fifteenth.
NORA: And after that, UFC Fight Night on September twenty sixth.
DUKE: Busy stretch. Fights every single week from here to October. Alright, time for the OSM Pick. Who's the model got?
NORA: We're looking at Renato Moicano.
DUKE: Moicano's already the favorite, right?
NORA: Minus one ninety eight on the line, which implies around sixty four percent.
DUKE: And where's the model at?
NORA: Seventy one percent. We're higher than the market on this one.
DUKE: That's a real gap. Why?
NORA: Two things. Moicano's a strong grappler with legitimate striking.
DUKE: So size and strength swing his way.
NORA: Right.
DUKE: So this is a straight up value play for us.
NORA: Exactly. We like Moicano more than the line does, and we're calling it a lean, not a lock.
DUKE: Lean, but confident.
NORA: Confident enough to put it on the board.
DUKE: Okay, before we go, let's talk about the model itself, because you never brag about this thing.
NORA: Because the season line is sixty seven and twenty one, hit rate of seventy six point one percent.
DUKE: That sounds good to me.
NORA: Sounds good until you put it next to the market, which is hitting seventy seven point six percent.
DUKE: So the market's actually beating us.
NORA: Slightly, yeah. We don't beat the market straight up across the whole sample.
DUKE: Then why do I trust this thing?
NORA: Because look at the value plays specifically. Thirteen and two when we've actually disagreed with the line.
DUKE: Thirteen and two, that's the number that matters.
NORA: And on those disagreements we're running about ten and a half percentage points hotter than the market on average.
DUKE: So when the model breaks from the crowd, it's usually onto something.
NORA: That's the whole point of it. It's not there to agree with Vegas, it's there to find the spots where Vegas is wrong.
DUKE: And for the record, I'm one and one on my own picks this year.
NORA: I'm oh and one.
DUKE: Rough start.
NORA: Rough start. I'll take Moicano to fix that.
DUKE: That's the show for today.
NORA: We'll be back with more.
DUKE: Starting with Noche UFC this Saturday.
We've got Renato Moicano taking this one. Think we're wrong? Tell us in the comments. Before you go, two quick things. Check out our free Fight Tracker at tracker dot open scoring m m a dot com, with every upcoming UFC and PFL card, live odds, and where to watch, all in one place. And follow us on YouTube, just search Open Scoring MMA, for breaking news alerts, fight breakdowns, and videos you won't get here on the feed. That's it for today's Open Scoring MMA. Keep your hands up, and we'll see you next time.