Senior VP of international and content David Shaw: “I think I would probably respectfully disagree with Khabib on that one. If you look at what we’ve done, look back, we opened up the office in Moscow … 10 months ago. And in even 10 months we’ve held an event with 23,000 people at Olimpiysky Stadium in Moscow and now here at Yubileyny, we’re averaging about 15,000 people. Throughout those times, we’ve had a considerable amount on the card that has been occupied by Russian and CIS athletes there was tonight at least one fighter in every fight, I think we might have had out of 22, maybe we had 11 fighters, 12 fighters of Russian, CIS descent. The amount of marketing and promotion that went in, the thoughtfulness that went into creating the card in that we don’t just want to have Russian fighters. We had Dagestani fighters. We had Shevchenko on the card as well, right. We’re trying to get a good representation of the whole area.” h/t MMA Junkie

“Before the fight, I thought Holloway was going to beat him. This is my prediction when we talk with fans, with father, with team. But he impress me. Dustin impressed me. I think he has very good boxing, much better than before. Every fight, he becomes stronger and better in boxing, on his feet. And I think he deserves [the] title show. I think because he’s already interim UFC lightweight champion, I am real lightweight champion, we have to fight. And now we’re working on this. ... He have very good background. He have good ground game, not bad. He have good striking game. I follow him a long time. And, versus me? I think I have to maul him, like I do with everybody. This is what I have to do. I respect him like fighter, like human, but when we go to the cage, I have to maul this guy. This is what I want. And right now I’m focused on September, five months before fight.” h/t MMA Fighting

The UFC has a habit of eating its not young, and that was potentially in the offing in Saint Petersburg with Roxanne Modafferi vs. Antonina Shevchenko, but The Happy Warrior wasn't having it. Round 1 she was outstruck, and finally took it to the mat, and eventually mount, but without enough time to win the round. However, Roxy now knew exactly what to do, and did it, driving the older sister of flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko to the fence, and then the ground, for basically the entire round. Antonina went for the KO in Round 3, but was again put on her back, managing to reverse, only to be re-swept, then another reversal, but Modafferi stood on that scramble, and was kneed hard at the end, but used that to secure another takedown at the close of the round, winning a Split Decision. “I want to fight Cyborg, just kidding,” quipped Modafferi post fight. "The fight went how my coach said it would, so I listened to his game plan. I’m very proud of myself and this camp was special because I got to train for a southpaw. I know Antonina had a lot of hype behind her, but I think a lot of that was due to her sister being the champion. I worked hard to not let that intimidate me. I looked at Antonina as an opponent and didn’t worry about her sister, who I would like to fight someday. Every time I try to call someone out on social media, I don’t get that person. So ‘Cyborg’ was a joke about that. I’ll call her out because I won’t get her. I’ll fight whoever the matchmakers want me to fight. If they want me to smack talk someone, I will do that as well. Shoot me a text and I’ll dress up in my favorite superhero outfit and do it." h/t Sherdog