Islam Makhachev retained his UFC welterweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Ian Machado Garry at UFC 330 in Philadelphia last night, and, as is normal, there will be some fighters who are now fancying their chances and believe they should get a shot at taking the title from him and becoming the first person to beat him since 2015.
One such fighter has made his intentions clear via social media, and the tone and content of his call-out have caused him to be the recipient of a significant amount of backlash, especially given his recent showings in combat sports.
The Russian feels that fellow welterweight Carlos Prates should be next in line, and also mentioned Michael Morales and Shavkat Rakhmonov as potential opponents.
Understandably, one of the names who was not brought up was Dillon Danis. Two problems immediately emerge, as not only is Danis’ weight around 175-180lbs, which is in the light heavyweight region, but he also last competed in Misfits Boxing, which is not the most competitive promotion and isn’t great for a fighter’s reputation.
Nevertheless, the 32-year-old American has thrown his hat into the ring and hasn’t minced his words, posting on X: “For the love of f****** Dana Hunter White, give me Islam Makhachev. Let me be the one to end this inbred rat once and for all. Revenge is a dish best served cold.”
His post didn’t go down very well with those who saw it.
“You got to finish your fights with the security guy and janitor first, and then maybe in next life you’ll get fight,” one user responded.
“Bro loves getting his a** kicked by muslim brothers,” another said.
“Genuinely, who are you? The biggest highlight of your career was getting chocked out by a bouncer and losing to a YouTuber,” read another savage reply.
“Mate, you’ve lost every competitive fight in every discipline in the last 5 years. Just go back to Bjj, and get some credibility back,” and “Couldn’t even win against Logan Paul. You think you have a chance with Islam at welterweight?” read two further replies.
Dillon Danis is a Laughing Stock in Combat World
Clearly, if Danis thought people would’ve forgotten about what happened in 2023, he had another thing coming. On the undercard of KSI vs Tommy Fury, Danis put on a farcical performance against Logan Paul, where he threw himself to the ground at every opportunity, and it looked like he was trying to do MMA at times during a boxing match.
After behaving this way for a number of rounds, the referee had enough and disqualified Danis in the sixth and final round of their bout in Manchester.
What other MMA fans will remember Danis for is being in the corner of Conor McGregor for his mega showdown against Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229. After Khabib had submitted McGregor in the fourth round, he had tunnel vision on the opposing corner, hopped over the fence, and launched an attack on the Irishman’s team, especially targeting Danis.
As much as Danis himself seems up for the fight, it is a good bet that neither Makhachev nor UFC President Dana White will remotely entertain the idea, as the gap in reputation and skill level between the two fighters looks worlds apart.
While they’ve enjoyed a successful window so far, Manchester United still have plenty of work left to do in the remaining weeks to ensure Michael Carrick has all the tools he needs to build upon last season’s encouraging third-place finish.
The English coach took over midway through the campaign, replacing Ruben Amorim in the Old Trafford dugout, and he ultimately led the Red Devils to comfortable Champions League qualification. The addition of European football comes with a significantly more congested fixture schedule, and United will subsequently need a deeper squad, brimming with quality across the board, to cope.
With that said, here are three deals United could still secure before the transfer window slams shut on September 1st.
Carlos Baleba
Club: Brighton & Hove Albion
Age: 22
Tielemans and Santos provide United with a variety of different options alongside Kobbie Mainoo in Carrick’s squad. However, three central midfielders for two positions won’t be enough with Champions League football to contend with, and the north-west outfit are still lacking an out-and-out number six.
Aurelien Tchouameni had been the primary target, but with every passing week, it seems as though this transfer becomes less and less likely. Real Madrid are no longer in the race to sign Rodri, meaning they will require the Frenchman’s services next term.
Instead, United could turn their attentions to Carlos Baleba of Brighton. The Cameroonian has long been touted for a move to Old Trafford, but the Seagulls have consistently remained firm on their steep valuation.
However, the south coast club are reportedly softening their stance on this front. They’ve informed United that they can sign Baleba this summer, provided they’re willing to offer a fee in the region of £65 million.
While his development stalled somewhat last term, the defensive midfielder still has the tools to establish himself as one of the league’s best midfielders. This would be a smart investment from the Red Devils, and it appears to be a relatively straightforward deal to pull off.
Antonee Robinson
Club: Fulham
Age: 29
Left-back has been described as a priority for United throughout this summer, yet they’ve seemingly made no concrete efforts to sign a player in this position. This is likely because they’ve been monitoring the situation of Newcastle United’s Lewis Hall for some time.
It’s well documented that Hall is Carrick’s top target, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that the Magpies won’t sell the England international this summer. After already losing Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Anthony Gordon, the Tynesiders aren’t willing to further deplete themselves and lose Hall too.
United cannot afford to wait for Hall. Luke Shaw cannot play every minute of every single game next season, even if he did produce an atypically durable campaign last year, while Patrick Dorgu seems to be viewed as a winger by Carrick.
The Cottagers are open to selling the full-back, and this should therefore be a relatively convenient deal for United to get over the line in the remaining weeks of the window.
You scored
out of 20
Endrick
Club: Real Madrid
Age: 20
If United have serious aspirations of competing for the Premier League and the Champions League next season, they cannot rely on Joshua Zirkzee to provide Benjamin Sesko with cover and competition. The Dutchman may even leave before the window is up, exacerbating the Manchester club’s need for another striker.
Finances may be running thin after deals for Baleba and Robinson are wrapped up, so a loan signing might make sense for this position. United have reportedly opened talks with Real Madrid over Endrick, who has no obvious pathway to first-team football at the Bernabeu following the signing of Yan Diomande.
Endrick’s Ligue 1 Statistions 2025/26
Appearances
16
Goals
5
Assists
7
Shots per 90
3.68
Expected Goals per 90
0.48
Key Passes per 90
2.21
Expected Assists per 90
0.24
Successful Dribbles per 90
2.65
If the Red Devils can secure Endrick on loan, this would represent something of a statement signing. The Brazilian was outstanding in his temporary stint at Lyon last season, and is certainly capable of providing Carrick with a different option to Sesko next term at Old Trafford.
All Statistics via FotMob – correct as of 14/08/2026
The cost of watching Premier League football continues to climb, with ticket prices, travel, food and drinks all adding up.
According to the Daily Mail, following any club home and away across a full season is now estimated to cost north of £3,000, once ticket prices, train travel, a pie and two pints at every match, and a replica kit are all taken into account.
For many supporters, though, it’s the price of that pint that stings wallets just as much as anything else on a matchday. With the average cost of a pint in a UK pub currently sitting at £5.50, some Premier League clubs are leaving fans considerably better off than others when it comes to enjoying a drink before or during the game.
The gap between the cheapest and most expensive clubs on this list stretches well beyond £3, a difference that can add up significantly for supporters attending multiple matches across a season, particularly those travelling from further afield.
Here’s how all 20 clubs in the Premier League compare, ranked from cheapest to most expensive.
20th-16th
All three promoted sides come in as the cheapest pints in the Premier League, with Ipswich Town having the cheapest pint on the entire list at just £3.50. A pint at Coventry’s CBS Arena will set you back just 10 pence more, whilst Hull City also remain under the £4.00 mark at £3.90. It’s then Liverpool who offer solid value, charging just £4.80 at Anfield, as Sunderland round out this group on £5.00, still comfortably below the national average.
15th-11th
Everton rank 15th at £5.50 per pint, which means only six of the 20 Premier League clubs serve a pint at the national average or below. Leeds United, Newcastle United and Bournemouth just breach that average by 10 pence, and are all level at £5.60 apiece, while Manchester United prove the priciest of this group, serving up a pint at Old Trafford for £5.80.
10th-6th
Brighton & Hove Albion match Manchester United’s price from the section above at £5.80, with Crystal Palace’s £5.90 pints making them the cheapest of any club based in London, a far cry from the now-relegated West Ham, who charged an eye-watering £7.30 last season. Nottingham Forest charge £6.00, as do Fulham, the next cheapest London club, and Manchester City, making this the most tightly-packed bracket on the list, separated by just 20 pence.
5th-1st
Tottenham Hotspur and Brentford both charge £6.00 for a pint, matching Forest, Fulham and City. Aston Villa are more expensive still at £6.10, with Chelsea dishing out £6.50 pints at Stamford Bridge, giving them second place, before Premier League champions Arsenal top the entire list by a whole 30 pence as the most expensive club in the country for a pint at £6.80, well over a pound above the national average.
Emiliano Martinez is edging ever closer to the Aston Villa exit door, with Juventus making a fresh bid to sign the goalkeeper this summer, according to the Athletic.
Martinez has long been linked with a departure from Villa Park, and could have left last summer when Manchester United made a move late in the transfer window to sign him on loan.
Speculation has been rife surrounding his future once more this summer with Juventus heavily tipped to sign the 33-year-old and the two clubs are getting ever closer to an agreement over a price, according to reports.
Aston Villa are understood to want a fee in the region of €10million (£8.5million) to sanction the sale of the shot-stopper, with the Italian giants making a new bid to sign him. According to the Athletic, the gap between the two clubs is narrowing, with Juve willing to pay €7million with a further €3million in add-ons. Villa are understood to want a fixed €10m fee that is not contingent on add-ons.
Martinez wants to make the move to Turin, with personal terms not understood to be an issue.
Villa began their season on Wednesday with the UEFA Super Cup clash against Paris Saint-Germain, with the French champions winning 2-1. Martinez was not named in Unai Emery’s squad for the clash, but that was no surprise given he has only just returned to training following Argentina’s run to the final of the World Cup, in which he played every match.
