In this action-packed episode of Budocast, we break down the biggest headlines reshaping combat sports across MMA, Submission Grappling, and Muay Thai! We kick off with Conor McGregor spotted on crutches as he begins rehabilitation following ACL surgery, detailing his targeted timeline for one final UFC contract appearance. Then, we react to Dana White’s public push for heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall to vacate his title after extended downtime from eye surgeries.
Plus, we examine Jean Silva’s wild submission win at Noche UFC 4[5][6], why he handed his gloves directly to UFC executive Hunter Campbell, and Carlos Prates’ chilling warning to pound-for-pound king Islam Makhachev. Finally, we celebrate historic gold medal runs at the 2026 ADCC World Championshipsand Yod-IQ’s Muay Thai championship victory at Bangkok’s legendary Lumpinee Stadium.
Conor McGregor Recovery & UFC Return Plan: Analysis of McGregor using crutches after knee surgery to repair his ACL and meniscus following a 69-second stoppage at UFC 329. We discuss his target to return for International Fight Week in summer 2027 for his final contract bout
Dana White Urges Tom Aspinall to Vacate Title: Heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall approaches a full year away from competition while healing from double eye surgery[4]. Dana White signals intent to sit down with Aspinall's camp so the division isn't tied up.
Jean Silva's Noche UFC 4 Rehearsed Submission: Fighting Nerds star Jean Silva breaks down his third-round rear-naked choke over Jose Delgado. Silva explains jumping the cage to give his fight gloves to Hunter Campbell[7] and calling for the winner of Volkanovski vs. Evloev.
Carlos Prates vs. Islam Makhachev Welterweight Tension: Brazilian knockout artist Carlos Prates vows that Makhachev will pay for his grueling training camp[8][9], boldly predicting the Russian champion's record will drop to 29-2 when they meet in the Octagon.
Historical ADCC 2026 World Championships in Krakow: 19-year-old phenom Helena Crevar becomes the youngest female champion in ADCC history with a 100% submission run in the +65KG bracket. Local star Pawel Jaworski makes history as the first Polish grappler to capture ADCC gold using modern leg-lock attacks in the -88KG category.
ONE Championship Muay Thai World Title: Yod-IQ Or Pimolsri outpoints Rambolek Chor Ajalaboon over five rounds at Lumpinee Stadium to claim the vacant ONE Bantamweight Muay Thai World Championship.
UFC Conor McGregor Tom Aspinall Dana White Jean Silva Noche UFC 4 Fighting Nerds Carlos Prates Islam Makhachev ADCC 2026 Helena Crevar Pawel Jaworski Submission Grappling ONE Championship Yod-IQ Muay Thai BJJ MMA News Budocast
Lotus by Open Black Belt: Streamline your martial arts academy management! Manage rank tracking, attendance, and student billing all in one intuitive platform. Claim your free trial today at Open Black Belt.com.
Dojo Tycoon: Want to run a martial arts school without real-world overhead? Play Dojo Tycoon, the free-to-play management simulation game available now at Open Black Belt.com.