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This edition already went out on September 28, 2023. Subscribe to never miss an edition.

Edition 55September 28, 2023

In case you don’t know, the Fight Forum has been on fire lately. Check out what everyone’s saying about the Belal Muhammad situation here.

1
Dana White and Stephen Espinoza are beefing again

How it started: A reporter asked Dana White what he thought about the potential of Showtime Boxing being finished. Dana responded, "Fuck Espinoza and it's about time that shitty product is off the air."

Espinoza's response: He took a subtle shot at the UFC at the Canelo Alvarez/Jermell Charlo press conference stating, "The event on Saturday night will generate a gate of over $20 million. That's a rare feat in combat sports. To put that in perspective, the UFC has never done a gate of $20 million in its entire history. We've done it three times since April". Dana then fired back on Instagram. The two have been beefing since co-promoting Floyd Mayweather vs. Conor McGregor in 2017.

2
Cain Velasquez's murder trial is expected to start in January 2024

The allegations: Velasquez is set to face trial following his arrest and indictment in February 2022 for allegedly engaging in a high-speed pursuit and discharging a firearm several times at a vehicle carrying Harry Goularte. Goularte was separately charged with the alleged sexual molestation of Velasquez's four-year-old son at a daycare run by Goularte's mother.

The trial date: The actual date will be determined on December 6th. It's expected that the trial will take place in late January.

3
Tony Ferguson has one more shot in the UFC against Paddy Pimblett

Tony's current situation: If he loses to Paddy Pimblett, that would make it 7 straight losses for Tony Ferguson. Dana White suggested that if Ferguson can't beat Pimblett in December, he should then 'probably retire.' It's hard to imagine the UFC offering Ferguson any more fights after losing 7 straight.

The betting odds: Paddy Pimblett is currently a -230 favorite heading into his fight against Tony Ferguson.

4
Mark Hunt lost another court case to the UFC

Why Hunt took the UFC to court: This stems from 2016 when Brock Lesnar was granted an exemption from USADA to fight Mark Hunt at UFC 200. Lesnar didn't go through the mandatory 6-month testing pool before returning. He ended up testing positive for PEDs, and Hunt sued the UFC, claiming they knew about the failed test before the test.

The Verdict: A Nevada federal judge dismissed the remaining portions of Hunt's lawsuit against the UFC. Hunt will now be forced to pay for legal fees. This is an unfortunate and major L for Mark Hunt.

5
Rafael Fiziev tore his ACL against Mateusz Gamrot.

When? Fiziev tore his ACL against Mateusz Gamrot in the 2nd round of their main event this past weekend. He was winning the fight on all judge's scorecards until then.

Return timetable: An ACL reconstruction is a major surgery and usually sidelines athletes for 9 months to 1 year. Fiziev relies on his kicks, so you can expect him to take his time before returning.

6
John Fury blasts Francis Ngannou after a recent training video

The video: Ngannou was training with Mike Tyson in Las Vegas and hitting pads in preparation for his October 28th boxing fight against Tyson Fury.

Johny Fury's thoughts: He got on Instagram and said, "Just seen Francis Ngannou and Mike Tyson and that so-called trainer what's got the pads on, seen the open workout. I hope he's kidding along, and he's playing possum here. I hope that's a joke and intended to be a laugh. Because if it's not, he ain't got a prayer".

7
Belal Muhammad has a fight lined up, according to Dana White

The situation: Belal Muhammad took a 5-round fight against Gilbert Burns on two weeks' notice on the condition that if he won, he would get a Welterweight title shot. He beat Burns, and Dana White confirmed he'd receive a title shot next.

What changed? Dana White revealed on Tuesday that Belal has a fight lined up, which will be announced soon. The likely opponent is Kamaru Usman. However, you've got to wonder if Muhammad is being forced to take this fight, given he was already promised a shot at UFC gold.

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OverUnder
All of your weekly MMA updates in one place.
Keeping up to date with combat sports news can take up a lot of time, so we’re simplifying the process by bringing the most important stories directly to you. We read the internet all week and then summarize what you need to know in 3-4 minutes.
Enter your email to sign up for the OverUnder newsletter. The first email newsletter in MMA.
By subscribing, you will receive a weekly MMA newsletter from Verdict MMA. You can unsubscribe at any time.