OverUnder
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This edition already went out on May 26, 2023. Subscribe to never miss an edition.

Edition 38May 26, 2023

We could be getting closer to a Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler announcement. McGregor confirmed that the fight would be announced at some point during the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter. The season ends on August 15th, so you can expect an announcement before that.

1
Quick Hits

MacKenzie Dern accused her ex-husband of domestic violence.

Cain Velasquez's attempted murder trial has been delayed until August.

Adam Sandler is working with Dana White on a new UFC comedy show.

Khamzat Chimaev said the UFC won’t let him ‘kill’ Israel Adesanya.

Tom Aspinall feels like a different person after knee surgery.

Shavkat Rakhmonov wants to fight Kelvin Gastelum at 170.

Tatiana Suarez vs. Virna Jandiroba at Strawweight is set for August 5th.

Jan Blachowicz wants to test his striking against Alex Pereira.

Tyson Fury refuses Dana White’s offer to fight Jon Jones in the UFC.

Ariel Helwani was offered to have Donald Trump as a guest on his show.

2
Big Stories
  • Dana White criticizes Francis Ngannou and the PFL
  • Jim Brown, who called UFC 1, has died at the age of 87
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Dana White criticizes Francis Ngannou and the PFL

Since Dana White became the President of the UFC in 2001, he’s been ruthless toward those that have gone against him. He once famously held a tombstone with names of MMA promotions that collapsed, including Elite XC, Affliction, and more. Though his attitude has rubbed many people the wrong way, it was this same attitude that led the sport to explode into an industry worth billions of dollars. Dana has stayed relatively quiet on the topic of rival fight promotions in recent years, and that’s because the UFC has had such a strong lead against everyone else. That might be changing soon, and we got a glimpse of that last Saturday.

Dana was asked about his thoughts on Francis Ngannou signing with the PFL at the post-fight press conference for UFC Fight Night: Dern vs. Hill. “Based on what I know about the deal, which is not much, it makes no sense to me. You’re going to pay a guy not to fight for a year, and it’s already been like 14 months. He’s fought three times in the last three years. Francis wants to take zero risks” Dana said.

In addition to ripping into Francis, Dana criticized the PFL, whom he’s been respectful of in the past. “I’m hearing that they’re raising money right now, $283 million, $300 million from the Middle East. Who in the hell would give them $280 million because I’m hearing they’re buying Bellator” Dana said. It’s been a long time since the UFC has felt threatened by another fight promotion. If the PFL does indeed raise that kind of money and purchase Bellator, you can expect the entire landscape of the sport to change.

4
Jim Brown, who called UFC 1, has died at the age of 87

Jim Brown was known for a lot of things over the course of his life. He was an NFL player that was on the team that won the 1964 Championship, he was a Pro Football Hall of Famer, and he was a civil rights activist. In addition to these accolades, Brown is an important figure in MMA history, as he was a commentator for UFC 1 in 1993. “Bill, I’ve been around the toughest fighters in the world in Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, Mike Tyson. I’ve been around the greatest NFL players, the tough guys, Dick Butkus, Sam Huff, all of those guys. But I tell you, they could not last in this ring.” Brown said at UFC 1.

He passed away on May 18th at this home. He’ll always be a part of the soundtrack of our sport.

5
Videos of the Week
Tyson Fury and Alex Pereira hangin' out
Tyson Fury and Alex Pereira hangin' out
Two of the greatest strikers in combat sports history exchanging words.
Justin Gaethje gets pushed to the bushes
Justin Gaethje gets pushed to the bushes
He got up and chased the dude down a parking lot.
DC talks about Conor McGregor and Jon Jones fighting at MSG
DC talks about Conor McGregor and Jon Jones fighting at MSG
Cormier thinks there's a possibility that we'll see the two biggest stars in the UFC on one card.

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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.