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This edition already went out on June 23, 2023. Subscribe to never miss an edition.

Edition 42June 23, 2023

So... Elon Musk vs. Mark Zuckerberg is actually on Verdict for you to make your pick. We plan on sharing the pre-fight data with the world this weekend.

1
Dana White says that Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk want to fight in the UFC

Is this for real? Dana White says it is. He spoke to Elon and Zuckerberg on Wednesday night, and they both told him they were dead serious about fighting each other. Zuckerberg has become a massive fan of combat sports over the past few years and regularly trains in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

How likely is this to happen? It'll come down to Elon Musk. Zuckerberg has started competing in BJJ competitions and would be the favorite to defeat Elon in a fight. Musk doesn't train in any martial arts, but you can never put anything past him. He's the real-life Tony Stark.

2
Rickson Gracie revealed that he has Parkinson's disease

How long has it been? Rickson revealed to Kyra Gracie that he was diagnosed with Parkinson's 2 years ago.

How's he doing? To no surprise, Rickson is dealing with this like a Champion. The symptoms don't bother him, and he attributes that to waking up motivated every morning and staying active.

3
Anderson Silva wants to have his retirement fight in Japan

Why Japan? Silva has a special place in his heart for Japan because it's where he started his international career and won his first MMA title. His first professional fight outside of Brazil took place in Tokyo, Japan, when he was 26 years old.

Who, when, and where: This is still undecided, but Silva said he's working on 'something cool' for the fans. The most likely promotions are Rizin and Shooto. Rizin is the biggest MMA promotion in Japan, but he has an emotional connection with Shooto as that's where he won his first title.

4
Henry Cejudo is fighting Marlon Vera

Where the fight is happening: August 19th in Boston at UFC 292, which is headlined by Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O'Malley for the Bantamweight strap.

The stakes: If Henry Cejudo loses, this might be the end of his career. He only wants to compete in Championship fights, and losing to Vera means that he's no longer at that level. If Henry wins, he'll likely secure another title shot.

5
Sean O'Malley wonders if there should be a WUFC for Women's fighters

His thoughts: Sean questioned if there should be a WUFC, similar to the WNBA, that exclusively puts on Women's fights- the Women's Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Could it work? Invicta FC is an all Women's fighting league and has produced a lot of the best Women's fighters of all-time. But removing Women from UFC cards would stunt the growth of WMMA and it's evolution.

6
Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 2 will main event the September 16th card

It could be a UFC Fight Night: UFC 293 is taking place in Sydney, Australia on September 9th. It's highly unlikely that the UFC will run 2 PPV events in back-to-back weeks. This would make this the first UFC Fight Night to feature a Championship fight in the post-pandemic world.

What makes this special: September 16th is also Mexican Independence Day. If Grasso beats Shevchenko again that day, that would be huge for the Hispanic market.

7
Erin Blanchfield wants Julianna Pena for the UFC Bantamweight title

Why it makes sense: Erin Blanchfield would be a breath of fresh air in a division that badly needs one. She would have been competing for the UFC Flyweight title this year if Alexa Grasso didn't choke out Valentina Shevchenko. Julianna Pena was supposed to fight Nunes in a trilogy fight but was forced out of the bout because of an injury.

When could it happen? Pena seems like she's ready to go, and so does Blanchfield. With Nunes out of the division, nothing is blocking this fight from being made ASAP.

If you've made it up to here, thanks for reading. OverUnder drops every Friday at 8 AM ET.

You can always check out our other editions of OverUnder here.
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.