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This edition already went out on November 3, 2023. Subscribe to never miss an edition.

Edition 60November 3, 2023

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1
Saudia Arabia makes Francis Ngannou another offer

The offer: Turki Al-Sheikh, the person responsible for Saudi Arabia’s combat initiative, announced on Monday that he made Francis Ngannou an offer to compete in Saudia Arabia again. Like the rest of the world, he was very impressed with Ngannou’s performance.

Francis’ next move: The PFL is fine with him competing in another boxing fight before returning to MMA. Anthony Joshua and Deontay Wilder are both appealing options for Ngannou, and they both could take place in Saudi Arabia.

2
Chael Sonnen and Ariel Helwani have a heated exchange

What happened? Ariel applauded Francis Ngannou for taking a risk and it paying off, while Sonnen claimed that the business side of things bombed. It got so heated that there was name-calling involved. The pair used to have a show on ESPN called Ariel and the Bad Guy, where they were friendly with each other.

The biases: Chael Sonnen pointed out that Ariel Helwani was biased against Dana White and the UFC. On the flip side, Ariel pointed out that Chael was biased against Francis Ngannou because of an altercation they previously had in Dallas, which almost got physical.

3
Paul Felder submits his first test to USADA since re-entering the pool

The development: Paul Felder submitted his first test into the USADA testing pool, which means he’s only a few months away from being eligible to fight.

Will he fight? He hasn’t made any hard commitments but said he’s ‘keeping his options open’. That usually means he’s likely to return, given the right opponent. He’s previously talked about wanting to compete at UFC 300.

4
The PFL are open to co-promoting Jon Jones vs. Francis Ngannou

The proposal: PFL Co-Founder Donn Davis appeared on the MMA Hour and was transparent about their plans with Francis Ngannou in MMA. They realize that Jon Jones is still the biggest available fight in MMA, and their willing to co-promote it with the UFC.

Is it likely? Probably not. The last time the UFC co-promoted was with PRIDE FC in the mid-2000s. The landscape was much different back then, as PRIDE was largely considered the most prominent MMA organization in the world. The situation is much different now, with the UFC being a global powerhouse. They’re not likely to put more eyeballs into a potential challenger brand like the PFL.

5
Tyson Fury’s next two fights have been made official

The fights: He’ll take on Oleksandr Usyk in back-to-back fights in 2024. Both fighters have a rematch clause in the contract, so you can expect the loser to invoke that clause. This is an interesting development since Tyson Fury said last week that rematch clauses have slowed down his career in the past.

What about Francis? Fury will be occupied next year, but he said that he still wants a fight against Francis Ngannou at some point in the future. If both Fury and Ngannou win their fights in 2024, a potential rematch between the two could be massive in 2025. Of course, these are big ‘ifs.’

6
Ian Garry is no longer welcome at Leon Edwards’ camp

What Garry said: “Leon and his head coach had an issue with me training on the mats and recently have asked me not to train there. Because, ‘Leon doesn’t want any insecurities or doubts on his own mats, within the gym,’ which I don’t fully understand”.

Why? Leon Edwards is the Welterweight Champion, and Ian Garry is on a 6-fight winning streak in his division. Garry has proven to be an elite striker, so it’s no surprise that Leon Edwards views him as a possible threat to his title in the near future.

7
Derrick Lewis got arrested last week

Why? Allegedly, he was driving 136 mph in a 50 mph zone on FM 2100 in a red Lamborghini. He allegedly passed a member of law enforcement while weaving in and out of traffic and making unsafe lane changes.

What about his fight? Lewis will still be competing tomorrow night in Brazil against Jailton Almeida. It’s a traffic violation, so he’s good.

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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.