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The positivity that the UFC once had regarding Conor McGregor’s return to the Octagon is “nowhere to be found.”

During Wednesday’s edition of The MMA Hour, host Ariel Helwani once again expressed doubt over whether or not the Irishman’s “greatest comeback in combat sports history” would actually happen. The week prior, everything appeared to be all systems go with Helwani reporting “great positivity” that the fight between McGregor and fellow TUF coach would headline UFC 303 on June 29 as advertised.

That no longer appears to be the case as a series of reports recently claimed that the promotion was putting out another round of “feelers” to come up with a “Plan B” in the event McGregor vs. Chandler is axed.

Optimism is ‘Not Very High’ on Conor McGregor’s Return at UFC 303

“On Monday of last week, I would say optimism level was not very high,” Helwani said on his show. “There was some concern, there was some doubt, there were road blocks. I came on this show on Wednesday and said optimism was high. There was great positivity, all those words I used. It felt like we had dodged a bullet, it felt like we had turned a corner.

“On Tuesday, I reported that the UFC was sending out feelers, they were reaching out to fighters and managers to see who could possibly be available to either replace the fight — meaning two new fighters — or step in and replace one of the fighters involved to fight on this card. Obviously the fighter we’re talking about is Conor McGregor, because if not, why would Chandler be ready to go on a plane to Dublin?

“So I said that it seemed we were all good, and by Wednesday, no feelers were being thrown out, no one was talking about this, really. It seemed as though all systems were a go.

“Yesterday morning I started to hear — as I continued to check in because I know there’s a lot of anxiety, a lot of doubt, a lot of concern about this because it’s such a big fight and because no one involved are speaking about this publicly, Chandler did the one interview and I think that squashed some concern, but no one is really talking about this — and I found out, via multiple sources, that they are reaching out to people again.

“They are reaching out to managers, they are reaching out to fighters, as potential replacements, as a new fight, as backups, as someone stepping in for McGregor, or just as insurance. Just in case. All these things are in play.

“One step further, here we are, Wednesday, 1:15, the positivity that I talked about exactly one week ago today is nowhere to be found. I would say this fight is very much in limbo. I would say it’s hanging on and the UFC is working very, very hard right now to figure out a Plan B. The Plan B could be someone stepping in to fight Chandler, the Plan C could be a whole new fight.”

As it stands, neither McGregor, Chandler nor the UFC have offered any explanation for why the fight could be in jeopardy. However, a report from MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin did confirm with sources that the fight appears to be in doubt due to an issue with McGregor, the likeliest scenario being an injury.

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Jake Paul is ready to step in and save UFC 303.

As it stands, Conor McGregor’s “greatest comeback in combat sports history” is up in the air as a new report from MMA Hour host Ariel Helwani suggests that the bout is “very much in limbo” a little more than two weeks out from fight night.

With the status of McGregor vs. Chandler up in the air, reigning bantamweight world champion Sean O’Malley is willing to step up and help save the card—so long as he gets to pick his opponent.

“I’ll fight @jakepaul to save UFC 303,” O’Malley wrote on X.

It didn’t take long for ‘The Problem Child’ to respond, accepting O’Malley’s challenge.

“MMA fight before Tyson,” Paul replied alongside a green checkmark. He also tagged the Professional Fighters League, the promotion expected to host Paul’s mixed martial arts debut sometime down the line.

It’s not the first time Paul has made mention of the drama surrounding the UFC’s pay-per-view event on June 29. Earlier this month, he claimed to have some insider information on the turmoil but refused to spill the tea.

“People keep asking me about Conor McGregor / UFC 303 Obviously, I know a lot about it, but I’m not going to talk about it publicly,” Paul posted. “For the first time probably ever in my life, I have no comment on something. That’s their world, and you know, they get pissed at me every time I talk about that stuff. Good for them and they’ll figure it out

Jake Paul already has a big money fight lined up for the fall

Of course, Paul has his own big-money match lined up. On November 15, he will step back inside the squared circle for a clash with former unified heavyweight boxing world champion ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson inside the 80,000-seat AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Originally the fight was scheduled to go down this summer on July 20, but after suffering a medical episode during a cross-country flight out of Miami, Tyson was forced to take a break from training. Fortunately, the incident was attributed to an ulcer flare-up and won’t affect the 58-year-old’s ability to compete later this year.

Paul is 9-1 in his pro boxing career with his lone loss coming against Tommy Fury, the younger brother of former WBO heavyweight titleholder Tyson Fury. Paul has since bounced back with a couple of first-round knockouts against a pair of no-name opponents under his Most Valuable Promotion’s banner.

Tyson, on the other hand, holds a career record of 50-6 with 44 of his victories coming by way of knockout. His scrap with Paul will be his first professional bout since a 2005 loss to Kevin McBride.

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After securing her third-straight win inside the Octagon, rising fan favorite Ailin Perez is ready for her first main event.

Perez moved her overall record to 10-2 at UFC 302, securing a unanimous decision victory over Joselyne Edwards.

With her popularity rising, ‘Fiona’ thinks it’s about time she gets a headlining spot on one of the promotion’s future cards—and she has a pretty big name in mind for her opponent.

“What I want is to fight in a five-round main event, with a preference to be against Kayla Harrison,” Perez told MMA Junkie in Spanish. “We want that fight because she’s the best fighter in the division and the person with the biggest name after me.

“Sorry girls, whether you like it or not, Ailin Perez is making waves on all platforms.”

Considering Perez is yet to break into the bantamweight top 15 while Harrison is sitting securely at No. 4, it’s safe to say that the Buenos Aires native has a lot of work to do before standing across the Octagon from the two-time Olympic Gold medalist.

However, ‘Fiona’ does have another name in mind—that being No. 10 ranked contender Norma Dumont. She even has the perfect way to market the fight to the UFC’s testosterone-fueled audience.

“Yeah, because if they give me Norma, I’ll fight her five rounds, no problem,” Perez said regarding a five-round bout being her priority. “That’s the war of the asses, and she’s been running for a while, so if she wants to fight, I’m down. She’s not booked, and neither am I, so let’s go.

… But yeah, ideally, I would like for it to be against Kayla Harrison or Norma Dumont, so I can kick her ass five rounds.”

Ailin Perez insists she is ready for the next step up in competition

After coming up short in her UFC debut against Stephanie Egger at featherweight, Ailin Perez has secured three wins in a row at 135, besting Ashlee Evans-Smith, Lucie Pudilova, and the aforementioned Joselyne Edwards.

Perhaps it’s time for Perez to take that next step up the ladder.

“I feel I can fight in a main event now,” Perez said. “I have the conditioning, and I’ve found the balance in this weight cut. I know how to cut the weight without suffering too much. When someone is confident they’re going to be world champion, they’re going to grab whatever opportunity, kill it, and come out on top.”

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Former UFC welterweight and middleweight champion Georges St-Pierre has hailed Islam Makhachev as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.

Makhachev is coming off his third defense of his lightweight title as he scored a fifth-round submission over Dustin Poirier. After the win, there was a debate if he or Jon Jones was the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. But, according to St-Pierre, he believes Makhachev is a top the list.

“He’s amazing,” St-Pierre said (via MMAFighting). “I think right now he’s the best pound-for-pound right now because of his last few performances. Just amazing. An amazing showcase of heart too, because he had a bad cut on his forehead, and Poirier gave him a tough time. Pushed the pace to the edge and I think that that fight is going to make Makhachev even better because these are the fights that make you grow.”

St-Pierre also thinks it will be a long time before Makhachev loses, if he ever does, as he calls the lightweight champ the best in the sport.

“I think in terms of skill, Makhachev right now is the best fighter, but that doesn’t mean if you’re the best that you always win,” St-Pierre said. “There’s a lot of other factors outside of our control that can influence the result. But I think Makhachev is the best, but even the best can lose sometimes.”

Georges St-Pierre says Islam Makhachev on track to being an all-time great

Islam Makhachev is currently 26-1 as a pro and coming off the win over Poirier. Although he has only defended his lightweight title three times, Georges St-Pierre says the Dagestani native is already on track to be one of the best ever.

“I think he’s already starting to get to that status because beating Volkanovski and now his last two performances are amazing,” St-Pierre said.

If Makhachev can continue to defend his belt, or win the welterweight title and become a champ-champ, it would only help cement his case.

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Despite being MMA’s first simultaneous three-division world champion Anatoly Malykhin is far from being a household name in the world of combat sports. However, a scrap with former UFC titleholder Francis Ngannou could change that.

Boasting an impressive 14-0 record with a 100% finish rate, ‘Sladkiy’ has established himself as one of ONE Championship’s most formidable foes across three different divisions. Starting with capturing the interim heavyweight belt, Malykhin inevitably traded in his temporary title for undisputed gold against the division’s former king, Arjan Bhullar—but not before becoming a two-division champion with a highlight-reel knockout of Reinier de Ridder to claim the light heavyweight title.

Determined to etch his name in the history books, Malykhin dropped down two weight classes, challenging de Ridder for the middleweight title at ONE 166 in Qatar. Though it took him a little bit longer the second time around, the result was the same. Malykhin finished ‘The Dutch Knight’ in round three to claim his third strap.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, Malykhin addressed a potential matchup with Ngannou, suggesting that he could be “a big problem” for the former UFC-turned-PFL superstar.

“I can say that my strong points are that I move better than him and also I do great body shots,” Malykhin said through an interpreter. “I think me on my feet would be a big problem for him.”

ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong has little interest in seeing Anatoly Malykhin fight Francis Ngannou

A fight between Anatoly Malykhin and Francis Ngannou would be a huge opportunity for the 13-year-old promotion as it continues to fight for its piece of the pie in the U.S. market, but ONE Championship’s founder and CEO, Chatri Sityodtong, doesn’t appear to be terribly interested in the heavyweight superfight.

Commenting on the potential showdown, Sityodtong made it clear that the hurdles of a cross-promotion with PFL are not the issue. It’s that he simply doesn’t believe Ngannou would be much of a challenge for his three-division star.

“I don’t think it would be competitive,” Sityodtong told MMA Fighting. “Francis has one-punch KO power, great striking, but he doesn’t have a ground game. I mean, genuinely [he has] blue belt level jiu-jitsu and no wrestling. Anatoly would take him down in a heartbeat. I don’t think it would be competitive, just to be very blunt, and I’m speaking as a lifelong martial artist. I’m trying to be as objective as possible, and I’ve been doing 40 years of Muay Thai and 15 years of jiu-jitsu. I’m just speaking from personal experience and I’m trying to be objective.

“We all know in all the different weight classes, wrestling is the one discipline that allows you to dictate where the fight takes place. If a wrestler wants to keep it standing, he keeps it standing. If he wants to take you down or she wants to take you down, they’ll take you down, especially a world-class wrestler — a Russian national team wrestler like Anatoly Malykhin. [But] we’ve always been open [to cross promotion].”

Before signing with the Professional Fighters League, Ngannou met with Sityodtong to work out a potential deal. ONE ultimately walked away from the negotiating table with the CEO noting that he and ‘The Predator’ were not fully aligned on “non-financial matters.”

Considering it’s been more than a year since Ngannou signed with the PFL and he has yet to make his Smart Cage debut, it kinda feels like Sityodtong made the right move.

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Despite the promotion of a UFC 303 main event featuring both Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler over the course of the weekend at the promotion’s return to Louisville, Kentucky, reports tonight have now claimed there is a sense of renewed “pessimism” for the bout between the two to take place as planned on June 29.

As per an initial report from Ariel Helwani, the organization have once more floated potential replacement and a new fight – or fights for the UFC 303 main event, with Conor McGregor’s ability to compete against Michael Chandler during International Fight Week once more called into question.

Renewed pessimism Conor McGregor faces Michael Chandler at UFC 303

“Latest on UFC 303:” Helwani posted on his official X account. “Around this time last weke, all the anxiety surrounding the UFC 303 main event seemed to dissipate. By Wednesday, no more feelers about replacements were being sent out. All systems seemed to be a go (again). Later in the week, Chandler did an interview with The Pivot about it being all good, and on Saturday UFC was promoting it again on the ABC fight night telecast. There was a scare about the fight being off and the scare appeared to be no more.”

“But since this morning, multiple sources are now saying feelers are being sent out again for June 29. for a replacement and/or new fight(s). In short, there seems to be pessimism all over again regarding the status of the 303 main event. Actually even more pessimism – it seems – than on Monday last week after the presser was cancelled at the last minute.”

“Is this insurance? Due diligence? Emergency replacement mode? Remains to be seen. It’s all developing (again). But it doesn’t appear as though we are out of the woods either way just yet. More to come, and hopefully a definitive answer one way or the other in the short order.” 

As mentioned, over the course of the weekend, Chandler claimed his fight with McGregor was “happening” as scheduled at UFC 303 despite speculation, before vowing to engage in a “head-on car crash collision” with the former two-weight champion when they meet at the welterweight limit. 

What are your thoughts on the developments around Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler’s fight at UFC 303?

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If Kayla Harrison can’t find any women willing to fight her, maybe she should just meet men inside the Octagon.

That was the sentiment expressed by Harrison’s manager and Dominance MMA founder Ali Abdelaziz during a recent appearance on Submission Radio.

“I think let’s make her fight some men,” Abdelaziz said. “And I believe she can win, beat all these guys I just mentioned. The UFC offered hundreds of thousands of dollars for a female fighter to accept a fight, and nobody wanted it. But they’re not going to have no choice. The UFC is going to have to strip them from the title or something. But listen, Hunter Campbell is working on this. They will get her a fight. But nobody wants to fight her” (h/t MMA Mania).

Harrison made her promotional debut at UFC 300 in April, earning a second-round submission victory over former bantamweight world champion Holly Holm. The victory thrust the two-time Olympic gold medalist into the No. 4 spot in the 135-pound rankings, putting her in position to challenge for the division’s top prize after just one fight.

Unfortunately, it seems like neither current champ Racquel Pennington nor top-ranked contender Julianna Pena are interested in scrapping with her.

Abdelaziz calls for kayla harrison to fight Aljamain Sterling and/or Merab Dvalishvili

Adding to his comments, Abdelaziz suggested that if Harrison has to take to fighting men just to get booked, she should immediately aim for the top, squaring off with the likes of former ex-titleholder Aljamain Sterling or Merab Dvalishvili.

“Merab (Dvalishvili) or Aljamain Sterling,” Abdelaziz added. “Yeah. I think it’s a very competitive fight. It’s not fair. It’s not, honestly, because if none of these girls want to fight her, let’s fight somebody at 135. Let’s fight some, you know, Rob Font. But I think her wrestling is too good for Rob Font.

“It’s not even a fair fight. Or maybe this Brazilian guy. What’s his name? Former champion. I think she’ll smash all these guys, honestly. Because none of these females, they’re gonna want to fight her. Especially after what she did to Holly.”

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After destroying his opponents in an insane 2v1 MMA fight, former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall is looking for something a little more traditional.

Making his mixed martial arts debut under the World Freak Fight League banner in Blackburn, England, Hall, absolutely obliterated social media influencers The Neffati Brothers. In the now-viral clip, Hall power-bombed one of the brothers before KO’ing him with a vicious right hand—all while fending off the other one.

After getting a taste for MMA, the 36-year-old strongman would love to throw hands with another former World’s Strongest Man, Mariusz Pudzianowski.

“I think someone like Mariusz Pudzianowski, he’s got 20 years experience in the game,” Hall said in a post-fight interview. “He’s still a big guy, still very strong and he is a hard bastard, there’s no denying that Mariusz Pudzianowski is very hard. I think the fans want to see a ‘World’s Strongest Man’ vs ‘World’s Strongest Man’, so there we go. If someone can bring the right deal to the table I know Mariusz is game, he’s always in my inbox sending me fighting emojis, so maybe this is it” (h/t MMA Fighting).

Pudzianowski is down for an MMA showdown with Eddie Hall

Hailing from Biała Rawska, Poland, Mariusz Pudzianowski is significantly more experienced inside the cage than Hall, having earned a 17-9 overall record while competing for KSW.

In a 2022 interview with the Daily Star Sport, Pudzianowski showed little interest in stepping inside the squared circle, but would happily accept a clash with either Hall or ex-Arnold Classic winner Thor Bjornsson in MMA.

“I’m not considering moving to boxing,” Pudzianowski said. “I have already focused on MMA and there will be no new challenge for me. MMA is probably the last challenge for me. But of course, with anyone – with Eddie or Bjornsson, I would enter the cage on the principles of MMA!”

In 2022, Eddie Hall first dipped his toe into the world of combat sports via a boxing match with Thor Bjornsson, best known by Game of Thrones fans as The Mountain. He lost the bout via unanimous decision after six rounds.

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UFC CEO Dana White is coming clean about his walkout on Howie Mandel’s podcast.

In the days leading up to UFC 298 in February, White appeared on a slew of podcasts to promote the event. Certainly nothing out of the ordinary, but one particular appearance made headlines.

Sitting down with actor and comedian Howie Mandel, White declared, “I am so f*cking tired of doing podcasts” before taking off his headset, getting up, and walking out mere seconds into the interview. Mandel and others in the studio sat in stunned silence.

As it turns out, the whole thing was staged as White and Mandel had already met earlier that same day and concocted the scheme.

“So what happened was I did the Sage Steele podcast when she called me Joe Rogan,” White said during an appearance on the Flagrant podcast. “First of all, Sage Steele and I are good friends, I love Sage. She asked me to be her first guest on the podcast, so I go out there. Now, the studio is owned by Howie Mandel where these podcasts take place. She was signed to Bill Maher’s podcast company and they’re all done there in Howie Mandel’s studio.

“So we get done with the podcast and Howie Mandel walks in and he’s like, ‘100 podcasts a week happen here, I’ve never watched any of them. I watched the whole podcast, love who you are, what you stand for,’ and all this stuff. We hit it off, started talking. Great dude.

“So he’s like, ‘Let me show you around the studio.’ He’s involved in all kinds of shit. He owns social media companies and all this other stuff. Howie Mandel owns a lot of shit that people don’t realize. Smart guy, great guy. So we’re walking through and stuff and he goes, ‘Would you do me a favor?’ I said, ‘Yeah, what’s up?’ He’s like, ‘Would you come in and get up and walk off my podcast?’ I go, ‘I would be f*cking honored to walk off your podcast because I’m so f*cking sick of doing podcasts, it’s not funny.’

“We go in there and do it, right? He’s like, ‘Take this to the grave.’ I said, ‘Done, I’ll take it to the grave.”

Why did Dana white spill the tea?

So why didn’t Dana White honor his agreement to take it to the grave? According to the man himself, as he was making another public appearance, a group of loyal UFC fans began an anti-Mandel chant. That’s when he decided to come clean and prevent any unwanted backlash being directed at Mandel over the pre-planned incident.

“I go do this thing with the Nelk Boys, we’re doing this ‘Monkeybomb’ f*cking tour, the whole f*cking crowd starts chanting, ‘F*ck Howie Mandel!’” White said. “I go, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, timeout, I can’t do this.’

“Howie Mandel’s the f*cking greatest dude ever. Sorry, Howie. It’s just when I go out and people just start f*cking sh*tting on the guy — and I’m sure he could give a flying f*ck — I couldn’t do it. So Howie Mandel’s f*cking awesome.”

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The Last StyleBender’ Israel Adesanya has been a bit quiet since his loss to Sean Strickland at UFC 293. The battle was vicious, and although Adesanya weathered an early storm, Strickland’s tenacity was just too much.

Israel Adesanya would end up losing his UFC middleweight title due to a decision loss, and he has been rebuilding himself ever since. Now, new footage has emerged showing just how deep these wounds may have cut into the man’s psyche.

Now, Roku, the streaming device provider/manufacturer: has launched a new series called Fight Inc. Inside the UFC. This series has highlighted some pivotal moments that have occurred recently in the UFC, with never-before-seen footage to boot.

Israel Adesanya’s family is shown reacting to his latest loss inside Roku’s new series

“You are still the champ,” Adesanya’s mother, Taiwo, said, giving her son a hug (H/T MMA Mania). “If you put your gloves down today, you are set for life. So don’t let anything bother you, okay?”

“It’s a good story for (Strickland), I’m proud of him,” Adesanya told his father Oluwafemi. “But I’m gonna get him. We’ll get him back, okay? I promise.”

Israel Adesanya’s coach, Eugene Bareman, tried to heal the heart of his fighter in the meantime. “We had an off night,” he said. “Couldn’t find what we wanted but we will find it again.”

As Dana White approached ‘Izzy’, the former champ still kept his head high. “Thank you for the opportunity,” he told White in a shot taken later. “Thanks for making that fight happen. Again, it doesn’t matter. Even if it’s his night, it doesn’t matter, it’s still history. It’s a good story for him, it’s a good story for America. It is what it is, that’s the game.”

When do you expect Israel Adesanya to return to the UFC?

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