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Michael Chandler was preparing for the biggest fight of his career just a couple of weeks ago.  The three-time Bellator lightweight champion was scheduled to face former two-division UFC titleholder Conor McGregor in the UFC 303 main event on June 29.  That all went away when McGregor was forced out of the fight with an injury.  

Despite not competing on the fight card, Chandler still plans to attend the event at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.  In a video posted to social media on Tuesday, Chandler stated, “Your word is your bond, and if your word is no good then eventually you are no good.” 

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“I’m still going to UFC 303 much to the surprise of the UFC and everyone behind the scenes.  It’s the UFC X, the UFC Fan Experience.  It’s UFC 303: Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka, and just six days ago it was McGregor vs. Chandler.  It’s my card,” Chandler said.  “It was my card whenever I signed the bout agreement and signed my name to a piece of paper that said I would be at UFC 303.  I made a promise.  I made a commitment and that commitment still stands because your word is your bond and without your word you are no good.  If you can not be relied upon, if people don’t believe that you’re going follow through with what you say you’re going to do – The definition of integrity is doing what you say you’re going to do without fail.”

When McGregor was forced out of the fight due to injury, the fight promotion put together a completely new UFC 303 main event.  Chandler was pulled from the fight card altogether and a middleweight championship rematch between champion Alex Pereira and former titleholder Jiri Prochazka became the new event headliner.    

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The news broke on Tuesday that Jake Paul will indeed fight on July 20.  “The Problem Child” was slated to faced former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on that date, but Tyson was forced out of the fight with a medical issue.  

With Tyson out, Paul decided to stay on the July 20 fight card that will take now place in Tampa, Fla.  Paul will clash with former UFC welterweight and undefeated bare-knuckle fighter Mike Perry.  Perry is a dangerous opponent, and former two-division UFC champion Daniel Cormier believes “Platinum” is going to beat Paul at Amalie Arena next month.

“Can Mike Perry do in boxing what he does in bare knuckle,” Cormier questioned on his YouTube channel.  “Does that translate to boxing?”

Paul is coming off a first-round knockout win over Ryan Bourland in March. He’s 9-1 in his professional boxing career. Perry rejuvenated his career after leaving the UFC in 2021. He was signed by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) and is undefeated in the fight promotion with wins over former UFC champions Eddie Alvarez and Luke Rockhold. Perry last fought in April, stopping Thiago Alves in the first round.  He also holds BKFC win over Michael “Venom” Page.   

“Can Mike Perry stalk him in the way that he stalks guys in bare knuckle?  And does the damage make Jake Paul start to question himself like it did to Luke Rockhold, like it did to Thiago Alves?  He hurt Eddie Alvarez bad.  Bad.  These are tough guys,” Cormier said. 

Related: Sean O’Malley: ‘Conor McGregor’s time is running out’

“What we’ve learned about Jake is that he possesses enough skills to cause problems for many in the boxing ring.  He’s going to be bigger than Perry.  He’s going to have more boxing experience than Perry.  But does that equate?  If I’m being honest with you, I believe that Mike Perry wins this fight.  I think Mike Perry is going to make this fight just ugly enough to beat Jake,” Cormier continued.  

Perry is aggressive, hits hard, and isn’t easily broken.  He comes to fight ever single time and has become the face of BKFC.  Cormier admitted that he’ll be tuning in to watch.   

“I’m going to watch this one.  100 percent I am going to watch this one,” he said.  “I’m excited.  I like that one.  This is probably the most exciting fight I’ve had for Jake Paul, but I believe he gets beat.  Jake Paul gets beat July 20th.  

Paul is expected to face Tyson on Nov. 15 at the originally slated venue, AT&T Stadium, in Arlington, Texas.  It’s unclear what a potential loss to Perry would do to the November match with Tyson.     

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The list of the biggest stars in UFC history is a short one.  Toping the list would be former two-division champion Conor McGregor, and by a large margin.  He holds eight spots in the top 10 most UFC pay-per-view buys.  McGregor’s stardom is what every fighter is after.

One of the fighters aiming for superstardom is bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley.  Already widely popular, O’Malley also has a thriving social media following that generates most of his income.  

“I made a lot of money fighting but I made triple that from social media. From Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, all these different social medias. I made triple the amount I made fighting,” O’Malley said in an interview with Bradley Martyn last month.  

“As long as Conor’s even in the f***ing possibility of fighting, he’s going to be the biggest thing.” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel.  “I don’t think I’ll ever be bigger than Conor while Conor is still around.  But Conor, his time is running out.  I haven’t even reached my prime yet.”

McGregor will be 36 next month.  He was scheduled to make his long-awaited return on June 29 in the UFC 303 main event against Michael Chandler but was forced out of the bout due to injury.  Matchmakers pulled Chandler from the fight card and replaced the main event with a middleweight title bout between champion Alex Pereira and former titleholder Jiri Prochazka.      

McGregor last fought at UFC 264 in July 2021.  A trilogy bout between the Irishman and Dustin Poirier headlined the event.  In the closing seconds of the opening round, McGregor suffered a broken leg.  It was the last time McGregor stepped foot inside the octagon.  

O’Malley, 29, won the 135-pound championship by stopping Aljamain Sterling in the first round at UFC 292 in August 2023.  He successfully defended the title in March, avenging a previous loss to Marlon Vera in a one-sided unanimous decision.  He’s expected to face top contender Merab Dvalishvili later this year.  

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Jake Paul will fight on July 20 as previously planned.  The influencer-turned-boxer takes on “Platinum” Mike Perry in a boxing match in Tampa, Fla.  Paul was scheduled to faced Mike Tyson on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas but a medical issued forced Tyson to push the bout back until Nov. 15.  Paul now has a new opponent and the event has a new location.  

Most Valuable Promotions and DAZN made the announcement on Tuesday, and Paul shared the announcement on his social media accounts.

Jake Paul vs Mike Perry – Sat, July 20th

After the rescheduling of Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson to Friday, November 15th, Jake Paul has decided to take an interim fight to prepare for “Iron Mike” by taking on the Bare Knuckle Champion and MMA Star, Platinum Mike Perry – FEAR NO MAN… pic.twitter.com/9phFVzlkMK

— Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) June 18, 2024

“After the rescheduling of Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson to Friday, November 15th, Jake Paul has decided to take an interim fight to prepare for “Iron Mike” by taking on the Bare Knuckle Champion and MMA Star, Platinum Mike Perry – FEAR NO MAN – Saturday July 20th, from Tampa Florida, live on DAZN pay-per-view,” read a statement by MVP.   

“Amanda Serrano, the Unified Featherweight Champion will also be fighting in the co-main event, taking on a Top-10 IBF, WBO and WBA ranked Stevie Morgan who comes in with a 14-1 record with 13 KOs. Also on the card is a rematch of the best fight in Most Valuable Prospects history! Tony Aguilar (12-0-1, 4 KOs) will take on Corey Marksman (9-0-1, 7 KOs) after the two faced off in a WAR that resulted in a draw on Most Valuable Prospects 5 in February 2024.”

Paul is coming off a first-round knockout win over Ryan Bourland in March. He’s 9-1 in his professional boxing career.  Perry rejuvenated his career after leaving the UFC in 2021.  He was signed by Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and is undefeated in the fight promotion with wins over former UFC champions Eddie Alvarez and Luke Rockhold.  Perry last fought in April, stopping Thiago Alves in the first round.    

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In the absence of MMA training, Conor McGregor has turned his attention to the sports betting world. Since making a name for himself under the UFC banner, money has seemingly followed McGregor both inside and outside of the sport. The Irishman has become an uber-successful businessman, managing to be the driving force for several well-known company’s throughout the years.

While he has been forced to take a break from competing due to an injury, Conor McGregor has decided to venture into the world of sports betting. With the Euros getting underway earlier this week, McGregor opted to put $ 60k on global superstar Cristiano Ronaldo to earn the golden boot award.

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A post shared by Conor McGregor Official (@thenotoriousmma)

Aged 39, Cristiano Ronaldo will be hoping to spearhead Portugal to another Euros victory this summer.

Known for his goal scoring prowess, Ronaldo holds the record for the most collective goals in Euros history with 14. Alongside that feat, the Portuguese phenom is the first player to ever feature at six separate Euros tournaments — which takes place every four years.

Portugal played their opening game against Czech Republic on Tuesday, stealing a late 2-1 win in the dying moments. Ronaldo was not on the score sheet for the game.

Conor McGregor’s UFC future

Hoping Cristiano Ronaldo captures the golden boot for the second time is the least of Conor McGregor’s problems.

Related: Michael Chandler unphased by Conor McGregor fight doubt

After a lengthy spell on the sidelines, ‘The Notorious’ sustained an injury just two weeks before he was set to compete at UFC 303 — leaving his UFC future in doubt.

Many have weighed in on the situation, with some believing his time to compete is running out.

Dana White was among those who commented on the injury. The UFC CEO isn’t prepared to speak too much on McGregor, and will only entertain fight talk on the former two-division world champion once he returns from his layoff.

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Michael Chandler has always exuded motivation, and that remains the same amid the doubt surrounding his fight with Conor McGregor.

No matter whether he wins or loses inside the octagon, Chandler has earned the fans’ respect over the years. Throughout his career, the heavy-handed wrestler loves nothing more than entertaining the viewers and that has remained the same for the entirety of his 15-year span in MMA.

After news of Conor McGregor’s injury broke, Michael Chandler shared a reaction on social media. Today, he has done so again, this time insisting that he thrives under these circumstances.

“I got the rug pulled out from underneath me at the last possible moment,” Chandler said on Instagram. “So what do I do now? A little bit of uncertainty in my life.”

“When’s this fight going to happen? What date would it be re-booked for? What venue? How bad is the injury? Reports have come out that it’s not that bad, just needs a little bit of a delay.”

“But, still no guarantees. But, I thrive when there are no guarantees.”

Chandler continued, urging fans not to pity him despite losing several years of his final years in combat sports sat on the sidelines.

“Don’t you dare disrespect me by feeling sorry for me. Don’t you dare disrespect me by having any kind of sympathy.”

“Be emboldened by my situation. Be emboldened by my steadfastness and my immovability, of hitching my dreams to a shooting star and continuing to move forward.”

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A post shared by Michael Chandler (@mikechandlermma)

Related: Conor McGregor releases statement after UFC 303 withdrawal

Conor McGregor’s return from a broken leg was set to be one of the biggest moments in the sport’s history. While that will now undoubtedly change, the UFC 303 pay-per-view broke a record for the highest gate in the organisation’s history.

Those tickets have now been refunded and a lower price has been set. While those attending will no longer get to watch McGregor, they will witness a brilliant light heavyweight title rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka.

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Conor McGregor drove a dagger through the heart of fans after he was forced out of the UFC 303 main event. Days after the unfortunate announcement, Dana White has broken his silence on the situation.

The Irishman has spent several years building hype for his eventual return to the cage, but fans will have to wait even longer to see him in action. It has been almost three years since ‘The Notorious’ suffered the injury that threatened to end his career.

Conor McGregor was originally scheduled to compete at UFC 303, but an injury got in the way of his comeback. Surprisingly, this wasn’t the only high profile fight that fell through this week.

For the first time since the news broke, Dana White has discussed the recent bad luck surrounding UFC events.

“It’s been interesting because we had to switch the Saudi main event, which is next weekend,” White said during an interview with the Sports Business Journal. “You know what I mean? It’s f***ing days away.”

“So for us to put in this guy who is 15-1, he’s Muslim and his only loss is to Khamzat Chimaev, and everyone in the division said no to fighting him except Robert Whittaker.”

Moving on from the Saudi Arabia card, Dana White then gave his thoughts on Conor McGregor being forced out of UFC 303.

Related: Conor McGregor releases first statement since UFC 303 withdrawal

“It’s the business, man. This is the way it goes. And from here on I’m not going to talk about it until when he’s healed and he’s right. Then we’ll look at the landscape and see what we can figure out.”

The rematch between Alex Pereira and Jiri Prochazka will now take center stage as the new main event of UFC 303. While it’s not a Conor McGregor fight, the light heavyweight title matchup has been well received by fans.

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The UFC Apex in Las Vegas hosted Saturday’s UFC Vegas 93 event.  Headlining the fight card was a flyweight bout between fifth-ranked Alex Perez and 13th-ranked Tatsuro Taira. Both men officially weighed in at 126 pounds on Friday.  

Perez entered the fight having snapped a three-fight losing streak in his last outing.  Coming off a knockout win over Matheus Nicolau in April, Perez was looking to build momentum.  Taira made the walk to the octagon undefeated in his six-year mixed martial arts career.  The Japanese fighter was looking to extend his impressive winning streak and leap into contender status.  

After a brief period of striking, the two clinched early in the opening round.  Perez connected with leg kicks while Taira fought behind his jab.  Perez pressed forward with a flurry of punches before returning to the center of the cage.  Taira clinched and tried to deliver knees.  Perez pushed him away.  Taira landed an uppercut as Perez moved into the pocket.  They clinched before quickly separating.  Taira accidentally poked Perez in the eye.  Perez was given time to recover and the fight resumed.  

The two took the center of the cage when the bout was restarted.  Taira tried to land a leaping knee but Perez took him down.  Taira wasted no time getting back to his feet.  The round ended with each fighter missing with kicks.  

Perez rushed forward with a flurry.  Taira tied to clinch but Perez pushed him away.  Perez was poked in the eye again.  Referee Herb Dean warned Taira but did not take a point.  The fight resumed and Taira landed a right hand.  Perez responded with a combination.  Perez delivered a counter combination and continued to land leg kicks.  Taira changed levels and took Perez down.  Perez looked to stand and Taira took his back.  Perez stood but Taira stayed on him.  Taira drug Perez to the canvas and Perez tapped out.  He appeared to have suffered a leg injury.  

The official time of the stoppage was 2:59 of the second round.  Taira extended his unbeaten stream to 16 fights and will likely move up several spots in the rankings.    

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Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva and former title challenger Chael Sonnen fought in an exhibition boxing match in Brazil on Saturday.  It was a trilogy match for the former UFC rivals.  

Sonnen and Silva first fought at UFC 117 in August 2010.  Sonnen was a heavy underdog heading into the fight but thoroughly dominated Silva for the first four rounds.  Just after the midway mark of the final frame, after being taken down again, Silva locked on a triangle choke and pull victory from the jaws of defeat.  

In the rematch at UFC 148 in July 2012, Silva finished Sonnen in the second round.  The trilogy match took place inside a boxing ring Sao Paulo.  It was billed as Silva’s final fight in his native country.  

The bout was an exhibition match and both fighters approached the opening round as a light sparring session.  Sonnen pressured Silva and the two exchanged but appeared to be holding back on their punches.  Silva worked behind his jab while Sonnen pressed forward.  They were touching each other with punches but there was no power on them.

The second round saw the same holding back by both men.  It became clear that the exhibition match was for show than it was for competition. 

Silva picked up the pace in the third round popping his jab repeatedly in Sonnen’s face.  He went to the body and head and showed that he’s still got some footwork and hand speed on the cusp of 50.  In the closing moments of the round, Sonnen backed Silva into the corner and delivered punches to the body.  The round ended with Silva connecting with a combination.    

Sonnen pursued Silva in the early going of the fourth frame.  Silva kept him on the outside with his jab.  Neither fighter looked to hurt the other.  

The volume of punches and the output of both fighters picked up in the final round.  But there wasn’t a power shot thrown in the entire “fight,” although Sonnen did have blood trickling from his nose.  Because it was an exhibition match, a winner was not declared.  The fight ended in a draw.    

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UFC Vegas 93 took place on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.  Headlining the fight card was a flyweight bout between fifth-ranked Alex Perez and 13th-ranked Tatsuro Taira.  

Taira won via TKO in the second round after Perez was injured while being taken down.  He extended his undefeated record to 16-0 and will leap into contender status in the rankings.   

UFC Vegas 93 Post-Fight Press Conference

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