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With speculation flying that the Conor McGregor’s UFC 303 return against Michael Chandler may be in jeopardy, bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley offered to save the event by fighting influencer-turned-boxer Jake Paul.  

“I’ll fight Jake Paul to save UFC 303,” O’Malley posted on social media on Wednesday.  Paul responded saying he’d ‘kill’ O’Malley in an MMA fight and called “Sugar” a ‘small man.’  

I’ll fight @jakepaul to save UFC 303

— Sean O'Malley (@SugaSeanMMA) June 12, 2024

MMA fight before Tyson ✅ @PFLMMA https://t.co/D5OYICXUx2

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) June 12, 2024

100% will kill Omalley in MMA

He’s a small man

PFL Vs UFC June 29th

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) June 12, 2024

Of course, the two are signed to different fight promotions with O’Malley holding the UFC’s 135-pound title.  Paul is signed to the Professional Fighters League (PFL) but hasn’t made his MMA debut yet.  He competes in the cruiserweight division in boxing.  Although a match between the two is a virtual impossibility and wouldn’t be sanctioned by any athletic commission, the two didn’t let that stop them from facing off on Thursday. 

Cleaning this boy up and getting the W @itscalledw_

June 29th PFL Vs UFC @SugaSeanMMA @RubiRose pic.twitter.com/IyujNTrOrG

— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) June 13, 2024

Paul was scheduled to take on Mike Tyson on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas but a medical scare forced the bout to be postponed until Nov. 15.  Paul is expected to still fight on the July fight card with reports swirling that he’s taking on Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship’s “Platinum” Mike Perry.  Paul last fought in March stopping Ryan Bourland in the first round.  

O’Malley is expected to meet top bantamweight contender Merab Dvalishvili later this year in his second title defense.  He successfully defended the belt at UFC 299 in March, defeated Marlon Vera in a one-sided unanimous decision.  

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When bantamweight Raul Rosas Jr. fought on Dana White’s Contender Series in September 2022, he was 17-years old.  He defeated Mando Gutierrez and earned a contract to fight in the big show.  

Rosas Jr. made his octagon debut three months later, after turning 18, at UFC 282.  He submitted Jay Perrin in the first round and remained an undefeated fighter.  That would change in his next fight.  In April 2023, at UFC 287, Rosas suffered his first career defeat losing via unanimous decision against Christian Rodriguez. 

He rebounded from the loss with back-to-back finishes, including a second-round submission win over Ricky Turcios at UFC Louisville last weekend.  Back on a win streak, the Mexican teenager wants to etch his name in the record books.  

Rosas aspires to be the youngest fighter to be crowned UFC champion.  Current heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones holds the record for being the youngest champion in UFC history.  At 19, Rosas believes that record is realistically within his grasps. 

“I think it (the record) has always been there.  I did take that loss, and it did set me back a little bit but I knew I was going to be back,” Rosas said during an appearance on The MMA Hour. 

“It depends,” Rosas answered when asked how old he expects to be when he gets a UFC title shot.  “Let me see.  If I get another fight this year, I’m thinking if I win, if I don’t get at Top 15 next, I think winning the next fight will get me a Top 15 and then fighting like three fights in the Top 15.  So, I think two or three years it will take me.”    

In three years, Rosas Jr. will be 22-years old.  Jones was 23 years, 242 days old when he finished Mauricio “Shogun” Rua with strikes in the UFC 128 main event in March 2011 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.        

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Following his UFC 300 win over Jim Miller, Bobby Green used his time on the microphone to call out Paddy Pimblett.  Pimblett responded accepting the challenge, and UFC matchmakers booked the fight.  The two clash on the UFC 304 main card on July 27 in Manchester, England.  

Green (32–15–1, 1 NC) will enter the bout ranked fifteenth in the 155-pound rankings.  A win would put Pimblett (21-3) in the rankings and extend his winning streak to eight consecutive fights.  Former two-division UFC champion Henry Cejudo gave his prediction for bout’s outcome on his YouTube channel and was surprised Pimblett accepted the match.  

“I’m actually surprised Paddy Pimblett took this fight, but it was about time.  It’s his sixth fight and now it’s time for him to fight somebody that’s actually worth a damn,” said Cejudo.  

“Bobby Green is dangerous, not just with his striking, but his takedown defense.  If Paddy Piimblett can not take this dude down, if it just comes down to the feet, this man right here (Bobby Green) is going to pack him up,” Cejudo continued.  “I’m going with Bobby Green because I just feel like it’s too much.  I guarantee you the UFC put the pressure on a guy like Paddy Pimblett.  ‘Hey man, you’ve got to fight somebody.  We can only promote you for so long before people just start getting sick of you.’  I think that’s the position they’re on to.  

“I just think, Bobby Green, his striking is just too damn good.  His takedown defense is too damn good.  And I just feel like that’s where the fight’s going to go then I have to go with the guy that has better striking.  So, I’m betting the house on Bobby Green.”  

UFC 304 takes place at Co-Op Live.  It will be the firth time the fight promotion has held an event in Manchester.  The fight card is headlined by a welterweight title bout between champion Leon Edwards and second-ranked Belal Muhammad.  The interim heavyweight championship is on the line in the co-main event with interim titleholder Tom Aspinall defending the belt against fourth-ranked Curtis Blaydes.            

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In the early days of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, when the sport was in its infancy, one of the first fan favorites to emerge was heavyweight brawler David “Tank” Abbott.  

Abbott made his promotional debut at UFC 6 in July 1995, in a featured open weight, eight-man tournament.  The tournament had no weight classes, or weight limits. The matches had no rounds. No judges were used. There was a 30-minute time limit in the finals and, if necessary, a five-minute overtime.

Abbott annihilated John Matua in just 20 seconds to advance to the semifinals.  He finished “The Polar Bear” Paul Varelans in under two minutes and punched his way to the finals.  Advancing on the other side of the basket and facing Abbott in the finals was “The Russian Bear” Oleg Taktarov.  The fight lasted nearly 18 minutes with Taktarov submitting Abbott for the tournament title.  Abbott blames the loss on referee John McCarthy.

“I would have won that fight if ‘Big’ John McCarthy wouldn’t have stuck his melon in-between us and break us up,” Abbott said on the Joe Rogan Podcast.  “He broke this fight up.  There were no rules.  Why did he do that?”

Abbott had top position after fending off a guillotine choke attempt early in the fight.  “Why did he break us up,” Abbott continued.  “He’s corrupt and he’s a crook.”  Abbott went on to accuse McCarthy of disliking him and trying to get him kicked out of the fight promotion.  McCarthy responded to Abbott’s comments on the Weighing In podcast.       

“When it comes to Tank, alcohol had a lot to do with swaying what he even remembers,” said McCarthy.  “He always believed that I hated him.  I’ve never hated Tank.  That was not the case.  There were times were I got pissed off at Tank.”

“He was drunk all the time,” McCarthy continued.  “He told Joe that I stood him up and I’m the reason he lost fight fight (against Taktarov).  This is the whole thing, the rules.  Tank is responsible for certain rules.  UFC 6, he’s the reason I said you can’t fishhook because he’s sticking his fingers in Oleg Takarov’s mouth trying to pull his lips apart.  So I was like, you can’t do that.  The only thing you can do to defend it is bite.  You can’t bite.  You can’t do the fishhook.  So he was responsible for that.  That was his first show.  I had to come up with the rules.  You can’t do that.  It doesn’t look good.    

“The show before, that [Royce] Gracie versus [Ken] Shamrock, if you go back and watch it, it was 36 minutes total.  31 minutes before we stopped it the first time and gave them a minute rest and a five-minute overtime.  The first 31 minutes was on the ground.  At the time, I was not allowed to stand people up, and I liked it that way.  I didn’t have to make any decisions.  It was real simple.  But because of that fight at UFC 6 they wanted me to stand people up.  And I was trying not to stand people up. They were like, ‘No.  No. You’ve got to stand people up.  If they’re just laying there, they’e got to get into action.'”

“I stood them up one time in an 18-minute fight… because he was blowing snot bubbles on the chest of Oleg Takarov,” McCarthy explained.  

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The “Notorious” Conor McGregor is set to make his return to the octagon on June 29 in the UFC 303 main event against Michael Chandler after three years on the sidelines.  Whether the fight will actually happen is debatable depending on who you ask.  

McGregor last fought in July 2021 in a trilogy bout against Dustin Poirier in the UFC 264 main event.  In the final moments of the opening round, McGregor suffered a broken leg.  He’s now fully recovered, and when his return bout was announced, it set the record for the highest gate in UFC history. 

Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen has felt a bit of anxiousness about the UFC 303 headlining matchup since a press conference to promote the event in Dublin was abruptly canceled earlier this month. Dublin is McGregor’s hometown.      

“Conor McGregor versus Chandler, is it on, or is it off?  I am very reserved at this point,” Sonnen said on his YouTube channel.  “Canceling the press conference, for me, is not something I can just look the other way.  We know we don’t have to have a press conference to have the fight.  We know we don’t have to have the press conference to have a successful fight, or a big fight.”

“I have never been able to get around the fact that the press conference was canceled.  Why was it canceled,” Sonnen questioned.  “I get that Conor wasn’t going to be there, but why was it canceled?  I can’t get around that.  We’ve had press conferences in the past where guys have not shown up.  We’ve had Conor McGregor press conferences where he did not show up.”  

Citing reports that the fight promotion has allegedly been putting out ‘feelers’ to find a late replacement and potentially considering booking a new fight altogether, Sonnen’s anxiousness about the fight happening grew.  Drawing from his experience in the industry, Sonnen suggested if McGregor doesn’t fight Chandler in the UFC 303 main event on June 29 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas that we may never see the Irishman fight again.  

Related: Drunken Tyson Fury escorted out of bar before collapsing on sidewalk

“If Conor McGregor doesn’t show up for this, I’m here to let you know that any idea that you have that he’s still fighting, or he’s still in the business, or he wasn’t feeling good and they’re doing it another day, or he and Chandler are going to be somewhere down the road – I’m here to tell you know now, if you’re told that by anybody, you have been given bad information,” said Sonnen.

“If McGregor does not show up on June 29 and fight Michael Chandler at 170 pounds, it is the exact same as announcing Conor McGregor’s retirement from this sport,” Sonnen continued.    

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Israel Adesanya has been away from the octagon for the longest time during his UFC tenure. Now, he and fellow City Kickboxing standouts Dan Hooker and Kai Kara-France may have just been confirmed for an upcoming event.

UFC 305 is set to take place at the RAC Arena in Perth, Australia. The most recent event down under saw Adesanya lose his middleweight throne to the persistent Sean Strickland. 

Though the event will be getting underway in two months’ time, no headlining bout has been announced. However, fan-favorite Dan Hooker insisted that he should be competing on August 17.

“I want that day. I want it on Perth, so I kind of stood my ground a little bit,” Hooker told Combat TV. “They said I’ll be on the card but I’ve just got no idea who I’ll be fighting.”

“I don’t care if they’re ranked, unranked, higher, lower, left, or right. I just want to be [fighting] on that date.”

Hooker then may have made a huge revelation on two other stars who could make an appearance on the card.

“You know, like, Kai [Kara-France] is on it, Izzy [Israel Adesanya] is on it. I just want to have fun with my mates.”

Related: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya confirmed for UFC 305?

He later doubled down on his belief that himself, Israel Adesanya, and Kai Kara-France will all be competing at UFC 305.

“We’ve stood our ground on Perth. The UFC said, ‘Yeah, we’ll get him on that date.’ And then, whoever. Whoever steps up, whoever steps forward. That’s kind of it now.”

“It could be absolutely anyone. Just that date, I’ll fight any man. Then I get to sit back, pop a beer, watch Kai fight, watch Israel fight, and have a good night out with my mates.”

At present, only Casey O’Neill vs. Tereza Bleda and Tom Nolan vs. Alex Reyes have been scheduled for the pay-per-view.

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Dana White has forever been a fan of Donald Trump. While his support is common knowledge, White recently took the time to plaster Trump with even more praise.

The former president of the United States is an avid mixed martial arts fan and has played a significant role in the rise of the sport. Still going strong at 77 years old, he can often be found receiving a standing ovation while attending big UFC pay-per-views.

Dana White has never hidden his support of Donald Trump through the good times and bad. In fact, the UFC CEO believes Trump is the greatest fighter he has ever seen.

“Number one. Number one. Take any of the greatest fighters of all time, Trump is number one,” White said during an interview with FOX News’ One Nation. “The most resilient human being that I have ever met in my life.”

“Why keep doing this, you know? You’ve got money, you’ve got a great life, you’ve got whatever. Why keep doing this?”

“The one thing I can tell you, and this is a fact, this guy loves this country, right. And he loves all Americans, regardless of what color, religion, or whatever it is.”

“He’s not a racist, he’s a good human being, and he loves America and he cares about this country. Period. End of story. If he wasn’t that type of guy, I would never even associate myself with him.”

Listen to Dana White heap praise on Donald Trump below.

Dana White says Donald Trump is the greatest fighter he’s ever seen. pic.twitter.com/N5SffS2flq

— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) June 10, 2024

Related: Khabib Nurmagomedov makes desperate plea to Donald Trump

Despite ongoing legal issues, Donald Trump still managed to make an appearance at UFC 302 less than two week’s ago.

Trump often supports his patriots during their high-stakes matchups. Sean Strickland, Colby Covington, and Jorge Masvidal are just three of the many that the 45th president of the United States has shown his support for.

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Amid his successful reign as the UFC lightweight champion, Islam Makhachev has his sights firmly set on a collision course with Conor McGregor.

The Dagestani has fulfilled all prior expectations and, in turn, is carrying the torch of his predecessor Khabib Nurmagomedov. Despite only recently defending his title for the third time, Makhachev seemingly has plans for his next fight inside the octagon. 

While discussing his potential future opponents, Islam Makhachev made a shock claim. Instead of opting to face credible contender Arman Tsarukyan, Makhachev claimed he would prefer to share the cage with Conor McGregor.

“To be honest, the McGregor fight looks more interesting,” Makhachev said. “In terms of media [attention] and in all respects.”

“But I don’t think he’ll even show up for his next fight. We’ve all seen that video, plus they canceled the press conference.”

Islam Makhachev then spoke about Conor McGregor’s return to the sport. While many are excited for his UFC 303 headliner, Makhachev doesn’t believe that the Irishman will have any success.

“I don’t think he’ll be able to make it to the fight. Even if he does, Chandler will win. He’s more focused, he’s been training hard, he looks more hungry.”

UFC Lightweight champ Islam Makhachev would pick a bout with Conor McGregor over Arman Tsarukyan – but doesn't think the Notorious will return to the octagon anytime soon.

Do you see this fight happening?

[Ushatayka/YT] pic.twitter.com/3wBkJGSiX3

— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 6, 2024

Related: Conor McGregor calls out Nurmagomedov family for steroid use

Conor McGregor is scheduled to make his long-awaited comeback to the UFC on June 29. 

The Dublin native is set to lock horns with Michael Chandler, though some doubts have been poured on the matchup.

Although Makhachev would prefer to wait for Conor McGregor to step up, he has a viable option in Arman Tsarukyan.

Tsarukyan secured the biggest win of his career last time out. Overcoming adversity in the bout, the Armenian rallied to defeat Charles Oliveira and steal the #1 spot in the lightweight rankings.

Makhachev and Tsarukyan have met once before earlier in their careers. The Russian earned a unanimous decision victory over the young challenger.

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Things have gone from bad to worse for Ryan Garcia of late, capped off by his recent arrest.

Garcia was escorted away from the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in Beverly Hills. The boxer was accused of vandalism and footage has surfaced of him being taken away by police in handcuffs.

Despite claiming his unusual behavior ahead of his Devin Haney fight was an act, the 25-year-old still seems to be struggling in day-to-day life. The boxing star is finding it difficult to evade controversial situations recently, as his aforementioned arrest adds to the negativity surrounding his name.

On Saturday evening, Ryan Garcia was placed under arrest and ushered away from a hotel in Beverly Hills. 

TMZ Sport snapped up the moment of arrest and have shared the video online. Watch it below.

Ryan Garcia was arrested for felony vandalism at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills on Saturday afternoon. Law enforcement sources say he trashed his room/hallway at the luxury hotel. Here was Ryan being taken away by BHPD.

It's been a roller coaster couple of months for… pic.twitter.com/BhUgRo4Dzi

— michael j. babcock (@mikejbabcock) June 9, 2024

Garcia allegedly damaged property in the hotel and had to be removed from the property–though he cooperated without further issues.

According to the reports, Garcia was under the influence of alcohol or drugs. 

Since the incident, one of Ryan Garcia’s representatives has spoken out on the matter.

“[Ryan Garcia] was taken by the BHPD to a local hospital for evaluation and treatment,” Garcia’s attorney Darin Chavez said. “And to our knowledge, may be charged with public intoxication.” [h/t TMZ Sports]

Related: Sean O’Malley hilariously mocks Ryan Garcia: ‘Interesting technique’

The arrest comes not long after Ryan Garcia was flagged and later found guilty of taking an illegal substance. Despite denying the allegations, Garcia’s upset win over Devin Haney–which was also the biggest result of his career–is now tainted.

Garcia is enduring a tough time and may have to deal with even more turmoil.

After making comments about the popular Prime Hydration beverage, the boxer has found himself in trouble.

Logan Paul wasn’t happy with Ryan Garcia’s comments and has decided to file a lawsuit against the combat sports athlete.

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Footage has surfaced which shows Israel Adesanya’s instant reaction to his defeat against Sean Strickland.

‘The Last Stylebender’ has been a mainstay in the UFC middleweight division since signing for the promotion in 2018. He then proceeded to take an astronomical rise to the top and is today considered one of the bigger names in mixed martial arts.

Love him or hate him, Israel Adesanya is one of the greatest combat sports athletes to ever step foot into the octagon. While some dislike him for staying true to himself, it’s hard for anybody to deny just how humble he can be in both victory and defeat.

His humble nature was on full display in the moments following his defeat at UFC 293. Instead of making excuses, Adesanya took time to praise Strickland for getting the job done while speaking to Dana White.

“Thank you for the opportunity. Thanks for making the fight happen,” Adesanya said in the aftermath of UFC 293. “And again, it doesn’t matter. Even though it’s his night, it’s still history.”

“It’s a good story for him, it’s a good story for America. It is what it is, it’s the game.”

Izzy after his loss to Sean, no excuses and full credit to Strickland

love him or hate him, this is how you handle a loss pic.twitter.com/exAgFHXYm2

— OOC MMA (@oocmma) June 9, 2024

Related: Dricus Du Plessis vs. Israel Adesanya confirmed for UFC 305?

Israel Adesanya made a promise to his father that he will avenge the defeat to Sean Strickland.

While both men are seemingly on different paths of their career, a future bout between the two is still a possibility–something Strickland has shown an interest in.

Though nothing has been made official, rumors are pointing toward Adesanya fighting for the middleweight title next.

Dricus Du Plessis is the head of the 185 lbs division and a fierce rival of Israel Adesanya. The pair have been in an ongoing feud for years and are speculated to collide in the headlining bout of UFC 305. The pay-per-view is set to take place on August 17, in Australia.

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