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Jasmine Jasudavicius hates the idea of inflicting pain on her opponents and finds it difficult to shut off her empathy on fight week.

She found it a little easier to do both, however, after her UFC 297 opponent, Priscila Cachoeira, came in well over the 125-pound weight limit for the fight, requiring them to fight at 135 pounds.

“In the first round, when I had her there [on the ground], I was kind of going for the finish, but I was like, ‘No, I had to suffer all through camp. I had to suffer so much. This is unfair. You’re not taking this from me.’ And so I gave a little bit extra.”

Or a lot extra. By the time the fight was called off in the third round, Jasudavicius had landed 326 strikes to Cachoeira’s 26. There was so much blood coming from Cachoeira’s face, it stained her fight uniform. One veteran MMA judge, Sal D’Amato, scored the second round 10-7 for Jasudavicius, indicating the fight could have been stopped in the middle frame.

“I did try to finish her,” Jasudavicius said. “I did get to a point where I was like, enough is enough. Turn your back, give me your neck. But I have to do the job in there. I don’t see her as a person. It’s like, this is my enemy, and I just have to keep going through this process until its finalized.”

Until she stepped into the octagon with Cachoeira, Jasudavicius wasn’t convinced she’d get to finish her work. When UFC matchmaker Mick Maynard’s name showed up on her caller ID prior to weigh-ins, she knew it was bad news.

“He could hear it in my voice,” she said. “He said, ‘There’s a problem with her weight.’”

Jasudavicius put the phone down so her coaches could listen. She couldn’t focus. A dream hometown fight – she resides about an hour from the event’s host, Scotiabank Arena, in Toronto – was now in jeopardy. One of her teammates poked fun at a single tear that fell from her eye after the call.

Eventually, her team returned to propose a 130-pound catchweight fight. She went downstairs, she said, to find the UFC’s nutritionist and “just start eating.” Then they proposed a 132-pound catchweight. By then, she was getting more an more agitated and took a walk to clear her head.

Ambling around the hallways of the host hotel, she wound up running into Cachoeira and her coach.

“I said, ‘Hey, 130, come on, please,” Jasudavicius said of her response to seeing the Brazilian fighter. Her coach kind of translated, and she was saying something – she was, like, rubbing her stomach and speaking, but I couldn’t understand her, and her coach was saying she’s having a tough weight cut, and then I just said, ‘Please, please, like, let’s do [130], I’ll pray for your health.’”

But at that point, the concern was that Cachoeira was having so many problems cutting weight, she might not even be able to make 130, or even 132. So they proposed a bantamweight bout – a full weight class above the fight Jasudavicius signed for.

“[My coach] Chris comes up and tells me we’re gonna do the fight at 135, because we’re worried if we make the fight 132 and she still misses the weight, then the commission’s gonna call it off completely. Like Ontario Commission, they don’t mess around with anything. I’m just like, ‘OK, whatever, sure.’ I knew I was fighting regardless of whatever weight it was.”

Jasudavicius weighed in at 133 pounds, drinking water before she stepped on the scale. The fight was on, but she was furious at her opponent.

“This camp was over Christmas, and it was over the holidays, and I like enjoying Christmas with my family. They make really delicious food, and to celebrate New Year’s and spend time with my friends and family, it’s a big thing. Every time I have to sacrifice, there’s a little piece of me that goes into this fire. It’s a little bit of fuel every time I don’t get to have that treat when I would have liked to, a little bit of fuel if I can’t put as much butter on my potato as I like to.

“And so by the time I get to fight week, that cup was really full. So then the weight miss on top of it, it was just like, here’s some gasoline on top of this. Let’s go berserk. I just felt like my whole body had just like poison inside. I was just wanting to get it out.”

Instead, she took her coaches’ advice and harnessed it for her performance. It made her job much easier.

“It’s very challenging on fight week to turn off emotion and not see her as a person anymore,” she said. “Seeing blood come out of her when I punch her, this is not an enjoyable thing. I understand it, and I hate that in martial arts there’s like a winner and a loser, and I hate that she has to feel the pain of loss and the physical pain. That sucks. But I understand that’s like the by-product of being in this sport, and going into fight week, I have to turn that emotion off, because I could be that person on the bottom taking that.”

Jasudavicius picked up a win, her fourth in six UFC outings. She is back on the right side of the resume, and she picked up 30 percent of Cachoeira’s fight purse for the weight miss. But this trip to the octagon didn’t come without a toll.

“Even now, I’m like exhausted – emotionally, physically, mentally, all that,” she said. “I’m still exhausted from it.”

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The relationship between Japanese MMA icon Shinya Aoki and ONE Championship CEO Chatri Sityodtong has seen better days.

On Sunday, Aoki returned to the ring at ONE 165 in his home country expecting to square off with ‘Super’ Sage Northcutt. Instead, ‘Tobikan Judan’ ended up fighting former ONE bantamweight world champion John Lineker in a remarkably short-notice openweight MMA bout. Given their significant size difference and opposing skill sets, Aoki made quick work of Lineker, earning a first-round submission via neck crank.

Following the bout, Aoki spoke with ONE commentator Mitch Chilson in the ring where he was asked about why he accepted the fight with Lineker. “Since he asked me to, there was no other choice, but to do it,” Aoki said, the “he” referring to Sityodtong.

However, it appeared as though Aoki had said something else that the translator either missed altogether or chose to omit. According to X user @puraiya, the former ONE lightweight titleholder shared his disdain for the promotion’s founder in his comments to the live crowd.

“When my relationship to Chatri, a man I thought of as a friend, became one of “boss and employee”, I really came to f*cking hate him… but when that guy asks something of me, I guess I have no choice.”

We can’t confirm the 100% accuracy of the translation provided, but during Aoki’s post-fight interview, there was a very noticeable moment of awkward silence from the crowd, indicating that he had said something more than what the translator revealed.

Fans tuning in and sharing their thoughts on social media were seemingly clued into what Aoki was saying.

One wrote, “I love how much the translator was stuttering trying to figure out what to say,” while another added, “I realized the awkward silence of the crowd for a sec.”

Chatri Sityodtong Has a History of Disrespecting Japanese Fighters Despite Desperately Trying to Break into the Market

It’s unclear what the issue, if any, is between Aoki and Sityodtong, but could it have something to do with the CEO’s continued disrespect towards Japanese fighters as a whole.

“The biggest challenge for Japan is… If you look at the last several years, it doesn’t matter which discipline, Japanese fighters come into ONE and they get crushed,” Sityodtong said in a post-fight press conference. In order for ONE Championship to blow up in Japan, we need the best of the best in Japan — K-1, Rise, RIZIN — they’re the best in Japan, but when they come to ONE Championship, they lose. If you look at the Japanese record, there’s a lot of losses in ONE.”

Sityodtong also kickstarted a war of words with K-1 producer Carlos Kikuta after the ONE CEO shot down the possibility of co-promoting an event with K-1, saying, “It’s a tiny organization and the level is very low.”

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After his comments about the UFC 297 main event between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis weren’t received well by some fans, Jon Anik lashed out and insisted his time in the sport may be coming to an end.

While many sided with the veteran commentator, others hit back at him for the remarks he made about fans. The 45-year-old hinted at a move to the NFL and labeled MMA supporters ‘the lowest common denominator’, which he later retracted.

Following the comments, Jon Anik released a statement and apologized for what he said while on his podcast. The UFC’s lead play-by-play man took the entire blame for his reaction, insisting he was emotional at the time.

“Last week on my podcast, I was in a heightened emotional state following myriad allegations of bias at UFC 297,” Anik said in response to fans. “And I made some regrettable comments relating to the MMA fan base.”

“While I was surprised at the extent to which my comments were re-purposed and sensationalized, I need to be more responsible on an open microphone.”

“So much work goes into the execution of just one UFC pay-per-view so it can be tough when my integrity on broadcast is called into question. That doesn’t excuse my extort.”

Anik continued in his heartfelt message to fans and apologized to anyone who may have been offended by his words.

Related: Sean Strickland ROASTS Jon Anik over leaving MMA comments

“I am just a fiery, passionate, flawed, empathetic guy and sometimes my emotions lead the dance. To those MMA fans whom I’ve offended, I am sorry. That was not my intention.”

“For 12 years, I’ve prided myself on being accessible to the fan base and that will continue. I’ve learned a lot over the last 48 hours. On to Anaheim.”

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It wasn’t only the fans who took offense to Anik’s earlier comments. Former middleweight champion Sean Strickland lauded the supporters for sticking up for themselves.

Strickland claimed that without those fans, Jon Anik wouldn’t receive a paycheck and he ought to treat them with a little more respect.

It now seems the commentator is attempting to put the unnecessary war of words behind him and continue delivering memorable performances in the UFC booth. As stated by the man himself, on to Anaheim.

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UFC 300 is expected to deliver a loaded lineup for the promotion’s historic April event.

Following one of the most chaotic years in recent memory, the UFC will bring UFC 300 to its home base of Las Vegas on April 13. UFC CEO Dana White has promised one of the most stacked, and perhaps, unpredictable lineups in company history.

With four title fights already on the books for the first quarter of the year, including Sean Strickland vs. Dricus Du Plessis for the middleweight title, and Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Raquel Pennington for the vacant women’s bantamweight title at UFC 297, Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria for the featherweight title at UFC 298, and Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera for the bantamweight title at UFC 299, there’s a number of directions the UFC could go in terms of booking potential blockbuster fights.

Will UFC 300 mark the long awaited return of the sport’s biggest star in Conor McGregor? Time will tell as the countdown to UFC 300 is officially on.

For now, keep this page bookmarked: We’ll have a rundown of every fight announced, rumors, athletes raising their hands and calling their shots, and more.

Current UFC 300 fight card:

Zhang Weili vs. Yan Xiaonan

Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway — BMF title fight

Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan

Kayla Harrison vs. Holly Holm

Aljamain Sterling vs. Calvin Kattar

Jiri Prochazka vs. Aleksandar Rakic

Cody Garbrandt vs. Deiveson Figueiredo

Jim Miller vs. Bobby Green

Bo Nickal vs. Cody Brundage

Sodiq Yusuff vs. Diego Lopes

Jessica Andrade vs. Marina Rodriguez

Jan. 28: Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler are at it again

Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler are set for a summertime showdown… right?

Fans may be glued to social media for the next little while as McGregor tweeted his interest in UFC 300, with Chandler answering the call shortly after.

There’s no way to tell what McGregor and the UFC actually have planned as the former two-division champion recently announced himself that he would be fighting Chandler in a middleweight bout on June 29 (the UFC is yet to announce anything officially for McGregor).

Chandler is locked into the matchup, but could McGregor shock the world with a surprise fight at UFC 300 against someone else entirely?

Jan. 26: Dana White promises jaw-dropping main event announcement

Dana White has promised fans that UFC 300 will be as loaded as it can possibly be, and while fans seem to believe the main event could see the rivalry between new champ Dricus du Plessis and Israel Adesanya be settled, perhaps things could trend in a different direction.

Earlier this week on an Instagram live, White said that when it’s announced, fans won’t be ready for it.

“You guys can’t handle the main event,” White said. “We’re working on a couple of different options. Trust me, the UFC 300 main event is going to be crazy.”

Jan. 26: Strawweights take center stage

Another fight has been added to the April 13 lineup as the promotion revealed that former champion Jessica Andrade will remain at strawweight to face Marina Rodriguez.

After both women put vicious beatings on their most recent opponents, both Andrade and Rodriguez will look to get back into title contention in one of the most consistent divisions in the sport.

Jan. 24: Big moves

In a stunning announcement, two-time Olympic champion and two-time PFL champion Kayla Harrison has jumped ship from PFL to face Holly Holm at UFC 300. Harrison, 33, is expected to make her bantamweight debut after fighting her entire MMA career at lightweight and featherweight. Holm, 42, is a former UFC bantamweight champion.

Also joining the card is a battle between featherweight veteran Sodiq Yusuff and MMA Fighting’s 2023 Rookie of the Year Diego Lopes.

Jan. 16: BMF title back up for grabs

In a surprise move, UFC CEO Dana White announced Tuesday that Justin Gaethje is set to defend his BMF title against Max Holloway in a lightweight matchup at UFC 300.

White also announced that Jim Miller will get his wish following his third-round submission of Gabriel Benitez at UFC Vegas 84. The current record-holder for the most bouts and wins in UFC history, Miller faces fellow longtime veteran Bobby Veteran in a lightweight bout on the card, per White. Miller is shooting to become the only fighter to compete at UFC 100, UFC 200, and UFC 300.

Jan. 12: Cody Garbrandt gets his wish

UFC CEO Dana White announced Friday a long-awaited matchup between former champions Cody Garbrandt and Deiveson Figueiredo is the latest addition to UFC 300.

Garbrandt called for a matchup against Figueiredo following his latest knockout win over Brian Kelleher at UFC 296. The two former champions were previously booked to meet in August 2020 with Garbrandt moving down in weight and challenging for Figueiredo’s then-held flyweight title, however Garbrandt was forced to pull out of the contest due to illness.

Now they’ll get a chance to settle their business on one of the biggest cards of the year.

Jan. 13: Jim Miller calls out Paul Felder and Matt Brown following UFC Vegas 84 win

Jim Miller has been linked to UFC 300 for years, and there was another hurdle he needed to leap over, and that was his UFC Vegas 84 bout with Gabriel Benitez. Miller extended his UFC win record with a third-round submission victory, and then turned his attention to the April pay-per-view event.

Following the win, “A-10” showed interest in fighting Paul Felder, who was doing commentary for the event, as well as Matt Brown for a potential shootout on the historic card — along with a hilarious callout of Brock Lesnar.

Miller has to be on the card, and at the end of the day, the opponent doesn’t really matter, but either Felder or Brown would be excellent opponents for the veteran lightweight that competed at both UFC 100 and UFC 200.

Jan. 11: Nate Diaz wants to headline UFC 300 after missing out on UFC 200

Nate Diaz might be interested in coming home again.

After he was originally scheduled to headline UFC 200 against Conor McGregor back in 2016, Diaz now likes the idea of returning to his old stomping grounds to potentially serve as the UFC 300 main event instead.

Diaz took to Twitter on Thursday to tease the possible reunion after hitting free agency following his last fight in the octagon — a win over Tony Ferguson in 2022.

“I was supposed to headline UFC 200,” Diaz wrote. “Headline UFC 300 would be better.”

The original plan for UFC 200 was to set with McGregor and Diaz squaring off in a rematch but the bout was ultimately delayed until UFC 202 two months later.

Diaz remains on good terms with the promotion with UFC CEO Dana White often saying that he would welcome the Stockton, Calif. native back if he ever wanted to return. As UFC 300 continues to wait on a headliner, Diaz has at least made an offer that his former bosses might have to consider.

Jan. 9: Alex Pereira says he’s ‘back,’ but will it be at UFC 300?

Light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has been attached to this card already with his math equation that led to remarkable speculation.

Pereira posted to Instagram on Tuesday a photo of himself with the championship wrapped around his waist with a caption of “DE VOLTA,” which translated says “BACK.”

While an announcement hasn’t been made in regards to Pereira’s timeline, UFC 300 is currently without a main event, and with Pereira ending 2023 which incredible momentum, the UFC could certainly put “Poatan” in a spot to capitalize on it.

Jan. 7: Dana White announces Charles Oliveira vs. Arman Tsarukyan for UFC 300, confirms Dustin Poirier will be at UFC 299

One former lightweight titleholder has been booked for UFC 300, while another is now set to compete a month earlier.

UFC CEO Dana White officially announced that Charles Oliveira is set to fight Arman Tsarukyan in a bout that is expected to determine the next challenger for lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. In his announcement, White said that he expects Makhachev to return to competition sometime this summer.

White also confirmed that former interim champion Dustin Poirier will not be competing at UFC 300. Poirier had previously shot down the possibility of a fight with Nate Diaz at UFC 300, and he instead fights fast-rising contender Benoit Saint Denis at UFC 299 on March 9. The bout is set for five rounds and is scheduled to be the co-main event, with bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley defending his title against rival Marlon “Chito” Vera in the headliner.

Jan. 4: Dana White says more matchups to be announced soon

During an IG live on Wednesday, UFC CEO Dana White was asked about what else could be on the UFC 300 card.

White, who has been traveling, said that he returns to Las Vegas in the next few days, and that he will be announcing more matchups “on Tuesday.” White didn’t say anything about whether or not the main event, or any of the top-of-the-bill bouts would be announced, but it appears as if the current three-fight slate will be expanding.

Jan. 3: Dustin Poirier rules out Nate Diaz rematch

If Dustin Poirier competes at UFC 300, it won’t be against Conor McGregor or Nate Diaz.

Poirier ruled out a clash with Diaz overnight with “it ain’t happening.” Poirier has been linked to a showdown with Diaz for years now, but for whatever reason, the two fighters have never met in the Octagon.

Dec. 31: Conor McGregor could be out for UFC 300

Conor McGregor, arguably the UFC’s most popular star, likely won’t compete at the massive event. The former two-division UFC champion has plans to finally fight Michael Chandler during International Fight Week on June 29.

The UFC has yet to announce the fight.

Dec. 31: Leon Edwards puts belt on line at UFC 300

Leon Edwards believes he will compete at UFC 300. The UFC welterweight champion made the announcement during a soccer match and thinks he will return for a summer event in Birmingham, England, as well.

Dec. 23: Nate Diaz comeback?

Nate Diaz’s UFC days might not be done.

In a brief social media post, Diaz teased having interest in returning to the promotion he called home for 15 years, writing, “UFC 300 would be tight but there’s nobody to fight.”

Diaz parted ways with the UFC following a win over Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in September 2022, with the bout marking the expiration of his contract. The split appeared to be an amicable one, despite Diaz occasionally having a contentious relationship with the promotion and UFC CEO Dana White, and the octagon doors have remained open for a Diaz return.

Since parting ways with the UFC, Diaz was able to book a lucrative boxing match against Jake Paul, who defeated Diaz by unanimous decision this past August.

It’s too early to say for sure if Diaz has genuine interest in fighting at UFC 300, but a pair of lightweight contenders have already volunteered their services should he come back. Dustin Poirier not-so-subtly called Diaz out to potentially put the bow on a matchup that was once set to be resolved at UFC 230 before Poirier withdrew due to an injury, and Michael Chandler also mentioned Diaz as an option as he continues his interminable wait for a fight with Conor McGregor.

Dec. 23: Izzy vs. Khamzat?

Israel Adesanya could fight before 2027 after all. The former UFC middleweight king might also have a dance partner in the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev.

Chimaev, who recently defeated Kamaru Usman at UFC 294, put his hat into the ring for Adesanya with a pair of Instagram slides on Saturday.

Dec. 23: Tom Aspinall fans the flames

With Jon Jones on the shelf for the near future, Tom Aspinall doesn’t want to wait until the end of 2024 for his return to the Octagon. He responded to UFC light heavyweight Alex Pereira’s recent math equation with his own graphic on his IG story.

Dec. 21: Dana White announces first three fights for UFC 300

On Thursday night, UFC CEO Dana White announced the event’s first three fights. Although he didn’t announce the main event, White did reveal that former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling will officially make the move up to featherweight to face the dangerous Calvin Kattar.

Additionally, former light heavyweight champion Jiri Prochazka will return for the second time in five months following recovery from a shoulder injury and will face Aleksandar Rakic, and super prospect Bo Nickal will make his third octagon appearance against Cody Brundage. White also said he plans to announce more bouts for the card after the new year.

Dec. 21: Alex Pereira’s combat algebra problem, and a possible heavyweight move?

Alex Pereira has already broken the sport (and the way rankings are done) forever. Pereira began 2023 on the receiving end of the probable Knockout of the Year when he lost the middleweight title to Israel Adesanya at UFC 287 in April, only to move up to 205 pounds, beat a former champion, and then capture the vacant title by knocking out Jiri Prochazka at UFC 295. In just seven UFC fights — and 11 pro MMA bouts total — Pereira is a two-division UFC champion. But is that enough?

On Thursday, Pereira went to his Instagram stories and posted a math problem with a thinking emoji that read 30 + 300 = 3. I’m certainly no math expert, but I do know that the answer doesn’t fit in the equation — so what is Pereira trying to say?

Many people believe that Pereira is teasing a move to heavyweight: Gain 30 pounds, fight at UFC 300, win a third divisional title. If that’s what he means, would he fight heavyweight Jon Jones or 30-year-old (!) interim champ Tom Aspinall? Considering what the UFC has been telling us, and just using logic, this doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense. But maybe that’s the beauty of it — a swerve, if you will — to throw people off for this mega card.

Another way you can look at the problem is that Pereira has 30 knockouts in his combat sports career, wants to fight at UFC 300, and maybe the “3” means an MMA trilogy fight with Adesanya. Whatever Pereira is trying to say, it may soon be revealed.

Dec. 17: Dustin Poirier calls out Nate Diaz for UFC 300?

The day after the UFC’s final pay-per-view of the year, Poirier continued to tease competing at UFC 300, before throwing out a name on social media — his longtime rival Nate Diaz.

Diaz fought out his UFC contract at UFC 279 in September, where he stopped Tony Ferguson in the main event. Since then, the superstar fighter lost a unanimous decision to Jake Paul in a boxing match in August, and has yet to reveal his next move.

Personally speaking, and with so many factors in play, I doubt Diaz returns for UFC 300, and based on the lay of the land, I’m quite confident Diaz will fight in the first half of 2024 but it won’t be in the UFC. The most notable factor is that Diaz is not on the roster, or a part of the organization in any way. Diaz is a star, and he can make a ton of money competing outside of the octagon, scratching any and all itches in combat sports. While I’ll never say never, given the current lay of the land, I would be shocked if it happens.

Poirier certainly will have other options, including surging contender Arman Tsarukyan, who is fresh off of a 64-second knockout of Beneil Dariush at UFC Austin.

Nov. 7: Dustin Poirier eyes return at UFC 300

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Poirier said that he’s hoping for a fight that excites him, which would include the opportunity to fight at UFC 300.

“My current mindset, I’d fight in six weeks, I’d fight in eight weeks if the fight made sense and I was excited about it,” Poirier told MMA Fighting. “But other than that, I think a chance to fight on UFC 300 is a big deal.

“I’ve been in the UFC since UFC 125 and I missed 200. Know I’m not gonna be around for 400, so it’s kind of a cool opportunity if it comes together, but I honestly have no clue of my my return date or time frame, but UFC 300 is enticing.”

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Miesha Tate thinks Kayla Harrison could be in for a rude welcome in a new weight class.

Harrison, a two-time tournament champion in the PFL’s 155-pound division, has to make the drop all the way down to 135 pounds for her recently announced bout against Holly Holm, which takes place at UFC 300 on April 13 in Las Vegas. It’s a massive opportunity for Harrison, but also uncharted territory as she has only competed below the lightweight limit once in her career and never at bantamweight.

UFC CEO Dana White is optimistic Harrison can make the weight, but former bantamweight champion Miesha Tate warns that it could be too taxing of a cut.

“When I saw it was at 135, I was shocked, because Kayla Harrison begged for 155-pound division at PFL and she got it and I think she’s been great there,” Tate told SiriusXM. “She’s been tremendous. I know she’s made 145 before, I think it was tough for her. I think 135 is going to really suck the life out of her, and it’s not the best move.

“I guess I’m speaking from personal experience, because when I went down to 125—although I did it and I still had a pretty decent camp—I just didn’t perform at my best, and I think Kayla is just used to being such a big, strong woman, that she won’t have that on her side, and I’m really curious to see how that’s going to benefit her with someone like Holly, who really does move so well. She really has some of the best footwork in the women’s divisions, and I think that’s going to be tough for Kayla.”

Tate made an unsuccessful drop to the flyweight division in July 2022 at UFC Long Island, where she lost a decision to Lauren Murphy. “Cupcake” has since bounced back, moving back up to 135 pounds and defeating Julia Avila via submission this past December.

Harrison made the move to MMA after a decorated judo career that saw her twice win Olympic gold, and she is currently a heavy favorite to defeat Holm in April. However, Tate sees Holm as a difficult style matchup for Harrison – and an upset in the making.

“I’m pumped for Kayla,” Tate said. “I’m excited for her to come over here. I think it’s going to be really good, but if you’re asking me who I think is going to win that fight, looking at it right now, I would say Holly.”

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Vince McMahon shocked the world earlier this week when he announced he would resign from his position as a TKO board of directors member and executive chairmanship.

McMahon is one of the leading people who grew the WWE into the powerhouse it is today. Despite that, many believe since he has been less hands-on in his approach, professional wrestling has seen an uprise in entertainment, so recent news of his resignation has gone down well with countless fans.

While his comments were generally taken at face value, one star who isn’t convinced by his statement is Ronda Rousey. The UFC icon took to social media to voice her concerns at the news.

“Bruce Prichard is basically Vince’s avatar, if he’s still around Vince still has a hand in the business,” Rousey said following McMahon’s resignation. “Vince was still running things throughout Bruce when he was ‘gone’ before.”

Bruce Prichard is basically Vince’s avatar, if he’s still around Vince still has a hand in the business. Vince was still running things through Bruce when he was “gone” before

— Ronda Rousey (@RondaRousey) January 27, 2024

Ronda Rousey last competed inside a WWE ring at SummerSlam 2023. After a 7-minute affair, she was defeated by Shayna Baszler and hasn’t returned to the WWE Universe since—though she has made appearances for various pro wrestling promotions.

Rumors began circulating about ‘Rowdy’s’ potential return to  MMA, with UFC 300 being the place many expected her to compete. Those rumors have since been shot down by Dana White who insisted no former stars will be fighting on the card.

Related: Dana White teases ‘crazy’ UFC 300 main event

Why did Vince McMahon resign from his position of power at TKO Group Holdings?

After TKO formed the merger between the WWE and the UFC, Vince McMahon was appointed the Executive Chairman and board member.

His position recently came under attack after a sex-trafficking lawsuit was filed against him, which subsequently led to him resigning from his position with the business.

In a recent statement to Deadline, Vince McMahon told the world of his resignation.

“I stand by my prior statement that Ms. Grant’s lawsuit is replete with lies, obscene made-up instances that never occurred, and is a vindictive distortion of the truth.”

“Out of respect for the WWE Universe, the extraordinary TKO business and its board members and shareholders, partners and constituents, and all of the employees and Superstars who helped make WWE into the global leader it is today, I have decided to resign from my executive chairmanship and the TKO board of directors, effective immediately.”

MMAWeekly.com | UFC and MMA News, Results, Rumors, and Videos

It wasn’t a good night for “Sexyama.”

ONE Championship 165 went down this morning on pay-per-view (Sun., Jan. 28, 2023) from inside Ariake Arena in Toyoko, Japan, and in a special custom rules bout Japanese mixed martial arts (MMA) legend Yoshihiro “Sexyama” Akiyama got crushed by former Glory kickboxing champion Nieky Holzken in under two minutes.

The fight wasn’t competitive and seems like Akiyama was in the ring to get slaughtered. Once Holzken established his range it was all over. The kickboxing champion cracked Akiyama with a nasty left hook off the clinch, which dropped Akiyama. Akiyama got back to his feet, meeting the ten count, and then got cracked with a body shot and right hand that ended the fight.

Watch the knockout below:

Akiyama (16-7) snaps his two-fight win streak with the knockout loss, while Holzken snaps his own two-fight losing streak.

Another Japanese legend was in action, but unlike “Sexyama,” he picked up a win.

Shinya Aoki was supposed to face Sage Northcut, but less than an hour before the fight, it was revealed Northcutt pulled out of the fight because his coaches didn’t have work Visas.

Northcutt explained his reasoning in an Instagram post.

“I’m sorry to all my fans and to my opponent Shinya Aoki for not fighting tonight,” Northcutt wrote. There were some last-minute visa issues with two of my coaches and they are on their way back to the US right now. One Championship offered to help by giving me a world champion Jiu Jitsu coach for a replacement, but not having my coaches that I trained my whole camp with out there with me to compete against arguably the worlds greatest MMA submission artist of all time wasn’t going to be best for me. Thank you Chatri and One Championship for trying your best to make things work at the last minute. Again I apologize to Shinya and everyone that was tuning in. I know that One 165 is an incredible card with incredible world class talent that everybody will still enjoy.”

Because of the last-minute withdrawal, former ONE Championship Featherweight champion John Lineker stepped in; however, it did not go well at all.

Aoki took the knockout artist down and had his way with him for three minutes until he tapped him with a rear-naked choke/face crank, proving that weight classes do matter.

Check out the highlight below.

Aoki (48-11) snapped a four-fight losing streak (two of those losses were in ONE FC grappling matches) and picked up his first win in Japan since 2020. Brazil’s Lineker (37-11) snaps his two-fight winning streak but hopefully will get rebooked against Liam Harrison in a Muay Thai bout in the future.

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