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Jon Anik didn’t mean what he said.

This past week, Anik made headlines when the UFC commentator suggested he might be nearing the end of his time in MMA, due to the “malice and disrespect” from some MMA fans after Anik voiced his opinion that Dricus du Plessis beat Sean Strickland at UFC 297 fair and square.

Anik’s comments became the the talk of the MMA online bubble, with Strickland even responding and chiding Anik for calling fans “the lowest common denominator.” Apparently, Anik agrees, issuing an apology on Saturday via his social media.

“Last week on my podcast, I was in a heightened emotional state following myriad allegations of bias at UFC 297 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 foes into the execution of just one UFC pay-per-view so it can be tough when my integrity is called into question. That doesn’t excuse my retort. 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 hous. On to Anaheim…”

Anik’s apology comes as a bit of a surprise given the volume of support his comments received from athlete in the space. Fighters like Matt Brown, Cub Swanson, Sodiq Yusuff, Paulo Costa, and many more all stood up for Anik’s comments.

Regardless, the UFC’s primary play-by-play commentator will next serve in the booth at UFC 298 on Feb. 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

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Alexander Volkanovski is ready for the NFL.

Next month, Volkanovski defends his featherweight title against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298. But even with fight day fast approaching, that didn’t stop him from taking some time out to show off his football skills when Tom Brady came to town.

Brady is currently on a two-stop tour of Australia. On Friday, at Brady’s Melbourne show, An Evening with Tom Brady, the 7-time Super Bowl champion and NFL GOAT shared a moment with Volkanovski that the featherweight champ posted to his Instagram.

After getting called up on stage to meet Brady, “TB12” showed his respect for “The Great” by having him run a route into the crowd to catch a pass.

“See, there’s part of me that says, I can’t make it that easy, because they’re going to go back and be like, ‘That was easy, I caught a pass,’” Brady said. “So sometimes I like to make it a little hard. But not for him, because I love him! You’ve got to go right down the middle.”

A former rugby player, Volkanovski managed to catch the old handegg. The then met Brady a bit more personally backstage and posted pictures to his Instagram story.

Alexander Volkanovski Instagram Story

UFC 298 takes place on Feb. 17 at the Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif.

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Vince McMahon has officially resigned from his position as TKO Executive Chairman, and will no longer have a role with TKO – the WWE parent company. The 78-year-old’s announcement comes after a lawsuit was filed against McMahon and WWE by a former employee. Janel Grant, the former WWE employee, claims she was the victim of rape and sex trafficking at the hands of McMahon.. McMahon made an official statement confirming his resignation and denying all claims in the lawsuit byGrant.

“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,” McMahon said. “I intend to vigorously defend myself against these baseless accusations, and look forward to clearing my name.”

“However, 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.”

This isn’t the first time McMahon has stepped down from his position with WWE. The professional wrestling pioneer stepped down as CEO and Chairman of WWE back in 2022 after internal investigations into McMahon paying hush money for an alleged affair began. Of course, McMahon later returned to the fold as Executive Chairman for TKO. While some may expect McMahon to once again rise from the ashes, longtime professional wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer explains that is no longer a possibility.

Grant claims McMahon not only sexually abused her, but offered her to various other members of WWE staff. The lawsuit also claims that McMahon offered Grant sexually to one WWE star amidst contract negotiations. Grant was instructed to create exclusive sexual content to send to that star, who was described in one report as “a former UFC heavyweight champion.” That star is believed to be Brock Lesnar.

The lawsuit against McMahon was filed just two days after it was announced that TKO and Netflix had reached a $ 5 billion broadcast deal for WWE Monday Night RAW.

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After warring his way past veteran Sergiy Derevyanchenko in 2023’s “Fight of the Year,” Jaime Munguia attempts to claim his first true Super Middleweight scalp tonight (Sat., Jan. 27, 2024) when he takes on former title challenger, John Ryder, in Phoenix, Arizona.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE coverage of tonight’s DAZN-streamed main event below. The broadcast begins at 8 p.m. ET, with Munguia and Ryder likely to make the walk closer to 11 p.m. ET. Bet on boxing at DraftKings Sportsbook.

Munguia — a former Super Welterweight champion — spent years as a No. 1-ranked contender at Middleweight without ever taking the plunge and actually challenging for a title. Having outgrown the division and kicking off his 168-pound tenure against the undersized Derevyanchenko, he now faces a stiff test in Ryder, who was infamously robbed against Callum Smith in 2019 and turned in a surprisingly competitive effort against Canelo Alvarez last year (watch highlights).

In other title action, Puerto Rican slugger, Oscar Collazo, defends his Minimumweight (Mini Flyweight) title against Reyneris Gutierrez and Flyweight champ Gabriela Fundora battles unbeaten Christina Cruz, while top Super Featherweight contender, David Picasso, meets Erik Ruiz in a squash match.

Munguia Vs. Ryder Quick Results:

Jaime Munguia vs. John Ryder
Oscar Collazo vs. Reyneris Gutierrez
Gabriela Fundora vs. Christina Cruz
David Picasso vs. Erik Ruiz — Picasso def. Ruiz by unanimous decision (99-91, 98-92 x2)

Munguia Vs. Ryder Round-By-Round Updates:

Super Middleweight: Jaime Munguia vs. John Ryder

Round one:

Round two:

Round three:

Round four:

Round five:

Round six:

Round seven:

Round eight:

Round nine:

Round ten:

Round eleven:

Round twelve:

Final result:

For more on “Munguia vs. Ryder” and other boxing-related events, click here.

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In the latest edition of “Fight Motion,” fans can catch a glimpse of all the action from this past weekend’s UFC 297 card in Toronto in vivid slow motion.

The event was headlined by a dramatic five-round middleweight title fight between Dricus du Plessis and Sean Strickland. After 25 closely contested minutes, it was du Plessis who walked out as the new champion via split decision.

Relive the back-and-forth fight by watching the video above.

Also featured is the co-main event between Raquel Pennington and Mayra Bueno Silva, a bout that ended with Pennington winning on points to claim a vacant bantamweight title. “Rocky” has now won six straight fights.

It wasn’t a great evening for Canadian fighters, as they went 2-7 in the UFC’s return to Ontario, with Jasmine Jasudavicius and Gillian Robertson saving the home side from getting blanked. Their triumphant moments are also featured in the Fight Motion compilation.

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Brock Lesnar is not expected to appear at tonight’s WWE Royal Rumble according to a report from PWInsider.

The outlet reported that as of Saturday morning, Lesnar had not traveled to Tampa, Florida where the event is scheduled to take place. One source is said to have revealed that the former UFC champion had been withdrawn from the event and would be replaced by an unnamed wrestler from the NXT brand.

The sports entertainment juggernaut intended on having Lesnar appear at the promotion’s annual showcase of the immortals, Wrestlemania, later this year, but those plans appear to be up in the air after the ‘Beast Incarnate’ was implicated in a lawsuit against WWE founder and former chairman Vince McMahon.

Brock Lesnar Was Promised Sex with plaintiff in exchange for signing a new contract

On Thursday, The Wall Street Journal reported that McMahon was the subject of a federal lawsuit after he had allegedly sexually assaulted and trafficked a former WWE employee on multiple occasions over their multi-year relationship. The plaintiff — Janel Grant — claims that McMahon not only abused her sexually, but he also forced to her have sex with other executives and WWE Superstars.

Though Lesnar is not explicitly named in the lawsuit, it was reported that he received multiple sexually explicit photos of Grant from McMahon. The complaint also alleges that Lesnar was offered the opportunity to have sex with Grant as part of his signing a new contract with the company. After Lesnar inked the new deal, McMahon allegedly texted Grant “that part of the deal was f*cking U.”

According to the lawsuit:

“That December, McMahon gave Grant’s personal cellphone number to the WWE star, the lawsuit said. The wrestler asked her to send a video of herself urinating, the suit said, and after she did, he called her a “b*tch.” That same month, the suit said, the star expressed a desire to “set a play date,” but a snowstorm disrupted his travel plans.”

Vince McMahon has since resigned from TKO Group and WWE and vehemently denied the allegations being levied against him.

Brock Lesnar has not yet addressed his alleged role in the report.

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