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The rivalry between Sean O’Malley and teammates Aljamain Sterling and Merab Dvalishvili continues to ramp up.

O’Malley and Sterling have a long history culminating in O’Malley’s stoppage victory over “The Funk Master” to claim the bantamweight title at UFC 292. Now that rivalry has carried through to Sterling’s friend and teammate Dvalishvili, who challenges O’Malley for the belt in the main event of UFC 306.

As that fight draws near, tensions between the two camps resurfaced, boiling over earlier this week when O’Malley and Dvalishvili got into a heated exchange of words during the first promotional event for the fight. The dust-up centered around a previous argument between O’Malley’s coach Tim Welch and the fighters. Dvalishvili raised the issue once again on Tuesday, leading O’Malley to fire back.

Speaking with The MMA Hour on Wednesday, Sterling supported his teammate 100 percent, saying that Welch needs to stay out of things between the fighters.

“Merab just is who he is, and if something bothers him or something annoys him, he’s going to call you out on it,” Sterling said. “I think that’s all he was doing, was making it known how he felt. Like dude, your coach is your coach, your coach shouldn’t be getting involved in things like this and talking shit to the fighters. I commented that, and Tim Welch, for the second time, said he wasn’t talking shit, but there is evidence that we saw which is what got us annoyed.

“Like yo, are you the coach or are you the fighter? Because if you want to be the fighter and start talking shit the same way Henry Cejudo’s camp was going, you make things a little bit different when interactions are involved. So I just told him simply, yo, we don’t hate you or anything, but understand your place in the game. I’m not saying that to be disrespectful or this badass tough guy, but there are consequences for things that are being said.

“If you’re going to sit here and talk shit, when there’s a street beef or interaction that occurs, you’re now part of the mess. So you do your job, make sure these guys get to the fight, and don’t be the one instigating because you might be the one to get your face [punched].”

Welch is a former professional fighter who amassed a 14-6 record and is best known for competing on season 22 of The Ultimate Fighter, where he was eliminated in the entry round of the show. Despite not achieving the heights of Dvalishvili though, Welch was a lightweight during his professional career, prompting O’Malley to admonish Dvalishvili with “there are weight classes for a reason” during their altercation. But Sterling gives that no credence.

“I know O’Malley is sitting here, ‘I wish you would fight him, there’s weight classes for a reason,’ but if we want to speak facts, Tim Welch wishes he could do half of what Merab and I have accomplished,” Sterling said. “Wishes. So weight classes are not [all that matters]. There’s a skill difference between the three of us and I think he understands that. Whether it’s a street fight, cage fight, it doesn’t matter. I’m not even trying to take it there. Let’s just call it what it is. If you’re trying to sit there and say, ‘I wish you would see what will happen,’ OK. If your coach is really about that life, have him get froggy and leap. It’s that simple.

“We’re trying to be professional. We’re trying to get to the fight because that’s the only way we paid, but if they want to make it something else, we can make it something else.”

But while there’s an awful lot of drama now bubbling up, Sterling insists he doesn’t want that. All Sterling wants is for his friend get the same opportunity he gave to O’Malley a year ago. And if O’Malley and his team can keep things respectful come fight week, there shouldn’t be any problems.

“We’ll see how Merab is feeling, we’ll see what’s actually being said, if there’s ill will or animosity behind it,” Sterling said. “At the end of the day we’re all chasing the same dream. Merab is trying to become a UFC champion the same way I gave Sean O’Malley an opportunity. O’Malley tried to do all these things to avoid giving Merab, the rightful contender, an opportunity and decided to fight ‘Chito’ [Marlon Vera] instead. So there’s a lot of things that just rub us the wrong way as competitors, as someone who wants to be the best.

“When it comes to fight week, we show respect always. But when people try to disrespect us, just know we’re going to say something. I think that’s all it comes down to.

“I do hope they come into fight week and it’s respectful. If there’s anyone talking shit, it’s simply Merab and O’Malley. I’m not even going to be talking shit to O’Malley. I like the guy. I’ve always liked the guy. I think he’s a great talent and I just want to see a good, fair fight.”

UFC 306 takes place on Sep. 14 at The Sphere in Las Vegas.

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Walking Papers
| BJPenn.com

Imane Khelif of Algeria and Lin Yu‑ting of Taiwan both failed gender eligibility tests and were disqualified from the Women’s World Boxing Championships last year in New Delhi. But the International Olympic Committee (IOC) no longer recognizes sanctioning from the International Boxing Association (IBA) as a result of multiple “irregularity issues.”

That series of events cleared the way for Khelif and Yu‑ting, who reportedly returned XY chromosomes in their IBA tests, to compete in the women’s 66kg and 57kg matches this Thursday in Paris, despite pushback from Australian boxing captain Caitlin Parker.

“I don’t agree with them being allowed to compete in sport, especially combat sports,” Parker said (via Daily Mail). “It can be incredibly dangerous. I don’t agree with it. It’s not like I haven’t sparred men before. But you know it can be dangerous for combat sports and it should be seriously looked into.”

Former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Cris Cyborg, no stranger to the “sweet science,” recently called for IOC to “protect the integrity of women’s sports” and “would not compete” against boxers unable to pass gender eligibility tests.

“Yes, biologically … genetically they are going to have more advantages and in combat sports it can be dangerous,” Parker continued. “I really hope the organizations get their act together so that boxing can continue to be at the Olympics. It’s the oldest Olympic sport. Women’s boxing was only introduced in 2012 and I want to see it for the next 100, 200 years to come.”

Mexico’s Brianda Tamara Cruz fought Khelif in late 2022.

“I don’t think I had ever felt like that in my 13 years as a boxer, nor in my sparring with men,” Cruz told The Telegraph. “When I fought her I felt very out of my depth. Her blows hurt me a lot. Thank God that day I got out of the ring safely, and it’s good that they finally realized.”

IOC representatives defended the decision to include Khelif and Yu-ting, who previously competed at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo but did not medal.

“These boxers are entirely eligible, they are women on their passports, they have competed for many years,” spokesperson Mark Adams said during a recent press conference. “I actually think it is not helpful to start stigmatising people who take part in sport like this. They are women who competed in Tokyo. I think we all have a responsibility to dial down this [talk] and not turn it into some kind of witch hunt.”

Former Olympic champion, Claressa Shields, called it a “heartbreaking” decision.

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Give Cory Sandhagen a couple of cold Steve-weisers and a hell yeah after his open workout ahead of UFC Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

The veteran bantamweight contender put on a show for the crowd in attendance, but he wasn’t flashing any of the moves he’s used to pull off some highlight reel knockouts during his career. Instead, Sandhagen decided to get the attention of the WWE by using a couple of famous finishers to entertain the audience.

A new video posted by the UFC shows Sandhagen first going for the Pedigree — the finishing maneuver made famous by current WWE chief content officer Paul Levesque, better known by his stage name “Triple H.”

From there, Sandhagen pulled off the Stone Cold stunner, which was the move that “Stone Cold” Steve Austin used so frequently to dispatch his opponents in WWE.

A consummate martial artist, Sandhagen may just have a career waiting for him in professional wrestling if he keeps pulling off moves like this.

Of course, first things first, Sandhagen has to get through Umar Nurmagomedov on Saturday as the bantamweight clash in a potential No. 1 contender’s fight with the winner possibly moving onto face the champion after Sean O’Malley and Merab Dvalishvili meet in September at UFC 306.

Check out the full workout below:

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Dana White can’t get through a single interview without mentioning his friendship with former U.S. president Donald Trump—but he’s not political.

Despite endorsing Trump at the Republican National Convention and regularly hosting ’45’ at events in both New York and New Jersey, White has repeatedly claimed that he is not a political person, nor does he care who anyone ultimately votes for.

Still, that didn’t stop him from going in on current Vice President Kamala Harris who suddenly finds herself at the top of the liberal ticket following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the 2024 election.

“I don’t judge people by their politics and who they vote for or any of that stuff,” White said in an interview with CNN’s Laura Coates. “Listen, I don’t know Kamala. She seems like she’s a nice person. I have nothing against her whatsoever and, like I said, I’m not political, but do I think that she’s fit for the job? I do not, personally” (h/t BJPenn.com).

No matter what his or anyone’s political ideals are, White recognizes that the subject is a killjoy, and no matter who comes out on top, it’s going to be a long and nasty road to an election night that is sure to leave millions frustrated, one way or another.

“But either way, she’s going to say other nasty stuff about both of them. It goes both ways,” White added. “And as voters, what we need to do is cut through all the BS and you have to look at who do you think is best fit to run the country for the next four years. That is our job as voters. All of this stuff is a bunch of nasty BS.”

Election night in America will coincide with Dana White’s return to MSG in November

The 2024 Presidential Election is scheduled to go down on Tuesday, November 5. Though not officially announced, Dana White and Co. is expected to return to Madison Square Garden just four days later for UFC 309. If Trump once again wins the race to 270, it’s almost a foregone conclusion that he’ll make an appearance at the event to celebrate his victory.

And if he loses, he’ll probably show up anyway and try to kickstart another coup.

LowKickMMA.com

Sean Strickland isn’t letting his hatred for the woke die down any time soon. The former UFC middleweight champion has shared a video on social media explaining why he can no longer associate himself with Harley Davidson.

The motorcycle company has long been in partnership with the UFC and is considered a product that essentially resonates with fight fans. Strickland was one of the many who supported the company, all the way up until they began promoting controversial musician Machine Gun Kelly.

Strickland went on a social media tirade, threatening to sell his bike and announcing his displeasure at Harley Davidson “going woke”. Now, he has doubled down on his threat in a video posted online.

“I love Harley, I’ve owned Harley’s for most of my life,” Strickland stated. “But, I will never own a Harley again.”

“If you love America, you won’t own a Harley. And let me explain to you guys why I’m so upset and why you should be upset.”

“The CEO of Harley is a woke zealot. This man wrote the book on wokeism. He wants to fundamentally change who you are, how you live, and how you think, and how you raise your family.”

Related: Sean Strickland threatens to sell bike after Harley Davidson goes woke

Sean Strickland isn’t passionate about a lot of things, but one thing he will always side with is his country. The 33-year-old is a true American Patriot and isn’t a fan of the things he cherishes being “manipulated” by outside sources.

Strickland continued with his rant, pleading with Americans to boycott the company amid his beliefs about the Harley Davidson ownership.

“This German that they’ve put in this company is an industry plant by this corrupt, sick, leftist, oligarch. [All to] ruin, control, and manipulate Harley.”

“If you love America, you will not own a Harley. And I am getting rid of this Harley as soon as possible.”

Why I'm selling my harley pic.twitter.com/N2eUbmJpDR

— Sean Strickland (@SStricklandMMA) July 30, 2024

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The judge overseeing the UFC antitrust lawsuit — a case that first launched back in 2014 — has denied the preliminary approval for a settlement and reset a tentative date for trial on Oct. 28.

On Tuesday, Judge Richard Boulware denied the planned settlement after the UFC agreed to pay out $ 335 million to close out two separate antitrust lawsuits filed by fighters. A separate written order detailing Boulware’s decision is set to be issued in the coming days but for now the antitrust lawsuit is moving ahead to trial with a status conference next scheduled on Aug. 19, which is where the exact trial date would be determined.

The judge previously stated in court that he objected to the settlement because the agreed upon payout seemed low and that the fighters represented in the second lawsuit — covering athletes from 2017 to the present — could object to arbitration and class action waiver clauses in existing contracts.

It’s a staggering decision handed down by the court after attorneys for the fighters argued that the agreed upon settlement would provide immediate financial relief for many athletes who desperately needed the money. The attorneys also admitted in court that sending this case to trial could result in a loss, which means the fighters involved in the case would receive nothing at all.

“The reality is the claim has little value,” Eric Cramer, an attorney for the fighters told the judge during a hearing about the proposed settlement. “They should take – they’d be better off both taking the money, getting the injunctive relief.

“The world where that doesn’t happen is not in that fighter’s interests because I would tell that fighter if they were in my office, ‘You’re likely to lose. You’re likely to get nothing.’”

In order to win at trial, the plaintiffs aka the fighters have to prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt and secure a unanimous jury verdict. Even if that happens, the UFC would undoubtedly file an appeal that could tie up the case for years before any payment would ever be made to the fighters.

If the UFC lost and all appeals were denied, the promotion could have been forced to pay out billions but even the attorneys for the fighters didn’t want to risk going to trial and potentially losing.

“There are thousands of people out there who could really use that money … and if this settlement doesn’t happen and we are forced to take this case to trial, we will, and lose, that would be devastating for a lot of people,” Cramer told the judge during the hearing in July. “And a lot of money would come out of the pockets of a lot of people.”

The antitrust lawsuit combined two separate cases with fighters represented from 2010 to 2017, which was initially filed by athletes such as Cung Le, Nate Quarry and others and then a second lawsuit that covered fighters from 2017 to the present, which was led by fighters such as Kajan Johnson.

The initial antitrust lawsuit filed back in 2014 argued that the UFC engaged “in a scheme to acquire and maintain monopsony power in the market for elite professional MMA fighter services.” The fighters claimed UFC achieved that goal through three key elements: exclusive contracts, coercion, and acquisitions that eliminated potential competitors.

After reaching a settlement agreement back in March, both the owners at the UFC and the attorneys representing the fighters celebrated the agreed upon payment with some athletes set to receive more than $ 1 million and around 500 more getting at least $ 100,000.

TKO Group Holdings — the parent company to the UFC — also seemed more than happy with the settlement with funds to pay out the $ 335 million already earmarked in a financial disclosure filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“We’re pleased to have this matter resolved without introducing any further changes to UFC’s existing business operations,” TKO chief financial officer Andrew Schleimer said during a financial call back in May. “The long-form settlement agreement is expected to be filed shortly with the court for approval.”

With the judge denying the preliminary settlement agreement and putting the case back on the court docket with a new trial date, the UFC and the fighters could go back to the negotiating table to try and reach a new settlement agreement.

The UFC could also potentially seek to settle both cases separately, but it remains to be seen if that happens or not. Even if a new settlement agreement is reached, the court still needs to sign off to actually close out the lawsuits.

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