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Dana White loves his adopted hometown of Las Vegas, but he’s hoping to spend less time there moving forward.

The success of UFC St. Louis, which produced the largest live gate for any UFC Fight Night card in history at more than $ 2.47 million, has White committed to taking more and more cards on the road in 2024 and beyond. Ever since the global pandemic, the UFC APEX has housed a huge number of shows, but even with crowds filling arenas all over the world again, UFC still regularly promotes events at its in-house arena in Las Vegas.

During a financial call with reporters this past week, TKO Group Holdings president Mark Shapiro acknowledged that the company wanted to take more cards on the road, but chief financial officer Andrew Schleimer cautioned that the UFC APEX presents “the lowest cost structure” possible for live events. Nonetheless, White wants to cut down on events held at the UFC APEX, but it remains to be seen if those cards will ever go away for good.

“I’ve been saying this for a long time — we’ve got to get out of the APEX and start doing more events in all these different cities,” White said at the UFC St. Louis post-fight press conference. “We’re starting to do it. We’re getting it done this year.”

The success in St. Louis was just further proof that the UFC should start traveling more often, even if the APEX provides an easy, no frills location with in-house production.

“As we start to get our shit together, I will call it, and start to move out and start to go to these different cities like we used to, the whole sport just goes to another level,” White said.

One event that’s going to be closer to home happens in September with UFC 306, which is scheduled for Sphere in Las Vegas.

A massive $ 2.3 billion structure, Sphere features more than 580,000 square feet of LED screens, and is set to host UFC’s new annual card during Mexican Independence Day weekend in September. White embarked on the idea to hold a UFC event there after attending a concert at Sphere following the opening in 2023.

Due to the extreme financial investment that’s going to be required to put on a UFC event at Sphere, White acknowledged it’s going to be the only time the promotion ever goes there, but it’s going to be a show no one ever forgets.

“I’m telling you guys right now, we literally just went through the storyboards two days ago on this thing — this is going to be the sickest live event in combat sports that anybody has ever seen and it will never be done again,” White teased. “This will be a one and done. Just because I want to do it. Everybody, when I said I wanted to do this, was like, ‘How? How are you going to do a fight in there? It’s too hard, it’s too this, it’s too that,’ and that’s the kind of stuff I love.

“We’ve already spent a shitload of money on this thing. Nobody will ever pull this off again because nobody would spend the money to do it. Nobody’s going to spend the money to do what I’m doing over there right now.”

White declined to reveal much about what’s going to set the card at Sphere apart versus any other UFC show, but he could barely contain himself when talking about it.

No fights have been announced yet for UFC 306, although it’s expected that flyweight champion Alexa Grasso defending her title against Valentina Shevchenko will land on the card in September.

“As it gets closer, I’ll lay this thing out for you guys. I’m telling you, it’s going to be so bad ass,” White said. “I’m super excited about it. Let me put it to you this way, when we were going through the storyboards, I was getting f*cking goosebumps. Imagine when it’s actually happening and wait until you see the people that I brought together to pull this thing off. As we get closer, I’ll let you guys know, but this is going to be something special.

“This is going to be a f*cking masterpiece. I’m telling you right now, and this will be a fact, this is a fact — this will never be done again.”

“You know what’s going to happen when I do this event at the Sphere? Every other event that goes in there is going to go, ‘Motherf*cker, what do we do now? How do we even come close to competing with this?’” White added.

“We’re going to f*cking blow the doors off anything that ever goes into that arena again. I f*cking guarantee it.”

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Darren Till believes he will fight Mike Perry some day, just not next.

For the past year, Till has been oft-rumored to be the next opponent for Perry. But for all the talk about a potential matchup between the two — and the frequent trash talk between them — the fight has yet to be booked. And according to Till, who spoke Monday on The MMA Hour, it’s not in the immediate offing either.

“Perry, he went crazy the other day calling me every name under the sun,” Till said. “That fight’s just got to happen one day.

“I would love to fight Perry. I don’t really want to fight him in bare-knuckle because I feel like bare-knuckle is the type of organization you go when — I don’t want to disrespect anyone, but when you’re coming to the end. It’s sort of like you don’t care about your face getting busted up and shit like that. I feel still young and fresh. I want to save the bare-knuckle.

“I’m not going to stand here and say I’m scared to fight Mike Perry in bare-knuckle, because I’m definitely not, but I don’t think bare-knuckle is the right move for me right now. I think boxing and then hopefully back to the UFC at some point, is the right move for me.”

Till may not think much of BKFC, but Perry is currently in the midst of the best stretch of his career. Since making the move to bare-knuckle in 2022, “Platinum” is 5-0 and has become the face of the promotion. And while Till acknowledges that Perry doesn’t fit his description of a BKFC fighter, he is still a bit dismissive of the people Perry beat to get to this position.

“I’m not saying he is [at the end of his career]. He’s just a big dumbo,” Till said. “He’s just a big dumbo. I don’t know, who has he been fighting? Eddie Alvarez? Thiago Alves? They’ve got the brain capacity of a loaf of bread. He hasn’t been fighting anyone.

“I’ll give ‘MVP’ [Michael ‘Venom’ Page] his due, MVP is a brilliant fighter. Luke [Rockhold], I don’t know what he is, a model or a fighter at this point. He looks good, but he doesn’t really fight good anymore. I’m not impressed.

“Anyone can say what they’re saying, but I know what I’m capable of,” Till continued. “I know I’m fast and ferocious. I’m too big and strong and clever for Perry. He’s just a big dumbo who walks forward. He’s just a fool.”

Unfortunately, for now at least, fans won’t get to see Till and Perry settle up for all their trash talk. Till revealed that he’s signed with a promoter and will be announcing his return to action very soon. And while that promoter is not BKFC, Till did at least acknowledge that the company made him a good offer. Just not good enough.

“Two million? You think I’d turn down two million?” Till said when asked what BKFC offered him. “They offered me good money. But I’ve got many offers. I got offers to fight Logan [Paul], Dillon [Danis]. I got good offers, but I wanted to wait it out and get the right deal for myself. I feel like I have now. I can’t wait to announce it.”

Till last competed in December 2022, losing to Dricus du Plessis at UFC 282. He left the UFC with a record of 6-5-1, and was a one-time UFC welterweight title challenger.

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Interviews
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UFC

‘Thug Rose’ is back and ready for another tough fight at 125 pounds as she continues to chase a second women’s division title.

Already making progress?

After hitting St. Louis, Mo., this past weekend with a fun show, Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) will continue to venture outside the cozy (and lazy) confines of its APEX venue in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a return to “Mile High City.”

Rose Namajunas is picking up momentum in her quest for women’s Flyweight gold. Indeed, the former two-time women’s Strawweight champ defeated Amanda Ribas at 125 pounds back in March, and now she’s expected to return in July to face No. 3-ranked Maycee Barber.

That news comes via Ariel Helwani, who reports that the fight, “will be the main event of the UFC Fight Night event on July 13” in Denver, Colorado. That’s going to be disappointing news to Florida fans, who had been teased for weeks that Tampa was going to host that weekend’s “Fight Night”-themed show.

Perhaps the site fee payment from the city’s tourism board bounced?

Kidding aside, “Thug Rose” hasn’t competed more than once per year since earning back-to-back wins over Weili Zhang in 2021. After losing an absolutely dreadful fight to Carla Esparza where nothing happened across five rounds, there were big questions as to whether Namajunas was really committed to fighting. A finger injury suffered in a loss to Manon Fiorot kept her out of action for six months, but now that she’s healthy she is turning around in four for Barber.

It might help that UFC is giving her the opponent she wanted — Namajunas called out Barber following her last win.

“I think she’s a savage,” Namajunas said. “She’s a big girl, she’s strong. She’s just like a bully in there. I knew her when she was really young, and she’s a lot different now. And she called me out back when she was younger and things like that. So, I think that’s kind of funny.

“But, she’s really tough,” Namajunas concluded. “That would definitely motivate me and get me going every day because I know she throws with really bad intentions.”

As for Barber, she’s currently on a six-fight win streak and is 9-2 in her UFC career. She also just went viral on the internet recently after getting into an altercation with a possibly-intoxicated “Karen” at 2 a.m. in a parking lot.

Onward and upward.

To checkout UFC’s upcoming schedule of events click here.

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The UFC is heading back to Paris this fall, which means the the crowd decibel levels will likely be off the charts once again.

On Tuesday, the promotion announced that an event will take place Sept. 28 at Accor Arena — which serves as host for a UFC card for the third consecutive year. No bouts for the event were announced.

Tickets go on sale July 5 at 10 a.m. local time, while UFC Fight Club members will have the option to purchase tickets ahead of the public rush two days prior.

Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane competed in the main event of both previous UFC Paris events, picking up stoppage wins in both.

In the promotion’s first trip to Paris in September 2022, Gane stopped Tai Tuivasa in an absolute slugfest. The win earned Gane a shot at the vacant heavyweight title where he was submitted by Jon Jones at UFC 285 in March 2023. “Bon Gamin” returned to fight in front of his home crowd this past September and picked up a second-round TKO win over Serghei Spivac.

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Unbeaten welterweight striker, Ian Garry appears to have given up on his pursuit of a potential title-eliminator against former champion, Colby Covington, and has now switched his focus to a clash against recent UFC addition, Michael Venom Page in a summer comeback.

Garry, the current number seven ranked welterweight contender, returned at UFC 298 back in February in Anaheim, turning in a close split decision win over Geoff Neal to improve to 14-0 as a professional.

As for former Bellator MMA championship challenger, Page, the London striker made his long-anticipated Octagon bow at UFC 299 back in March against Kevin Holland, turning in a one-sided unanimous judging win over the promotional staple. 

And staking his claim for a feature alongside compatriot, Conor McGregor at UFC 303 during International Fight Week, Garry has so far failed in his bid to secure a fight with outspoken contender, Covington – with the Clovis native appearing to move on from a clash with the Dubliner.

Ian Garry agrees to fight Michael Venom Page

In turn, Garry has revealed recently he’s agreed to fight the likes of Sean Brady as well as recent UFC St. Louis winner, Joaquin Buckley – and even recent promotional debutante, Michael Venom Page.

“I can only fight down in the rankings, and this is where I’ve got to show that I will fight anyone,” Ian Garry told talkSPORT during a recent interview. 

“I’ve said yes [to fighting against Michael Venom Page],” Ian Garry explained. “I’ve said yes to that name, him and his coaches are deciding because he seems a bit heavy to make weight in seven weeks’ time, but I’ve said yes.” 

Linked with a return at UFC 304 in July in a return to Manchester, former Bellator MMA star, Michael Venom Page name-dropped a potential fight with Garry on that card earlier this annum, as he hopes to make his way to a blockbuster fight with compatriot, Leon Edwards for gold. 

Who wins in a potential clash: Ian Garry or Michael Venom Page?

LowKickMMA.com

NEW YORK — Watch Mike Tyson and Jake Paul face off for the first time ahead of their July 20 boxing match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

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Hits harder
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Bringing you the weird and wild from the world of MMA each and every weeknight!

Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Retired UFC Lightweight Gray Maynard has an issue with a recent viral interview clip with his former boss, UFC CEO Dana White.

White recently sat down with Bill Maher on the Club Random Podcast, and the topic of men’s mental health came up. White took a hard stance against the current shift in men’s mental health awareness. Deeming himself “old school,” White claimed he doesn’t have time for feelings and advised other to “be a man.”

Maynard didn’t appreciate the sentiment. The two-time Lightweight title challenger went on a bit of a rant in response, arguing that White’s penchant for fury counts as a feeling. According to “The Bully,” people are mistaking White’s business acumen for emotional intelligence. He also labeled White’s tirade as “used car salesman bulls—t.”

Additionally, the conversation moved a bit towards White’s success as UFC head. Per Maynard, the bulk of the success in turning UFC into a household name belongs to the Fertita brothers, who paid for the promotion and then made off like bandits when they sold the company to WME-IMG in 2016.

Somehow, I don’t think Frankie Edgar vs. Gray Maynard 2 is going to end up as a Hall of Fame bout.

Maynard retired from MMA in 2018 after over a decade as a UFC fighter. He’s best known for his trilogy of fights vs. “The Answer,” but Maynard also picked up victories over the likes of Nate Diaz, Kenny Florian, and Jim Miller in his UFC career. His final bout came in October 2018, a technical knockout loss to Nik Lentz.

Insomnia

The return of “Korean Super Boy!” I see no way that Doo Ho Choi vs. Bill Algeo isn’t an entertaining Featherweight clash.

A look into how Arman Tsarukyan is able to throw axe kicks and slides out of single legs:

“You should study Pokemon to get stronger,” Kazushi Sakuraba

It’s so fun to watch Kade Ruotolo grapple.

The best fighters are those who can bring their training room tactics into the fight.

Matt Brown is staying active in his retirement.

A feud is brewing between Ryan Garcia and George Kambosos …

Bryce Mitchell has words for … Ben Shapiro?

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Double left hook with a reload between:

The way Bembe charged into that combination reminded me of Tyron Woodley vs. Jay Hieron.

Random Land

“Almost gets attacked” and “forest cows” are both wrong, but this clip of a man whipping out the mace against COWS made me chuckle.

Midnight Music: Rock, 1975

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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