UFC president Dana White has questioned Nick Diaz's desire to fight despite having talks with him about a return to the Octagon — Fightful has you covered on this story as well as all of the other news in the world of combat sports.
Dana White questions Nick Diaz's desire to fight
At UFC 261 Nick Diaz was shown on camera in the audience on the UFC's pay-per-view broadcast.
During the post-fight press conference, the UFC president Dana White was quizzed by multiple members of the MMA media about why Diaz was in the audience at UFC 261.
White revealed that Diaz wants to return to fight in the UFC and that he was going to meet with him right after his press conference was finished.
In an exclusive interview with ESPN's Brett Okamoto, White gave some details on how the meeting went and why he will always question Nick Diaz's desire to fight.
White said "(The meeting) went good. My whole thing with Nick Diaz is that I just question how bad he really wants to fight. We got together, we had a great conversation, and talked about a possible comeback for him. I just don’t know. We’ll see how it plays out this summer and the rest of the year."
White then gave more insight as to why he is doubting Diaz and also questions Diaz's desire to fight an up-and-coming fighter who is looking to break into the top ten or five.
White explained "Just the amount of time that he’s taken off already. When you hear him talk about fighting when you hear him talk about the sport. And I sit down daily or talk to daily hungry, young savages who want to break into the top-10 and become world champions and all the stuff. And Nick Diaz has done it all and seen it all and he’s been in big fights. I just don’t see that in him when I talk to him."
Nick Diaz's brother Nate is returning to the Octagon in a few months time where he will fight Leon Edwards.
Do you think Nick Diaz will fight again?
Diego Sanchez to enroll in a Professional Athletes Brain Health Study
Diego Sanchez was released from the UFC recently but now he has announced that he will be enrolling in a Professional Athletes Brain Healthy Study with the promotion.
In an interview with MMA Fighting, Sanchez revealed that he and the UFC are in discussions to get his brain health checked out at the Cleveland Health Clinic.
Sanchez said "We’re talking, man. We’re going to do some studies and get myself and my mental health and everything documented by the doctors at the Cleveland Health Clinic and a couple of other places that they’re going to pay for me to go to. We’re going to see how that goes, and then we’re going to get a second opinion.”
What do you make of Sanchez's current situation with the UFC?
Conor McGregor reveals who the toughest fight of his career was against
Throughout his very successful career, Conor McGregor has had quite a few easy fights including a 13-second knockout win over Jose Aldo and a 40-second demolition of Donald Cerrone.
However, when McGregor was asked in a Q&A about who the easiest fight in his professional fighting career was, he said neither of Aldo and Cerrone.
Instead, McGregor believed that his first fight with Dustin Poirier was indeed the easiest bout of his career.
Dustin 1. https://t.co/I9NdXXJSe0
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 9, 2021
In the first bout between McGregor and Poirier, McGregor finished the fight in the first round via KO.
Although it probably isn't the performance which many would go for as McGregor's easiest, this is probably just mind games from McGregor as he is set to have his trilogy bout with Poirier later on this summer.
Alan Jouban announces his retirement from MMA
UFC welterweight veteran Alan Jouban has officially announced his retirement from MMA at the age of 36.
See Jouban's statement below.
I’d like to officially announce my retirement from MMA. Fighting and the @ufc have given me everything I have today! I would not change a single thing from my journey because I got to live my dream and not know what was next. pic.twitter.com/cRe0HlScWE
— Alan Jouban (@AlanJouban) May 11, 2021
Jouban has called time on his MMA career to focus on his passion for broadcasting which he started doing a while ago for ESPN covering UFC cards.
Jouban finishes his career with a good record of 17 wins with just seven defeats. His most notable wins are against the likes of Mike Perry, Ben Saunders, and Belal Muhammad.
In his statement, Jouban also revealed that a factor behind his retirement was the condition of his body.
Billy Joe Saunders to be "out for a long, long time" after fight with Canelo Alvarez
During Saturday's world title boxing match between Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders, Saunders suffered a very nasty eye socket injury which caused the fight to be called off by Saunders' coach Mark Tibbs.
The injury came just as Saunders was slowly starting to grow into the fight.
Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn revealed to The Athletic that Saunders suffered a quadripod fracture and faces a long time in recovery of the injury.
Hearn also commented after the fight that Saunders is "going to be out for a long, long time."
After the bout ended, many people on social media as well as fighters who may not like Saunders said that he quit.
However, according to his trainer Mark Tibbs that was definitely not the case.
Tibbs told Behind The Gloves "his eye socket was caved in and he couldn’t see. I didn’t get the response from him so, you know. It’s frustrating, really, because I felt that he was growing into it. But I had to pull it. He never said, ‘No, that’s it,’ he left it to me. He took it well, but he was in pain. The eye socket was gone and he was in pain.”
Video: Gunnar Nelson grapples with "The Mountain" from Game of Thrones
Recently, former UFC welterweight contender Gunnar Nelson had a bit of a grappling match with "The Mountain" from the hit series Game of Thrones.
Check out how the grapple went down below.
The UFC parts ways with five fighters
Five fighters including Luke Sanders have been released from the UFC in the latest batch of roster cuts by the promotion.
The fighters who the UFC parted ways with were Luke Sanders, Ray Rodriguez, Jordan Griffin, Aalon Cruz, and Anthony Birchak.
Dana White unsure as to if Kayla Harrison is ready to compete in the UFC
It is fair to say that Kayla Harrison is running out of challenges in PFL as once again she is on her way to winning the women's lightweight tournament yet again.
Harrison is currently 9-0 in MMA and has been dominant in pretty much every single one of her fights.
Harrison is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist in Judo.
Although Harrison has looked fantastic all throughout her career, UFC president Dana White is not convinced that she is ready to compete in the UFC.
In an interview with TSN's Aaron Bronsteter, White said "I don’t know if she’s ready. I mean, when she feels like she’s ready, I’m always looking for the best possible people to come in and fight. If you don’t think that’s we’ve offered her to come over – I just don’t know if her people think she’s ready yet. It’s a whole other level when you get here.”
White also said that the talent jump from other promotions such as PFL to the UFC is huge and that could be why her management team is slow playing her career.
White said "Holly (Holm), Germaine (de Randamie), Aspen Ladd, Julianna Pena, the list goes on and on,” White said. “It’s a lot tougher when you come over here. I don’t know if they think she’s ready or not, but we’ll find out.”
Do you think that Harrison would be successful in the UFC?
Scott Coker says the bantamweight division in Bellator could be the next to hold a Grand Prix
Scott Coker has revealed that Bellator's next Grand Prix could feature the bantamweight division.
The bantamweight division in Bellator is looking pretty stacked at the moment with talented fighters such as Sergio Pettis, Juan Archuleta, Magomed Magomedov and Kyoji Horiguchi may also make a return to Bellator in the future.
Post-fight at Bellator 258, Coker said "the (next) Grand Prix hasn’t been determined, but what I will say is if you look at the quality of fighters in this division, it’s stacked. I think of fighters like Magomed Magomedov. I think about the two gentlemen, (Pettis and Archuleta), who just fought tonight. I think about (former champion) Kyoji Horiguchi coming in."
Would you like to see a Grand Prix in the Bellator bantamweight division?
Derek Anderson shows off his injuries which he suffered against Michael Page
At Bellator 258, Michael "Venom" Page put on another fantastic performance when he defeated Derek Anderson.
In the fight, Anderson suffered a nasty broken nose which was caused by a kick to the face from Page.
A broken nose was not the only injury that Anderson suffered during the fight.
Anderson also suffered a broken hand.
He revealed the scan on his Instagram.
Kevin Lee announces he is moving up to welterweight
In his last few fights, Kevin Lee has bounced between the lightweight and welterweight divisions.
However, it now seems that Lee has made the decision that he will be moving to welterweight for the foreseeable future.
Lee revealed the news on Twitter.
I’m moving to 170lbs for the foreseeable future. Oliveira can have the lightweights we’ll get that back later
— Kevin MTP Lee (@MoTownPhenom) May 10, 2021
Lee then went on call out Mike Perry to fight.
@PlatinumPerry we fighting July 10 or what @seanshelby @danawhite
— Kevin MTP Lee (@MoTownPhenom) May 10, 2021
Do you think Lee could be successful at welterweight?
Fightful has all of your MMA needs covered. Follow us on Twitter for updates, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for exclusive interviews, lists, news updates and predictions.
