The MMA world continues to buzz with speculation surrounding Conor McGregor’s long-awaited return to the Octagon. Despite the recent success of UFC 305, “The Notorious” has been tight-lipped on when fans can see him back in action. This silence fueled rumors and questions about his future.
On a recent episode of the show, Daniel Cormier and Chael Sonnen discussed the McGregor situation. Sonnen revealed that he sent some inside information to McGregor, but his efforts yielded no further information. “I talked to McGregor’s team over the weekend,” Sonnen shared. “I went up to Connor and asked him, ‘Hey, would you be really nice to me if you could give me something I could use on our show with Danielle.’ But I got nothing.”
Michael Chandler, now expected to face McGregor, has vocally added to his plans. Chandler made it clear he would not wait around for the Irishman. The question is, will McGregor return in 2024, or is the former “champ-champion” happy to remain on the sidelines?
Tom Aspinall calls John Jones and Dana White
Interim heavyweight champion Tom Espinal has finally spoken out about his frustration with the UFC and its president, Dana White. Despite an impressive record of eight finishes in nine UFC fights, Espinal feels he doesn’t get the respect he deserves. In a recent interview on Michael Bisping’s YouTube channel, Espinal did not hold back on his criticism.
“I’m the best heavyweight in the world and I don’t get credit for it,” Espinal declared. “They’re holding the belt captive, I’ve heard. And Jon Jones loves it.” Espinal’s frustration stems from the fact that White often praises Jones in interviews, which Espinal believes helps the candidate avoid conflict with him.
“He loves the fact that Dana White gets every interview possible, makes it amazing as hell, you talk about bantamweight and Dana White flips it back and starts talking about how good Jon Jones is,” Espinal added as time against the champion made it clear that he fight Jones is ready to do, and is challenging the UFC to make it happen.
Israel Adesanya cleared the air during the UFC 305
Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis headlined UFC 305 in a fight to remember, with both fighters delivering performances to remember. Though Adesanya was ultimately defeated, a moment in the fight caught the attention of fans and commentators.
After taking a shot from du Plessis during the fight, Adesanya pointed to the ground—a move many, including commentator Daniel Cormier, interpreted as a tribute to Max Holloway but only recently Adesanya clarified the meaning behind the gesture on his YouTube channel.
“I was kind of shaking, but I got up and walked around the street,” Adesanya explained. “I pointed down, looked at him [du Plessis], and DC goes, ‘He’s pointing down like Max Holloway, like come here. No.” According to Adesanya, the move was not an attempt to tap into Holloway’s bravado but rather a message to du Plessis. “What I said to him was like, ‘I was wrong. You didn’t shake me. I don’t want him to think he’s shaking me or anything,” Adesanya explained.
With UFC 305 now behind him, Adesanya is focused on his next challenge. As he put it, he’s not “f***ing leaving,” leaving fans eager to see who he’ll face next in the Octagon.
