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MMA Today: Conor McGregor Talks Chandler Fight At Bellator Dublin, Dana White Expands

The latest stories in MMA for Monday, June 24.

Zain Bando

Jun 9, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; MMA fighter Conor McGregor during halftime in game four of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 9, 2023; Miami, Florida, USA; MMA fighter Conor McGregor during halftime in game four of the 2023 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets at Kaseya Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports / Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome back to MMA Today, a weekly series where MMAKO’s Zain Bando compiles the biggest and best stories in the sport to read and sip over morning coffee (or go a run).

Without further ado, let’s great straight into the news.

Conor McGregor corners Sinead Kavanagh, Paul Hughes, Speaks About Return

Former UFC two-division champion, Conor McGregor, has arguably been the biggest news topic of the summer. And the stakes were ramped up to even greater heights when he was interviewed and seen at Bellator Dublin on Saturday afternoon to corner Sinead Kavanagh and Paul Hughes.

McGregor made his intentions clear that he plans to finish what he started with Michael Chandler and give the fans what they want to see. Knowing it was a toe injury, McGregor did not want to compromise himself any further and be 100 percent come fight time.

Is it a bad look that Bellator and the UFC are cross-promoting? That’s up for debate, but McGregor seems to be in good spirits as a new date comes closer to fruition.

Dana White Has Long-Term Plans For Saudi Arabia and Expansion Into New Markets

UFC CEO Dana White has long been adamant that the UFC has to expand into new markets in order to be successful in the long-term. Saudi Arabia was one of them. 

With Saturday’s event in the books, White reaffirmed its success at the post-fight press conference and assured everyone that the first-quarter of 2025 would promise a more substantial card. Along with that, White has praised Power Slap’s social reach in the UAE and said he intends to host an event the night before UFC.

This decision is entirely reminiscent of what White did in April ahead of UFC 300, along with the current plan ahead of UFC 303. The event will take place Friday night from the newly minted Fontainebleau in Las Vegas, with the action transitioning to T-Mobile Arena the following evening.

UFC 305 Has Its Main Event

The summer calendar’s finalization is starting to come together for the UFC. It was confirmed on White’s appearance with Jim Rome late last week that Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya would fight for the middleweight title on Aug. 17 in Perth, Australia at RAC Arena.

While the MMA community is divided on whether or not Adesanya deserves the shot or not, the rivalry can finally reach its boiling point after over a year build-up and animosity between the two.

At press time, the card is still getting put together.

What’s Coming Up?

MMAKO has you covered for everything combat sports, but especially this weekend. The PFL heads to Sioux Falls, South Dakota on Friday before the UFC returns with its pay-per-view Saturday night. Then the UFC hits a dead period the first weekend in July before 10 more cards go off through the end of September (subject to change).

Stay tuned for more!

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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