MMA Today: UFC Sphere Wishlist, Jake Paul Calls Out Conor McGregor & More

MMA Today is back to kick off the week in combat sports.

Zain Bando | Jul 22, 2024

AV Magazine

MMA Today returns after a brief hiatus, and given the UFC's schedule is set to ramp up over the next month, so will news and notes surrounding some of the UFC's biggest events, including UFC 306, which is set to take place Sept. 14 at the Sphere in Las Vegas.

MMAKO's Zain Bando is back with the biggest headlines, so without further ado, let's jump right into the festivities. This week heavily focuses on UFC 306, Conor McGregor's recent appearances on social media and in public interviews, and Jake Paul's newest callout of the former UFC double-champion.

The Hypothetical UFC Sphere Dream Card

At press time, only seven confirmed fights have been made public with under two months to go and have been confirmed by multiple sources, including MMAJunkie, Sherdog and ESPN Deportes over the last several weeks and months. But, as July will eventually turn to August, there is still no sign of a direction towards a definitive main or co-main event booking.

UFC CEO Dana White told Pat McAfee last week that the event will only feature 10 fights and if White, who vacationed in Italy over the weekend, holds to his word, three unannounced fights are left to cap off the event.

MMA Today: UFC Sphere Wishlist, Jake Paul Calls Out Conor McGregor & More

July 18, 2024; Milwaukee, WI, USA; Dana White, CEO of Ultimate Fighting Championship, introduces Republican presidential nominee Donald J. Trump during the final day of the Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum. The final day of the RNC featured a keynote address by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump. Mandatory Credit: Jasper Colt-USA TODAY / Jasper Colt-USA TODAY

Before moving a step further, here are the confirmed fights in no specific order.

Noche UFC News: Sphere Event Adds Mexican Talent with Five Confirmed Fights

Known UFC Sphere Fights Thus Far

Michel Pereira vs. Anthony Hernandez, middleweight
Yazmin Jauregui vs. Ketlen Souza, women’s strawweight
Edgar Chairez vs. Kevin Borjas, flyweight
Raul Rosas Jr. vs. Aoriqileng, bantamweight
Irene Aldana vs. Norma Dumont, women’s bantamweight
Ronaldo Rodriguez vs. Ode Osbourne, flyweight
Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Manuel Torres, lightweight

Given the UFC and White's promise to deliver a "love letter" for Mexican Independence Day and Hispanic fight fans, the current lineup does little to fulfill that promise as well as propose to a casual audience the thought of either buying the card at home or going to a bar, let alone purchasing a ticket to see it live.

To add to the card's prestige, here are two fights to add to the event that would give the UFC the "wow" factor it's attempting to achieve. There are additional options, but given timeliness and name value, opting for the most straightforward options made sense for this scenario.

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Proposed Fight No. 1: Alexa Grasso vs. Valentina Shevchenko 3

The trilogy should be signed, sealed and delivered if it hasn't been already. Both women are all too familiar with each other, given that it would be the third-straight time the pair has faced off since March 2023.

Grasso was able to snatch the upset from Shevchenko by submission, ending a then-long and illustrious title reign where Shevchenko, to some, looked unbeatable.

Last September, the two met again and put together a five-round war with both giving everything they had. While some scored the fight for Grasso, others had it for the former champion. Ultimately, the judges awarded the fight to neither, scoring it a draw, leaving many more questions than answers.

Sep 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alexa Grasso (red gloves) and Valentina Shevchenko (blue gloves) react after the fight during UFC Fight Night at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports / Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Grasso and Shevchenko currently serve as TUF 32 coaches in what has been a back-and-forth competition showcasing some of the best young prospects in the sport at featherweight and middleweight.

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Although the 2024 edition of the show doesn't have the flare of a coaching rivalry like seasons past, Grasso and Shevchenko have shown their competitive spirit by transitioning from fighter to coach and willing their teams to win every week. Given Grasso's Hispanic ties and the way UFC 306 has been branded thus far, the trilogy has to come to its rightful completion.

Ryan Garcia Called Out by UFC 303 Star for Sphere Showdown with ‘No Takedowns'

Proposed Fight No. 2: Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler

Although the fight will likely be an end-of-year ordeal or never happen at all given its three-year wait, McGregor and Michael Chandler will forever be linked to one another. The fight interests non-MMA fans, let alone people who follow pop culture. And given the event's highly-expensive early-look VIP tickets, the fight is worth the price of admission.

It would also end long layoffs for both men, minus their coaching stints on TUF 31. McGregor is coming off back-to-back losses to Dustin Poirier, while Chandler also was on the wrong end of a Poirier defeat and sits at 2-3 in the promotion.

Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler shake hands on the set of "The Ultimate Fighter." The two were scheduled to fight at UFC 303 on June 29th. / (via Zuffa LLC)

Jake Paul Tries To Humble Conor McGregor

In the aftermath of Jake Paul's sixth-round TKO win against BKFC champion Mike Perry, Paul, who earned his 10th boxing win, had a lot of names to call out, including McGregor.

Paul said Saturday night that McGregor will always be afraid of him, hence why the pair will likely never cross paths in a ring, cage, or Octagon.

Dec 15, 2023; Orlando, Florida, USA; Jake Paul reacts after knocking out Andre August in the first round at Caribe Royale Orlando. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

"Conor is on Twitter all the time," Paul said. "He's on his yacht all the time. But guess where he's not? In the ring fighting me, so he can talk all the sh*t he wants. But then the Notorious MMA, remember, is scared of Jake Joseph Paul from Disney Channel."

For now, the saga will have to be put to rest as Paul will attempt to defeat former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson in November.

Conor McGregor Targeting December Date with Michael Chandler

McGregor was seen doing press tours ahead of a recent BKFC event and was asked whether he would be down to finally fight Chandler, but in December instead.

🚨BREAKING NEWS🚨

Spoke with Conor McGregor this afternoon about his plans to return to the UFC after suffering a broken toe.

He told me he likes the sound of fighting Michael Chandler at UFC 310 on December 14.

🎥 interview to drop later.

Thoughts, peeps? pic.twitter.com/gmOqWdc5ks
— Chisanga Malata (@Chisanga_Malata) July 18, 2024

"That sounds good to me," McGregor told Sun Sport.

The MMA community now waits with baited breath for what comes next.

Will we see McGregor vs. Chandler in 2024?