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MMA Today: A Week Without the UFC is a Good Week For a Reset

MMAKO’s Zain Bando explains why this week is a good week for an MMA reset.

Zain Bando

Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

For one of the rare times in the history of MMAKO’s “MMA Today” column, the UFC event calendar has taken a lull.

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A Rare Off Week For The UFC

This upcoming week features no UFC event after a nearly two-month stretch of cards every weekend, and that might actually be a good thing for the hardcore MMA fan.

To date, there have been 357 UFC fights thus far this year, not including the fights on DWCS or Road to UFC, much less TUF.

That’s a lot of Octagon content. From an epic UFC 300 event to a forgettable APEX Fight Night, the three-quarters of the year has brought MMA fans a little bit of everything.

MMA Today: A Week Without the UFC Is a Good Week For a Reset
Apr 13, 2024; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Max Holloway (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Justin Gaethje (red gloves) during UFC 300 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports / Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

So whatever floats your boat or gets the fight juices pumping, this is your week to rest, recharge and reset. After Sep. 21, which is the next Saturday without a UFC card, the promotion will go back-to-back every weekend up until Thanksgiving before closing out the year with two events in December.

That stretch includes UFC 306-UFC 309, APEX Fight Nights through Nov. 9 and the conclusion of DWCS on Nov. 15, not to mention non-domestic events in France and Macau on Sept. 28 and Nov. 23.

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Knock on wood that the UFC Sphere event doesn’t get altered, much less the recently'announced UFC 307 card in Salt Lake City, Utah. Will Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler happen? That seems to be both an if-and-when situation than just one small holdup. If it does happen, the end of the year is where it should go, as McGregor primarily fights in Las Vegas.

MMA Today: A Week Without the UFC Is a Good Week For a Reset
Conor McGregor arrives at the red carpet before the premiere of Road House at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas on the first day of South by Southwest, Friday, March 8, 2024. McGregor plays the character \"Knox\" in the movie. / Sara Diggins/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

Jon Jones’ potential retirement is another story to watch this fall, as Tom Aspinall is still gunning for the undisputed heavyweight title.

MMA Today: A Week Without the UFC Is a Good Week For a Reset
Feb 15, 2020; Rio Rancho, New Mexico, USA; UFC fighter Jon Jones attends the light heavyweight bout between Jan Blachowicz (blue) and Corey Anderson (red) during UFC Fight Night at Santa Ana Star Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

It’s storylines like those in MMA that keep diehard fans of the sport eager to keep watching. It’s the furthest thing from a movie, but just like Georgia Tech’s upset against Florida State on Saturday in college football, it leaves the average sports fan in disbelief. 

Regardless, MMAKO will be there every step of the way, and while there may be no UFC event this weekend to fulfill the appetite, the news will keep on rolling, per usual.

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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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