MMA News Roundup – Dana White and UFC’s Antitrust Lawsuit Update; Dricus Du Plessis Slips Gameplan for Israel Adesanya; Ilia Topuria and Partner Giorgina Welcome First Child

Are you worried about missing the latest happenings in the world of mixed martial arts? Yet another round of our MMA round-up is here to catch you up to the latest headlines. For this edition, we’ll look at the UFC and CEO Dana White’s ongoing anti-trust lawsuit and a massive update about the legal issue the promotion has been embroiled in. Next, we shift our focus over to featherweight champion Ilia Topuria and the latest addition to his family.

Finally, Dricus Du Plessis, the current middleweight king has come out and shared a glimpse of what he plans to do for his first title defense against former champion, Israel Adesanya. With all of this to get into, let’s dive straight in and check out the top stories in the MMA sphere!

Dana White and the UFC’s ongoing legal battle takes an unexpected turn  

The UFC has been dealing with the two class-action lawsuits filed by former fighters like Cung Le in 2014  and Kajan Johnson in 2021. Several other fighter names have also been mentioned in the suits. The complaints stem from the allegations against the UFC of trying to set up a monopoly over the sport of MMA and thus, preventing the fighters from earning a higher income.

In March 2024, it was reported that the UFC’s parent company, TKO Group Holdings, had reached a settlement worth $335 million which would be paid out over time. However, in a recent update shared on X by John S. Nash, it was revealed that “News out of the Vegas Federal Court: the Judge has denied the Preliminary Settlement Approval in the UFC antitrust case. Trial is to be scheduled for Le v Zuffa and Johnson v Zuffa will proceed on its own.”

It remains to be seen how the UFC and CEO Dana White respond to the update as so far, there haven’t been any official statements made by the promotion concerning the latest development in the lawsuit that has become a major story in the MMA sphere.

Ilia Topuria welcomes his first child as Max Holloway’s fight plans are set in motion

The UFC featherweight champion, Ilia Topuria, has another motivation for when he steps into the cage next! ‘El Matador’ and his partner Giorgina have welcomed their first child into the world. A proud Topuria shared a picture of his wife in the hospital holding the infant on his Instagram account with the caption, “No words can describe this moment. Thank you God for this far. ❤️🙏🏻”

But while Topuria and his family celebrate, the MMA fans have been left wondering when they’ll see the featherweight king defend his crown against ‘Blessed’? The two have been firing salvos against one another relentlessly ever since Max Holloway knocked out Justin Gaethje at UFC 300 and set his sights on Topuria.

However, there may be hope on the horizon! In a recent interview reported by Spanish news portal Marca, Topuria claimed that a verbal agreement had been made between him and Holloway for a clash. As we wait for an official confirmation, it seems that the featherweight division will see a championship clash soon!

Dricus Du Plessis reveals his strategy for UFC 305 clash against Israel Adesanya  

At UFC 305 in Perth, Australia, Dricus Du Plessis will be looking to cement his reign as the king of the middleweight division with his first title defense against Israel Adesanya. There’s already bad blood between them over ‘Stillknocks’ comments about bringing the title to Africa. At the UFC 285 media day, Du Plessis had stated, “I’m going to take a belt to Africa. I’m the African fighting in the UFC. Myself and Cameron [Saaiman], we breathe African air. We wake up in Africa every day.”

With Adesanya returning from a hiatus after losing his title to Sean Strickland at UFC 293, Du Plessis recently revealed that he is ready to “disrupt” ‘The Last Stylebender’s game plan for this fight. How does he plan on doing that?

In an interview with Fox Sports AUS, Du Plessis answered by stating, “Yeah, the big thing with the disruption of Israel Adesanya is you can’t let him settle and fight his fight. I think at this level where we’re fighting, if you let somebody fight the way they want to fight, you’re always going to be on the back foot. And it’s not just pushing forward necessarily that’s how you stifle it…” ‘Stillknocks’ also brought up Adesanya’s hiatus from competition and ‘ring rust’ may be a factor that the former champion deals with due to his extended time away from the Octagon. 

What’s your take on these updates? Do you think the UFC can bounce back from the legal challenges? How excited are you for Topuria’s potential fight with Holloway? And who do you think will come out on top in the middleweight showdown between Du Plessis and Adesanya? Share your thoughts and predictions below!