MMA News Roundup – Dana White Desperate for Conor McGregor’s UFC 303; Jayson Tatum and NBA Stars Inspired by UFC Fighters; Israel Adesanya Warns Alex Pereira and Dricus Du Plessis

Did you happen to miss out on the most interesting stories from the MMA world? Well, worry not because we have just the perfect means for you to dive into the biggest headlines – the daily roundup! Today, we will start this list with a desperate UFC CEO, Dana White. The 54-year-old seems to be in a rush to find Conor McGregor‘s replacement, as reported by Ariel Helwani.

Then, we will shift our focus to a revelation about NBA stars. Apparently, they take a lot of inspiration from the business UFC fighters do inside the Octagon. Finally, this roundup will end with the news of Israel Adesanya, sending words of caution toward a couple of his rivals.

Is Dana White pulling out all the stops for a Conor McGregor replacement?

Despite having the date of his return, fans aren’t sure if ‘Return of the Mac’ will take place on June 29. Will Michael Chandler get his big payday fight, something that he’s been waiting for almost two years? It seems that the main event could be falling apart because renowned combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani claims that Dana White & Co. has been approaching others for the main event slot, as McGregor shared an upsetting update recently.

“I found out, via multiple sources, that they are reaching out to people again, they are reaching out to managers, they are reaching out to fighters,” Ariel Helwani stated on ‘The MMA Hour‘. Dana White is considering all his options – from replacing either Conor McGregor or Michael Chandler to a whole new fight altogether. “As I reported yesterday, as potential replacements, i.e. a new fight, as backups, as someone stepping in for McGregor, or as just insurance.” What does this mean for UFC 303? We’ll surely get those answers in the days to come.

NBA stars are taking inspiration from UFC fighters

The Boston Celtics have been on a roll in the 2023-24 season. They need just one win to claim to become the NBA champions for the 18th time. After defeating the Dallas Mavericks in their last game, Jayson Tatum would address the media post-match and would reveal that their coach Joe Mazzulla takes a rather unusual route in trying to get the team motivated, and that includes watching UFC fighters and the kind of mentality they show when they’re in a fight.

“You Know, Joe does a great job of showing us clips and things from different sports, right? He’s a big UFC fan and you know, showing us fights of people that… put them in a chokehold or sh*t… The closer you are to winning, the closer that they are to surviving,” Jayson Tatum would state after the Mavericks game. It’s safe to say that UFC fans are present from all walks of life, even in other sporting professions.

Israel Adesanya and Dricus du Plessis get cautioned by Alex Pereira

Amidst recent UFC 305 reports, former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya announced that he was on his way back to making a comeback. Having started grinding in the gym, ‘The Last Stylebender’, while being excited about the return to Octagon, he also claimed that winning belts was not the thing he was most looking forward to. He could be looking to seek redemption against a couple of his rivals or may even rekindle an old rivalry.

“I have belts, I don’t need anymore belts. I’m coming for heads,” stated Israel Adesanya in the hype video on X. 185-pound champion Dricus du Plessis should take note of it because his fight against ‘Izzy’ has been a long time coming and could take place in the near future. Meanwhile, given that belts don’t interest Adesanya anymore, he could very well chase a UFC trilogy fight against Alex Pereira. But we can’t say anything for sure until an official announcement is made.