With another day in the rearview, we’ve got a fresh batch of MMA news in our new edition of the daily roundup. To kick this one off, we’ll take a look at what the UFC has planned for a return to Europe after a successful Fight Night event in Edmonton. Thereafter, we’ll shift our attention to the triumphant Brandon Moreno, revealing his intentions for a title shot.

For our final piece of news, we’ll take a look at the number of tributes from the MMA community, including Dana White, for a deceased member of the UFC’s crew. Without any further ado, let’s get into it.

Dana White’s team talks about events in Europe

There has been an increase in demand from European fans for the UFC to come to their continent. Dana White recently confirmed that they’re already talking about a potential event in Spain, and now David Shaw, the EVP of the UFC, revealed that they do have plans, but finding the right venue and setting up the right event is what they’re navigating.

“Did you go to the [inaudible] fight? So, great venue but you know, [it’s] a small venue. So, could we take our show to that arena? It would be challenging,”
David Shaw stated during the post-fight presser. “It’s not an insurmountable challenge. Like, we’d be able to do it, but we’d be having a small event.”

Nevertheless, there are a few planned UFC events coming to Europe and David Shaw claimed that London is a potential destination for 2025. “We’re going to be back in the UK next year… probably London,” Shaw added. It remains to be seen if the UFC will expand its event-hosting locations in Europe from the UK to the rest of the continent sooner rather than later. Now, let’s get down to the next big story.

Brandon Moreno aiming to become a 3-time champion

After losing the flyweight title to Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 290, Brandon Moreno suffered another loss against the former title challenger, Brandon Royval, in his last outing. Ahead of his fight against the surging Iraqi contender, Amir Albazi, most people were expecting a close encounter between the two, but ‘The Assassin Baby’ totally outclassed the up-and-coming Albazi, securing a unanimous decision victory. Following that win, Moreno opened up about his wish to get back into the title scene and even sent a warning to the flyweight division with his recent performance.

“I just want to be up on the top again. I want my title back. This is just a reminder for the rest of the division. I never say nothing, I’m always very respectful with everybody but man, put me somewhere here and I’ll be the baddest person on the planet,” Brandon Moreno stated during the post-fight interview. It’ll be interesting to see how things pan out for the first Mexican UFC champion, but before that, let’s dive into our final big news of the day.

Dana White and the MMA world pay tribute to a fallen crew member

Despite the record-setting success of UFC Edmonton, it’s a sad time for the UFC, after the loss of two veteran UFC crew members Derek Thompson and Matt Kelly. The news was first announced during the broadcast of UFC Edmonton in their return to this Canadian city after five years. UFC figures like Megan Olivi, and Laura Sanko and fighters like Belal Muhammad and Michael Chiesa all joined in to pay their respects to the two veteran crew members.

Derek Thomspon seems to have been admired by many, as Michael Chiesa referred to him as “a great man.” Dana White, the boss, also shared a story on Instagram for Thompson, who worked in his organization for many years. Media personalities like Ariel Helwani, among others, shared their own heartfelt message on his passing, showcasing the legacy the crew member left behind.