Conor McGregor post stirs up 'open relationship' rumors, Khamzat Chimaev demands UFC return dates, Francis Ngannou takes sly dig at Dana White: MMA News Roundup
Welcome to Sportskeeda's daily MMA News Roundup, where we present the biggest UFC news updates and other stories from the world of mixed martial arts.
In today's issue, we talk about Conor McGregor and Dee Devlin's relationship, Khamzat Chimaev has two dates in mind for return, and more.
#3. Fans speculate Conor McGregor and Dee Devlin are in an 'open relationship'
Days after Conor McGregor was accused of 'violent' sexual assault on a woman at the NBA Finals, he posted pictures with his family on the occasion of Father's Day. In the Instagram carousel, there were some pictures of him with his fiancee Dee Devlin, where they both looked intimate and cozied up.
See all the pictures below:
Fans took to social media to express their surprise at the amiability between the two given the Irishman's recent transgressions, which are the latest in a list of many. Even if the allegations of sexual assault are false, McGregor is caught engaging with the accuser and leading her to the bathroom on camera.
Some showed sympathy for Devlin. Others speculated that they were in an open relationship, in which the two partners mutually agree to have physical and emotional relationships with other people.
Here are some tweets:
@Grapegone It just confirms my belief that they’re in an open relationship
Dee Devlin is an absolute doormat. No amount of money can be worth the constant humiliation
#ConorMcGregor
@Grapegone They could have a open relationship. Who cares
@Grapegone She's a CONCUBINE AT THIS POINT.
Dee Devlin and Conor McGregor are expecting their fourth child together.
Read more reactions here.
#2. Khamzat Chimaev wants two UFC fights before 2023 ends
Khamzat Chimaev has pitched two back-to-back dates for his octagon return.
He has taken to his official Twitter to announce that he would like to fight two more times before the year ends. Chimaev is eyeing to compete at the promotion's return to Paris on September 2, followed by UFC 294 pay-per-view card on October 21 in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
I am ready to fight in paris ready to fight after in abu dhabi let me smash somebody @ufc
His last outing saw 'Borz' defeat Kevin Holland in a last-minute matchup at UFC 279 in a catchweight bout. Chimaev missing weight by a huge margin and robbing fans of the Nate Diaz fight with nonchalance did not sit too well with the fans.
#1. Francis Ngannou reacts to Dana White proposing Jon Jones vs. Tyson Fury
One of the many reasons Francis Ngannou departed from the UFC was Dana White's reluctance to let him fight in a boxing match. To date, only one fighter has managed to cross over and compete while being on the UFC roster - Conor McGregor's historic foray into boxing against Floyd Mayweather.
However, days after Ngannou signed with the PFL, White enthusiastically floated a crossover boxing match between Jon Jones and Tyson Fury. 'The Gypsy King' has been talking about fighting both Ngannou and Jones for quite some time now.
Answering a question on the matter by Mirror Fighting, Ngannou gave a tongue-in-cheek response taking a dig at White:
"That was never an idea when I was in the UFC and now that I'm not in the UFC I think that everything is all about 'how to take down Ngannou', but Ngannou stands up. I'm going to be here for a while!"
When asked about how his working relationship was with PFL's Don Davis and Peter Murray as compared to Dana White, 'The Predator' said it was 'different, healthy, and respectful.'