Fighter facing death penalty for murder, Mackenzie Dern opens up on marital abuse, UFC has given up on Jones vs. Miocic: 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 an MMA fighter potentially facing the death penalty, the current status of Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic, and more.
#3. MMA fighter Cedric Marks found guilty of murdering ex-girlfriend
Cedric Marks, who was on trial being accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend Jenna Scott and a friend of hers, has been found guilty. The jury passed the verdict of capital murder after a six-week trial. It was announced shortly after 5:00 PM on Wednesday, May 24.
In Texas, where the trial took place, capital murder is punishable by the death penalty or prison without parole. The sentence will be passed on Monday, June 5, at 08:45 AM, when Marks could potentially be handed the death penalty for his heinous crimes.
Read the full report here.
#2. Mackenzie Dern opens up on facing abuse in her marriage
Days after securing a win against Angela Hill, top UFC women's strawweight fighter Mackenzie Dern has opened up about suffering physical and mental abuse in her marriage.
In the latest episode of The MMA Hour, Dern told Ariel Helwani that her estranged husband, professional surfer Wesley Santos, deliberately put her in situations to incite a reaction out of her and then report her to the police. She said she was hesitant to protect herself physically, fearing how it would be represented to the authorities given she is a professional mixed martial artist:
"I wasn't even able to defend myself. I couldn't defend myself. Police were getting called to the house. It was just getting out of control. And going through that in front of your daughter, you don't want your daughter to witness that."
Dern added that it was difficult for her to see herself stuck in an abusive situation since she has always wanted to be an example to other women when it comes to standing up for herself.
Check out Dern's comments below shared by @afeldMMA on Twitter:
Mackenzie Dern opens up on her divorce.
“It’s crazy for me cause I always want to represent someone who can stand up for themselves and can defend themselves for all the women out there - so for me to see myself in that situation was really hard.”
Tough to hear. Very open… twitter.com/i/web/status/1… https://t.co/jNARpjyvTP
Dern and Santos divorced in late 2022. She opened up on how the separation affected her fight camp ahead of UFC Vegas 73.
#1. The UFC has moved on from Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic: Chael Sonnen
Jon Jones has made it very clear that with Francis Ngannou gone, the only heavyweight he wishes to fight is Stipe Miocic. However, Chael Sonnen seemingly has inside news that the UFC has moved on from that matchup.
They are now looking to book Jones against Sergei Pavlovich, said the UFC veteran in a recent conversation with Brendan Schaub.
Sonnen said:
"I'm hearing strong rumors that Stipe and Jones is going to go up in flames and that Sergei Pavlovich vs. Jones is happening in August. I'm hearing strong rumors on that. It's strong enough that I can say it's at least being pursued."
Sonnen also said that the fight will potentially take place in August in Sydney, Australia.
Watch Sonnen's comments below:
Chael Sonnen says Jon Jones vs. Sergei Pavlovich is being “pursued” at the moment
https://t.co/rRZ5XDVtJT