Midnight Roundup! Khamzat Chimaev's missed UFC 300 chance, Conor McGregor challenged on WWE Raw, Sean O'Malley off social media, and more
MMA fans almost got Khamzat Chimaev in the main event of UFC 300 instead of Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill. While you find out why that did not come to fruition, also read about Conor McGregor getting called out live on WWE television.
Here are your most exciting tidbits from the world of combat sports, presented by Sportskeeda's Midnight Roundup.
Why Khamzat Chimaev may have missed out on UFC 300
It recently came to light that Khamzat Chimaev was one of the three fights offered to Leon Edwards for UFC 300, to which the Brit said yes. The other two names were Shavkat Rakhmonov and Islam Makhachev, according to Ariel Helwani.
Unfortunately, none of the fights materialized, and the promotion settled on Alex Pereira vs. Jamahal Hill as the main event for the landmark card. Helwani theorized on the recent episode of The MMA Hour why Chimaev may have missed out on the opportunity:
"The top choice was Khamzat. Can't get in the country. I don't know how they fix this. I don't know how you give Khamzat a title shot, 'cause he very likely could win that, knowing he can't get in the country. How can you have a champion who can't fight in the United States? ... You gotta fix that first."
Watch Helwani's comment below:
It is noteworthy that all three fighters would be observing Ramadan throughout March and early April, making it inconvenient for them to compete in a high-stakes fight such as this. 'Borz' recently shut down any possibility of him competing during Ramadan as well.
Michael Chandler calls out Conor McGregor on WWE Raw
Michael Chandler is not letting go of the 'Red Panty Night' bag.
Appearing on WWE Raw on Monday night, Chandler cut a fiery promo live on television, calling Conor McGregor out once again for their much-anticipated fight.
"There's a man from Ireland that's been making me wait for way too long. And I still got one dude on my mind - Conor McGregor! Get your candy-a** back to the octagon. We got some unfinished business boys."
The two were roped in as opposing coaches on TUF 31 last year, at the end of which they were supposed to fight it out inside the octagon. However, Chandler's dream of welcoming McGregor back in the octagon still seems far-fetched, especially after Dana White's latest revelation about "money complications".
Sean O'Malley is off social media
Ariel Helwani asked Sean O'Malley on the latest episode of The MMA Hour if he has been feeling the pressure of fans online ever since he became the champion. 'Sugar' responded that he does not personally use social media anymore to avoid exposing himself to the negativity:
"I changed my number. I deleted social media - I don't have Instagram or Twitter on my phone. No one has my personal email. So, I kind of avoid all that."
Catch Sean O'Malley's comments below:
Doctor breaks down Alexander Volkanovski's knockout loss
Dr. Brian Sutterer explained on his YouTube channel the anatomical science behind Alexander Volkanovski's knockout loss at the hands of Ilia Topuria at UFC 298.
Moreover, he compared it with the leg kick Paulo Costa landed on Robert Whittaker, which connected flush but did not manage to knock 'The Reaper' out. Dr. Sutterer explained that the movement of Whittaker's head is what saved him against Costa's kick, while the same momentum but in the opposite direction is what brought about Volkanovski's downfall.
Watch the full breakdown below or read the details here:
Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk could see huge rule change
Boxing decisions have been at the receiving end of severe backlash in recent times for controversial decisions. To avoid any such trouble in the Tyson Fury vs. Oleksandr Usyk clash, WBC wants to implement new rules in the fight.
In an interview with Sky Sports, WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman revealed that they had proposed to use five or six judges for the fight, but it was turned down. However, he still stands by the idea to avoid any possibility of a wrong score.
He said:
"We had proposed to use five judges, or six judges ... That's the only intention to make sure there's no controversy. Now we have the biggest fight in 25 years in the heavyweight division. So we have to try to do our best."
He is pinning his hope on the use of video replays now that the fight has been postponed to May 18.
MMA journalist proposes champ vs. champ rule
Some fans are perenially hungry for the champion vs. champion super fights in the UFC, the frequency of which has significantly increased since Conor McGregor first did it years ago. However, some others may have got tired of the conversation.
Veteran MMA journalist Damon Martin suggested a rule on X to solve the issue:
"UFC will never do it but there should be a rule that you have to defend the title a minimum of 5 times before changing divisions to chase another belt. That would solve so many problems."
This comes after Leon Edwards was recently offered to fight Islam Makhachev at UFC 300. There have been rumors of several other double-champ fights as well, such as Alex Pereira vs. Tom Aspinall and Sean O'Malley vs. Ilia Topuria.
Read Next:
Dillon Danis tries to dig up dirt on Jake Paul's new opponent
Fans react to Belal Muhammad getting snubbed for UFC 300
"Disappointed" coach talks Alexander Volkanovski's first words after UFC 298 loss
NFL helped Ian Garry beat Geoff Neal at UFC 298
Midnight Shock!
Watch Sean O'Malley, Jamahal Hill, and other UFC fighters getting their jaws dropped by Ilia Topuria's knockout win at UFC 298: