MMA News Roundup: UFC 285 loses huge main card matchup, veteran fighter backup for Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury, Dana White defends Power Slap League pay
Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda's daily MMA News Roundup, where we present the biggest UFC updates and other stories from the world of mixed martial arts.
In today's issue, we talk about one UFC 285 main card fight falling through, Dana White defending meager Power Slap League pay, and more.
#3. Cody Garbrandt vs. Julio Arce falls through
The stacked UFC 285 card lost an intriguing bantamweight clash between Cody Garbrandt and Julio Arce.
Eurosport Netherlands' Marcel Dorff was the first to report on the matter. He wrote in a tweet that Arce was pulling out of the fight due to an injury.
🚨🚨INJURY🚨🚨
Julio Arce is injured. He is out of his scheduled fight against Cody Garbrandt at #UFC285 on March 4th. https://t.co/GtM6rVfFpT
He added that the UFC was hoping to keep Garbrandt on the card and was looking for a replacement.
@JoshWeigand1 They definitely wanna keep Cody on the card.
Fans threw in suggestions for an opponent. The names of Umar Nurmagomedov, Cub Swanson, and even the newly dethroned Deiveson Figueiredo were mentioned. This marked Garbrandt's third canceled fight since returning to bantamweight. None of it was his own fault.
UFC 285, to be held on March 4, is set to feature Jon Jones' much-awaited return to the octagon. He will face Ciryl Gane in the main event over the heavyweight belt recently vacated after Francis Ngannou's exit.
#2. Former UFC fighter Mike Perry standing by for Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury
Jake Paul has revealed that Mike Perry will be a backup for his bout against Tommy Fury.
Paul will finally face the younger Fury brother in an eight-round boxing match on February 26 in Saudi Arabia. Because of Fury's previous pull-outs, Paul is not fully convinced that he'll show up on the day of the fight even though he believes 'TNT' cannot afford to lose this purse now that he's a father.
Paul revealed in the press conference that former welterweight contender Mike Perry will be a ready replacement if Fury pulls out again.
"Yeah, we have Mike Perry on standby. Let's go, Mike Perry. He's ready to jump in in case Tommy [Fury] pulls out."
Watch the press conference below:
After a average career in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (TUF), Perry is currently 2-0 in BKFC having most recently defeated veteran Michael 'Venom' Page in a majority decision.
#1. Dana White defends 2K/2K pay for Power Slap League competitors
Dana White's newest business venture, Power Slap League, has received its fair share of disapproval so far. Since its debut on TB on January 18, 2023, the brutality of the sport has left fans and professionals equally concerned. On top of that, it has recently come to light that the Power Slap League competitors get paid a pittance.
Eric Spicely, a former UFC middleweight who was approached for the competition, revealed that the offer was $2,000 for show and $2,000 for win.
UFC veteran Eric Spicely said he was contacted to see if he’d like to participate in the Power Slap League. Not sure what the full pay scale is, but this nugget caught my attention: https://t.co/Qlej95KmJs
In response to public scrutiny, Dana White gave a barely reasonable explanation defending the compensation structure:
"[This is] how MMA started too. Boxing undercards make this kind of money still. Educate yourself before you open the YAP."
Here's the comment:
Dana White responding to IG account about Power Slap pay. https://t.co/HzGcHUbwSk
Fans had to remind the UFC president that the sum of $2,000 was worth a lot more when the promotion first started in the 1990s.