MMA News Roundup: UFC banned Dan Hardy from wife's fight events, Paulo Costa to get $1M per bout, Jon Jones most-tested by USADA in 2023 Q1
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 Dan Hardy getting banned from UFC 286, Jon Jones being most tested by USADA this year, and more.
#3. Dan Hardy was banned from UFC 286 over a minor disagreement
Ever since getting fired from the promotion in 2021, Dan Hardy has been in a public feud with Dana White. He has been critical of the UFC several times over multiple issues, including the Power Slap League.
He recently spoke on Colby Covington's death threat to Jon Anik and said that 'Chaos' is likely to get away with it as both the parties are public figures. However, the same treatment is not extended if someone is not as popular a name.
Hardy provided an anecdote to prove his point and revealed that he was banned from fight week activities ahead of UFC 286 over a petty disagreement. His wife, flyweight contender Veronica Macedo, fought on the pay-per-view card against Juliana Miller.
"I had a very, very minor disagreement with a member of staff and I was banned from all fight week activities last week. So you know, it’s a case-by-case basis… I went to the official weigh-ins, that was the only thing I went to. But everything else I was banned from."
Catch the conversation below from the 22:30 mark:
#2. Paulo Costa reportedly set to get paid $1M per fight
After months of skirmishes with the UFC regarding pay, Paulo Costa recently revealed on PVT that he has reached a deal with the promotion. He thanked his girlfriend Tamara Alves for the negotiations.
In a recent interview with Ag.Fight, Alves revealed that Costa is set to become the highest-paid Brazilian athlete in the organization with a per-fight pay of $1 million.
"[Paulo Costa] went from being one of the most undervalued athletes to one of the most valued athletes within the UFC. I have no doubt that today Paulo is the highest-paid Brazilian athlete within the organization. Don't know if you know any Brazilian athlete who earns more than a million dollars per fight." [h/t YouTube auto-translate]
Costa also disclosed that he was eyeing fights with Khamzat Chimaev and Sean Strickland.
#1. Jon Jones most tested by USADA in 2023 Q1; Conor McGregor still not there
According to the latest report update on the USADA website, Jon Jones is the most-tested fighter in the first quarter of this year. He has been tested a total of 11 times till March 23, 2023, including the samples before and after his title fight with Ciryl Gane.
Also on the list is former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, who has been tested 8 times. Flyweight Montana De La Rosa has given the most samples (7) across all women's divisions. A number of fighters, including Amanda Nunes, Petr Yan, Jiri Prochazka, and Paulo Costa have submitted samples 6 times.
Conor McGregor, whose USADA status has stirred quite the controversy, is yet to submit a sample as per the update. Surprisingly, his potential opponent Michael Chandler has also not provided any samples so far this year.