MMA News Roundup: "Conor McGregor's championship run is done," says UFC vet, Joe Rogan gets backlash for urging Americans to "vote Republican", Dana White reveals he extended Khabib a new offer
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 the latest issue, we talk about a UFC veteran explaining why he thinks Conor McGregor's championship run is over, Joe Rogan receiving criticism for backing the Republican party, and more.
#3. Chael Sonnen thinks Conor McGregor's title hopes are dead
Chael Sonnen thinks Conor McGregor's championship days are way behind him and that the Irishman isn't aware of it.
Sonnen's remarks were inspired by former UFC lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos' honest assessment of himself. According to 'RDA', he knows he's not the same fighter he was when he held the title.
During an episode of the Beyond the Fight YouTube show, Sonnen opined that McGregor and dos Anjos are in the same boat, but the Irishman just doesn't know it yet:
"Conor MGregor's championship run is over, but his record setting isn't, his live gate is not, McGregor's pay-per-view, these things are not done. His time in the spotlight and his time as the main event is not done.''
Catch Chael Sonnen's comments below:
#2. Joe Rogan gets criticized for telling listeners to "vote Republican"
Twitter users gave Joe Rogan grief after the podcaster urged his listeners to "vote Republican" ahead of the United States midterm elections.
During his recent interview with Aaron Rodgers, the comedian said he's hoping that the COVID-19 pandemic opened the eyes of Americans to the mistakes made by Democrat party leaders. As such, Rogan added that he's hoping more people "vote Republican."
Needless to say, his comments stirred up a storm of criticism on social media. Several netizens of Twitter accused Rogan of being blinded by money, while others pointed out that Republican politicians were also guilty of mismanaging the pandemic.
@alec_sears @joerogan Rich white guy suggests voting for the rich white party. Color me surprised.
@alec_sears @joerogan 2 guys that have 100s of millions of dollars supporting the group that only cares about millionaires. shocking.
@alec_sears @joerogan But but wasn't republican in charge when/during most of the pandemic? https://t.co/699E3jPgak
@alec_sears @joerogan The pandemic is not over. Many Republicans have proven themselves crooked and corrupt.
#1. UFC boss Dana White reveals Khabib Nurmagomedov turned down his latest offer
Dana White admitted that he couldn't convince Khabib Nurmagomedov to return to action.
The promoter told Jim Rome that he recently extended an offer to have Nurmagomedov compete in a grappling match. However, the UFC boss failed to change 'The Eagle's' mind on retirement, as he has on multiple occasions:
"It was something different, I was trying to get him to do a grappling match," White told the journalist. "He's like, 'I'm done. I'm retired'... I think that when his father passed away, that was a wrap for him and he's just focused on training other guys and helping them become world champions."
Watch the video below: