MMA News Roundup: Khamzat Chimaev claims to have signed his next UFC fight, fighter-tuned-actor passes away ay 49, Israel Adesanya's coach happy with Alex Pereira stoppage
Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda MMA's Daily 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 Khamzat Chimaev claiming to have signed his next fight, Israel Adesanya's coach weighing in on the early stoppage controversy, and more.
#3. Khamzat Chimaev agrees to fight Alex Pereira at UFC 282
Khamzat Chimaev has been calling for a fight against Alex Pereira since he became the new middleweight champion. He now expects 'Poatan' to make an extremely quick turnaround and fight him on the UFC 282 card set to take place on December 10.
Chimaev claimed on Twitter that he has signed the dotted lines for the fight and was waiting for Pereira to do the same.
@AlexPereiraUFC 10 December let’s go, i already agreed. Now it’s your turn ⚔️
Given that Pereira fought only a week ago and tends to cut significant weight to make 185 lbs, it is unlikely that the UFC has offered him another fight so soon.
#2 Jason David Frank passes away; reports claim it was suicide
MMA fighter and actor Jason David Frank has passed away at the age of 49.
He was known worldwide for his iconic role as Tommy Oliver, a.k.a. the Green Ranger, and later the White Ranger in Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. He was also a trained mixed martial artist with knowledge of a wide range of styles, including Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai. In 2003, he was inducted into the World Karate Union Hall of Fame. He also appeared in the Arnold Classic in 2008.
Jason David Frank has sadly passed away at the age of 49. https://t.co/rAowJsU7Jy
He trained with UFC fighter Melvin Guillard after signing with SuckerPunch Entertainment in 2009. Frank had only one professional MMA fight under the banner of Texas Cage Fighting - Pure Combate 1 and won the bout via submission against Jose Roberto Vasquez. He was unbeaten in his amateur career, with all his wins coming via finishes.
Citing sources with direct knowledge of the situation, TMZ reported that Frank's death was by suicide. In a statement provided to the outlet, Frank's representative requested that fans respect the privacy of his friends and family.
#1. Eugene Bareman knew Israel Adesanya was in trouble
The MMA community is divided over veteran referee Marc Goddard's stoppage of Israel Adesanya vs. Alex Pereira. According to many, including Adesanya himself, it was early. According to Adesanya's coach Eugene Bareman, it was not.
In a tête-à-tête with Combat TV, Bareman got candid on why he was happy about the stoppage:
"I'm happy with the stoppage personally. I thought Israel was in trouble. Of all my experience that I've had in the sport, I saw some signs that he was in trouble."
Being one of Adesanya's closest confidantes, Bareman's priority was to see Adesanya live to fight another day in good health, and he's thankful that Goddard's stoppage ensured that:
"I felt that prolonging the fight longer than when Marc Goddard stopped it would've ended up not good for Israel's health. So, I'm happy with the referee's decision. At the end of the day, we live to fight another day. You never know what could've happened if that fight had been allowed to progress."
Watch the interview below: