MMA News Roundup: UFC strawweight body-slammed by sumo wrestler, Derrick Lewis wants to fight Kevin Hart, Kamaru Usman cast in Black Panther 2
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 female UFC fighter getting thrown over the shoulder, Kamaru Usman debuting in Hollywood, and more.
#3. UFC strawweight Vanessa Demopoulos gets tossed away by a sumo wrestler
Vanessa Demopoulos is on a two-fight win streak in the UFC strawweight division. However, she's taking on opponents nearly twice her size outside of the octagon.
A recent video shared on Instagram showed the fighter going up against Egyptian sumo wrestler Ramy Elgazar in a friendly contest. Despite Demopoulos' best attempts to take him down with her legs around his head, Elgazar easily threw her off his shoulders, planting her entire body on the canvas.
Demopoulos, being the ever-cheerful personality she is, took the bodyslam on the chin and reacted with a laugh.
Watch the video below:
Fans were left amused by the encounter and chipped in with their reactions.
#2. Derrick Lewis wants to fight Kevin Hart, Michael Jordan
Possibly one of the funniest UFC fighters around, Derrick Lewis always has a wacky answer or two ready for the camera. Ahead of his UFC 277 fight with Sergei Pavlovich, Lewis was asked which three celebrities he'd love to face inside the cage.
"Yeah, I'll fight Kevin Hart. F*** Kevin Hart."
There is no known reason for which Lewis could have an ill-feeling towards the comedian, so it can be assumed that his answer was another one of his hilarious responses.
The video was shared on ESPN MMA's Instagram account, and it was revealed in the caption that Lewis had also mentioned NBA legend Michael Jordan and Hollywood actor Mark Wahlberg as the other two public figures he would like to fight.
#1. Kamaru Usman to star in Black Panther: Wakanda Forever
Kamaru Usman is going to add another feather to his hat by guest-starring in Marvel Studios' Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. Daniel Cormier revealed the news and Usman's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, later confirmed it on Twitter.
Past weeks have been great for @USMAN84kg . He’s in thousands of gas stations across the country with @MonsterEnergy . By next week he’s going to be in all @Walmart Worldwide with @ProSupps . Today it was made official he’s going to be in the next @MarvelStudios Black Panther
Fans were naturally taken by surprise at the announcement.
The sequel to 2018's Black Panther will be releasing on November 11, 2022 worldwide. There has been no official confirmation from the studio regarding Usman's casting. However, given the timeline, the movie is already in post-production, which means Usman's screentime has already been recorded or will be added separately down the line.