UFC middleweight gets US visa, Michael Chandler trolls Conor McGregor, Alex Pereira could headline back-to-back PPVs: MMA News Roundup
A UFC middleweight got their U.S. visa approved, Michael Chandler trolls Conor McGregor and Alex Pereira could make quick turnaround following UFC 300 bout.
Find out more details in today's (March 20) Sportskeeda daily news roundup.
#3. UFC middleweight Sharabutdin Magomedov has U.S. visa approved
Rising middleweight contender Sharabutdin Magomedov has reportedly had his United States visa approved, allowing him to compete in the country.
Magomedov made his promotional debut last year when he faced Bruno Silva at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi. He won the fight via unanimous decision after demonstrating his impressive striking against the Brazilian.
Per Red Corner MMA, 'Bullet' had his visa accepted this week and the Dagestani is now preparing to make his debut in the U.S. later this year.
The 29-year-old also has a well documented eye injury, which he suffered in 2016 before stepping into professional MMA. Magamedov has since had multiple surgeries to try and correct the issue, however, his vision is still compromised.
Whilst the news of his visa has been welcomed by fans, there is also a concern that different fighting commissions around the U.S. may not allow him to compete.
#2. Michael Chandler trolls Conor McGregor following his summer comeback comments
Michael Chandler recently hit back at Conor McGregor, following the Irishman's comments regarding their potential future bout.
The lightweight stars have been expected to face one another since they appeared as coaches opposite one another on The Ultimate Fighter last year. Their bout was never officially confirmed, however.
In a recent interview with ESPN MMA, 'The Notorious' appears to have finally shed some light on the situation. According to McGregor, he has now been given the green light for his return to take place against Chandler in the summer. He said:
''Yeah, we got confirmation a few days ago that it's all systems go and the Notorious will be returning in the UFC octagon this summer."
Check out Conor McGregor's comments here (6:44):
Following McGregor's comments, Chandler took to social media and responded to the Irishman. Chandler's response dripped with sarcasm, as he wrote:
''I’m not sure I’ll be ready for a summer fight…this came out of the blue…I’ve been out of the loop. Can y’all ask Dana to confirm this?''
#1. MMA veteran claims Alex Pereira could make quick turnaround following UFC 300 main event
Former MMA fighter Josh Thomson believes Alex Pereira could end up main eventing back-to-back pay-per-views.
'Poatan' will attempt to make the first successful defense of his first light heavyweight title against former champ Jamahal Hill next month. Following the announcement of their bout, the Brazilian also revealed he had signed a new eight-fight deal with the promotion.
According to Thomson, who was speaking on the latest episode of the WEIGHING IN podcast, Pereira's new contract also comes with an important stipulation.
'The Punk' claimed that should Pereira successfully defend his title against Hill, he will also have the opportunity to headline UFC 301, which takes place a month later in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Thomson said:
"I also heard that if Alex Pereira gets out of his 300 fight with Jamahal Hill, he wants to be on that card [UFC 301]. Apparently, that was part of his contract negotiation. If he gets the win and he comes out healthy, he’s allowed to fight on that card."
Catch Josh Thomson's comments here (1:07:26):