UFC 298 presser gets Conor McGregor deja vu, Ian Garry addresses wife's ex-husband rumors, kids bloodied up in sparring sparks outrage: MMA News Roundup
Between Alexander Volkanovski's "Old Man Volk" look and the crowd's relentless booing of Ian Garry, the UFC 298 press conference saw a tiny glimpse of Conor McGregor amid the chaos. Elsewhere, children training in boxing stirred an uproar in combat sports social media.
Here are your top updates reported by Sportskeeda's MMA News Roundup.
Ilia Topuria recreates iconic Conor McGregor moment at UFC 298 presser
During his peak, Conor McGregor alone created enough iconic moments for fans to reminisce for a lifetime. Among them was the drama of a pre-fight media event ahead of UFC 189, where McGregor was originally scheduled to fight Jose Aldo.
In the middle of the press conference, McGregor snatched Aldo's featherweight belt, implying that it was only a matter of time before he was the rightful owner of the gold.
At Thursday's UFC 298 press conference, Ilia Topuria pulled off a similar stunt with Alexander Volkanovski.
Watch the two moments simultaneously below:
The similarity between the two moments was too uncanny for fans to not notice. While most people made fun of Topuria for trying to imitate McGregor, @oocmma interestingly pointed out:
"When Conor McGregor told Michael Chandler on TUF “this is my game forever” he really wasn’t lying at all #UFC298"
The Irishman truly has left an insurmountable influence on the sport, regardless of how his demeanor has been in the last 2-3 years.
Ian Garry addresses controversy surrounding wife's ex-husband
In a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri, Ian Garry spoke on the social media debate surrounding his family.
Fans have been spewing vitriol at him and his wife, Layla Anna-Lee, for quite some time. Among the topics of discussion and mockery is the fact that Anna-Lee's ex-husband is also Garry's nutritionist.
"The truth is, my wife does not have a boyfriend. My wife has an ex-husband. They have a past. I understand that. ... Everyone has a f***ing past. ... I understand that there's a child in all of this, and he deserves to be prioritized."
Watch Ian Garry's comments below:
Coach under fire for making 10-year-olds spar
Boxing coach Henry Ramirez, based in Riverside, California, received backlash after leading a training video that went viral on X. In the clip, two 10-year-old boys, wearing boxing gloves and helmets, were seen with bloodied-up faces presumably after a sparring session.
The video sparked outrage on social media as fans unloaded on the coach for letting children spar to the point of cuts and injuries.
Read the reactions here.