UFC event loses headliner, Conor McGregor teases boxing return, Islam Makhachev blames team for Alexander Volkanovski's downfall: MMA News Roundup
The UFC is on the lookout for a new matchup as an upcoming main event fell apart on Thursday. Elsewhere, Conor McGregor weighed in on the possibility of venturing into influencer boxing.
Sportskeeda MMA is back with all the top news updates from the world of combat sports.
Marvin Vettori out of UFC Vegas 90
Marvin Vettori will not be fighting Brendan Allen on April 6 due to a "freak accident".
After reports emerged on Thursday, Vettori confirmed the news on Instagram.
"I got hurt. It was kind of a freak accident. I can't go into a fight hurt."
Watch the full statement below:
Allen will likely not stay on the card, so the UFC will look for a new matchup to headline the Apex event. Allen called out Jared Cannonier, Robert Whittaker, Sean Strickland and Israel Adesanya on Instagram to be his next opponent.
Conor McGregor teases boxing match with "YouTuber nerds"
Conor McGregor's only boxing match to date has been against Floyd Mayweather. He has teased about a return to the ring several times, including repeated callouts of Manny Pacquiao, but it has not materialized.
During a recent chat with Sneak Peek, McGregor said he would be game for a fight against one of the YouTuber-turned-boxers, including Tommy Fury who called him out.
"The YouTuber nerds ... I would consider that a nixer. ... If I was to pick one, KSI has a big name in the UK. The Pauls - that (Mike) Tyson fight is a range one to me, I hope Tyson takes his off. ... They're handy fights. I know that (Tommy) Fury called me out. ... I'm open for it. I'll never say no."
Watch the segment below from 1:10:
Islam Makhachev blames Alexander Volkanovski's team for title loss
Alexander Volkanovski returned to defend his UFC featherweight title less than four months after he got knocked out by Islam Makhachev at UFC 294.
When Ilia Topuria also knocked 'The Great' out in the second round and took his belt, it raised questions about whether he had come back too soon. The UFC lightweight champion believes he did.
Speaking with MMA Junkie, the Dagestani addressed the matter in a recent interview:
"Of course (Alexander Volkanovski returned too soon). Alex is a good fighter. He is a warrior. Everybody knows. ... But I always said that his team is very bad because this mistake is not Alex's mistake.
"It is a mistake the team made. The team has to sit with him and tell him, 'Hey, it's too soon.' He had a very bad, tough knockout last fight. He had to rest minimum 3-4 months."
Watch Islam Makhachev's comments from 12:20 onwards: