UFC star to face fighter with Down syndrome, boxer arrested for alleged assault, Paige VanZant makes career change joke: MMA News Roundup
Catch up with the biggest UFC updates and other stories with Sportskeeda's daily MMA News Roundup.
Today's news will discuss the arrest of a renowned boxer, Paige VanZant's career aspirations, and more.
#3 UFC star Jailton Almeida to face a fighter with Down syndrome
It was recently revealed that Jailton Almeida will be a part of a unique combat sports matchup, aimed at promoting social inclusivity in the sport.
Taking some time away from mainstream competition, the UFC star will face Alvaro Borges, a fighter with Down syndrome, at Demo Fight 18. The Instagram account of the promotion broke the news this week.
The post read:
"We know that sport is one of the biggest weapons of social inclusion we have. Thinking about it, we decided to present an exhibition fight with the 2023 MMA revelation athlete Jailton 'Malhadinho' [Almeida] (UFC) and athlete Alvaro Borges with Down Syndrome."
The exhibition fight will take place on Jan. 27 at Centro de Treinamento in Bahia, Brazil.
Almeida, who is on a six-fight winning streak in the UFC, last fought in Nov. 2023. Despite securing a decision win, he was lambasted by the fans for a lackluster performance.
#2 Boxer Jarrell Miller arrested for alleged carjacking and assault
Jarrell Miller was arrested on Tuesday, Jan. 2, in Hollywood, Florida, for multiple alleged crimes.
According to ESPN, he was charged with carjacking without a firearm or weapon and burglary with assault or batter, as per the Broward Sheriff's Office records. Miller was held on a $30,000 bond and remained incarcerated in Fort Lauderdale ahead of a court hearing scheduled on Wednesday afternoon.
The news was first reported by local Hollywood outlet WSVN, where the incident was revealed in detail. According to the outlet, the incident took place at Haims Motors, located along the 2800 block of North State Road 7.
An employee of the car dealership told the police department that a woman approached the outlet and said she had left her mobile phone inside a truck that was recently repossessed by the company. As the employee grabbed the keys of the truck - a black Dodge Ram - to help the woman, Miller tackled him from behind and put him in a chokehold.
Miller went on to slam the employee on the ground, snatch the keys, and flee in the truck. A tracker that was placed inside the car helped the police to locate and arrest Miller in the area of Griffin Road.
Assistant State Attorney Eric Linder said on the matter:
"[Miller] enlisted the assistance of another individual to create a ruse, to distract the employee. It would appear that Mr. Miller, he knew what the plan was going to this business to get his car back, it would appear, by any means."
As of Wednesday night, Miller remained behind bars at the Broward County Jail.
Miller recently suffered the first stoppage of his life at the hands of Daniel Dubois on the historic Riyadh boxing card in Dec. 2023.
#1 Paige VanZant teases career change; roasts husband's driving
In the latest episode of Paige VanZant and Austin Vanderford's A KickA** Love Story podcast, the former UFC fighter made fun of her husband's driving. Answering a fan's question about who was the better driver between the two, VanZant said:
"Me!! Are you kidding me? You are like a baby slug when you drive... I'm a better driver, I'm fast, I'm like a NASCAR driver."
Sharing the clip on her Instagram, VanZant joked that her next career would in driving for NASCAR.
While some fans found it funny, others did not appreciate the way VanZant mocked Vanderford. Some even pointed out that VanZant 'roasts' her husband in almost every episode.
You can see the fan reactions here.