MMA
Sean Strickland and Dana White blast World Cup soccer final
Many around the world were captivated by the 2026 World Cup Finals, but not everyone is a Soccer enthusiast, to use the more domestic phrasing. Sean Strickland and Dana White seem to be within that collective, with the pair saying less-than-glowing things about the football match from last weekend.
Spain was able to best Argentina 1-0 in extra time, and the UFC middleweight champion took a screenshot of the action during that overtime period. By way of his personal Instagram story, the two-time titleholder at 185 pounds posted text over top of his screenshot, as Strickland succinctly said,
“This sport sucksâ€
Dana White took issue with something more specific from the 2026 World Cup finals
Spain besting Argentina over the weekend also drew in massive viewership from around the world. Someone who often touts the massive viewership of companies he involves himself in is Dana White, who skewered the production decisions made for the hugely viewed television broadcast.
White also tied this into a grievance he had with his own production team, with Paramount falsely identifying Zuffa Boxing signee Shakur Stevenson at UFC 329 via a lower third graphic that showed the name Jalen Williams, who plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Also using Instagram as the medium for his message, Dana White created a video piece to blast production elements utilized for the World Cup broadcast, as White stated [via MMA Fighting],
“It's crazy, I actually teed up the guys who are doing the production, the guys responsible for the production of the World Cup for you guys to hit a grand slam home run. Even though everybody in my team was arguing with me saying that you are the worst, I said no, we are the worst. They didn't f*ck it up as bad as we did. What do you guys do? You triple down today, and you just go 'F**k you, Dana White, you're not beating us. We're the worst production team in the history of sports to every show celebrities.â€
“I bow down. Congratulations to the producers of the World Cup. You guys win. You guys f***ed up that flyover, too. I'm not going to nitpick, I'm just giving you credit where credit is due. You guys absolutely f***ing suck. We are the second worst.â€
This isn't the first time that White has made inflammatory comments about the world's sport that have drawn the ire of observers, and it doesn't seem like it will be the last either.
MMA
Daniel Cormier thinks Manel Kape is serious threat to Joshua Van's UFC title run: "Manel has the power to knock him out"
Zuffa LLCCould Joshua Van be in for his most dangerous challenger yet in the form of Manel Kape?
Van left no doubt that he is the true 125-pound king when he defeated Alexandre Pantoja in their UFC 331 rematch this past Saturday. Van won the championship in his first encounter with Pantoja due to an injury. He went on to have a successful title defense against Tatsuro Taira, but many felt the rematch with Pantoja was his first real test at an elite level.
Ultimately, Van shined bright and solidified his place at the top of the mountain. A dominant final round of a competitive five-round affair sealed the deal, and Van was awarded the unanimous decision victory.
A new test will emerge for Van, and the general consensus is that Kape will be become the new No. 1 contender for the flyweight gold. In a post-UFC 331 reaction video, Daniel Cormier said he thinks Kape is a credible threat to Van's title reign (h/t MMAJunkie).
“My guess is he's going to fight Manel Kape,†Cormier said. “He has been through now all the grapplers in the division, so he will not have to deal with that threat. The one area that Manel possesses that most don't is Manel has the power to knock him out. That's the difference. Manel can knock him out if he gets the opportunity.
“But in terms of a stylistic challenge, going through Taira, going through Pantoja back-to-back, he's already dealt with what most people thought would have been the biggest issue for Joshua Van, and that's the wrestling, and he passed those fights with flying colors, finishing Taira, and then tonight beating Alexandre Pantoja by unanimous decision.â€
UFC CEO Dana White had significant praise for Van following Saturday's event. He called the 125-pound titleholder the “greatest thing†to happen to the flyweight division in the modern era. Kape plans to spoil the party if he does indeed get dibs next.
Do you think Manel Kape would be Joshua Van's most dangerous challenger thus far? Share your thoughts in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
MMA
Arman Tsarukyan wants Ilia Topuria fully healed before potential grudge match: "Once I become champion, we'll talk"
Zuffa LLCArman Tsarukyan believes a clash with Ilia Topuria is inevitable, but he doesn't think it should happen until “El Matador†is 100 percent ready to go.
Tsarukyan made perhaps the ultimate case for a lightweight title shot when he knocked out Mauricio Ruffy in the first round of their UFC 331 fight with an elbow. “The Batman†extended his winning streak to six, and four of those victories have been finishes. Even longtime UFC color commentator Joe Rogan believes Tsarukyan can no longer be denied a title fight against Justin Gaethje next.
Prior to Tsarukyan's win over Ruffy, UFC play-by-play ace Jon Anik said he believes there have been discussions within the UFC brass about potentially booking a title rematch between Gaethje and Topuria. In the aftermath of UFC 331, Tsarukyan told Sport24 that he'll be willing to fight Topuria, but only after he gets his hands on Gaethje and captures the 155-pound gold (via Home of Fight).
“Let Ilia see an ophthalmologist and take some time to fully recover, maybe another four or five months,†Tsarukyan said. “Once I become champion, we'll talk. I'd be happy to fight him.â€
Topuria was battered to the point where he suffered a broken orbital in his lightweight title loss against Gaethje in the UFC Freedom 250 main event back in June. “El Matador†accused Gaethje of loading his gloves, but UFC CEO Dana White has dismissed that claim.
It's hard to imagine Tsarukyan's next fight not being contested for a UFC championship, but he won't be getting one until at least 2027. Gaethje has said that both his hands haven't fully healed stemming from injuries suffered in the victory over Topuria, and he doesn't plan on fighting again for the remainder of 2026.
Do you think we'll see Arman Tsarukyan vs. Ilia Topuria at some point next year? Join in on the conversation in the comments below.
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
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