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Michael Chandler surprisingly defends Conor McGregor after disastrous UFC 329 return

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1 month ago

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Michael Chandler surprisingly defends Conor McGregor after disastrous UFC 329 return

Michael Chandler took a surprising stance on Conor McGregor's disastrous return to the Octagon at UFC 329 last weekend.

Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor's comeback fight lasted mere seconds after suffering a knee injury against Max Holloway at UFC 329. In his first fight in five years, McGregor suffered a right knee injury after opening up the fight with an attempted spinning wheel kick.

McGregor will undergo surgery on the unspecified injury and is expected to miss at least a year to recover. It was a disastrous and abrupt end to McGregor's comeback after his long road back to the Octagon.

Before McGregor squared off with Holloway, he was supposed to fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303. Just weeks before the event, McGregor withdrew from the bout due to a toe injury that further postponed his attempted comeback.

After watching McGregor's comeback at UFC 329, Chandler scolded skeptics of McGregor who feel the UFC legend ‘quit' against Holloway.

Michael Chandler defends Conor McGregor after ‘quitter' labels following UFC 329

In a recent Instagram story, Chandler reacted to McGregor's disastrous return.

“I would be absolutely surprised, the most surprised person on the planet, if Conor just showed up for a paycheck. Limped in there, and said ‘I don't care', giving you guys one minute, shave his head into a mohawk, do the intros, and just bow out one minute later. One thing he is not is a quitter. He isn't a bamboozler,†Chandler said of McGregor.

“The body is unpredictable, and every fight is unpredictable. If you look at Conor, because I've had a lot of people say why would he do that? He came out like an ‘idiot' and jumped across the cage. Conor always does that. I'm just as disappointed as you guys, because T-Mobile Arena was absolutely electric…and you're talking about the guy that's supposed to be disappointed. But he finally made the walk, showed up, and I believe he wants to fight me. I believe he tried to fight me, and I believe that's how the negotiations went. But other plans were made,†Chandler continued. “And the honor and integrity to stick to it and be a man of his word since he pulled out of that fight in 2024, I think he actually wanted to be a man of his word and see through to putting his name on that dotted line that had my name on it.

“But I know everybody is disappointed, but keep on watching. This ain't the last you're going to see of Conor, and I'm excited to see how it all plays out.â€

While Chandler remains optimistic about fighting McGregor, his recent struggles in the Octagon make a potential bout highly unlikely. Chandler most recently lost to Mauricio Ruffy at UFC Freedom 250 and hasn't won a fight since UFC 274.

Do you think Conor McGregor will fight in the UFC again? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!

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Ian Machado Garry may never get another UFC title fight, says Dana White: "Don't waste 10 seconds telling this guy you f*cking love him"

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6 hours ago

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August 23, 2026

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Ian Machado Garry may never get another UFC title fight, says Dana White: "Don't waste 10 seconds telling this guy you f*cking love him"
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Ian Machado Garry squandered the final moments of his UFC 330 main event against Islam Makhachev as far as Dana White is concerned.

Garry challenged Makhachev for the UFC welterweight gold on Aug. 15 in Philadelphia. Makhachev wasn't exactly on cruise control like most of his fights, but he wasn't pushed to his absolute limits either in his unanimous decision win. Although if you ask Garry, the pound-for-pound great was “pushed to the wire.â€

Garry did have his moments and even marked up Makhachev's face, but the champion dropped “The Future†in the second round with a head kick, and his grappling was the deciding factor for four of the five rounds in the eyes of two judges who scored it 49-46. There was one judge who gave Makhachev a 48-47 score total, but many agree it wasn't really a nail bitter.

White had been critical of Garry for being overly friendly with Makhachev in the closing moments of the fight, and he doubled down when speaking to reporters during the UFC Sacramento post-fight press conference.

“You get this opportunity, you've worked your whole life to get there, and you come out in the fifth round after you do all this great work, and you want to come out and start hugging him,†White said. “Shaking hands. Tell him how [expletive] great he is when they're putting the belt on ya. It's just he might never have that opportunity again, and probably will never get the opportunity at Islam again, who is gonna go down as one of the all-time greats, if not, the greatest by the time he's done.â€

If there's some advice White would give to Garry, it would be to find his killer instinct and ditch the kind and courteous approach until the final horn has sounded.

“You have five [expletive] minutes,†White said. “Every second of that round counts. Don't wait 10 seconds telling this guy you [expletive] love him.â€

Garry has insisted that his goal remains unchanged. He thinks his plan to have a “decade of dominance†will still come to fruition. Whether or not “The Future†can get back to title contention and eventually win UFC gold remains to be seen.

Do you agree with Dana White's assessment of Ian Machado Garry being overly friendly at UFC 330? Join in on the conversation in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

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Dana White addresses Namo Fazil allegedly being attacked before DWCS: ‘We handled it behind the scenes’

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11 hours ago

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August 23, 2026

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Dana White addresses Namo Fazil allegedly being attacked before DWCS: ‘We handled it behind the scenes’

Dana White knows something controversial went down at the Meta Apex involving Dana White Contender Series hopeful Namo Fazil. But he's not sharing the details.

This past week, Fazil made a shocking allegation that he was accosted by a group of Chechens—“There were 15 of them,†Fazil said—prior to his fight against Kaik Brito this past Tuesday. According to Fazil, his attackers interrupted his weight cut, “slapped†him, leading to a scuffle that had to caught the attention of the police. Former UFC champion Khamzat Chimaev, a native of Chechnya, appeared to address Fazil's allegations, writing the following on social media:

I just want to say that if something happens between two men, they need to sort things out between them self with out letting media make fitna between nations. We all are brothers. Chechens and Kurds we are Muslims and we should stay united. I'm not happy with the things that happened. I respect strong Kurdish people. When someone speaks bad then he should know there always will be consequences.

At the UFC Sacramento post-fight presser, White was asked about the story, and he gave a vague response.

“You guys have on idea how much shit goes on in this business behind the scenes and I said at the press conference that we had kind of a weird week here,†White said.

“I didn't even talk about it,†White said when asked if there would be any consequences for UFC fighter Baisangur Sursurkaev, who mocked Fazil after the incident and seemed to imply he was involved. “You guys wouldn't even know if he didn't talk about it.

“We handled it behind the scenes and that's the business we're in. Lots of crazy shit happens every day in this business.â€

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Anthony Smith releases first statement since July arrest for multiple felony charges

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13 hours ago

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August 23, 2026

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Anthony Smith releases first statement since July arrest for multiple felony charges

Ex-UFC title challenger Anthony Smith broke his silence for the first time since he was arrested in several felony charges in late July with a post on social media.

On Saturday, Smith took to Instagram celebrating that he was able to return home to his family after he was initially denied any contact with his wife because she was involved in the incident that led to his arrest. Smith was hit with a total of four felonies including an attempt of a class 1/1A/1B/1C/1D felony — a class 2 felony — terroristic threats and two charges of first degree false imprisonment, which are all class 3A felonies. Class 2 felonies are punishable with a minimum of one year in prison up to 50 years in prison. Class 3A felonies are punishable by a maximum of three years in prison and 18 months post-release supervision with no minimum punishment.

“Happy to be home with my household full of “whys,'†Smith wrote on Instagram. “I'll be able to tell my story someday soon. Until then…you guys just keep making it up as you go.

“Character is revealed in chaos.â€

Following his arrest, prosecutors in Sarpy County, Neb., released a statement regarding the allegations surrounding Smith after he was initially taken into custody.

“During today's bond hearing, a prosecutor from the Sarpy County Attorney's Office offered the following information: It is alleged that on July 26, 2026, the defendant was involved in an altercation with his wife at a bar in Gretna, Neb., during which he reportedly threatened to kill her if she did not get into his vehicle and go home with him,†the statement said. “He is further accused of grabbing and pushing her inside the vehicle.

“At one point, during the drive, she was able to exit the vehicle. The defendant allegedly continued making threats, demanding that she get back inside the vehicle. After arriving home, she again exited the vehicle. Investigators allege that the defendant attempted multiple times to use the vehicle to strike her. The defendant's wife was able to get out of the way and avoid any physical harm.â€

Smith's wife (who is featured in the photo alongside her husband), Mikhala Renee Newman, made a brief statement of her own on social media defending the former UFC fighter.

“I love Anthony with every ounce of my being,†she wrote. “He is a good man, a great dad, and an incredible husband who loves us endlessly. Anyone that knows him can attest to that. They made a mental health struggle into something it wasn't. I am safe and always was safe. He would never hurt me. Ever. I called for help to protect him from himself.â€

During his most recent hearing, Smith was also granted permission to leave the country and travel to the Dominican Republic for “purposes of participating in a professional sporting event†from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3. Following his brief retirement from the UFC, Smith returned to participate in the Gamebred FC bare-knuckle MMA heavyweight tournament with the winner earning a $500,000 grand prize and he scored a submission win over Chase Sherman in his debut.

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