With an aim to cement his legacy, which took a major hit when Dustin Poirier inflicted back-to-back losses, McGregor returned after a five-year absence, only to get himself injured in the headlining bout at UFC 329. With one final fight left in the UFC, the Irish super star now finds himself at a crossroads.

“He’s chasing the high versus is he chasing the dream. So like when he knocked out Jose Aldo, he was chasing the dream,” Rogan said, speaking with Sean Sharaf in JRE’s latest episode. “He was a juggernaut. He was storming through the division. He was knocking everybody out.

“He looked like this guy that had this phenomenal talent and this special charisma, and he looked like a guy who is chasing this, this dream, this dream of becoming a world champion.”

Rogan’s comments came as he was offering career advice to Sean Sharaf. Though an experienced mixed martial arts fighter, the former U.S. Marine is relatively new to the UFC. After two back-to-back losses, Sharaf found himself in the spotlight after he stopped the much-touted Gable Stevenson in the first round of the main card bout in UFC 331.

Speaking with Rogan, he revealed how his journey had been filled with obstacles.

Outlining the choices that he needs to make—whether he wants to move his career forward or simply walk away—Rogan highlighted that one of the worst things a fighter could do to himself is simply chasing glory.

To make his case, Rogan cited Justin Gaethje’s example. After stopping Ilia Topuria in the Freedom 250 headliner, Rogan, like many, believes Gaethje has little to prove. He can walk from the sport, and no one will question it.

From that perspective, however, the situation is different for Conor McGregor.

According to Rogan, the Irish superstar returned to face Max Holloway, likely to showcase that “he could still do it.” By defeating a fighter of Holloway’s stature once again, McGregor perhaps wanted to establish himself as the best MMA fighter.

But the thought process, Rogan speculated, only led to a setback that can be traced back to 2017, when McGregor stepped out of the cage to face Mayweather.

Challenging the boxing icon and seeking a $100 million payday, McGregor aggressively pursued a showdown. However, the proposed crossover drew sharp criticism, with some skeptics pointing to McGregor’s complete lack of professional boxing experience against Mayweather’s unbeaten 49-0 record.

“So then you achieve it, and then I think the big derailment was the Floyd Mayweather fight, right? He leaves MMA, trains boxing for a while, has a great performance against Floyd Mayweather, one of the greatest boxers of all time, and does 10 rounds with him, which is f**king insane,” Rogan added.

A year later, when he returned to the UFC, McGregor’s trajectory began to decline, and he could never really recover.

When “The Notorious” run lost its notoriety

After the memorable loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC 229, McGregor briefly recovered when he stopped Donald Cerrone in his welterweight debut two years later.

However, the setbacks continued when Dustin Poirier stopped him twice in back-to-back fights in 2021, which also triggered his five-year layoff. As the Holloway fight showed, McGregor did not really recover his old form.

He underwent surgery after suffering a torn ACL and meniscus during the Holloway fight. With McGregor still having one more fight left in his UFC contract, which he apparently wants to fight out, Dana White suggested that the former champion is not expected to return until July 2027.

Considering McGregor’s age and the severity of his injury, many observers and fighters openly doubt whether the Irish icon will ever fight again.

Whether the predicament McGregor finds himself in now was sparked years ago by a fight against a boxing legend, as Rogan and perhaps many others believe, needs a closer examination.

McGregor is not the only one to have experimented with boxing briefly before making a return to MMA. His former opponent, Jose Aldo, after retiring in 2022, compiled a 2-0-1 boxing record before resuming his UFC career in 2024 and later retiring again.

Similarly, Francis Ngannou left the UFC as a heavyweight champion in 2023, faced Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in boxing, and returned to MMA with the PFL before capturing its heavyweight Super Fights title in 2024.

Taken together, to say that stepping away from the sport, even briefly, could be a fighter’s biggest undoing would be an overstatement. Perhaps, McGregor, by comparison, remains an aberration.

With championship wins across two weight classes, he remains part of a select group whose achievement is difficult to match in the UFC, even by today’s standards. Given his expanding business interests, including his stake in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships (BKFC), he might as well have stepped away, leaving his legacy intact as one of the greatest mixed martial artists ever.

The post Joe Rogan Points to Floyd Mayweather Fight as “Big Derailment” Behind Conor McGregor’s Career appeared first on EssentiallySports.

A reporter who evidently wondered the same asked Dana White what motivated the promotion to sideline one of its biggest stars from a rematch against Gane during the UFC 332 backstage media scrum. However, the UFC boss seemed annoyed when he answered the question.

“What’s the question?” White responded after he first heard it.

After the reporter, whose name remains private, repeated the query, the 57-year-old mogul gave an agitated response.

“Is that what we announced? Who do you think should have been the choice?” he added. “You’re asking me the question, though. Where does that question come from? What do you think we should have done?” 

Finally, when the reporter suggested that Pereira’s “star power” could have granted him the rematch. But White made it clear in a stern voice that the matchmakers don’t book fights based on fighters’ popularity alone and insisted that Hokit earned the shot as a deserving contender.

“Because he could have got the rematch because of what? Star power?” Dana said. “We make fights based on star power? We make fights based on who is the best in the world, who deserves to be there. And he’s coming off a loss right now against Ciryl Gane.

“This is the fight to make. If I do the rematch, we all just saw the fight. And it wasn’t like, ‘Holy s—t, that was a knockout,’ and the fans are demanding a rematch.”

It seemed like the reporter had a genuine interest in knowing the details behind the UFC 334 headliner’s matchmaking process. However, Dana White’s cold responses made the interaction more awkward than it needed to be.

Despite the head honcho addressing the reporter in a confrontational tone, one thing is clear: Pereira was not part of the UFC’s plan for an immediate rematch. His second-round TKO loss against the Frenchman at UFC White House turned out to be decisive, even though the finishing sequence was controversial.

On the other hand, Josh Hokit’s current run in the UFC heavyweight division propelled the promotion to anoint him as the next title challenger over ‘Poatan.’ Still, it is not the first time the UFC CEO has become entangled in a heated exchange with a reporter.

Last week, boxing journalist Jack Figg pressed Dana White on the clarity of his role regarding the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua boxing fight set for December 11th in Cardiff. The UFC CEO was livid and went off on the reporter for asking the question. 

The latest exchange showed Dana White has little patience toward media personnel. But coming to the head honcho’s claim that the UFC didn’t rely on Hokit’s star power to book him against Ciryl Gane, there is some room for dispute on the matter.

Josh Hokit’s star power helped him land the heavyweight title shot over Alex Pereira 

Understandably, Alex Pereira did not deserve an immediate rematch based solely on his popularity and the controversy surrounding his last fight. But the UFC ultimately siding with Hokit does have a lot to do with his growing stardom.

Josh Hokit’s bid for the title shot undoubtedly stems from the fact that he beat legitimate contender Curtis Blaydes in a barnburner at UFC 327 in Miami. Let’s be honest, Derrick Lewis being past his prime made the Californian’s victory over him at UFC White House somewhat less remarkable, though he indeed put his ranking on the line. 

However, outside Hokit’s ferocity inside the Octagon, his animated persona in building up fights definitely influenced his chances for a title shot. Because if merit is the parameter, Alexander Volkov equally makes the case for an opportunity at heavyweight gold.

The Russian is currently ranked number two in the Media rankings, just below former champion Tom Aspinall. Plus, he is currently on a two-fight winning streak. If those factors are not enough, Volkov suffered a controversial decision loss in a rematch against Gane at UFC 310. 

After three rounds of action, the judges declared the Frenchman the winner, and the result triggered outrage among the fans. Even Dana White met with Volkov cageside and apologized for the robbery. Since then, the Russian has been searching for his title shot despite having pushed the current undisputed champion to the brink. 

For those reasons, former UFC heavyweight Stefan Struve also stated in a recent interview that Volkov should have been the one to face Gane.

Clearly, Hokit’s character-driven approach prevailed over Volkov, which prompted the UFC to change course. However, this is not the first time the promotion has favored star power over merit.

Three years ago, Colby Covington got the title shot against Leon Edwards after almost two years of inactivity.

‘Chaos’ beat Jorge Masvidal via unanimous decision in their grudge match at UFC 272 in March 2022. Without taking any fight in between, Covington directly returned to face the former welterweight champion Edwards for the belt at UFC 296 in December 2023, snubbing the actual contender Belal Muhammad in the process.

So, while Dana White claims that the UFC hands out title shots only to the deserving, it is definitely something that has been contradicted many times, and that remains true for Hokit as well.

The post Dana White Annoyed After Interviewer Questions UFC’s Alex Pereira Snub for Ciryl Gane Title Fight appeared first on EssentiallySports.

With a heavy heart, the former UFC champion conveyed through Instagram that the closure of his restaurant will be effective from Monday. 

“Well, I want to start off by thanking the Cape Coral community for welcoming me and my family to this amazing community. And welcome to my restaurant, Tito’s Cantina,” Ortiz said. “We’ve worked hard over the last three years, but as of this coming Monday, we’ll be closing our doors. It’s hard for me because I’ve worked so hard over the last three years. I’m very thankful for every one of our customers who came in and supported us.

“All the fun we had, all the fights. For UFC nights, the belts we gave out. Just the amazing times I was able to experience here. I’ve never run a restaurant before in my life. And I got a crash course the first year I had to run a restaurant. And we ran it correctly. It was very successful the first two years. 

For Tito Ortiz, shuttering his restaurant was undoubtedly a very hard and emotional decision. The UFC legend started the restaurant three years ago and served authentic Mexican food. The restaurant held regular viewing parties where customers could enjoy UFC fights while eating delicacies.

Plus, legendary names such as Randy Couture and Clay Guida previously dined in Ortiz’s restaurant.

Despite the thriving business, it was Ortiz’s harrowing boat accident in February and the grueling surgeries that ultimately compelled him to stop the business altogether. 

“But on February 28th of this year, I got in a boating accident,” Ortiz added. “And I’ve been hurt now for the last eight months. It’s been hard. I’ve had neck surgery. I had a concussion for over four and a half months. Over the last eight months, I’ve been showing up for maybe 15 times. Maybe. It’s really hurt my business a lot, being injured.” 

Tito Ortiz’s ordeal with the boat accident has been very tough. Outside the neck issue, the former UFC light heavyweight champion previously revealed having speech impairment, numbness in the arms, and back-related problems as a result of the unfortunate event.

However, he is not the first UFC fighter to shut down a restaurant. Before him, former UFC title challenger Johny Hendricks closed his Big Rigg Steakhouse back in 2016, but he did so because of poor customer reviews and financial losses.

In his restaurant closure statement, he did not reveal the details of the boat accident, but he has previously opened up in interviews.

Tito Ortiz provides jarring details of his boat accident   

From a very early age, Tito Ortiz has loved fishing and has been an avid angler. The former champion’s passion for fishing eventually led him to enter a tournament in February aboard a friend’s boat. However, while returning from the competition, the boat, which was on autopilot, ran into a severe malfunction, which resulted in crashing at 55 miles an hour

“I got into a boating accident eleven weeks ago,” Ortiz said on Instagram. “I was on my friend’s boat … And we’re coming back from a fishing tournament. I was sitting next to him, and we were going about 55 miles an hour. He clicked on the autopilot, and I was looking down. I had my feet on the dash, texting my buddies who were at the tournament.

“And when he clicked in the autopilot, the boat did a complete veer to the left and turned at a 45-degree angle, threw me off the boat. I hit the water going 55 miles an hour.”

Tito Ortiz, who has participated in many high-stakes UFC fights against heavy hitters, described the crash as the most terrifying experience of his life.

“I’ve been in a lot of fights and sparring, everything, but I’ve never been hit that hard,” he added. “And to be knocked out unconscious, to wake up 10 feet in the water and have to swim to the top? I almost died, and it was scary for me, really, really scary for me.”

The damage from the boat incident proved severe enough that Ortiz disclosed not “remembering” the incident because of the concussion. Plus, he has been consulting doctors on multiple issues of the back, neck, and shoulders, which he also mentioned compromised his restaurant business.

That said, there is nothing but good wishes for Ortiz as he recovers and returns to full health soon.

The post UFC Legend Tito Ortiz Shuts Down His Restaurant After Boating Accident appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Sharaf pulled off the third-fastest finish in UFC heavyweight history against Gable Steveson at UFC 331, in just 12 seconds of the very first round. The 33-year-old’s meteoric rise in stardom got him a seat across from Joe Rogan on his latest podcast episode. Impressed by the Palestinian-American’s rise, Rogan claimed that his path would eventually lead to a championship. But Sharaf’s admission of stepping away from the sport left the UFC commentator stunned.  

“Is it though, Joe?” Sharaf said on JRE MMA Show #186. “Everyone’s making it seem like this is just a f—king lucky punch, one shot. And, like, my thing is, I’ve always taken my journey, fight by fight. Like, I got out of the Marine Corps, and I was like, ‘Hey, like, I want to be a UFC fighter.’ And, like, it wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I want to be a champion,’ you know? It was just like, I just wanted to be in the organization and wear the uniform and just be able to f—ing say I did that. And the fact that I just lost those two times, like, f—k, like, they gave me the uniform, but it didn’t feel like it.

“And so now, like, to do this, the people are saying possibly the biggest upset in history, f—ing in my home, like, f—ing against all odds. I’m like, bro, like, can I beat that? Like, do you leave the table when you’re up? I’m told I’m not going to. I told Micah, the psych at the PI. I told Sergey, my training partner. I told Gokore. I told all these guys. I was like, ‘Hey, bro, if I win this fight, like, the way I’m visualizing, I might be good with that, because this is f—ing, like, that was it, you know?’” 

For Sharaf, it is not unreasonable to think that he cannot recreate the viral knockout against Steveson in the UFC. Before the breakout moment, the Californian went 0-2 in the promotion, losing both fights via finish. Plus, Sharaf shared he was $600K in debt before the fight due to gambling and an expensive vehicle purchase.

He found substantial financial relief after he received a $125K discretionary bonus for his performance in California, but he chose to give that money to his sick mother instead of paying off the debt.

From essentially heading toward getting axed from the promotion to becoming an overnight star is definitely an overwhelming sensation. This feeling could fuel fears of never achieving the same status again. In fact, this is not the first time Sharaf has talked about considering retirement. He floated the same idea on Bradley Martin’s podcast, saying he might walk away from the sport, preferably “leaving the table” on top.

Sharaf’s admission left Rogan speechless for a moment, but he asked again whether he was actually considering retirement. In response, the UFC heavyweight revealed one more reason, which is the existing injuries that made him lean toward considering retirement.

“Like, and then on top of that, I got a f—ing CT scan,” Sharaf said. “They’re saying I got some f—ing brain matter and shit. I’m f—g stitched up from head to toe. I got f—ing all types of injuries. Like, and I’m like, bro, what am I doing it for? Just f—ing for more money, for a belt? Like, what am I doing it for? That’s why I’m trying to figure out the answers myself.” 

Sharaf didn’t disclose the particulars of his injuries. But his words point toward his brutal showdown against Steve Asplund in December 2025. After brutal first-round action, Asplund earned a standing TKO victory at 3:49 of the second round, after which Sharaf was transferred to the hospital. 

The 33-year-old required mandatory CT scans and multiple stitches after the fight, and Dana White also shared his battered face on social media. 

That said, Sean Sharaf isn’t the only one who has dreamed of leaving the sport at the most glorious moment of their career. 

Justin Gaethje contemplated retirement after becoming UFC lightweight champion 

Just like Sean Sharaf, UFC lightweight Justin Gaethje had the most euphoric moment of his career this year. After almost a decade of fighting in the promotion, ‘The Highlight’ defeated Ilia Topuria at UFC White House in June to become the 155-pound champion.

Following that pivotal night, Gaethje is on the cusp of defending his belt against Arman Tsarukyan, which could happen early next year. However, the lightweight champ disclosed that the injuries he carried from the Topuria fight have compelled him to think about retiring from the sport.

“Everyone’s like, ‘Fking fight Arman.’ I don’t know what the fk [I’m doing yet]. I have injuries; I have to take care of- I haven’t made a decision. But I am 37 years old. My first fight was 2008. I’ve had 40 fights. So, I don’t know. I don’t know. Who knows? I don’t need to.”

Despite hinting at retirement, Gaethje made it clear that his return would take place against Arman Tsarukyan. But Sean Sharaf believes the time is perfect for the Arizona native to walk away from the sport at the most glorious peak of his career.

“I saw the same thing with Gaethje and Ilia, you know? I’m like, bro, that’s a f—king beautiful ending,” Sharaf said on Bradley Martin’s podcast. “Ride off into the sunset.”

For now, Sharaf seems to be content with his career in the UFC. However, only time will reveal whether he actually retires or returns to face another opponent who can propel him into even greater stardom.

The post Joe Rogan Stunned as Sean Sharaf Considers Retirement After CT Scan Reveals “All Types of Injuries” Amid $600K Debt appeared first on EssentiallySports.

The commotion happened when reporters started asking questions to UFC middleweight star Ateba Gautier, who is facing Roman Kopylov on the UFC 332 main card. At first, a reporter asked Gautier a question in his mother tongue, French, which the Cameroonian fighter answered accordingly. However, nobody was available to translate their exchange.

Another reporter subsequently asked Gautier about facing a stern challenge like Kopylov in English, which he answered fluently in the language.

“Is he human, bro?” Gautier said. “Is this Roman a human? He has two legs, two hands… legs. No legs. Like, the biggest legs. He is human, and we are gonna fight, and we are going to find out. I take him seriously. You just, like, have more professional experience than me.”

Although the Cameroonian UFC star answered the question in English, Dana White had trouble figuring out which language the fighter spoke. The UFC CEO asked for a translator right after Gautier’s response, but no one was present at the press conference.

“We got f—ked outta that one,” White said. “We don’t have a translator here for him. Sorry.”

It seems Dana White had trouble understanding the middleweight star’s accent, which could be daunting for an American like him.

For those who may not know, Cameroon has two official languages: English and French. However, Gautier hails from the country’s Douala region, where the people primarily speak French. Hence, the UFC fighter’s English accent carries French influence.

Plus, Gautier trains in Manchester, England, and that lends a distinctive mix to his accent.

Regardless, the fans who watched the press conference were angry at the UFC for not arranging a translator for Gautier, and they grilled Dana White for it.

Fans called out Dana White for not having a translator at UFC 332 press conference

One fan quickly chimed in and wrote, “The way the biggest fight org on earth can’t find one French speaker is genuinely hilarious. Like they’ll fly a guy across the world, but a translator is where they draw the line.”

After that, a different fan joined the backlash toward Dana White and wrote, “Dana looking around like the translator was supposed to spawn in .”

Another fan noted that the UFC boss asked for a translator after Gautier answered the reporter’s question in English, writing, “Dana literally asked for a translator after Gautier gave an answer in English.”

A fan called launched a proper tirade against White, writing, “You laugh… But that is straight garbage from a billionaire.”

This isn’t the first time Dana White has failed to decipher a fighter’s accent. During the UFC Freedom 250 pre-fight press conference, Mexico’s Diego Lopes answered a reporter’s question in English. But because of his heavy Mexican accent, White thought Lopes spoke in Spanish and asked for a translator, only for the reporter to clarify that Lopes did answer in English.

One fan found Dana White’s recent behavior disrespectful, writing, “Gautier handled the disrespect smoother than Dana handled the apology. Got his point across and smiled through the whole thing.”

Then, another user pointed out that Gautier has been giving interviews in English, writing, “I swear I saw him speaking English in another clip .” Others believe the Cameroonian UFC star was just trolling, “Lmao he’s trolling, he speaks English you dumb f—ks.” Another fan found the entire situation funny, “That fact that he was speaking English is funny lol.”

Ateba Gautier definitely speaks English quite well. He has given multiple interviews in the language, and recently he talked about financially helping his ailing mother in an interview with Full Violence. Gautier spoke English fluently throughout the interview, but his African accent could be thick, which can confuse someone from a Western country without paying close attention.

That said, regardless of his accent, Ateba Gautier is all set to take on one of the biggest challenges of his career so far, and he would like his fists to do the talking at UFC 332 in Utah this weekend.

The post Fans Revolt Against Dana White After UFC Fails to Get a Translator for Cameroonian Fighter appeared first on EssentiallySports.

Six days ago, MMA Fighting reported that the UFC was looking to book Moreno vs. Johnson for its final numbered event of the year, scheduled for December 12 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Now, a new update has confirmed that both flyweights will indeed clash on the UFC 335 card.

“Brandon Moreno vs. Charles Johnson set for UFC 335 on December 12th,” Home of Fight shared on X.

The matchup comes at an important time for both fighters, although for very different reasons.

For Moreno, 2026 has been a difficult year by his standards. The former flyweight champion suffered an upset loss to rising flyweight Lone’er Kavanagh at UFC Mexico City in February. The defeat was even more notable because Kavanagh had stepped in on short notice after replacing Moreno’s original opponent, Asu Almabayev.

Following that setback, Moreno needed a win to get himself back on track, and he eventually got one against Joseph Morales at UFC Noche on September 12. However, it was far from a dominant performance, with “The Assassin Baby” earning a split decision in a closely contested fight.

Charles Johnson, meanwhile, has been considerably more active.

The UFC veteran has already fought four times in 2026, twice as many bouts as Moreno.

Johnson has won two of those four fights, but he enters UFC 335 off a notable victory over Eduardo Chapolin at UFC 330, where he secured a rare Scottish twister submission.

While Johnson has built a reputation for highlight-reel finishes, one of his most memorable moments came in 2024 when he knocked out Joshua Van.

At the time, Van was still climbing the flyweight rankings when Johnson stopped him. Van has since gone on to become the division’s champion and most recently defended his title at UFC 331 against former champion Alexandre Pantoja.

Now, Moreno and Johnson will meet with an opportunity to move closer to the top of the division.

A victory for either fighter would not necessarily guarantee a title shot, but it could put the winner in position for a higher-ranked matchup and another step toward championship contention.

With the first fight of UFC 335 now official, however, the UFC is still keeping the main event under wraps.

Sean Strickland vs. Nassourdine Imavov could headline UFC 335

While the UFC has yet to announce the headliner, the middleweight division already has a potential matchup that could fit the December card.

Sean Strickland reclaimed the middleweight title from Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 328 in May, and a possible rematch with Nassourdine Imavov has been discussed since then.

Strickland recently confirmed that Imavov is the opponent he wants for his first title defense while answering questions from fans online. If the UFC makes the matchup official, December would provide a natural spot for the fight, with Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit already scheduled to headline UFC 334 in November.

The potential matchup has also caught the attention of former BMF champion Jorge Masvidal, who likes what the two styles could produce.

“I’m excited about that fight, great fight,” Masvidal told MMA Junkie. “I like Imavov. He’s a sniper. He’s real, real technical. You can tell with the way he’s fighting, he’s always thinking a couple steps ahead. He’s like, ‘If the guy does this, I’m going to do that,’ and Sean’s just all energy, just coming forward with that pressure.

“I think this is going to be an amazing fight. Also, Imavov has been out for a while. Imavov has a good style also to deal with the Strickland pressure. I’m going to go with Strickland, though. I think it’s going to be a tough fight for Sean. The speed, his athleticism, the timing, his distance management.”

For now, Moreno vs. Johnson is the only officially announced matchup for UFC 335. With the final numbered event of 2026 still more than two months away, the promotion has time to fill out the card—and potentially add a middleweight title fight to close out the year.

The post UFC 335 Gets First Matchup as Former Champ Returns Against Veteran Who Knocked Out Joshua Van appeared first on EssentiallySports.

The CEO and founder of REK, CIX (Cix Liv), shared online the official cease-and-desist order, dated 23rd September, from the CSAC executive officer Andy Foster, while celebrating the infamous milestone.

“We made it, boys,” Cix Liv wrote on X alongside a picture of the CSAC notice. “California sent us a Cease and Desist for ‘UNSANCTIONED HUMAN VERSUS HUMANOID ROBOT CAGE FIGHT.’”

The notice refers to the promotion’s first human vs. humanoid matchup in San Francisco on September 18.

The event featured 29-year-old internet influencer and content creator Frankie LaPenna taking on a six-foot-tall EngineAI T800 humanoid robot under the REK banner.

According to the CSAC notice, REK did not obtain the required license or sanctions from the commission before holding the event. The commission cited Business and Professions Code section 18640, which defines a combat match strictly as a physical harm contest between two or more persons, leaving robotic combat outside existing athletic commission definitions.

That means what may have looked like a futuristic experiment to viewers online still fell under the commission’s regulatory authority because an actual human fighter was involved.

The CSAC has now ordered REK to stop holding similar events. The notice also warns of potential penalties if the promotion continues to violate the relevant provisions of California law.

For REK, the notice creates a big problem for a promotion that has built its identity around increasingly unconventional combat-sports events.

For a while now, Robot Entertainment Kombat has primarily focused on robot-vs.-robot competitions.

In September 2025, the promotion held an event featuring bipedal robots roughly 4.5 feet tall, with UFC fighters including Jessica-Rose Clark and Hyder Amil attending to test some of the machines.

The latest event, however, took things a step further.

Instead of putting two robots against each other, REK placed a human inside the cage with a six-foot, 200-pound humanoid robot dubbed “Rekbot,” a machine modeled after Arnold Schwarzenegger’s iconic Terminator character.

LaPenna managed to land several strikes during the fight, but the robot eventually returned fire with a powerful push kick that sent the influencer flying. Footage showed LaPenna slamming hard into the canvas and the plastic-lined Plexiglas cage wall.

The sequence made for a dramatic moment, although the influencer did not appear to suffer a serious injury from the exchange.

REK subsequently celebrated the bout as a milestone for the promotion.

“We just made history with the first Human VS Terminator robot fight,” REK wrote on X. “Le Penna gave it his all.”

The event certainly generated attention online. However, the commission’s notice makes clear that the fight promotion violated state law under Code section 18640 by holding an event involving an actual human without prior approval from the commission, rendering the event unsanctioned.

As of now, the CSAC has formally demanded that the promotion stop holding such events in the future through a “cease and desist” notice. But if the promotion is found in violation of the state law again, it could invite punishment under Section 412, which entails financial penalties between $100 and $1,000 and imprisonment ranging from 30 days up to a year.

For now, there is no indication that REK’s robot-vs.-robot events are necessarily subject to the same issue. The commission’s action only centers on the inclusion of an actual human combatant.

That distinction could determine what comes next for the league.

REK has already shown that it wants to push combat sports into territory few traditional promotions have explored. But after California’s athletic commission stepped in, the organization will now have to figure out where, and under what regulatory framework, it can continue experimenting with human vs. humanoid competition. So, either they must stop holding such events altogether or move to a state where the legislature is not as stringent as it is in California.

The post California Sends Cease and Desist to Fight Promotion for “Unsanctioned” Human vs. Humanoid Robot Bout appeared first on EssentiallySports.

The deal will see ‘Gun’ represent SteveWillDoIt’s online casino partnership and MOTION, the influencer-backed nicotine-free caffeine pouch brand. And because a $100K monthly check apparently wasn’t enough, McMillen is also reportedly getting 5% ownership of SteveWillDoIt’s stake in MOTION.

Yep, this isn’t your usual fighter sponsorship where you slap a logo on your shorts and call it a day. The massive salary and equity details were revealed in SteveWillDoIt’s newest YouTube video, giving the undefeated UFC prospect a pretty eye-catching business deal while he continues building his name inside the Octagon.

The timing of the deal makes even more sense when you look at how quickly Tommy McMillen’s UFC stock has shot up over the past few months. ‘Gun’ really made his name at UFC Oklahoma City in July, where he put on a ridiculous performance against Alberto Montes and walked away with a new nickname: ‘The Third Diaz Brother’.

The 28-year-old landed a whopping 252 significant strikes over the three-round fight, smashing Nate Diaz’s previous UFC record of 238 significant strikes in a three-round bout against Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone.

With the nonstop pressure, bloody battles, and all-action style, comparisons to Nate and Nick Diaz were basically inevitable. And McMillen? He was more than happy to lean into it.

“I really do this s—,” he said after the fight. “I’m a real American gangster. I think they just said I broke some record that one of the Diaz brothers was holding for significant strikes in a fight or a round or something.

“I’m the third Diaz brother, so it’s only right that record goes to me.”

And he hasn’t exactly slowed down since the Diaz comparisons started.

Just last month, ‘Gun’ picked up his third straight $100,000 UFC bonus, earning another Fight of the Night award after his scrap with Marwan Rahiki at Noche UFC.

The decision win pushed McMillen to 12-0 as a pro and 3-0 inside the UFC, with all three of his UFC wins now coming with a serious payday attached.

His previous stoppage victories over Manolo Zecchini in April and Alberto Montes in July also earned him $100,000 bonuses, taking his total UFC bonus earnings to a cool $300,000. Not bad for a guy who’s only three fights into his UFC run.

And there’s an even crazier twist to the story. SteveWillDoIt apparently had serious money riding on Tommy McMillen at UFC Noche. He placed multiple bets on the featherweight, including a $500,000 moneyline bet, a $160,000 ticket, and another $50,000 wager on ‘Gun’ to win by knockout.

The 28-year-old ended up getting the job done by unanimous decision, meaning Steve missed out on the $50,000 KO prop but still cashed in big on his main bets. All said and done, Steve reportedly walked away with about $350,000 net profit from betting on McMillen. And that’s after handing ‘Gun’ the $100,000 fighter bonus he had promised.

So honestly, after all that, it’s not exactly shocking that SteveWillDoIt decided to bring McMillen into the fold. In his latest video, Steve got straight to the point with the UFC fighter.

“Tommy, we’re gonna cut right to it,” he said. “So you said you’re not signing with Rainbet or Pouches so you could work for me potentially? You say you wanna make $10-15k a month? So we’re gonna 8x, real-life plinkoball. We’ll do $100,000 a month and 5% of Motion on my side.”

And apparently, the $100,000-a-month deal and 5% stake weren’t enough.

Steve also gifted Tommy McMillen a green Richard Mille RM11 reportedly worth around $180,000, adding another seriously expensive piece to what is already a pretty wild deal.

And while it might look like SteveWillDoIt is just out here throwing money around, there’s a pretty important bit of context. SteveWillDoIt and UFC CEO Dana White recently walked away with a reported $1 million each in a single night.

So when you see Steve dropping six figures on McMillen, betting hundreds of thousands of dollars, and casually handing over a $180,000 watch, it starts to make a little more sense.

Dana White and SteveWillDoIt’s high-stakes gambling friendship just won big

SteveWillDoIt, whose real name is Stephen Deleonardis, has been close with UFC CEO Dana White for years. Their friendship goes back to the pandemic era, when Steve and his crew were invited into the UFC bubble.

Since then, the two have been spotted together plenty of times in Las Vegas, usually doing what they do best: gambling with absolutely ridiculous amounts of money. Their sessions have included high-limit blackjack and baccarat, with some seriously eye-popping bets along the way.

Their latest baccarat session at Park MGM was no different. The UFC head honcho and Steve reportedly walked away $1 million richer each after a wild high-stakes session.

Dana White, who is no stranger to the high-limit rooms in Vegas, was even seen celebrating and gesturing toward a security camera, while Steve looked just as hyped inside the private room. But there was one pretty bizarre rule before the gambling even started: SteveWillDoIt and the UFC CEO weren’t allowed to bet on the same side of a hand.

White explained the rule as they entered the room. If Steve bet on the player, the UFC boss would have to bet on the banker, meaning one of them would always win while the other lost. Basically, the casino wanted to make sure the two weren’t teaming up on the same side.

And the session started about as wildly as you’d expect. SteveWillDoIt reportedly dropped $1 million right out of the gate before Dana White followed up with his own seven-figure wager and won.

Steve eventually clawed his way back and finished the night in the green. White even encouraged him to cash out while he was ahead rather than keep gambling and potentially give it all back. A pretty reasonable piece of advice when you’ve already got a million-dollar profit sitting in front of you.

And SteveWillDoIt decided to take that advice, just not before putting some of those winnings to work. After getting richer alongside Dana White, the influencer has now reportedly decided to share some of that good fortune with one of the UFC boss’s fighters, with Tommy McMillen landing a deal that could make him considerably richer outside the Octagon too.

The post UFC’s ‘Third Diaz Brother’ Tommy McMillen Bags $100K Sponsorship and Business Equity From Dana White’s Gambling Buddy appeared first on EssentiallySports.

In a recent interview on the Ariel Helwani show, Sterling revealed the UFC gave him only an hour to decide on fighting Vallejos in Qatar, to which he said “yes” without even consulting his team. 

“I was told I had an hour to give an answer, and I had just gotten off the mats,” Sterling said. “I didn’t even get a chance to talk to my team. I guess the negotiations were already in the works, and the opportunity would have gone to someone else. 

“These things move quickly. It was a situation where they had to make an announcement for the card, and it just happened that I was training at that time. Luckily, it worked out because I did want to fight one more time before this year was up.” 

Aljamain Sterling has not complained about taking the fight against Vallejos within a one-hour negotiation window. However, it appears Sterling accepted a bout against a dangerous opponent in such a short time for the first time in his career.

Plus, this would be the second time the former UFC champ would face someone much lower ranked than him.

‘Funkmaster’ was ranked number 05 in the featherweight division when he defeated number 07-ranked Youssef Zalal at the UFC Fight Night event in April. But even after defeating a rising contender, the former UFC bantamweight champion didn’t get someone ranked above him. Instead, the promotion booked number 04-ranked Sterling against number 10-ranked Vallejos.

Revealing further details about the matchmaking, Sterling stated the UFC lacked a better matchup for him and initially offered Aaron Pico. However, Sterling turned down the fight, deeming it better to give the opportunity to Vallejos, who he feels has done much better in the UFC than the former Bellator fighter. 

“A lot of people think I just want to sit on the sidelines,” Sterling added. “It’s not even that. There are just no matchups. I was offered the Pico fight, but what the f—k does that fight do for me? The guy’s 1-1. Vallejos makes way more sense. Some people will say I ducked or dodged Pico because they think he’s the better wrestler.” 

“I think I’m the best wrestler in the division and probably one of the best — if not the best — in UFC. So, if you think I’m ducking Pico, no. Why am I rewarding him? I’d much rather give the reward to the guy who’s been here longer and beaten better guys.”    

For Sterling, a win over the 24-year-old Argentine would prove his mettle against much younger and hungrier contenders. But, truth be told, a win over Vallejos does not guarantee a title shot, which Sterling has been chasing for a while.

Cognizant of Sterling’s position, fans slammed the UFC for making the former champ fight a lower-ranked opponent once again, and they did not mince words in calling the promotion out.

Fans slam UFC for making Aljamain Sterling accept Kevin Vallejos fight 

One fan quickly chimed in and wrote, “The UFC has really mistreated Aljo.”

Following this, a different fan commented more bluntly, “Why does the UFC genuinely hate him? Honestly, if he wins this fight and Volk defends, they should fight next. You have the featherweight goat Vs the almost bantamweight goat. It’s weird he has top wins at featherweight but is getting lower-ranked guys each time.”

Joining the backlash, another user wrote, “The UFC has f—ed Aljo over so many times. ZUFFA fighters….take note.”

Well, this isn’t the first time Aljamain Sterling has commented on the UFC’s questionable matchmaking. Before facing Sean O’Malley at UFC 292 in 2023, Sterling spoke of his pre-existing injuries on his YouTube channel. He wasn’t sure about an imminent title defense. However, he ended up accepting the matchup and lost the belt via second-round TKO.

After the loss, Sterling went public with his frustrations over fighting O’Malley while injured, and he clearly wasn’t happy with the promotion.

Another fan remarked about Sterling’s fight against Jean Silva, “Could have made him fight Jean in December, but UFC hate him for some reason.”

Sterling has already called out Jean Silva after the Brazilian recently beat Jose Delgado at UFC Noche on September 12, 2026, via third-round submission. But the UFC ignored the fight and eventually settled on Kevin Vallejos.

For a number four-ranked Sterling, facing number five Jean Silva would have made better sense in terms of both fighters’ title implications.

Now, ‘Funkmaster’s’ position is especially difficult as he welcomes a number 10-ranked opponent. Even if he beats Vallejos, he would be defeating a fighter much lower down the rankings. If Silva scores a victory over someone like number three-ranked featherweight Lerone Murphy, he would leapfrog Sterling to get the title shot.

Perhaps noting that, another fan wrote, “Dana just trying to get Aljo to quit with these matchups .”

That said, Aljamain Sterling’s next task is simple: keep his win streak alive by beating Kevin Vallejos, because any other result would make his path back to the title all the more difficult.

The post “UFC Mistreated Aljo”: Fans Revolt After Aljamain Sterling Accepts Lower-Ranked Opponent on One-Hour Window appeared first on EssentiallySports.

According to ‘The Last Stylebender’, UFC 332’s biggest problem is that it doesn’t have enough star power or those big, easy-to-follow storylines that make casual fans really interested. So, is UFC 332 really as bad as Adesanya initially made it sound? Not quite.

“People are saying it’s the worst card in UFC history… but actually looking at the card, that might not really be the case,” Adesanya explained on his YouTube channel. “The only thing is that it lacks a bit of star power and also universal storylines.

“How you get people involved, people to be invested, the lead-ups, the embeddeds of fight week, the countdown, the fighters doing their own vlogs, the UFC also doing little segments for the fighters leading up to the fight, the months into the fight.”

And to be fair, there’s plenty riding on the event. UFC 332 heads to Salt Lake City, Utah, for the promotion’s fifth trip to the city, following UFC 307 two years ago, where Alex Pereira delivered a memorable fourth-round knockout of Khalil Rountree Jr.

The event will also make history as the UFC’s first card to air on CBS under the promotion’s massive $7.7 billion Paramount-CBS deal. So, it’s no surprise that the expectations were sky high. However, UFC 332 simply failed to have such hyped storylines or stakes behind it.

“So yeah, the stories. There’s no storyline,” he continued. “Because even though you guys want to clown WWE, you love a storyline.”

Israel Adesanya also had a problem with one particular name being buried in the prelims: Court McGee. The former middleweight champion couldn’t believe someone with McGee’s experience was opening the card against Eric Nolan instead of getting a spot on the main card.

“Bro, look, Court McGee as an early prelim,” he said. “This is the Ultimate Fighter winner. He’s a veteran of this game, and he goes, you know, the record.

“He just knows how to, like, put belt to a–, and he just, like, put his foot down, pedal to the metal.”

Still, this is one area where it’s tough to really blame the UFC. McGee may be a 24-fight UFC veteran and a former Ultimate Fighter winner, but the 41-year-old hasn’t exactly been on a hot streak lately.

‘The Crusher’ has gone 1-4 across his last five UFC outings, with his most recent appearance ending in a decision loss to Michael Chiesa. So while Adesanya has a point about McGee’s experience, his recent form makes his prelim placement a little easier to understand.

Adesanya’s previous UFC 332 take came during a hilarious moment on his Precision with Mighty & Izzy podcast with Demetrious Johnson. The two were breaking down the lineup when ‘The Last Stylebender’ casually admitted he had absolutely no idea who was headlining the event.

That was enough to get both fighters laughing. Then ‘Izzy’ realised the card he had been casually roasting wasn’t even a Fight Night; it was a numbered UFC event.

“Oh, it’s not a Fight Night? Oh, really? Oh, snap!” Adesanya said. “I thought it was a Fight Night. I saw the ad on the banner on the thing. I just thought that was a Fight Night. Dang! Okay, okay!”

Still, Adesanya wasn’t exactly saying UFC 332 is a terrible card. If anything, the lineup has a few fights that could turn the event into one of those sneaky sleeper cards fans end up loving.

The co-main event has former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo moving up against Payton Talbott. Figueiredo’s seeks a redemption arc after going 1-4 in his last 5. Talbott, meanwhile, is quickly making a name for himself after scoring wins over Felipe Lima and former two-division champion Henry Cejudo last year.

Then there’s middleweight knockout artist Ateba Gautier, who takes on Roman Kopylov, while King Green returns against another rising name in Esteban Ribovics.

And don’t sleep on the prelims either. Former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos is finally back after a two-year layoff, taking on Alexander Hernandez in a matchup that has already caught the attention of fight fans.

So yeah, UFC 332 might not have the massive superstar or reigning champion needed to instantly feel like a numbered event. But once the cage door shuts, none of that really matters. The fights still have a chance to do the talking.

Ironically, Israel Adesanya might have more reason than most to keep a close eye on UFC 332, because one of his oldest rivals is right in the middle of it.

Israel Adesanya himself is invested in a massive return storyline at UFC 332

Despite years of bad blood, Israel Adesanya is now surprisingly backing Marvin Vettori. The two fought twice, with ‘Izzy’ winning both encounters, but Vettori never really seemed ready to let the rivalry die. Even after their Octagon battles were over, the Italian continued taking shots at his former opponent.

But with both men going through some rough stretches in their careers, ‘The Last Stylebender’ has seemingly put the old rivalry to one side. He even showed genuine sympathy for Marvin Vettori after the tragic death of the Italian’s younger brother in a house fire last year.

“My boy, Vettori,” Adesanya said. “This is his first fight back since the tragedy? Yeah. Vettori is a hard man to finish. I don’t think anyone has finished him in the UFC yet.

“I think he still hates me. I don’t know why. I mean, it’s obvious… Every other – like twice a year – he’ll take shots at me for no reason. But nah, I respect him.”

Adesanya explained that Vettori’s loss changed the way he looked at their entire rivalry. The Italian’s tragedy made it impossible for him to hold onto the same animosity.

“If I lost [my brother] in a fire, I would be heartbroken,” he continued. “That makes me sad saying that. So I, like, I empathise. So, it’s hard for me to feel anything bad towards this man because I’m like, If I lost [my brother] in a house fire, God forbid.”

Now, ‘The Italian Dream’ is getting ready for his first fight since the tragedy, taking on Ismail Naurdiev at UFC 332. Israel Adesanya is hoping his old rival can find some of the form that once earned him a shot at the UFC middleweight title.

“I want him to win,” he said. “I mean, it’ll be good for him. It’s been a while, spirit. When you win, I win. When I win, you win.

“Whether you like it or not, Vettori, we’re locked in this s— for life. Yeah, man, I’m going for Vettori. I’m pulling for him to win this one.”

So, for all of Israel Adesanya’s complaints about UFC 332 lacking star power and compelling storylines, he now has a pretty personal reason to tune in when the Octagon lands in Salt Lake City.

The post Israel Adesanya Reveals What’s Wrong With UFC 332 After Calling It a “Fight Night” Previously appeared first on EssentiallySports.