So we are just a day away from summing up an eventful yet controversial year for the MMA world, but the news just keeps coming! Welcome to another edition of the daily roundup where we highlight the biggest and the hottest stories from our favorite sport. To kick off this final roundup of 2024, we have surprising news about the highest UFC merch pullers for the year because Conor McGregor was nowhere to be found on that list.

Moving on to the next big story, we have a former UFC fighter, who called out the viral ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl on social media. Finally, to sum this edition up, we have the former 2-time middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who wishes to have one unusual record on his resume.

Top stars, including Conor McGregor, didn’t make it to the top merch sellers list

It seems like Conor McGregor’s three-year layoff has hurt the UFC fandom, as it seems they’re now drawn toward the new superstars of the promotion. The Las Vegas-based promotion recently shared the list of the fighters who sold the most merchandise in the UFC Store, and guess what? Neither McGregor nor current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev made it to that list. Instead, other veterans and some new stars were occupying the ranks.

Whether he fights Tom Aspinall or not, Jon Jones is still at the top of the game, and after recent reports, it looks like he’s winning in the merch game as well. He placed fifth on the list, followed by Sean O’Malley and Dustin Poirier occupying the 4th and 3rd spots, respectively. The second place was held by the UFC 300 buzzer-beater knockout victor Max Holloway, and at the top of that list is the current UFC megastar, Alex Pereira. The Brazilian is quickly making a case for himself as the next big thing after Conor McGregor, as we wait to see if he can replicate 2024’s success in 2025.

Ex-UFC fighter calls out social media influencer

The viral ‘Hawk Tuah’ girl, named Hailey Welch, has appeared to have gone off-grid following a controversy surrounding a potential pump-and-dump crypto scam. There were even calls for her arrest, but that didn’t happen, and she remains out of the internet’s attention. This led former UFC and current PFL fighter Derek Brunson, a bit curious about Welch’s whereabouts, to take to social media and raise a question.

“What happened to Hailey Welch #hawktuah,” Derek Brunson wrote on X. For context, Hailey Welch’s rise to prominence from a mere street interview was unprecedented, as she’d go on to appear on popular podcasts, collaborate with other influencers and was even seen backstage during the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight.

As a move to capitalize on her fame, she launched a meme coin, whose value decreased from $500 million to $50 million in just hours after getting launched. While Welch remains under the radar, it will be interesting to see how the future pans out for her next year. Now, let’s move over to the final story of this roundup, involving Israel Adesanya.

Israel Adesanya wants at least one submission win on his record

With a rich history in kickboxing, Israel Adesanya showed his opponents the level that is his striking in MMA. In fact, the Nigerian-born Kiwi star has 16 knockouts in MMA, making him one of the best strikers in MMA history. However, Adesanya wants something else now; he wants a submission win, and he recently claimed that he’s looking to at least win one fight by tapping his opponent out.

“I’ve achieved my dreams in this game. I still have some more dreams to achieve, but the main ones I have [achieved]. [I want to] just enjoy this sh*t,” Israel Adesanya stated on his YouTube channel. He even claimed that winning the belt doesn’t hold much importance for him now because his sights are set on submitting a future opponent. “I’m going to definitely get a submission (before I retire). That’s definitely a big one. I don’t even care about the belt. I want to get someone’s (expletive) ankle or neck.”

Well, Adesanya has been tapped out only once, which happened in his last fight against Dricus du Plessis, but can he get back on the saddle when he steps inside the Octagon against Nassourdine Imavov at UFC Saudi Arabia? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.