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MMA News Roundup: Dana White Snaps at Adesanya vs. Chimaev Saudi Arabia Rumors, Belal Muhammad Opens Up After UFC 300 Snub, Henry Cejudo, Mackenzie Dern & Others Suspended

Published 02/21/2024, 5:08 AM EST

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With another 24 hours gone, we have some fresh new headlines emerging from the world of MMA. Hence, we have another edition of the daily news roundup and we will start today with Dana White. The UFC CEO recently opened up on the rumors surrounding a potential fight between Khamzat Chimaev and Israel Adesanya in Saudi Arabia. Then we will shift our focus to Belal Muhammad, who opened up on getting subbed for the welterweight championship. Finally, we will sum up the news compilation with UFC 298 fighters, including Henry Cejudo, facing medical suspensions.

Without wasting much time, let us quickly dive into the stories!

Dana White dismisses rumors of Israel Adesanya vs. Khamzat Chimaev in Saudi Arabia

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The UFC will be hosting its first-ever event in Saudi Arabia this year, and as far as the officials in that Middle-Eastern nation are concerned, they want some big fights. As such, rumors started swirling that former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya could make a comeback in Saudi Arabia to fight the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev. However, Dana White has dismissed a possible fight between them in a story on Instagram“Not happening. It was a fake post,” said the UFC CEO.

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Dana White then took shots at the media outlets who tried to give substance to this rumor, calling them “clowns” in the process. “All the MMA media that ran with it are the problem. Absolute clowns,” he added. It remains to be seen what the UFC has planned for their debut show in Saudi Arabia, as they are just months away from the event.

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Belal Muhammad reacts to being snubbed yet again

Dana White recently mentioned that Leon Edwards was willing to fight anyone to headline the UFC 300 main event. He considered three opponents for ‘Rocky’, namely Islam Makhachev, Khamzat Chimaev, and Shavkat Rakhmonov, as per reports. Having heard what White had to say, Belal Muhammad opened up on being snubbed yet again, since he thought he was next in line for a title shot.

 

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Having clashed once before in 2021 in a no-contest bout, Belal Muhammad kept his eye on the prize and racked up a 9-fight winning streak. But after getting snubbed as per Dana White’s recent revelation, ‘Remember The Name’ opened up about it during a recent appearance on ‘The Schmozone‘.

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“Three guys turned it down. If they really wanted Leon Edwards on 300, they know the guy. It would have been me,” said Belal Muhammad. There is no doubt that his getting snubbed came as a shock to many as fans wonder when ‘Remember The Name’ will get his due, which they believe he deserves.

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Henry Cejudo and others face medical suspensions

UFC 298, which took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California, featured a total of 12 bouts. Nine fighters from the 12 bouts have been handed a suspension for a period of six months due to the injuries they sustained during their fights. Except for one fighter, the others were suspended due to the possibility of suffering fractures.

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According to ‘MMA Junkie‘, the fighters who were suspended for six months include Danny Barlow, Josh Quinlan, Mingyang Zhang, Carlos Vera, Marcos Rogério de Lima, Mackenzie Dern, Robert Whittaker, Paulo Costa, and Henry Cejudo. The list of the suspended athletes was provided by the Nevada State Athletic Commission and these fighters will be eligible to compete following the end of their 6-month suspension period.

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Written by:

Himanga Mahanta

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One take at a time

Himanga Mahanta is a senior UFC writer at EssentiallySports. An all-rounder in his coverage of the sport, Himanga is a reliable voice with a knack for providing analytical coverage of breaking stories from the world of MMA. His 1700+ articles include perspective pieces on trending UFC stories, and both live and post-event coverage of weekly events.
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Edited by:

Yeswanth Praveen