MMATorch Daily Top Five 3/25: Top MMA Stories of the Week

By Jamie Penick, MMATorch Editor-in-Chief

Lorenzo Fertitta (photo credit Jayne Kamin-Oncea © USA Today Sports)

Welcome to MMATorch’s new Daily Top Five. Every weekday, tune in for a new Top Five list on a variety of topics; some will be regularly updated, some will be one offs, but we hope you enjoy them all throughout the week! If you’ve got an idea for a Top Five list you’d like to see, email mmatorcheditor@gmail.com and we may fit them into the weekly mix!

3/25/16: Top Five Stories of the Week

In what will be a regular Friday feature, today we list out the most newsworthy stories/articles from the past week in MMA.

5. Italian promotion signs suspended Palhares despite WSOF protestations: Venator FC has no issues signing controversial figures, and they’ve locked up Rousimar Palhares for a May 21 bout on the same card they’re featuring Jason “Mayhem” Miller. WSOF officials claim to still have Palhares under contract despite him being under a two-year suspension from Nevada, and Venator flat out doesn’t care. Hit the link for comments from Venator FC promoter Frank Merenda, as well as Palhares’ manager Alex Davis.

4. Diaz wants potential McGregor rematch to happen at lightweight: Nate Diaz is pushing for the potential UFC 200 rematch to take place at lightweight, saying he doesn’t want any excuses when he beats McGregor a second time.

3. Shamrock, Slice fail drug tests for steroids out of Bellator 149: The actual results of Ken Shamrock and Kimbo Slice’s failed drug tests came back this week, with each testing positive for the steroid nandrolone. Additionally, Shamrock tested positive for the opioid methodone, a drug used to ween heroin users off that substance as well as a powerful painkiller.

2. Hunt knocks Mir out, Magny takes out Lombard at UFC Fight Night 85: The UFC returned to Brisbane, Australia with an entertaining main card on Fox Sports 1; it was capped off by a significant comeback from Neil Magny over Hector Lombard, and a walk off KO from Mark Hunt over Frank Mir. The card was the ninth most-watched UFC Fight Night event on FS1.

1. New York passes MMA legalization, UFC promises “epic” MSG event: The state of New York had been the last holdout on legalizing the sport, but their 19-year-ban was all but lifted this week when a bill finally reached the floor of the State Assembly for a vote. After much hand-wringing, grossly-ignorant opposition, and hours of mind-numbing debate, the bill was passed, and will become law this year once the Governor signs off. The UFC is targeting potentially two 2016 events, including what they hope to have as a major fourth quarter 2016 event at Madison Square Garden.

[Photo (c) Jayne Kamin-Oncea via USA Today Sports]

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