A press release was sent out Monday proclaiming an “industry re-defining” announcement would be made this Wednesday on a call featuring names such as Georges St-Pierre, former Bellator owner and President Bjorn Rebney. The call will also feature active UFC competitors Cain Velasquez, Tim Kennedy, T.J. Dillashaw, and Donald Cerrone.
Very few details are available but the mix of a former promoter of a UFC rival, an embattled former UFC champion, and several active UFC fighters makes for a very intriguing announcement.
While Velasquez and Dillashaw have been on the quieter side when it comes to promotional dealings, Kennedy and Cerrone have been vocally in favor of a fighters’ union and are known to have shared a box at UFC 205 earlier this month. Also notable is that according to MMA Fighting, St-Pierre, Dillashaw, Kennedy, and Velasquez are all signed with Creative Arts Agency, a rival talent agency to new UFC owners WME-IMG.
MONDAY NOTEBOOK ITEMS…
-Khabib Nurmagomedov is showing interest in an interim title fight with Tony Ferguson if Conor McGregor doesn’t return by next spring. “Tony Ferguson is tough guy, tough opponent. Nine-win streak. Why not?” he said in an interview with RT Sport. “I think this is real high level lightweight fight. Not Conor versus me, I think this is real high level fight.”
-Derek Brunson told the press after his first round loss to Robert Whittaker Saturday night that he fought “like a chump.”
-Shane Burgos vs. Tiago Trator has been signed for the Dec. 9 UFC Fight Night from Albany, New York.
NOW CHECK OUT YESTERDAY’S UPDATE: SUNDAY NEWS DIGEST 11/27: McGregor “relinquishes” his Featherweight Title, what’s next for the division (w/Hiscoe’s Analysis)
(MMATorch’s Daily News Digest features the top story of the day with added analysis, plus smaller tidbits in the News Notes section. Mike Hiscoe, who writes the News Digest Sundays through Thursdays, has a background in film criticism and previously wrote for the DVD Town and Movie Metropolis websites. His passion for Mixed Martial Arts goes back to 2005, but it was in the promotion for UFC 60: Hughes vs. Gracie that he really got hooked.”This is my house, I build it,” is still among the all-time great UFC promos. You can follow Mike on social media under the tag @mikehiscoe. He now provides his experienced writing and perspective on live MMA events for MMATorch.)
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