Ben Askren finally went 1v1 against Darren Till and smoked him. You can see the results here.
Amanda Serrano signs with the PFL
Who is she? She’s the WBC featherweight champion, and she’s widely considered one of the best pound-for-pound women’s boxers in the world. She has a pro boxing record of 44-2-1 and has competed in three MMA fights with a record of 2-0-1.
The deal: She signed an exclusive MMA contract with the PFL and will compete under the promotion’s Superfight division which also features Francis Ngannou, Jake Paul, and Kayla Harrison. She’s expected to compete in 2024.
Nate Diaz wants to return to MMA after fighting Jake Paul
What did he say? Exactly what he said after beating Tony Ferguson last year. He wants to get passed this boxing fight and return to the UFC. Nate Diaz has always had the ability to create big fights in his post-fight speeches. That’s what he’s looking to do after fighting Jake Paul.
His options: The biggest fight for Diaz in MMA is a trilogy bout against Conor McGregor. It’s a fight that makes sense for both fighters, the UFC, and the fans, given the history they have with each other.
Kelvin Gastelum out of fight with Shavkat Rakhmonov in September
The injury: Kelvin Gastelum suffered an open fracture to the nose after being hit by a spinning elbow in sparring, forcing him out of the fight. He wants the fight to be rescheduled to UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden.
Rakhmonov’s future: Shavkat Rakhmonov‘s manager Daniel Rubenstein has requested Kamaru Usman and Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson as potential opponents for him for either September 16 in Las Vegas or October 21 in Abu Dhabi.
Jiri Prochazka suggests Jamahal Hill’s injury stemmed from weight gain
The injury: Jamahal Hill ruptured his Achilles tendon in a basketball game with Daniel Cormier and other fighters during International Fight Week.
Jiri’s theory: Hill gained a lot of weight while waiting for a fight, and Jiri Prochazka believes this contributed to Hill’s ankle injury. He believes that weight gain makes your knees and ankles vulnerable to injury.
Kamaru Usman wants to fight ‘Wonderboy’
The callout: Usman believes that “Wonderboy” is the only fighter that makes sense for him to fight right now. He knows it’s a difficult fight, and that’s why he wants it.
The likelihood? Very likely. “Wonderboy” wants big fights, and Usman is a big fight. “Wonderboy” wants to make one more run at the welterweight title, and beating a former dominant champion like Usman puts him in a prime position for that spot.6
Conor McGregor believes Dustin Poirier isn’t worthy of being inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame
His main argument: Conor McGregor believes that Dustin Poirier shouldn’t be in the UFC Hall of Fame because he’s never won an undisputed UFC Championship. He tweeted that the Hall of Fame needs “tightening like vice grips.”
Is it valid? Donald Cerrone is the only fighter that’s never won a WEC or UFC championship to be inducted into the modern wing of the Hall of Fame. If Cerrone is in, Poirier certainly has an argument based on a lot of incredible performances.
Derrick Lewis is a free agent
What does he want to do? Derrick Lewis mentioned at the UFC 291 post-fight press conference that he would like to to stay with the UFC if they’d keep him. Even though he lost three straight fights before finishing Marcos Rogerio de Lima, he felt like a superstar after the win.
The option outside the UFC: You can expect the PFL to make a big offer to Lewis, given that Francis Ngannou needs an opponent. This is the perfect first fight in the PFL for Ngannou, as Lewis is the last fighter that’s defeated him in MMA.
If you made it this far, thanks for reading. A new edition of OverUnder drops every Friday at 8 a.m. ET. See ya next week.
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