Welcome to MMA News Today, a daily feature running down the most interesting stories in the world of mixed martial arts. For July 3, 2024, we’re taking a look at:
- Du Plessis has the best reply to Adesanya jab
- Jones gives his side of the story on the use of magic and spirits
- Diaz knew his own value before taking McGregor opportunity
Dricus Du Plessis Makes Joking Remark To Israel Adesanya During Heated Faceoff
Dricus Du Plessis and Israel Adesanya came face to face once again during the press conference that went down yesterday, for their upcoming middleweight title fight.
Before the two rivals meet at UFC 305 on August 17 in Perth, they shared an incredibly tense staredown that is sure to build excitement for their eventual meeting.
Adesanya appeared to be the one to say something to Du Plessis first during the staredown which the middleweight champion was asked about after the press conference.
He jokingly made remarks about something that Adesanya’s last opponent, Sean Strickland, also chose to make fun of throughout the build-up to their fight.
Du Plessis referenced a video of Adesanya and his dog which appears to be a bit of a sore subject for “The Last Stylebender”, as was proven after the Strickland fight.
“I think he said, ‘Don’t kiss me’, as far as I know. I said I’m no dog so I won’t and you know, I don’t really know what he was saying. I wasn’t really focused on what he was saying.”
Jon Jones Says He Has Experienced ‘Spirit Channelling’ & Magic’ For Himself Following UFC 303 Controversy
Alex Pereira and Jiří Procházka are two of the most intense individuals in the sport when it comes to fight night.
Before UFC 303 got underway, Procházka spoke about how he believed “Poatan” was using the help of magic and spirits in his fight, asking him to abstain in their rematch.
Whilst Pereira offered a classy response to this in his post-fight interview after beating the former champion, UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones is the latest to weigh in on this.
He posted on social media about how there is some truth to this based on his experiences of stepping into certain arenas and coming up against specific opponents.
“There has been a lot of talk about spirit channeling and magic in MMA lately. This stuff is all very real. I felt all types of weird energies walking into those arenas. Looking certain opponents in the eyes. I want to let you all know that Jesus Christ is king, he is and always will be undefeated. Every knee shall bow.”
Nate Diaz Reveals How He Negotiated A Much Higher Purse For His First Fight With Conor McGregor
Nate Diaz has always been a cult icon in combat sports but UFC 196 was a moment that changed his life forever.
The Stockton fighter became a huge name overnight when he stepped into the main event on late notice to fight Conor McGregor in one of the most iconic moments in the history of the sport.
Diaz was well compensated for stepping up to save the day in place of Rafael Dos Anjos but he did have to put his foot down in order to get a much higher purse than was initially offered.
He told MMA great Demetrious Johnson during an interview on The MightyCast how he knew what his own value was at the time and made sure he was suitably compensated.
“At the time, it was (the biggest pay check I’d received). But they were trying to give me pennies for that too,” Diaz said. “I was like, ‘Yeah, right. I know what I’m doing here. I’ve been through it.’ I’d already been into it with the organization about that. So they called me and they were like, ‘Hey, while you’re going to do this, we’re going to give you a million dollars.’ I was like, ‘Hey, you’re gonna give me more than that.’
“So I got like five times more than that because of that. I knew the game by then and I was like, ‘F*ck that,’” Diaz continued. “Remember when I was telling you about how if I fight every two months, I could be rich. That basic math attitude kind of f*cking times 10, times 100, over and over again. So I knew what it was with the whole money in the business and sh*t. I might not be educated but I’m not stupid.”
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