MMA Today: UFC 303 Safe, Documentary Draws Eyeballs, Jason Herzog’s Officiating, More

Although there were no major titles on the line or any monumental upsets, combat sports fans were in for a treat with a plethora of fight-centric material, ranging from PFL Europe 2 to UFC Louisville and so much more sprinkled in.

Without further ado, MMA Knockout’s Zain Bando is back with the latest headlines from the week that ended Monday, June 10.

UFC 303 Remains In Tact…For Now

The beginning of June was rough for diehard UFC fans and MMA consumers. After Dustin Poirier was submitted by Islam Makhachev and failed to capture the undisputed UFC lightweight title in his third attempt, the focus quickly shifted to UFC 303, headlined by a welterweight bout between Conor McGregor vs. Michael Chandler, which is set to headline the card June 29 in Las Vegas.

UFC 303 Promo Featuring Conor McGregor, Michael Chandler, Co-Main Event Revealed

The promotion announced late Sunday night that a planned press conference for Dublin, Ireland, would be postponed for an undisclosed reason, leaving the MMA community confused and in a panic as to whether or not the fight would move forward as originally scheduled.

Speculation mounted regarding a potential injury from the McGregor side. At one point, the UFC put old McGregor “full fights” on private to reflect across YouTube. Those have since been restored, as has the original trailer and a reminder of the bout order during the UFC Louisville broadcast Saturday night.

Nevertheless, for those who thought about postponing their trips to Las Vegas or making other non-UFC plans, June 29 is not the day to do it, as all signs point toward McGregor-Chandler moving ahead with under a month to go.

UFC, Roku Release Star-Studded Documentary Series

It’s not often the UFC turns back the curtain to showcase the inside scoop of day-to-day business dealings, but that’s precisely what the three-part documentary mini-series “Fight Inc. Inside The UFC” captures.

Each episode lasts nearly an hour, following the likes of Jon Jones, Sean O’Malley, Amanda Nunes and the day-to-day life of the UFC executive team. The documentary series acts as a guide to what it is like potentially working for the UFC, what goes into making fights, last-minute changes to fight cards, plus much more, making it a must-watch for any hardcore fight fan.

It’s accessible on the Roku Channel in the U.S. and UFC Fight Pass elsewhere, depending on your region.

Jason Herzog’s Early Stoppage at UFC Louisville

UFC News: Nassourdine Imavov Wins Louisville Main Event by Controversial Finish

Nassourdine Imavov moved one step closer to a shot at UFC middleweight gold Saturday night, but it wasn’t without controversy. In Round 4, Herzog, a well-experienced referee who has officiated many UFC fights and main events, halted the action when a hurt Jared Cannonier remained upright and covered up from Imavov’s barrage of strikes.

Nassourdine Imavov gets the 4th Round TKO over Jared Cannonier 😳

Thoughts on the stoppage? 👀 #UFCLouisville
pic.twitter.com/7suMY3ph4M
— COMBAT SPORTS TODAY (@CSTodayNews) June 9, 2024

(Author opinion on the stoppage)

"While the referee is there to protect the fighters from themselves, Herzog should have known better in this situation. Cannonier is a veteran of the division who has fought a who’s-who list of names in the weight class and has been in far worse circumstances than that.

"He was likely on his way to losing the fight anyway, but giving him as many chances as possible to stay in the fight would have been a better approach. Who knows, one counterpunch could change the complexion of the round and fight, but we’ll never know.

"Regardless, it ended a card with a lot of exciting finishes and the successful outings from Raul Rosas Jr. and Dominick Reyes, who kept themselves afloat in their respective divisions."

What’s Coming Up?

It’s back to the UFC APEX for another “Fight Night” card while Sin City also plays host to Gervonta “Tank” Davis vs. Frank Martin just down the road at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on the same night. Elsewhere, the PFL regular season rolls on from Connecticut, while Spaten Fight Night will see Anderson Silva complete his legendary trilogy with Chael Sonnen, but in boxing instead of MMA.

Be sure to bookmark MMAKO for whichever event you choose to follow this week, along with the latest news across the combat sports calendar.

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