Covering mixed martial arts news and events from all over the world with a focus on the women's divisions.
B.C., Canada
Joined May 2009
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Robert Sargent retweeted
So another thing he did a complete 180 on? Two months ago he shut down retirement rumors and implied he'd compete for a few more years.
Islam Makhachev says his title unifier vs. the #UFC336 winner will be "one of the last of my career."
Robert Sargent retweeted
and it sounds like instead of promoting Suarez-Jandiroba to main event next week with Brady out, they've booked a short-notice heavyweight fight as the headliner instead 😒
Robert Sargent retweeted
That is certainly why. The curtain-jerker for an undefeated double-champ prospect.
Hey, UFC. Make it even clearer that you don't care about your women's divisions; why don't ya?
Robert Sargent retweeted
I meant to read this as soon as it hit my inbox. Rory's perspective is interesting and worth a read. – at Portland, OR
The UFC has become a much bigger business, but I think it's lost something important along the way.
When I first signed, back when the Fertitta brothers owned it, there was a more personal side to how fighters were treated.
I remember we'd sometimes get unexpected bonuses after fights when we performed well. It was always nice getting that little surprise and knowing the company appreciated what you did.
Even at Christmas, they'd send us gifts. I remember getting a digital camera one year lol. And they weren't cheaping out either, especially considering how many fighters they were sending these things to.
Just little things like that made you feel appreciated.
Obviously the UFC has grown into a massive business since then, and I understand that comes with changes. The sport has reached a level of mainstream success that would've been hard to imagine when I first started, and that's a great thing for MMA in a lot of ways.
But from what I've heard from fighters in more recent years, that personal side of the relationship seems to have faded.
I get that it's a business, and fighters have always been valued partly on what they can bring to the organization. That was true back then too.
But I think there's a difference between running a successful business and making fighters feel like they're just another number on the roster.
Especially when we're talking about former champions and fighters who've contributed a lot to building the sport.
I'm not suggesting the old UFC was perfect. There were plenty of issues back then, and I'm sure there are things the organization does better today.
I just think it's a shame that as the company has grown, it seems to have become increasingly impersonal to the athletes that make it what it has become.
substack.com/@rorymacdonaldm…
Robert Sargent retweeted
Alexander Volkov explains why he showed up to the UFC 333 presser, and is still convinced Dana White did not recognize him:
"I saw they didn't have me on the press conference again, the same as the last three fights. I don't know why.
I just went through the regular gates like a regular fan... I had some questions for the fighters and Dana White.
Of course he didn't recognize me... I'm not even sure he can remember my name, and I bet every time he hears my name, he thinks they're talking about Alexander Volkanovski.
But to talk seriously, he still didn't have an answer to my question. I'm asking, what should I do? What am I supposed to do to get a title fight? And they don't have an answer."
Robert Sargent retweeted
The UFC going from “we give our champions a belt”
to
“We only lend you a belt you must return on demand at your expense”
is quite the corporate arc.
Robert Sargent retweeted
I love Quillan Salkilld x BSD in Sydney. It makes all the sense in the world.
But can we talk about how the UFC announced this fight?
They're promoting Quillan as No. 6 in the Meta rankings and BSD as No. 6 in the media rankings. What are we doing?
This has to be some of the sloppiest, goofiest, most confusing shit I've ever seen.
Dana White spent all this time complaining about the media rankings, and now this is the fix?
Robert Sargent retweeted
Commissions approving Power Slap is one of the clearest signs they’re not up to the job of properly regulating combat sports.
Jake Hager undergoes second eye surgery following scary Power Slap injury f4wonline.com/news/ufc/jake-…
Robert Sargent retweeted
Complete and utter humiliation for everyone forced to go along with this desperate charade that Everything Is Fine, Actually for sportswashing cash.
Ariel Helwani says unless things change with the airport, he was told the production staff scheduled to work the next Power Slap will fly in to Bahrain and drive to Riyadh.
#HelwaniShow
Robert Sargent retweeted
Dominick Reyes believes DC relies too heavily on his status as a double champ and doesn't put in the necessary work as a commentator:
“People think because he's double champ, all these things, that he automatically knows everything about everything.
Being a fighter doesn't automatically make you an expert in striking. Doesn't automatically make you an expert in movement.
No, you've got to continue to grow and learn and get better. Not just everybody already give you a pass that you know everything about everything. That's not how the world works, man."
Robert Sargent retweeted
Dominick Reyes on what bothered him about DC's commentary during his fight and why he believes UFC commentators need to be held accountable:
“I watched the fight at the airport, and I was like, dude, what are you talking about, man? He was so off base on so many different things.
You didn't do any research, and now you're just kind of talking, man.
It's just the fact that you're ill-prepared, and you have a tendency to be a little biased.
It's color commentary. It's not just talking about meat pies during the fight.
The only people in the whole UFC that are never held accountable are the announcers. So it's time.”
Robert Sargent retweeted
The funniest thing about DC's commentary is that he gets really upset when people say he does no prep, but not so upset that he'll familiarize himself with who the fighters on the card are.
Robert Sargent retweeted
Well after watching that main card, you can keep your 12 KOs in one night or whatever. I'd rather just watch good fighters
Machi Fukuda defends Deep Jewels strawweight title against undefeated challenger Nonoka Sakamoto at #Deep135 in December. mmarising.com/news/2026/10/2…
Robert Sargent retweeted
Dana White lambasted Gary Shaw for directing Seth Petruzelli to not go for takedowns on Kimbo Slice. Neither White nor matchmakers are telling anyone what to do, but they are creating an incentive structure by process of elimination in telling fighters what they don't want.
Muhammad Mokaev calls out the UFC for “creating bullsh*t narratives” about fighters before releasing them 😳
“At what point does that cross the line? Isn’t that influencing the competition?
If you want to release a fighter, fine. But don’t then publicly say he was “hard to deal with” or create some bullshit narrative about him that could damage his reputation and make other organizations think twice about signing him.”
Robert Sargent retweeted
TKO believes their ability to promote is exceptional beyond their peers and that explains their success.
Yet, the Shakur situation & a mid 2026 for Zuffa show that out of MMA & into less controllable boxing, TKO's promotional skills don't seem exceptional
youtube.com/watch?v=13baa_h5…
Robert Sargent retweeted
Dana White on boxing: This is like beating up babies....
Garcia v Benn flops on Para+
Johnny Fisher flops on Sky & arena attendance
Eddie turfs out TKO from Fury v Joshua
Shakur signs then exits Zuffa boxing
The babies are making a helluva comeback...
Robert Sargent retweeted
Tremendous example of the power boxers have over their own careers (thanks to the current Ali Act). Imagine if UFC fighters had this ability. How much different MMA could be. This is exactly why TKO/Zuffa Boxing covets the UBO model. Without that control there's no special sauce.
SHAKUR SECURES RELEASE FROM ZUFFA
youtu.be/bROlvfaVUpo?is=rysC…
