In case you’ve missed out on the most noteworthy moments from the world of MMA in the last 24 hours, we have you covered! Welcome to another edition of the daily roundup and get ready for some interesting developments in our favorite sport. To start this one off, we’ll be taking a look at Khabib Nurmagomedov, who recently met up with a soccer legend.
Thereafter, we’ll shift our focus to UFC light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev, sharing some more information about the speculated rematch against Alex Pereira. Finally, we’ll sign off with the news of a couple of former UFC fighters making their return to the promotion in May. Without further ado, let’s jump in!
Khabib Nurmagomedov praises Real Madrid midfield legend
During the early 2010s, Turkish-origin German midfielder Mesut Özil was at the top of the soccer world. He played for many clubs around Europe, and of course, Real Madrid. UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, who’s an avid Los Blancos fan, got the opportunity to meet Ozil, and later appeared to cherish that moment and even shared a message for the World Cup-winning star. “Nice to meet you my Turkish Brother. A true football legend and a very good person,” Khabib Nurmagomedov stated in an Instagram post.
‘The Eagle’s popularity has helped him meet many soccer legends in the past, including Cristiano Ronaldo. However, getting to catch up with a legend from his favorite club might have been a very special experience. Now, let’s move over to the next big story in the roundup edition.
Magomed Ankalaev’s update on the Alex Pereira rematch
When Alex Pereira dropped the light heavyweight belt last weekend, most people would have already predicted that a rematch was in order. Even Dana White gave a hint that the fight is “probably” going to happen again and it seems that the Dagestani seems to have no problems at all. After outclassing ‘Poatan’ in his own forte of striking, the 205lbs kingpin believes that he can put on a clinic yet again. However, he’s not willing to leave the fight to the judges this time.
Magomed Ankalaev plans to finish Alex Pereira and hand him his second knockout defeat in the UFC. “I’m ready for round 6 but this time will not go for full distant [distance] let’s go guys,” the 205lbs champion wrote on social media.
Well, the Brazilian showed great takedown defense at UFC 313, defending all 12 takedown attempts made by the Dagestani. This shows that training with BJJ maestro Glover Teixeira has worked out pretty well for ‘Poatan’. Also, he’d be looking to fix the holes in his striking game, which was pretty evident last weekend. So, how do you see the rematch going? Before you give us your thoughts on that, let’s take a look at the final story in the daily roundup edition.
UFC lightweight duo to return at Dana White’s UFC Des Moines
It’s one big card after another for the fans as Dana White has reportedly set up a stacked card for UFC’s return to Iowa. So far, reports claim that five fights are on the card, with former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo taking on Cory Sandhagen at UFC Des Moines on May 3. Furthermore, fans will also get to witness undefeated 185lbs sensation Bo Nickal and Miesha Tate in action against former ONE champion Reinier de Ridder and Yana Santos, respectively.
But the biggest news from that event is that “the hardest-hitting 145fer” Jeremy Stephens will be making his way back inside the Octagon for the first time since July 2021. Also, he’ll be taking on another returning fighter Mason Jones in a lightweight bout that is guaranteed to produce some great action. It remains to be seen if Stephens shows some MMA rust, given that he had been fighting in bare-knuckle rules previously.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
The post MMA News Roundup – Khabib Sends a Message to Real Madrid Legend; Magomed Ankalaev Drops Alex Pereira Rematch Status; Dana White’s UFC Des Moines Announced appeared first on EssentiallySports.
