According to several confirmed reports, ONE Championship-sponsored fighter Victoria “The Prodigy” Lee has passed away. She was only 18 years old.
Her older sister Angela Lee posted about the fighter’s December 26 sudden death. Victoria’s cause of death is still unknown
“She has gone too soon and our family has been completely devastated since then,” Angela wrote. “We miss her. More than anything in this world. Our family will never be the same. Life will never be the same…”We love you Victoria. I love you Sprout. Until the end of time.”
The CEO of One Championship, Chatri Sityodtong, also talked about the young woman who first made her debut with the promotional company at the age of 16.
“I first met Victoria when she was 11 years old. I watched her blossom over the years as a martial artist and a human being,” Sityodtong wrote on Facebook. “I always remember thinking how wise, thoughtful, and selfless she was beyond her years. Of course, she was an extraordinary martial arts prodigy even back then, but I could see that she was so much more than that.”
UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar has passed away at the age of 45. Bonnar reportedly died of presumed heart complications while at work. UFC president Dana White confirmed his death in a statement on Saturday.
“Stephan Bonnar was one of the most important fighters to ever compete in the Octagon,” White told UFC.com after his passing. “His fight with Forrest Griffin changed the sport forever, and he will never be forgotten. The fans loved him, related to him and he always gave them his best. He will be missed.”
LAS VEGAS, NV – JULY 06: (L-R) Forrest Griffin and Stephan Bonnar pose for photos with their UFC Hall of Fame plaques during the UFC Fan Expo Las Vegas 2013 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center on July 6, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Powers/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Bonnar made a name for himself during the first season of The Ultimate Fighter. He took on Forrest Griffin in the final fight. It is widely considered one of the most important bouts in the sport’s history. Both fighters were inducted into the UFC Hall of Fame in 2013.
“The UFC family is saddened by the passing of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar. We send our sincerest condolences to his family and friends,” a post from the UFC’s social media accounts reads.
All-in-all, Bonnar competed in mixed martial arts for 13 years from 2001-14. He finished his career 15-9 in 24 bouts. During his career, he fought numerous future and former UFC champions, including Griffin, Tito Ortiz, Anderson Silva, Rashad Evans, Jon Jones, Lyoto Machida, and Mark Coleman.
Outside of fighting, Bonnar has also worked as an MMA analyst for both ESPN and Fox Sports. Additionally, he made multiple appearances with Impact Wrestling in 2019.
The UFC family is saddened by the passing of UFC Hall of Famer Stephan Bonnar. We send our sincerest condolences to his family and friends.
Dana White has become a very rich man thanks to the UFC. Of course, this would not be possible without some impeccable dealmaking. In order for your league to make money, you need television rights, and the UFC has those. For instance, UFC is currently in a broadcasting deal with ESPN.
Interestingly enough, the ESPN deal wasn’t ever supposed to go through. This is because in 2017, ESPN’s President John Skipper was very much against the UFC as a whole. However, as White told Grant Cardone in a recent interview, Skipper ultimately stepped down from the network due to a cocaine problem.
UFC president Dana White reacts to a fight during Dana White’s Contender Series season six week nine at UFC APEX on September 20, 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
Dana White Tells All
“You ever hear of John Skipper?” White began. “John Skipper ran ESPN. Now, I think he runs DAZN. Runs ESPN, beloved, looks like the squarest dude on the planet. Older guy. Hates UFC. Hates it. Hates UFC. Big soccer guy. For whatever reason, people like different things. And I’m not s***ing on John Skipper. But this is a fact, this happened and this is a true story.”
White went on to note that the person who replaced Skipper was a very good friend of his. This ultimately allowed ESPN and the UFC to negotiate in good faith. Subsequently, both sides agreed to a five-year deal worth a whopping $1.5 billion.
“Who do they make president?” White asked. “Jimmy Pitaro, who ran Yahoo! Sports for years. I’ve known him a long time. He’s a great dude, and he loves the UFC. Now you got him, you got a guy named Kevin Mayer, who is really close to [Endeavor CEO] Ari [Emanuel], and we ended up doing the ESPN deal when our deal was up.”
This is certainly an interesting story, and a huge what-if for the league. Originally, the UFC had been partnered up with Fox, although it’s clear that ESPN is the better option when it comes to sports coverage.
Let us know what you think of White’s story, in the comments below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the sports world.
Zion Clark is someone who has risen to prominence over the last few years. The young man has a very inspiring story as he was a wrestler at Kent State. Clark was born without legs, which means he could only wrestle with arm and chest strength. Despite this, he overcame numerous odds and showcased himself to be an amazing athlete.
Additionally, he recently broke a world record as he ran 10 meters in under five seconds. Of course, this record was made unique thanks to the fact that he has to run with his arms. Overall, he is an incredible athlete who has truly overcome a lot to get to where he is now.
Zion Clark attends the Boxing WAGs Association First Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament Honoring National Prostate Cancer Foundation on August 29, 2022 in Northridge, California. (Photo by Amy Graves/Getty Images for Boxing WAGs Association)
Zion Clark Tries MMA
On Saturday night, Clark got to try his hand at Mixed Martial Arts. This match took place in San Diego and it was an unsanctioned fight with no official winner. It took place against Eugene Murray, a 25-year-old who certainly had a huge advantage.
Despite this advantage, Clark put on an absolute show. Murray seemingly had no clue how to approach Clark, which led to numerous takedowns. Because of Clark’s proximity to the ground, he was able to get at Murray’s legs. While Zion Clark was never able to submit Murray, he did do enough to win by unanimous decision.
The video of the fight ended up going viral on Twitter and it is easy to see why. This is one of those clips that will spark a debate, even if the discourse isn’t necessarily productive. No matter what, you can’t help but admit that Zion Clark is an inspiration.
Let us know what you think of Clark’s big win, in the comments down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the sports world.
Dana White is undoubtedly one of the biggest names in the entire sports entertainment world. Of course, he is the President of the UFC, which is one of the biggest sports leagues in the world. However, he doesn’t seem to have much respect for other sports.
For instance, White was recently on a podcast where he was asked about the World Cup. This led to a pretty intense answer in which he besmirched the good name of soccer. Overall, he doesn’t seem to get the intricacies of the game and has a very American view of it all.
President of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Dana White attends UFC 274 at Footprint Center on May 07, 2022 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Dana White Hates Soccer
As you will read, White just feels like the game lacks a lot of talent. He spoke about just how large the net is, as well as the lack of goals. Additionally, he mentioned the fact that many three-year-olds play the sport.
“Soccer? Whole other ball game. Can’t stand soccer, I think that it’s the least talented sport on earth,” White said. “There’s a reason three year olds can play soccer ok? You run around and kick a ball.
“When you’re playing a game where the net is this big right, and the score is 3-1, are you s**ting me right now? Do you know how untalented you have to be to score three points when the net is this big?”
Dana White on football :
“Can’t stand soccer, I think it’s the least talented sport on earth. There’s a reason three year olds can play soccer ok? You run around and kick a ball.”
“Do you know how untalented you have to be to score three points when the net is this big?” pic.twitter.com/KtklzUUb8R
This is one of those takes that you just have to shake your head at and move on. Overall, White cannot be convinced that soccer is interesting, and trying to do so is a fool’s errand. Either way, over here, he will continue to watch the World Cup closely.
Let us know what you think of Dana White and his soccer opinion, in the comments down below. Also, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from the sports world.
Overall, Levy’s message to Ye was a strong one. In the video clip down below, you can even hear him challenge Kanye to meet face-to-face. It’s a pretty strong statement, although Levy just wanted to speak up for his people. “Kanye West, if you’ve got a problem with me or my people, come see me, bro,” he said.
Natan Levy Gets Pushback
While speaking with TMZ this week, Levy revealed that he actually got quite a bit of hate following his statement. However, he made sure to note that he had also been hit with some love from the sports world. Needless to say, Levy’s statement mattered a great deal to people.
“My interview, most of the comments are antisemitic. Most of the comments say, ‘Hey, look, actually I think Kanye is right,’” Natan Levy said. “I’m always getting a lot of hate just for being who and what I am, which I’m fine with. It’s not fun, but, right now I’m getting more.
“I’m also getting a lot of love. There is also a lot of positive out there. I’m getting a lot of love. A lot of reinforcement. I’m getting a lot of friends, a lot of people who speak up. Post the video and share it and saying ‘stop the hate.’”
Despite the hate, Levy seems eager to get back into the Octagon. He currently has a record of 8-1, and he has the potential to ascend even higher within the UFC. Hopefully, he is able to make it happen.
Stay tuned to HNHH as we will continue to bring you the latest news and updates from around the sports world.
Israel Adesanya has had an interesting last few weeks. After losing his middleweight title to Alex Pereira, he was arrested at JFK Airport in New York. News of his arrest was quite shocking to the UFC world, especially since it was for carrying brass knuckles through TSA.
Israel Adesanya walks out of the ring after being defeated by Alex Pereira during the 5th round of their Middleweight fight at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden on November 12, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
“Israel was handed a gift by a fan, which he put in his luggage,” Tim Simpson said. “When flagged at the airport, Israel quickly disposed of the item, and cooperated with authorities.”
Israel Adesanya Gets A Win
Recently, it was reported that Adesanya got a huge win in his case. Basically, the UFC superstar was given an adjournment in contemplation of dismissal. This simply means that if Adesanya goes six months without getting into trouble, his entire case will be dismissed.
Israel Adesanya is seen as UFC 281 Headliners Israel Adesanya & Alex Pereira Face Off at The Empire State Building on November 10, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Roy Rochlin/Getty Images for Empire State Realty Trust)
This is obviously a massive win for Adesanya who committed a fairly light infraction. Considering there was no indication that he was doing anything out of line while being arrested, it’s clear this was all just one big error that won’t happen again.
Having said that, hopefully, we will get to see Izzy fighting for his title again, sometime soon. Until then, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from the UFC world.
It has been seven years since the last time iconic MMA fighter Ronda Rousey (12-2-0) stepped into the octagon. When asked about a possible return to MMA during the Kurt Angle Show last Sunday (June 12), Rousey revealed there’s only one fight she’d be interested in returning to competition for — Gina Carano.
“There’s only one person … there’s only one person I would come back for,” Rousey told Kurt Angle. “I mean, I’ve said it a million times. It’s not like it’s something new. (I’d come back) for Gina, man – Gina Carano. She’s the reason why I got into fighting. She’s the reason why I knew it was a possibility. I will always be forever grateful. If she ever was like, ‘Ronda, I want to fight you tomorrow at 205 pounds’ – like, whatever the hell she’d want. I’m not saying she’s 205 pounds; she’s very svelte.”
Rousey continued: “If she wanted to come into my backyard and do the ‘Rocky’ thing, you know, ‘Ding-ding,’ and we just do it in the backyard, I don’t care. I will fight Gina wherever she wants. And if she doesn’t want to, forever, I will leave that offer there. It’s a respect thing, not like a, ‘F*ck you, I’m coming to get you.’ It’s just like, ‘Hey, if you ever want to pull that card out, it’s there.’ I love her. Thank you, Gina, for everything you’ve done.”
Gina Carano, 40, retired from MMA in 2009 after her first loss against current Bellator MMA champ Cristiane “Cyborg” Justino at Strikeforce: Carano vs. Cyborg in August 2009. Transitioning to acting shortly after defeat, Carano is recognized as the pioneer of women’s MMA.
Rousey has had no interest in returning to MMA for a “final” bout since her loss to Amanda Nunes at UFC 207 in December 2016. In her prime, Rousey was the face of the women’s UFC division. A reigning champion from 2013 to 2015, she headlined five UFC events with her first against Liz Carmouche at UFC 157 in February 2013.
In 2019, Carano shared with ESPN that a potential “super fight” with Rousey was presented to her — a fight Rousey always wanted — with a million-dollar offer to fight a then-undefeated Rousey; however, didn’t materialize because of Dana White — according to Carano.
Carano told ESPN’s Ariel Helwani: “When Ronda Rousey became popular, I remember they (Dana White and Lorenzo Fertitta) had finally called for a meeting, and I walked in this restaurant, and they looked like these two big muscly guys at the table in like the middle of Hollywood. I remember thinking, ‘What took you guys so long? I’ve been … what took you so long?’ So they were like, ‘OK, we’d love to offer you a million dollars. We’d love to have that fight.’ And I was like, ‘Well, that sounds great, but I’m going to need you to do me a favor, then, because I’ve been acting, I’m not active in any gym. So it’s going to take me, you know, you’re going to have to give me some time to build a team or join a team.”
It’s no secret that the idea of Rousey versus Carano would easily be one of the biggest fights in MMA history and draw record-breaking Pay-Per-Views buy. Unfortunately in combat sports, super fights often fall through due to a variety of reasons, ranging from money to politics to proper preparation.
“And it’s not an easy thing, as I’m sure all the fighters know,” Carano continued. “You have to find a team or build one that’s going to be into what you’re doing, and if you haven’t actively been a part of anything, you can walk in as Gina Carano or whoever, but you’re still going to have to find the people who are really going to be there for you, and that takes time. So I told them, ‘You got to be able to just sit on this for about six months, Dana. You can’t say anything and let me get situated with that, because that sounds great and I’d love to do it.’ So it was a nice dinner, and we all left positive. I left stoked, and I was like, ‘OK, well this makes sense. This is my moment to come and be back in there.”
Fans of the two icons have created dream fight simulations that showcased possible outcomes in support of the UFC’s UFC 2 video game. You may watch the full women’s bantamweight dream bout above via EA Sports.
Since the UFC, Rousey has become a WWE Superstar and the current Smackdown Women’s Champion, alongside a flourishing acting career with roles in blockbuster film franchises Fast and Furious and Expandables.
Gina Carano has established herself as an action star with high-profile roles in blockbuster franchises like Fast and Furious also, Marvel’s Deadpool and Star Wars.
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