Sports

Dana White Reveals How ESPN Cocaine Scandal Led To UFC Deal

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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.

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Anthony Davis’ Foot Injury Hit With Another Update

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Anthony Davis is one of the most dominant players in the league when he is healthy. However, that simply has not been the case over the past few years. Davis is constantly injured, and it has made it so that he never gets any sort of momentum going.

This was especially true earlier this week when it was revealed that Davis would have to miss time with a foot injury. Davis had been playing some of the best basketball of his career. Now, however, the Lakers will have to try and compete without him.

Anthony Davis #3 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on against the Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena on December 11, 2022 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Nic Antaya/Getty Images)

Anthony Davis Update

Overall, this is just bad news for the Lakers as they have a record of 13-18. This is not good enough to make the playoffs, and without AD, they will simply get worse. Subsequently, it is being reported that Davis has a stress injury and is now out indefinitely.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski, however, there is some good news here. Basically, Davis will be reevaluated in about a week from now. From there, the next course of action will be revealed. That said, there is no real guarantee that the Lakers will be able to reactivate Davis. In fact, there is still the risk of Davis needing an operation, although the team seems convinced that won’t be necessary.

No matter what, this is not great for the Lakers. They need some sort of pick-me-up, and that won’t be coming anytime soon. But hey, at least they have the 2020 bubble.

Be sure to stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sports world. Additionally, let us know what you think of the situation, in the comments down below.

You can also find some of Davis’ best plays in the following video clip.

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Zach LaVine Reportedly Wants To Go To The Lakers

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Zach LaVine and the Chicago Bulls don’t seem to be the fit they once were. There was a point where LaVine was on the verge of superstardom. However, he has been having it out with his teammates and his coaches. This past week, he had a pretty large argument with one teammate after they told him to play better defense.

With that being said, it is looking likely that both sides just move on from one another. If it were to come down to a trade, the Bulls could get a lot for LaVine. Additionally, there are plenty of teams out there who would love to have LaVine’s brand of talent.

Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls goes up for a dunk during overtime against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on December 11, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)

Zach LaVine To The Lakers?

Lavine is a Klutch Sports athlete, which means it should be no surprise that some think he could go to the Lakers. According to Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, the Lakers are looking like the likeliest outcome for LaVine. This is mostly because LaVine himself wants to play there.

“LaVine wants to go to the Lakers, that has been pretty clear for a while now,” Deveney wrote. “The agents (from Klutch Sports) want him to be in Los Angeles, he is a UCLA guy and they did some rattling about his contract last offseason, to kind of lay the groundwork if things blew up. Which they seem to be doing.”

Zach LaVine #8 of the Chicago Bulls drives to the basket against Quentin Grimes #6 of the New York Knicks during the second half at United Center on December 14, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)

Getting LaVine would probably mean giving up Anthony Davis. For the Lakers, that could very well be a nonstarter. However, talks between the two teams have yet to actually take place.

This is a developing story so stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news from around the league. Additionally, let us know where you think LaVine should go, in the comments below.

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Salt Bae’s World Cup Antics Even Got Him Banned From Rolling Loud In Los Angeles — Allegedly

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salt bae world cup
Getty Image

With Rolling Loud’s return to Los Angeles right around the calendar corner, the festival recently revealed its lineup featuring headliners Future, Playboi Carti, and Travis Scott. This week, though, the fest’s organizers added someone to the list of people who can’t go to the 2023 event: Nusret Gökçe, aka viral chef Salt Bae. Jumping on the recent announcement that FIFA would be blocking his attendance from future events after his antics at the recently concluded World Cup in Qatar, the Rolling Loud Twitter account wrote, “We have also banned Salt Bae from Rolling Loud LA 2023 in March.”

Of course, it’s pretty obvious that the statement is more of a joke than anything else. The Rolling Loud social media manager has proven to have a pretty wicked sense of humor — even razzing a rapper whose stage was only attended by 13 people — so it’s probably just a reference to all the other events showing Gökçe the proverbial red card for wandering onto the pitch after Argentina’s World Cup final victory over France to kiss the trophy last Sunday. FIFA issued the salty chef with a ban from the 2023 US Open Cup final as it considers what other actions it will take against him.

Willie McGinest Writes Lengthy Apology After Nightclub Fight

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Patriots legend Willie McGinest found himself in quite the dust-up earlier this month at a nightclub in LA. McGinest and his friends were caught on camera beating up a man. The circumstances around the beatdown are still unknown.

Subsequently, footage of the fight was released via TMZ. Furthermore, McGinest was arrested and charged with assault with a deadly weapon. It was a horrible look for the NFL Network analyst, who has since taken to Instagram with an apology letter.

Willie McGinest prepares for a ride around the Long Beach Grand Prix track with Mario Andretti before the start of the 2018 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 15, 2018 in Long Beach, California. (Photo by Greg Doherty/Getty Images)

Willie McGinest Speaks

Per McGinest:

“First and foremost, I want to offer my deepest apology for my lapse in judgment and behavior on December 9 at a restaurant in West Hollywood. To my family, community, friends, and youth I mentor, please know I feel horrible for my actions and take full responsibility.

[…]

Most of all, I am disappointed in myself, as I know this is an isolated incident and is not reflective of my faith, role as a father, life’s body of work, or the role model I’ve worked hard to become. It is personally devastating that decades of community service, youth engagement, mentoring, and professional development would become an afterthought in a single moment that should have never happened.”

McGinest’s former teammate Tom Brady actually reacted to the post with a heart emoji. Overall, many in the comments section reiterated the fact that McGinest is a good person. For them, this was just a bad moment that shouldn’t define him.

This is a developing story, so stay tuned to HNHH for all of the latest news and updates. Additionally, let us know what you think of this latest sports controversy, in the comments section.

You can see footage from the fight, down below.

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Salt Bae’s World Cup Antics Lead To Swift Reaction From FIFA

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Salt Bae has been catching a ton of flack as of late. The infamous restaurant owner who goes by the real name Nusret Gokce, was present during the World Cup Final celebrations. For some odd reason, the man kept trying to take photos with the Argentinian superstars.

Overall, it was a very bad look for the man as he came across as a clout chaser. No one likes it when people do this, and overall, you can’t help but feel some second-hand embarrassment. Regardless, the whole display had people wondering how he ended up on the field.

Nusret Goekce, nicknamed Salt Bae, kisses the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Winner’s Trophy after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Final match between Argentina and France at Lusail Stadium on December 18, 2022 in Lusail City, Qatar. (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images)

FIFA Reacts To Salt Bae

According to reports, a reporter named Tariq Panja was able to get a comment from FIFA about Salt Bae’s antics. Of course, FIFA has made it clear that only winners of the World Cup should be allowed to touch it. With that in mind, it seems like FIFA is going to be taking a good look at what happened Sunday.

“Following a review, FIFA has been establishing how individuals gained undue access to the pitch after the closing ceremony at Lusail stadium on 18 December. The appropriate internal action will be taken,” the organization explained.

In the following tweets below, you can see how people felt about the restauranteur. For the most part, he is being heavily roasted, and it is pretty well-deserved. He went out there and acted like he won something, which is grounds for social media ridicule.

Hopefully, something like this never happens again. After all, it is annoying to the players who worked so hard to achieve their glory. Additionally, it makes FIFA look completely unserious.

Let us know what you think about this situation, in the comments down below.

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Zach Wilson Responds To Jets Fans

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Zach Wilson and the New York Jets have not been the match made in heaven they were hoping for. The 2021 second-overall pick has been abysmal as of late. Overall, he could be in for a rude awakening in the offseason as the Jets could easily go and get someone better.

Last night, the Jets played the Jacksonville Jaguars and they were hoping to get above .500. Instead, the Jaguars beat them by a score of 19-3. Wilson ended up getting pulled as he went 9-18, 92 yards, and one interception. Needless to say, Wilson was just awful.

Quarterback Zach Wilson #2 of the New York Jets has a 52-yard run for a Touchdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the game between the Jacksonville Jaguars vs The New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on December 26, 2021 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Photo by Al Pereira/Getty Images)

Zach Wilson Reacts

With Wilson playing awful football, the Jets fanbase let him have it. There were numerous occasions in which you could hear the fans booing him. This is certainly bad news for any quarterback. However, Wilson told the media that he completely understands their frustration.

“We don’t blame them. We have a very passionate fanbase and they’re here to watch us score touchdowns and we’re not scoring touchdowns,” Wilson said. “We’re not getting first downs, we’re not moving the ball. We obviously can’t throw the ball. So, of course they’re going to be frustrated.”

Head coach Robert Saleh believes Wilson can still have a career in New York. Although it’s nice to say that for Wilson’s confidence, he appears to be another QB draft bust that just can’t play at the highest level.

Let us know what you think of Zach Wilson, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from the sports world.

New York Jets quarterback Zach Wilson (2) in warm up before a game between the New England Patriots and the New York Jets on October 24, 2021, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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LeBron James Reacts To Dwyane Wade’s Latest Achievement

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LeBron James has had some amazing teammates throughout the last 20 years. Of course, his most famous is Dwyane Wade. These two played four seasons together on the Miami Heat. Overall, they made four-straight Finals all while securing two titles.

Wade has three NBA titles to his name while LeBron has four. There is no doubt that they are one of the greatest duos to ever do it. Furthermore, they are both future Hall of Famers. This is especially true now that Wade is a finalist for the 2023 class.

LeBron James #23 and Dwyane Wade #9 of the Cleveland Cavaliers warms up before the game against the Orlando Magic at the Amway Center on February 6, 2018 in Orlando, Florida. The Magic defeated the Cavaliers 116 to 98. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)

LeBron James x D-Wade

Wade is part of a potential class that includes the likes of Tony Parker, Gregg Popovich, Pau Gasol, and Dirk Nowitzki. It is very likely that all of these men become first-ballot Hall of Famers. It would be an amazing honor and one that Wade certainly deserves.

Consequently, LeBron James seems to feel the exact same way. After the news broke on social media, LeBron took to Twitter with a message for his friend. “Congrats to my brother @DwyaneWade on being on the eligible candidate HOF list!! I mean he ain’t no candidate, he’s IN!!!!! Hahaha!” he wrote.

LeBron is absolutely right about this. Wade is one of the best shooting guards to ever play the game. Overall, it would be an injustice for him to not be a first-ballot Hall of Fame player. After all, there are plenty of other first-ballot guys who ended up doing less than him.

Let us know what you think of Wade’s Hall of Fame chances, in the comments below. Also, beneath this post, you will find some of LeBron and D-Wade’s best plays as teammates. After watching, perhaps your opinion will be swayed.

As always, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from around the sneaker world.

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Peyton Manning Speaks On Ronnie Hillman’s Passing

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Peyton Manning spent some amazing seasons with the Denver Broncos. During that time, he had numerous phenomenal teammates. One of those men was none other than Ronnie Hillman. Overall, they were a great tandem, with both men winning championships in 2016.

Unfortunately, Hillman passed away on Wednesday night from cancer. He was only 31 years old. Cancer is a truly horrible disease, and it took away an amazing person way too soon. Subsequently, numerous former teammates took to social media to eulogize Hillman.

Peyton Manning (18) of the Denver Broncos hands off to Ronnie Hillman (23) of the Denver Broncos in the first quarter. The Denver Broncos played the Green Bay Packers at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver, CO on November 1, 2015. (Photo by AAron Ontiveroz/The Denver Post via Getty Images)

Peyton Manning Reacts

Among the teammates who spoke out was none other than Peyton Manning. He was the leader of those Broncos teams and he worked with Hillman directly. Overall, Broncos fans were waiting to hear from the legendary QB, who always provides perspective in these moments.

“Rest in peace Ronnie,” Manning said. “We joined the Broncos the same year. Honored to be your teammate for four years in Denver. Great player, great person, great smile. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

Hillman passed away just one day after legendary Steelers player Franco Harris. This week has been tragic for the NFL fraternity, and our heart goes out to all of the people and families who have been affected.

Let us know your favorite Hillman and Manning moments, in the comments section down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news and updates from the football world.

Peyton Manning
Quarterback Peyton Manning #18 of the Denver Broncos pitches the ball to Ronnie Hillman #23 on a play where Hillman would rush 72 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter of a game against the Minnesota Vikings at Sports Authority Field at Mile High on October 4, 2015 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)

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Kyrie Irving & Kevin Durant Get Into It With Steph Curry Fan: Watch

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Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant are finding themselves as partners this season. They have been fantastic for the Brooklyn Nets as of late and fans are excited about the future. Overall, they are climbing the Eastern Conference standings and they seem like real title contenders.

Just a couple of nights ago, the Nets were playing against the Golden State Warriors. Kyrie didn’t play, however, the Nets weren’t worried as they scored 91 points in the first half. Eventually, they went on to win the game by a score of 143-113.

Kyrie Irving #11 and Kevin Durant #7 of the Brooklyn Nets slap hands against the Toronto Raptors during the second half of their basketball game at the Scotiabank Arena on December 16, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Mark Blinch/Getty Images)

Kyrie & KD Clap Back

This was a complete butt-whooping and the Warriors faithful at the Barclays Center were devastated. Without Steph Curry, the Warriors have been looking bleak, and there is this sense they might miss the postseason. Regardless, some of their fans are still feeling kind of bold.

In the tweet down below, you can see an interaction between Irving, KD, and a Curry fan. The Curry fan continues to taunt the duo, saying things would be different if Steph could play. Kyrie subsequently told the fan “It don’t matter cause he gotta guard me so it’s even.”

The fan had no choice but to shut up at that moment as Kyrie proved him to be wrong. At the end of the day, fans like to talk a big game. However, actual NBA players know what they’re talking about. Irving is not going to allow himself to be talked to that way, and with his history of clapping back at fans, this interaction should not be a surprise.

Let us know what you thought about the interaction, in the comments down below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for the latest news from around the NBA.

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