MMA News wrap-up: UFC Kansas City fallout, Dricus du Plessis silences the trolls, more

The UFC event in Kansas City was full of excitement, with Ian Machado Garry emerging victorious, Anthony Smith announcing his retirement, and several fighters seizing the opportunity to showcase their skills outside of the APEX arena.

Garry rebounded from a tough loss to Shavkat Rakhmonov by defeating Carlos Prates, although his performance was met with some criticism. While Garry dominated the first three rounds, Prates made a strong comeback in the fourth and nearly secured a win in the fifth round.

Despite the close call, Garry managed to secure the win and keep his championship aspirations alive. UFC CEO Dana White has named Garry as the backup for the upcoming welterweight title fight between Belal Muhammad and Jack Della Maddalena, but fans remain divided on Garry’s potential for gold.

Read on for the top reactions to UFC Kansas City and other major stories of the week.

Dricus du Plessis addresses injury rumors and fight announcement

Rumors circulated that Dricus du Plessis may not defend his middleweight title against Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 317, leading to speculation about his fighting future. Du Plessis set the record straight in a post that garnered positive feedback.

DDP urged fans to disregard the false reports and reassured them of his fighting intentions.

Chael Sonnen’s conflicting reports on Jon Jones vs. Tom Aspinall fight

Chael Sonnen initially claimed that Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall had a fight scheduled, only to later correct himself and reveal that Aspinall would be facing a different opponent. Sonnen’s ever-changing statements should be taken with caution.

As always, Sonnen’s comments need to be taken with more than a grain of salt.

Belal Muhammad questions Ilia Topuria’s title shot, doubts Islam Makhachev’s interest

Belal Muhammad supports Islam Makhachev’s skepticism towards Ilia Topuria’s immediate title shot in the lightweight division. Fan opinions are divided on whether Topuria deserves the title opportunity.

Weekly Poll Results

We conducted a promotional draft and asked for your votes on the winner. The results may surprise you.

And now for some other news…