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UFC and MMA news comes at you fast, so you’re bound to miss a couple of things throughout the week. Have no fear, Hitting The Links is here. Below you’ll find links to the big (and under-the-radar) stories we published this week. Maybe you’ll see something you missed.
Finances: UFC had lower income on first half of 2023
John S. Nash breaks down the latest filings on UFC finances. (link)
Stephie: But they still managed a revenue increase!
Anton: Massive revenue that makes them on track to break records for them again. If you check Nash’s breakdown, that lower income was expected and isn’t really anything to be worried about.
Mass layoffs: Over 100 employees cut after UFC-WWE merger – UPDATE 2
There were mass layoffs after UFC and WWE officially merged to form TKO. Could more be coming? (link)
Stephie: Hope they all got decent severance packages because there is no way for this to not be shitty. I get that it’s an unfortunate result of a merger but it doesn’t make it any less awful.
Anton: No MMA cuts so far, but with the WWE’s addition, I wonder if they’ll deem some UFC people as redundant now too, or they’ll just treat the two as completely separate entities that they gutted down for savings individually.
Several champs, wrestlers cut after WWE-UFC merger as mass layoffs continue
Huge cuts after the WWE-UFC merger have continued, this time in the roster side of things. (link)
Stephie: Yet somehow Matt Riddle is still on the roster. ETA: WWE released him.
Anton: Cutthroat business, as always from Endeavor and the crew. I’m pretty excited for Nash’s slightly related piece to come out soon.
Dana White wants judge investigated over UFC title fight decision
UFC CEO Dana White is upset over what he saw in he main event of UFC Fight Night: Grasso vs. Shevchenko 2. (link)
Anton: That was an all-time terrible scorecard, but judges are never held accountable anyway.
UFC’s biggest ‘rival’ set for PPV stinker
Can another MMA promotion find success in PPV other than the UFC? Not with a card like this they can’t. (link)
Stephie: A stinker or a sinker? (Sorry, couldn’t resist. I’ll see myself out)
Anton: LOL
Wrestling: Hassan Yazdani and the pain of being second best
Hassan Yazdani may be the biggest “what if” in wrestling today. With David Taylor sitting on the throne, what if Yazdani will only be known as second best? (link)
You need $20K – Sean O’Malley’s next opponent reveals how ‘it’s so easy’ to cheat USADA drug tests in UFC
Sean O’Malley’s likely next UFC challenger said you only need a “good doctor” to beat USADA. (link)
Stephie: I love when fighters talk about how easy it is to cheat USADA…but they would never do it.
Anton: “My friends” told me about it…
One UFC fight Sean O’Malley doesn’t want – ‘That motherf—ker is pound-for-pound best in the world’
Sean O’Malley has spent a lot of time lately talking about Alexander Volkanovski, and how that’s not a fight O’Malley wants. (link)
Stephie: Sean thinks he can beat Tank but not Volk. Alrightythen.
Anton: He believes Tank can give him 30M.
Modern MMA invented 30 years ago today
What would a real fight contested under pro wrestling rules look like? It had been a question asked by many over the decades. On September 21, 1993, we finally got our answer—and it was glorious. (link)
The reason UFC 295 MSG show is likely to break records
Tickets for UFC 295 top out at $15,348.25, cheapest is $775.25. (link)
Stephie: Surprise! UFC is greedy!
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