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In two of today's biggest MMA news, UFC CEO Dana White announced three title fights and Jorge Masvidal evaded prison for the Colby Covington case.
Find out about the biggest UFC updates and other stories with Sportskeeda's daily MMA News Roundup.
#3. Dana White announces three back-to-back main events for Q1 of 2024
The UFC is set to kick off 2024 with back-to-back bangers.
Dana White confirmed three massive title fights in a special announcement on Monday night.
Taking to his personal social media account, White stated that UFC 297, scheduled on January 20 in Toronto, Canada, will be headlined by a middleweight title fight between Sean Strickland and Dricus Du Plessis.
On February 17, Alexander Volkanovski will defend his featherweight belt against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298. The venue is yet to be decided.
Finally, Sean O'Malley will put his bantamweight belt on the line against former rival Marlon Vera at UFC 299 on March 9. The location is still TBD.
#2. Jorge Masvidal is a free man
Jorge Masvidal is no longer an accused in the sucker punch incident.
According to reports, Masvidal pleaded guilty to the misdemeanor battery charge in a Miami-Dade County (Fla.) court as part of a plea deal with the prosecution. It facilitated his two other felony charges to be dismissed. 'Gamebred' was sentenced to time served - which encompasses the previous appearances at police stations and court - and legal costs. He was represented in the case by his attorney, Brad Cohen.
MMA Junkie reports that Colby Covington declined the option to appear in court.
Following the hearing, Masvidal posted a video on social media, announcing his freedom.
"I just beat the case. I want to thank God, and I also want to thank (my attorney) because I’m a free f***ing man. F***oyou, Colby. It’s going to be a f***ing movie now. All these orders, all these restraining orders, all these things have been lifted off. It’s going to be a f***ing movie."
He also sent a message to Colby Covington and said they'll "see each other" now that the case is settled.
Watch the video below:
In an incident that took place in March 2022, weeks after Masvidal's lopsided decision loss to Covington, 'Gamebred' attacked his former best friend outside a Miami restaurant. The assault left 'Chaos' with broken teeth and a concussion.
Masvidal could've been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison and/or $10,000, plus additional penalties for the offenses.
#1. UFC is not against boxing debut, says Sean O'Malley
Sean O'Malley has been trading barbs with Devin Haney on social media for a while now. However, if he indeed forays into boxing, it may not be Haney that 'Sugar' fights.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, O'Malley said that among the boxers of his size, only a fight with Ryan Garcia will sell pay-per-view. Moreover, he added he has been told by the UFC that they're not against it, as long as the bout makes money.
Watch the clip shared by @HappyPuncgh on Twitter:
It is an interesting development since Dana White has been staunchly against co-promoting any boxing event since Conor McGregor vs. Floyd Mayweather. Their willingness certainly comes as a surprise, especially after the entire debacle with Francis Ngannou last year.
The former heavyweight champion left the promotion for a number of reasons, being denied to pursue boxing among them.
