Ex-UFC fighter has sympathy for referees, Conor McGregor's first day at the gym, Chase Hooper calls for Francis Ngannou fight: MMA News Roundup

Francis Ngannou has had his fair share of fighters challenging him in recent memory, but none quite as hilarious as Chase Hooper's latest call-out. Elsewhere, a former MMA fighter spoke on refereeing errors.

Here are your most exciting MMA updates, listed by Sportskeeda's News Roundup.

---

#3 UFC veteran Matt Brown talks referees and early stoppages

Nearly every UFC card of late has seen some error by the referees or the other, which has inevitably resulted in severe social media backlash. It happened as recently as last week when an erroneous stoppage by Mike Beltran cost Trey Ogden his fight against Nikolas Motta. Before that, Marc Goddard was skewered online for an alleged early stoppage in the Alex Pereira vs. Jiri Prochazka title fight.

Ex-UFC veteran Matt Brown addressed the matter on The Fighter vs. The Writer and explained what leads to early or wrong stoppages. He said:

"To be fair to the referees, it is very subjective. You’ve got a split second to make a decision... Marc Goddard isn’t known for doing that so I do have sympathy for the referees and the position that they’re in.

"It’s a difficult situation, especially when I’m sure that the refs learn about concussions and brain health and things like that, and that makes it complicated when you know this could affect the guy for the rest of his life negatively, but also if you stop it too soon."

Ogden later expressed discontent about the matter, after which fans demanded him to be paid the win bonus despite the fight being ruled a 'No Contest'. Jiri Prochazka, on the other hand, showed class and claimed that the stoppage was fair.

---

#2 Conor McGregor's former boxing coach recalls his first visit to the gym

Despite becoming a sporting megastar, Conor McGregor is still in touch with his childhood boxing gym, the Crumlin Amateur Boxing Club.

An article by the DailyStar details what his former boxing coach Philip Sutcliffe Sr. remembers about the Irishman's first-ever visit to the gym. According to him, McGregor had a natural talent for striking and was a master at avoiding punches since he was 12 years old.

Speaking on the UFC star's early days, Sutcliffe affectionately revisited his first day at the club:

"When he walked in, I told him he had to take his boots off. He was playing football against Crumlin United. He was a little blonde kid, a good-looking kid, but he had his football boots on. You don't walk on the floor with your football boots full of mud, so we told him to take them off. He started punching the bags. I said if you want to join, get your ma and da down. You have to fill in a form and apply."

Sutcliffe also admitted that he was initially skeptical about McGregor switching to MMA, but the Dubliner's dedication to the sport made him change his mind.

---

#1 Chase Hooper hilariously calls out Francis Ngannou

After Chase Hooper's incredible submission win over Jordan Leavitt at UFC Vegas 82, MMA media personality Ben Davis jokingly suggested a matchup between him and Francis Ngannou.

Joining in on the fun, Chase Hooper retweeted the post, saying:

"The only fight that makes sense now."

It is important to note here that Hooper is a lightweight, with a rather tall and lanky look, as compared to the former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, with possibly the hardest punch in the entire combat sports universe.

UFC fans also chimed in, predicting the hilarious outcome of the matchup.

Read the comments here.