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A former UFC star, who also competed in Bellator MMA, called out the latter over recent news of the brand being closed down. Elsewhere, the airline responsible for the Khabib Nurmagomedov incident issued their official statement.
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Former UFC star Eddie Alvarez mocks PFL over ending Bellator MMA brand
Eddie Alvarez, one of the biggest stars to come out of the Bellator MMA roster, trolled his former employer over recent rumors of its shutdown. Ariel Helwani reported on his show that "Bellator is dead" and PFL was restructuring its roster presumably to create a combined one.
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The ex-UFC star took to X to joke about the situation in a lighthearted manner:
"Hey @BellatorMMA I was thinking now would be a great time to negotiate the rights to my fights I had during my time there. I’d like to offer $ 7 dollars. In total and I’d be willing to go as high as $10 if you included a signed poster of Bjorn Rebney."
Bellator MMA fighters have been calling out PFL ever since the acquisition in 2023 about the lack of fight bookings and failure to honor their contracts.
Frontier Airlines issues statement on removing Khabib Nurmagomedov from plane
Frontier Airlines provided an official statement to MMA Junkie on Monday about escorting Khabib Nurmagomedov out of their San Francisco-bound plane earlier this week. The company claimed that the UFC star was non-responsive to the flight attendant's queries about helping during an emergency, although Nurmagomedov himself claimed otherwise.
The statement read:
"Customer Khabib Nurmagomedov, who was seated in an exit row, was asked multiple times if he was willing and able to assist in the event of an emergency. According to the flight attendant, Mr. Nurmagomedov did not respond, despite repeated attempts, which placed him in non-compliance with FAA requirements. The flight attendant informed Mr. Nurmagomedov that he could be moved to a different upgraded seat or exit the plane."
Frontier Airlines added that the video circulating on social media does not reveal the whole picture. They also claimed the decision had nothing to do with racial profiling.
"The decision to deplane the customer was in no way related to his ethnicity, and we have refunded him and his traveling companions for their flights."
The airline's statement comes amid severe backlash from all around the MMA community including threats of boycott. Former UFC and Eagle FC fighter Kevin Lee insinuated that the company has a history of discriminating against certain races and ethnicities.
Conor McGregor reacts to potential Israel-Hamas ceasefire
Israel and Hamas are reportedly closer to a deal than ever before. Qatar, acting as the mediator, said on Tuesday that it would be "very soon" as Hamas has already accepted the proposal mentioned in the draft ceasefire agreement sent to both parties.
UFC megastar Conor McGregor had a brief but hopeful reaction to the news on X reflecting the sentiment of many:
"Peace in the World, please God!"
The ceasefire draft proposal includes Hamas returning Israeli hostages, Israel letting Palestinian prisoners go, and both sides withdrawing their military troops.
