MMA News Roundup: Lightweight contender wants Conor McGregor out of title race, fans concerned about fighter's speech deterioration, UFC owner shows interest in buying WWE

Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda's daily MMA News Roundup, where we present the biggest UFC updates and other stories from the world of mixed martial arts.

In today's issue, we talk about a certain UFC lightweight being unwilling to let Conor McGregor cut the line, fans showing concern over one former fighter's slurred speech, and more.

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#3. "Let's get this guy out of the conversation man" - Beneil Dariush on Conor McGregor's title contention

Beneil Dariush disapproves of Conor McGregor's possible title contention

As long as Conor McGregor is active in the sport, there will always be rumors of him possibly landing another shot at gold. In fact, even if he announces retirement, it would make little difference to the conversation.

However, Beneil Dariush is having none of that.

Ahead of his lightweight clash with Mateusz Gamrot at UFC 280, Dariush appeared on Submission Radio and called McGregor's 155-pound title credentials a joke:

"Let's get this guy out of the conversation man. He's not even in title contention. I know these guys all want to fight him but they were to make a fight right now with Conor as a contender, it's like spitting in the face of everybody in the top five or top 10. It's a joke. The guy hasn't won a fight at 155 pounds in years... Eddie Alvarez? Six years ago... That would be the epitome of a clown show. I don't know how else to put it than that."

Watch the interview below:

McGregor has hinted that his UFC return, when it happens, will be at welterweight. However, recent rumors have pointed towards a possible lightweight bout against Justin Gaethje.

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#2. Fans worried about former UFC fighter Nam Phan

A video showcasing former fighter Nam Phan's speech deteriorating over the years recently went viral on the internet. The difference between his clear speech during 2011-2012 and extremely slurred speech in 2022 has left fans worried.

Watch the video below:

The 39-year-old fighter didn't quite make an impression in the UFC, but went on to achieve title success under the Pancrase banner. He retired from MMA in 2017, but continues to compete in boxing and Muay Thai.

Fans concluded that Phan's slurred speech is a consequence of prolonged CTE. They unanimously hoped that the fighter will get help and proper treatment, and wished for him to stop fighting.

Read the comments here.

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#1. Endeavour CEO expresses interest in WWE

Mark Shapiro, the CEO of UFC's parent company Endeavor, recently went on The Town Podcast and discussed the company's future, among other things.

When asked if he would be willing to invest in other big players among the owned sports properties, Shapiro showed interest in the pro wrestling juggernaut, WWE.

"[Buying WWE] would be something that would be interesting and worth exploring. Would we buy it? Who knows? Last I checked, it wasn't for sale. We're interested in anything in the owned sports properties segment."

WWE recently witnessed a change in leadership, with Vince McMahon stepping down as the long-running CEO and Chairman. Stephanie McMahon and Nick Khan are co-CEOs at the moment, while Paul 'Triple H' Levesque serves as the Chief Content Officer.

Shapiro also revealed that Endeavor is currently reeling in a revenue of around $6 billion.