UFC fight in potential jeopardy, Sean Strickland goes on anti-Islam rant, Joe Rogan reacts to 'Hawk Tuah' crypto scam: MMA News Roundup

Fans raise questions about an upcoming UFC title fight after one fighter's interview video gets taken down. Elsewhere, Sean Strickland unleashes his controversial opinions upon the UFC world again.

Here are your top combat sports updates from today.

---

A deleted interview of Umar Nurmagomedov raises questions about UFC 311

Around a month ago, Umar Nurmagomedov said that an arm fracture had forced him out of any potential matchups in January. However, the upcoming title fight against Merab Dvalishvili, set to take place at UFC 311, was announced soon afterward.

Now, in a since-deleted exclusive interview with ESPN MMA's Brett Okamoto, Nurmagomedov revealed that it took a little over two weeks for him to change his mind. He shared that the initial X-ray had shown that he had sustained a broken bone but when he went back for a checkup 20 days later, he felt better about the injury and decided to take the fight even though his team was reluctant.

Nurmagomedov said:

"I punched my arm. I go to the doctor, and I showed them, they did X-ray, and they said, 'You broke it.' After 20 days, I go again... it's become much better... Everything I can do... My manager and my brother said, 'You crazy? You can't fight like that,' and they said no... I want to be active."

X user Kenny Okoye shared the segment of the interview, which is not available on ESPN MMA's YouTube at the moment, and raised questions about the fight's legitimacy.

UFC fans issued mixed reactions to Okoye's video. Some called him out for making a potential mountain out of a molehill and reminded him that UFC fighters often compete with mild injuries. Others expressed concern about whether the fight would go through; a few blasted Nurmagomedov for "setting up an excuse" in case he lost.

Read the comments here.

---

Sean Strickland posts anti-Islam tweets, Belal Muhammad retorts

Sean Strickland, well-known for his controversial socio-political opinions, recently said that the faith of Islam is not compatible with American culture. He labeled the U.S.A. as "a country of Christ" while claiming that he himself was an agnostic:

"America is a country of Christ. You could be Christian, Catholic, or atheist, BUT our core values is that of Christ. I have nothing against Islam or Muslims. BUT!!!!!!!! Islam should stay in Islamic countries. Although you would all benefit from Christ. *I'm agnostic."

He doubled down on his take in a second tweet, explaining a previous skirmish with Muslim training partner Albert Duraev.

Strickland's comments did not sit well with Belal Muhammad, who is of Palestinian descent. The UFC welterweight champion commented on Strickland's troublesome childhood in response; the same topic that Dricus du Plessis touched a nerve with during the UFC 297 press conference.

---

Joe Rogan reacts to $150,000 alleged 'Hawk Tuah' crypto scam

Social media celebrity Haliey Welch, better known online as the 'Hawk Tuah' girl, was recently involved in a cryptocurrency controversy.

A meme coin based on her, named $HAWK, was launched on Dec. 4 on the Solana blockchain and reportedly soared to a $490 million market capitalization before falling 95% within minutes. Investors soon sued the creators of the coin in New York federal court, seeking over $150,000 in damages.

The topic was talked about at length during a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience. Rogan, along with guests Yannis Pappas and Chris Distefano, discussed the matter, with the UFC commentator stating:

"It was probably some people she got invested in, and she probably doesn’t understand all that stuff. She’s only 22 or something. It’s probably the partners that went with her. They pumped and dumped on her, and then she was left holding the bill because nobody knows who they are. I’m just guessing. I don’t know."

Rogan also expressed surprise at the amount mentioned in the lawsuit:

"Isn’t it weird that there’s only 12 people, and they’ve lost $151,000 in total?… How many stone-cold r*tards are roaming the world?"

Catch Joe Rogan's comments below (1:33:40):

Welch wrote in a statement on X in December that she was fully cooperating with the legal team of the victims to "uncover the truth, hold the responsible parties accountable, and resolve this matter."