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Dana White not buying crossover potential of UFC and WWE
UFC president Dana White doesn't sound too keen on having his athletes involved in any WWE feuds following the historic merger announced on Monday.
"The difference between the UFC and the WWE is — if you look at the WWE, they have an entertainment value, and they have these guys that are incredible athletes that go in there and do their thing. It’s well known that it’s scripted," White told the Associated Press, as shared by Sean Rueter of Cageside Seats.
It was learned last Sunday before WrestleMania 39 and then confirmed on Monday that UFC parent company Endeavor plans to acquire WWE, combine it with the mixed martial arts promotion and form a new publicly traded company. According to Mike Coppinger of ESPN, Endeavor intends to finalize the deal "in the second half of this year pending regulatory approval."
WWE president Nick Khan hinted earlier this week that there could be "opportunities" for crossover between the pro wrestling and MMA promotions at some point. White suggested that won't be the case.
"When you look at the UFC, this is as real as it gets. That’s our tagline. You have these guys that are incredible athletes," White continued, "that have to be well-rounded and well-versed in all these different aspects of martial arts.
Then you have the entertainment side of it, too — but it’s real fighting. It’s real. There are no predetermined outcomes in the UFC. There won’t really be any type of crossover."
Per Barrett Sports Media, during a Friday appearance on "The Pat McAfee Show," White explained that he had helped convince WWE majority owner Vince McMahon and his family to do business with Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel.
"I actually met with the McMahons the last time I was in New York," White told McAfee. "They wanted to know what it was like to, you know, be in business with him and everything else. Obviously, I couldn’t say anything but incredible, positive things about it."
It seems Conor McGregor may want to have a chat with White about possible future WWE storylines:
@wwe, @ufc, @TheMacLife #itsinevitable pic.twitter.com/4m75uwZr23
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) April 2, 2023
More must-reads:
- UFC 289 marks return to Great White North for first time in four years
- Michael Bisping encourages Francis Ngannou to reconcile with UFC
- The 'NFL mascot names' quiz
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Vancouver Canucks Top Prospect Braeden Cootes Injured at World Junior Summer Showcase
Vancouver Canucks top prospect Braeden Cootes has been injured during the World Junior Summer Showcase, which was revealed by Team Canada coach Dale Hunter. The 2025 World Junior Summer Showcase came to a close this past Saturday after a week of competition among some of hockey's brightest young stars, such as Vancouver Canucks first-rounder top prospect Braeden Cootes, who represented Team Canada. Team Canada had a tough time in the event, dropping their opening two games to Team Finland and Sweden by a 14-7 total score. Injuries added to the problems, with some key players out of the lineup, and it hit the Canucks especially hard. Braeden Cootes suited up for Canada's split-squad contest on Tuesday as well as their game versus Finland on Wednesday. He was scheduled to dress against Sweden on Friday, but was suddenly not in the lineup. After the 8-4 blowout loss, head coach Dale Hunter informed the media that Braeden Cootes, Michael Misa, and Henry Mews were all battling injuries and were going to be game-time decisions for Saturday's final game against the U.S. Michael Misa and Henry Mews were back for that game, but Cootes was still out, which meant he was sitting out his second consecutive game. The Injury to Cootes is Expected to be a Short-Term One Luckily, the injury is not viewed as serious and is not of a long-term nature, which can allow Vancouver and their fans an opportunity to take a sigh of relief. 'Light stuff, not heavy stuff.' - Dale Hunter on Braeden Cootes' injury Though Cootes is going to be okay, missing those games was certainly a disappointment, especially since he was hoping to make an impression on Canada's World Junior staff before the final cuts are due in December. Cootes should be good to go for training camp with the WHL's Seattle Thunderbirds in a few weeks, as the club is set to begin its preseason on September 2 vs. the Prince Albert Raiders.
Report: Giannis Antetokounmpo's future with Bucks is still uncertain
The Milwaukee Bucks were one of the most active teams in the early days of the NBA offseason. From signing Myles Turner to moving on from Damian Lillard, Doc Rivers' team didn't rest on its laurels early on. And while the front office has gone to great lengths to shut down all rumors of Giannis Antetokounmpo's discontent, ESPN insider Shams Charania reported they're not in the clear yet. On Monday's edition of "Get Up," Charania pointed out that Antetokounmpo is still considering all his options. "We're standing here, it's Aug. 4. Sources tell me there's still nothing set in stone about whether Giannis Antetokounmpo will stay in Milwaukee or whether he will be leaving," Charania said. "And so, he's going to continue to evaluate his future." He added that Giannis might still decide that the doesn't want to be there and force his way out this offseason, which would be a huge blow for a team that just waived-and-stretched the $113 million left on Lillard's contract. "They did that because they wanted to show Giannis, we're doing everything in our power to keep you here. But Giannis Antetokounmpo is the ultimate decider whether he feels this roster is good enough," Charania added. Giannis has always talked about winning the right way and staying loyal to the organization, but he's also been visibly frustrated with the early playoff exits and has been open about his desire to win another championship. He might want to give this new core a chance to show him that it can compete at the highest level. But if they get off to another slow start to the season, he may want to reconsider his options.
Broncos' Sean Payton adds to Bo Nix hype with bold prediction
Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton believes his team is a legitimate Super Bowl contender after quarterback and 2024 first-round draft pick Bo Nix was better than advertised as a rookie starter. During a recent chat with Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated, Payton gave the Nix hype train some extra momentum via a bold prediction regarding what the 25-year-old will be a couple of years down the road. "I honestly think he’s gonna be one of the top quarterbacks within the next two years," Payton said about Nix. "I think he’s going to be a superstar." Some suggested in the spring of 2024 that Payton and Co. reached when they made Nix the 12th overall pick of last year's draft. Nix then went 10-7 as a starter as he guided the club to a playoff berth. Per Pro Football Reference, Nix ended the 2024 regular season ranked sixth in the NFL with 29 touchdown passes, 12th with 3,775 passing yards and 19th among qualified players with a 56.8 adjusted QBR. In total, 23 quarterbacks took more sacks than Nix (24) during the campaign. According to StatMuse, no signal-caller took more sacks than Russell Wilson did with the Broncos from Week 1 of the 2022 campaign through the end of the 2023 regular season. "Who gets the blame? 'God, the line’s gotta get better.' And it’s always the line. The sack is a quarterback stat," Payton added. "We had 24 [in 2024]. I had Bobby Hoying [in the late 1990s], third-round pick. Man, he was a great-looking prospect. He took three or four sacks a game. It’s a processing thing. It’s decision-making, multi-tasking, ball out." As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Broncos at -140 betting odds to make the playoffs for the upcoming season. Somewhat interestingly, that same outlet had Nix and Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams at +3500 odds to claim the Most Valuable Player Award for the campaign. If Nix can follow in Stafford's footsteps through early 2026, Payton could be right about the current Denver squad competing for more than just a postseason berth.
Lakers insider updates LeBron James' immediate future
LeBron James wasn't present at Luka Doncic's contract extension news conference. That doesn't necessarily mean anything, and he's more than entitled to some time off the clock just like everybody else. However, given all that has been said about his future with the Los Angeles Lakers, it didn't take long before people speculated whether there was something else going on. The Athletic's Dan Woike reports that there's nothing to it. "James has not asked for a trade or a contract buyout, team and league sources have said. He’ll turn 41 on Dec. 30," wrote Woike. James' agent and friend, Rich Paul, also made it loud and clear that he hasn't even talked about potentially leaving the Lakers, and while he still doesn't know if he'll re-sign with them or will continue to play beyond this season, that's a bridge they'll cross when they get there. Lakers GM Rob Pelinka also shut down rumors by pointing out that he's been in constant talks with James and his camp. “Yeah, so all the interactions we’ve had with LeBron and his camp, Rich (Paul) in particular, have been positive and supportive. So very professional and Rich has been great,” Pelinka said. “The dialogue with him has been open and constant.” The Lakers are doing the right thing by pivoting towards their younger star. Whether this will be the end of the line for James in Southern California remains to be seen.
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