Sunday MMA Quick Hits: McGregor Reveals Return Date? Plus Musk Trains with GSP

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Conor McGregor, UFC 257
ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES - JANUARY 22: Conor McGregor of Ireland poses on the scale during the UFC 257 weigh-in at Etihad Arena on UFC Fight Island on January 22, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

Georges St-Pierre trains with the richest man in the world, while Conor McGregor lets slip just when he’ll be returning to the cage — maybe. It was a big Saturday night with UFC 290 closing out the annual International Fight Week in Las Vegas, so now it’s time for your weekly Sunday MMA Quick Hits!

Is it BJJ or Pro Wrestling?

Remember the time when a jiu-jitsu competitor powerbombed his opponent through a table? No, Pepperidge Farms doesn’t remember, because Pepperidge Farms has nothing to do with BJJ. But we remember, thanks to the Twitter user below.

Pretty sure this isn’t a legal type of defense in most BJJ tournaments, but what is even more wild is, the victim here gets up and walks back to the mat like nothing happened.

Per a report by MMA Fighting, the competition in question was the July 1 Jiu Jitsu World League event.

Elon Musk trains with GSP

Elon Musk has become something of an attention seeker since taking over Twitter, and the pointless “Musk vs. Zuck” fight that should never happen between himself and rival Mark Zuckerberg has become an easy way for the Tesla and Space X chief to stay in the spotlight. For something other than Twitter’s tedious push to bilk users of $8 a month, anyway.

With Dana White hawking t-shirts for the fight no one asked for and “MMA Twitter” lining up to take sides, Musk got some training in with none other than Georges St-Pierre recently. The verdict? Musk says he needs more training.

Musk and Zuck probably need to figure out the whole weight class issue as well, given most commissions these days don’t go for openweight. Possible options: fight in Japan, where openweight still flies, or compete in an exhibition bout, which would amount to a sparring match.

Or better yet, don’t do this at all.

Chito Vera believes Sean O’Malley “Shouldn’t Be a Problem” for Aljamain Sterling

“If you see accolades and who fought who, the fight shouldn’t be a problem for Sterling.”

So says Marlon “Chito” Vera, who appeared on The MMA Hour (h/t MMA Fighting) this past week to discuss, among other things, Sean O’Malley’s upcoming shot at bantamweight gold against Aljamain Sterling.

In short, Vera seems to think that O’Malley’s resume doesn’t pass muster. For a more detailed explanation, well, read on.

“O’Malley can say whatever the f*ck he wants to say – the two guys that have been in the top-five that beat him, me was one and I beat him – I put him out,” Vera said. “Pedro Munhoz, been around, and he’s a top-five caliber guy – [O’Malley] poked him in the eye, and it was a no-contest, and he didn’t show anything. You get opportunity to fight somebody like that, you try to go and smoke him.

“The B-level competition, yeah, he put all of them out. Almeida was washed a lot of times. He wasn’t washed up – he was super washed up. Eddie Wineland, respect to the guy, he’s a legend, but I mean he got killed, what, four more times or three more times. Then the green-haired kid [Kris Moutinho] couldn’t wanna fight the UFC.”

Cris Lencioni takes first steps in ongoing recoveryy

Bellator vet Cris Lencioni’s tragic near-fatal medical emergency last month has left the fighter with apparent brain damage, and a massive amount of physiotherapy waits ahead of him.

This past week, the fighter took his first steps since going into cardiac arrest during a training session.

You can help with Lencioni’s recovery by pitching in via GoFundMe. Or alternately pick up one of this Lencioni tees, with proceeds also going to the recovery effort.

Did Conor McGregor just reveal his return date?

Conor McGregor is known to be an active tweeter during big UFC events, and that was certainly the case with UFC 290. McGregor had plenty to say, but the most interesting part might be his response to a fan asking for his return date.

One word: December.

Of course, it was a tweet and delete, but here’s a screenshot:

That would make sense, given Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic was just announced for UFC 295 in November. That card will take place in New York City, with December’s UFC 296 going down at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Of course, a December date would require McGregor to receive an exemption from the six-month testing period required by USADA for fighters returning to the testing pool, which McGregor withdrew from while healing the leg he broke in a fight with Dustin Poirier in 2021.

An exemption, however, is within the UFC’s power to grant. And it is the UFC, not USADA, who has final say in the matter.

Respect

Dan Hooker and Jalin Turner had an all-out war at UFC 290, but still managed to take a selfie, all smiles, in the hospital afterwards.

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