“Thug” Rose Namajunas injured her hand early at UFC Paris, while CM Punk has been terminated with cause from his seven-figure deal with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Plus, Paige VanZant reveals her first day on OnlyFans paid out more than her entire fighting career combined. Crazy! It’s your Sunday MMA Quick Hits!
Contender Series Hopeful Out of Fight After Testing Positive
For pregnancy, that is. Yes, for once, a positive test is good news. Ahead of her appearance on Dana White’s Contender Series, Canadian standout Corinne Laframboise discovered she was three months pregnant following a blood test.
Laframboise, who has competed for UAE Warriors in the past, confirmed the news on social media this past week after reports surfaced that she was out of her bout with Rainn Guerrero. “We are MORE than happy with the news,” she wrote.
CM Punk is in need of a new job
UFC alum and occasional Cage Fury FC color commentator CM Punk may have more time for CFFC broadcasts, after being terminated with cause by All Elite Wrestling.
After his failed UFC run saw him go 0-2 (later changed to 0-1, 1NC when Mike Jackson failed a drug test for THC), Punk wound up returning to the wrestling world as part of AEW, the first wrestling promotion to challenge the juggernaut of WWE in years (coincidentally, WWE and UFC are now housed under the same parent company, TKO, a sub-company of Endeavor).
Punk’s arrival was met with great fanfare, but he was quickly hampered by injury, and at the same time the ex-WWE star managed to insert himself into numerous controversies. A year ago, Punk was suspended following a brawl with Kenny Omega and The Young Bucks after he made disparaging remarks about co-workers at the 2022 All Out post-fight press conference.
After months on the sidelines due to injury and suspension, Punk returned to action to headline a show reportedly built around him, AEW Collision, which debuted on TBS in July, running on Saturday nights. But it wasn’t long before Punk was in hot water again, recently being chastised for going off-script and making comments on-air about “Hangman” Adam Page and his merchandise sales. Punk also intervened in a planned segment on Collision involving Jack Perry (son of late Hollywood star Luke Perry) that was to have involved real glass. Then, a week ago at Wembley Stadium’s All Out as part of the biggest show in AEW history with 82,000 in attendance, Perry took part in a suplex through a car windshield, before which he called out “it’s real glass, cry about it.” Perry was technically correct, though as windshields are made from laminated glass, it’s safer than smashing through a window pane.
Regardless, the comments enraged Punk, who was waiting backstage. That allegedly led Punk to engage in a confrontation with Perry after the match, and just before his own, which ended with the 45-year old Punk shoving Perry and putting him in a headlock.
On Saturday, AEW released a statement hours away from Collision in Chicago, a Punk hotbed, saying the star had been terminated with cause. Punk was reportedly making seven figures annually for the company.
Statement from All Elite Wrestling and Tony Khan pic.twitter.com/3MtW6MkGDf
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) September 2, 2023
A return to fighting isn’t likely, though Punk’s work as an analyst for CFFC has been solid, so more broadcast work wouldn’t be the worst idea.
Rose Namajunas reveals nasty hand injury
Technically, longtime partner Pat Barry revealed it, but no matter, the bottom line is Rose Namajunas endured a nasty hand injury early in her fight with Manon Fiorot at UFC Paris.
“Thug” Rose was noticeably hesitant to throw her right hand throughout her co-main event fight, which saw her move up to the flyweight division. She was thoroughly routed by France’s Fiorot, who is in the running for the next title shot following the win.
Now we have a better idea as to why.
This is how Rose Namajunas’ right hand looked last night when she took off her gloves. The injury happened in the first. (📷 @HypeOrDie) pic.twitter.com/pr78I6RRKF
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 3, 2023
Paige VanZant says first day of OnlyFans beat all fight purses combined
As the UFC antitrust lawsuit continues to work its way through the courts, consider this: Paige VanZant was a star for the company before leaving in free agency a few years back. Now, she has revealed that a single day on OnlyFans brought her more money than all of her fight purses combined.
Yikes.
“I think I made more money in twenty-four hours on OnlyFans that I had in my entire fighting career combined,” Paige said in an interview with Only Stans. The question specifically referenced her UFC career, though her answer does make it seem like it might include her BKFC paydays. VanZant is 0-2 as a bare-knuckle boxer.
“12 Gauge” has not fought since July of 2021, but it doesn’t appear she’s closing the door on fighting just yet.
