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Dana White has granted what Justin Gaethje (and every other fighter on the UFC 300 card) wanted.
Here are today's top MMA updates, brought to you by Sportskeeda's Midnight Roundup.
Dana White grants Justin Gaethje's bonus wish
Justin Gaethje recently floated the idea that the performance bonus winners of UFC 300 should receive $300,000 instead of the usual $50,000. While Dana White stayed mum on the matter all this time, he gave in during Thursday's press conference and agreed to it.
His confirmation was met with loud cheers from the crowd as well as the fighters.
Take a look at the moment below:
Conor McGregor lauded White's decision on X, stating that the bonus figure could mean "life-changing money" for many fighters on the card.
"Huge shout out @danawhite and the @ufc upping the bonuses to $300k! Life-changing money for many on the card. To look after your fighters is paramount! God speed Dana and team at @ufc, onwards and upwards! What a time to be alive! Have a great showing ladies and gents"
White also agreed to let Mark Coleman give away the BMF belt to the winner of Justin Gaethje vs. Max Holloway. The idea was first brought up by Holloway weeks after Coleman survived a tragic house fire accident in which he lost his dog, Hammer.
Max Holloway corrects Islam Makhachev
After Max Holloway suggested that Islam Makhachev should have fought Justin Gaethje in February and defended his lightweight belt, the champion retorted on X with his fight timelines.
Makhachev said:
"For the record: Since 2021 I fought 7 times, while Holloway did 5 fights and Justin just 4. Do your homework before talking trash about your champ :)"
Holloway reacted to Makhachev's tweet, denying that he ever claimed the Dagestani was inactive.
"Never said you weren't active. I simply said you should have took the Feb fight if you wanted to keep busy. Don't just read headlines champ ;)"
Read the interaction below:
Dana White announces new UFC gloves
UFC 300 will see fighters don newly designed pairs of gloves. Dana White announced a limited edition launch for the same after Thursday's press conference.
He disclosed that the No. 1 and No. 2 out of 25 special pairs designed for his closest acquaintances will go to him and Joe Rogan respectively. But No. 15, No. 19, and No. 22 are saved for the fans, who can enter the lucky draw at powerslap.com/sweepstakes.
Conor McGregor staked his claim for the No. 12 pair, a number which he considers lucky and is consistently associated with his brand.
Alex Pereira teaches Nina-Marie Daniele his famed left hook
Nina-Marie Daniele dared to get inside the cage for a training session with Alex Pereira ahead of UFC 300. Sharing a snippet of it on her X account, Daniele reflected on the "wild" experience:
"To get in the ring with Alex [Pereira] is insane. It's wild. He barely touched me. He gave me level one out of ten."
Pereira also commented on sharing the knowledge of his most feared weapon that has knocked several of his opponents out cold over the years:
"She wanted to learn the left hook. Everyone talks about it... I instructed her like she was a professional fighter."
He also said:
"Of course, it's not easy for her. She isn't a fighter. But she did well. In a few minutes, she got it. If she trains, she'll learn."
Miesha Tate reacts to Holly Holm-Ronda Rousey drama
Holly Holm dismissed Ronda Rousey's "concussion" claims to justify her upset loss and her response has earned former rival Miesha Tate's respect.
'Cupcake' wrote on X:
"Holly is my favorite fighter. So grounded and always up for the biggest challenge. Best wishes for #UFC300. [The] reason why the rematch between us hasn’t happened [has] either been due to injuries on my end or general matchup & timing issues. But hopefully, she will go on to win the title as I look to continue winning as well. Maybe this way we meet again for gold."
