UFC icon predicts Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev, Michael Chandler defends fighter pay, Joe Rogan reacts to Paramount deal: MMA News Roundup

Welcome to today's edition of Sportskeeda MMA News Roundup! Chris Weidman weighs in on Dricus du Plessis vs. Khamzat Chimaev. Michael Chandler gives his view on fighter pay. Meanwhile, Joe Rogan also reacted to the new Paramount deal on his podcast. Let's break them all down.

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Chris Weidman backs Dricus du Plessis in Khamzat Chimaev clash

Former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman believes Dricus du Plessis has the tools to beat Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. Speaking in a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Weidman praised du Plessis’ ability to push the action and control the pace. He said:

"The only way I see Chimaev winning this fight is by a finish. I don't see him finishing him anything past three rounds. I think he has to win this fight in the first round. He needs to land a big shot on the feet and look to bring it to the ground for a submission or a ground-and-pound TKO. I don't see him winning a five-round fight." [H/t: MMA Junkie]

He added:

"The cardio aspect of it is just too much. Any time it's a close fight, I have to go to cardio, and I know Chimaev has been working on his cardio, but sometimes when you work so hard on something and you get into the fight and it's like, 'Oh my God, I'm still tired.' Is it almost worse that you did all that stuff, and it doesn't change the way you thought it was going to... I think DDP is going to win this fight just because of that."

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Michael Chandler addresses fighter pay after Paramount deal

Michael Chandler shared his thoughts on the UFC’s $7.7 billion streaming deal with Paramount. He acknowledged the deal’s significance and said that fighters need to ensure they benefit from such revenue growth.

Speaking about the deal during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Chandler said:

"There's a lot more money being happening inside the UFC and the sport of mixed martial arts than the UFC will ever gloat about, than the UFC will ever brag about. That's just the way they like to run their business. But I think a lot of us are doing pretty fine."

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Joe Rogan reacts to UFC–Paramount partnership

Joe Rogan recently reacted to the news of the UFC’s long-term streaming deal with Paramount. On a recent episode of his podcast, he called the agreement a monumental moment for MMA.

He praised the exposure such a platform brings, especially for new fans who might discover the sport through Paramount’s reach. He said:

"Today, they just announced the UFC just signed some crazy deal with Paramount Plus. There's going to be no more pay-per-views. All the events are going to be available for everybody for free. Every pay-per-view, every fight card that they have from the Apex, which are my favorite. Everything is going to be available for free. It's an amazing deal... it's a super-smart move for Paramount. What a great move to not just have the UFC for seven years, but have it for free.''

Check out Joe Rogan's comments below: