UFC star tells men to go to therapy, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson to start MMA training, Elle Brooke slams Paige VanZant: MMA News Roundup

Dwayne Johnson; The Rock
Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson to start MMA training [Image credits: Getty Images]

A popular UFC star wants more men to go to therapy and get help. Meanwhile, Dwayne Johnson is all set to start MMA training for his upcoming movie.

Catch up with today's top combat sports updates with Sportskeeda's MMA News Roundup.


Chris Curtis urges grown men to go to therapy

Conversation around mental health is still a sensitive topic in the world of combat sports, especially among men. However, in recent times, many have broken silence about their struggles, which, in turn, encouraged others to do so.

Khalil Rountree Jr., Alexander Volkanovski, Dustin Poirier, and a few other UFC fighters have openly talked about their mental health issues and how it has affected their personal and professional lives.

Chris Curtis penned a powerful message on X, urging more adult men to seek professional help and get psychotherapy.

"We need to normalize grown men getting therapy. We aren't our fathers. Things are not the same. Our fathers never grew up with the world at their fingertips, being connected to the entire planet at all times. It's different now. It's ok to seek help. You deserve to be happy."

This comes a day after Curtis' close friend and teammate Sean Strickland mocked the idea of availing therapy and labeled it as "weak". As fans know well enough, Strickland belongs to an opposite school of thought than Curtis when it comes to mental health.


Dwayne Johnson to start training in MMA

An MMA career never came to fruition for Dwayne Johnson, but he is now playing one in an upcoming movie.

With WrestleMania now done with, the WWE star will soon start his "Training camp" for the movie The Smashing Machine, based on the life of the late legend of the sport, Mike Kerr.

'The Rock' wrote:

"Starting my MMA workouts tomorrow. I’m coming into this in pretty good conditioning and cardio shape, but MMA is a different animal. And Mark Kerr was a ‘one of one’ monster."

The movie, titled after Kerr's cage name, will follow his explosive heavyweight run in the UFC as well as his addiction and eventual downfall.

Read more about the movie here.


Elle Brooke trolls ex-UFC star Paige VanZant's "falloff"

Elle Brooke cracked a joke at Paige VanZant at her own cost after Misfits Boxing announced their MFB women's middleweight title fight for the X Series 015 headliner.

The OnlyF*ns star-turned-boxer made fun of the turn VanZant's career has taken and said:

"Her falloff needs to be studied. UFC to fighting me."

Previously, Brooke was disappointed with the news of the fight getting accidentally leaked by DAZN. VanZant has remained mum on the situation. The ex-UFC sensation teased an upcoming boxing fight a few weeks ago but hasn't spoken about it since.

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