MMA news roundup: Dana White seeks replacement for Conor McGregor at UFC 303, Dominick Reyes to call on Jon Jones, Mike Perry to face Jake Paul

A tweet from a prominent MMA journalist that shook the entire MMA world, Dominick Reyes' surprising move against Jon Jones, and rumors about Jake Paul and Mike Perry. In today's MMA Roundup, we take a look at various rumors in the MMA world that took the community by surprise. So, without further ado, let's get started.

Our mixed martial arts journey begins with Ariel Helwani's news about Conor McGregor's upcoming bout, which is apparently cause for alarm. We then shift our focus to the exchange between Dominick Reyes and Jon Jones, and finally wrap up the journey with some important updates on Jake Paul and Mike Perry. Let's get started.

Is the Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler fight stalled?

The highly anticipated UFC 303 is just one week away, where the promotion's star Conor McGregor will make his return against Michael Chandler. Their showdown has been in the planning stages for the promotion for nearly a year, and after overcoming many obstacles, it's finally happening, but will it happen? There are indications that the matchup is unlikely to happen, as insiders have hinted.

What started as a promotion has now exploded into a wildfire, sparked by the cancellation of a June 3 press conference. No one involved has commented on the bout, but there have been recent rumors that the bout will take place no matter what. However, a well-known MMA journalist believes this is not the case. Helwani shared his views on the scenario with X: “Multiple sources are saying talk is being done again for June 29th, with alternative or new bouts possible. In short, there seems to be renewed pessimism regarding the status of the 303 main event – in fact, even more so than last Monday when the press conference was cancelled at the last minute.”

Helwani believes that Dana White is hiding from time to time, waiting for the perfect moment to unleash it. That said, as of now, there has been no confirmation from the promotion as to whether this bout will be canceled or not. Now, let's move on to Dominick Reyes, who appears to have put all his feud with Jon Jones behind him.

Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes

Dominick Reyes scored a stunning victory over Dustin Jacob at UFC ESPN 57. Reyes' first win came after a five-year losing streak. “The Devastator” caused a sensation once again with his victory. Now, in conversation with Ariel Helwani, Reyes was asked about his thoughts on his close fight with Jon Jones at UFC 247 in 2020. The California native stated that he should have been the winner of the bout. “He will always be known as the guy who lost to me. Maybe one day we'll know the answer. It's not a belief, it's a fact.” Reyes said.

Devastator's response was acknowledged by the Undisputed Heavyweight Champion, who added a statement of his own to X. “Dominic, when you look back on our game, I want you to not question me or the referee. I want you to look at your heart, your perseverance. You didn't try hard enough. The sooner you accept that, the better athlete you'll be.” I wrote to Jones about X.

The exchange was later shared on Instagram, with Reyes adding that he would follow Jones' advice.“Thank you for your advice, John. God bless you. I wish you every success on your journey, and may you leave feeling fulfilled.” Reyes commented, “Devastator wishes Jones all the best in his future endeavors and has put an elegant end to their feud. Though their rivalry is over, it seems a new rivalry is brewing from the depths of BKFC.”

Is the Mike Perry vs. Jake Paul news true?

YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul was scheduled to face former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson in July, but the bout was rescheduled to November 15th due to Tyson's stomach ulcer. Despite the criticism, fans were excited to see Paul vs. Tyson. While the cancellation of the bout certainly left some people feeling a bit sad, a user under the handle Happy PunchX surprised combat sports fans by unveiling a poster of Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry. The community went wild with the news.

Following the announcement, Paul followed up with a tweet to his X-handler. “It smells like victory.” However, he later cleared up those doubts and said he would only face Mike Tyson. “I'm going to fight Mike Tyson on Netflix. And I'm going to win.” Mike Perry challenged Paul to a fight, but the YouTuber is yet to take up the call.

Paul is committed to fighting Tyson, but he will have to wait much longer than originally expected. What do you think about this situation? Should Jake Paul fight Mike Perry instead? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.