Tuesday, April 7, 2026
Logo

Israel Adesanya reacts to Conor Benn’s $15 million purse, Dana White’s shifting focus

Former UFC champion Israel Adesanya reacts to Conor Benn’s massive Zuffa Boxing fight purse and reflects on Dana White moving away from MMA towards boxing.

SportsBy Jennifer ReevesMarch 5, 20262 min read

Last updated: March 18, 2026, 9:56 AM

Share:
Israel Adesanya reacts to Conor Benn’s $15 million purse, Dana White’s shifting focus

Let’s start the night off by taking a look back over the three biggest stories of Wednesday, March 4, 2026.

- UFC ‘in a bit of a pickle’ after Arman ‘built his value’ on bad boy persona — plus he ‘mops the floor with everybody’: I think Arman Tsarukyan is a great fighter, but I’m not convinced he wipes everyone when he barely beat Charles Oliveira. There are lots of talented fighters at 155 pounds …

- Derrick Lewis suddenly catching strays for clearance-rack contract, sad state of UFC pay — ‘We cannot be doing that’: It would take only a handful of UFC champions or a couple of the big managers teaming up to create a union with some negotiating power. Naturally, this will never happen.

- Canceled! Georgio Poullas pulls out of grappling rematch against Arman Tsarukyan: The forthcoming neck brace lawsuit wouldn’t look as good if Poullas competed again right away.

Speaking of a theoretical fighter’s union, Zuffa Boxing sure is going a long way in getting the athletes to consider how much more money they could be making.

This clip makes me miss the Thrill and Agony series UFC used to produce. “Fluffy” Hernandez will be back!

Bantamweight prospect Felipe Lima is now Featherweight prospect Felipe Lima.

A fun matchup of Middleweight strikers looking to rebound:

Sean O’Malley is ready to take part in the RAF revolution.

Lone’er Kavanagh’s kicks have never looked better than last weekend at UFC Mexico City.

Anthony Njokuani — there’s a name I haven’t heard in an awful long time.

Charles Oliveira’s highlight reel of UFC finishes is 11 minutes long — that’s f—king crazy!

Current trends seem to indicate UFC is letting most of the top Russian talent go to PFL without challenge. Will that benefit PFL in the long run?

Beautiful spinning elbow and a slick anaconda choke — this is a high-level finish.

Pour one out for the giant lemurs of days passed.

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

JR
Jennifer Reeves

Sports Reporter

Jennifer Reeves covers college sports, the Olympics, and athletic culture across the nation. She has reported from three Olympic Games and specializes in Title IX issues, women's sports, and the evolving landscape of collegiate athletics. She is a member of the Association for Women in Sports Media.

Related Stories