"Fighters come and fighters go. We focus on the fighters that are at the gym, not fighters who have left. I don’t have anything bad to say about Robbie Lawler. Even if I did, he’d be the last person I’d say something bad about, I mean look at the guy. Look at the guy and look at his status in the sport. You’re going to try and get into a PR battle with that guy? You’re going to lose that one every time but you know, we focus on people that are at the gym. Try to make them better, get them to fight. Colby is at our gym, Robbie is not so we’re focusing on Colby.” Colby Covington fights Lawler in the main event of UFC on ESPN 5 on 8/3. h/t MMA Junkie

Dan Hardy, 37, hasn't fought since 2012, as he was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, a genetic condition causing most patients to have heart palpitations and a rapid heartbeat. Hardy, however, is symptom-free, with a resting pulse rate of 42, and a maximum of 200. 'The Outlaw' decided to forgo surgery, but commissions and his employer feared for his safety in the absence of surgery. “I’m always mulling a return. ... There’s no point I’ll be able to take my gloves off and leave them in the Octagon, especially because I want to come and hang them to the wall in my gym as well. I never leave gloves behind. Yeah, I would love to fight again. I absolutely would. I’ve got ideas in my head of who I would like to fight and where I would like to fight, but none of that’s relevant right now. What I need to do is get myself into a position where my body’s moving well over a couple of months, and the USADA testing pool will give me that time. I just gotta jump in instead of dipping my toe in the water every now and then when I see [UFC anti-doping czar] Jeff Novitzky." h/t MMA News • The MMA Hour

UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz, who guillotines current Bellator champ champ in 2011, has signed a two-fight contract with Combate Americas, and fights Alberto Del Rio later this year, is open to a rematch: “I would possibly like to do a cross-promotion, this is something that I’d like to talk to Campbell about. Let’s do a cross-promotion. I know Ryan Bader is the champion at Heavyweight and Light Heavyweight. Let’s do a cross promotion, let’s do the rematch. Let’s give that chance back to Bader. I am willing to give him the chance. The kid deserves it. He’s a hard-working man, he’s the champ. I respect him, and I think Ryan Bader is an awesome human being, awesome fighter, awesome father. I look up to the guy and respect him for being champion. Let’s get in there and try number two and see if I was lucky the first time." h/t MMA Mania • Watch Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show

On July 3, 2017, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigators said several people entered fighter Aaron Rajman’s family’s home in suburban Boca Raton; a fight broke out and Rajman, 25, was fatally shot. Investigators said he was targeted, but authorities have released few details about the incident since. On Monday, two of the three people charged pleaded guilty in Palm Beach County court to lesser charges. Summer Church, 18, and Jace Swinton, 20, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. They were sentenced to 10 years in prison and 10 years of probation by Circuit Judge Rosemarie Scher. Church and Swinton, along with Roberto Ortiz, the third alleged co-defendant in the shooting, were charged with first-degree murder and home invasion two months after Rajman’s death. At the time of their arrests, Swinton and Ortiz were 18 years old and Church was 16. Ortiz, who remains in the Palm Beach County Jail on first-degree murder charges, is scheduled to be in court in October. h/t Palm Beach Post

The UnderGround King lost his promotional debut vs. Timofey Nastyukhin at ONE 99, but the Russian is injured, so the American is back in, and fights former champion Eduard Folayang in a lightweight tournament semi-final bout. This is not some sleight of hand to keep the high-profile Alvarez in the tournament; in fact, of the four semi-finalists, three are subs. Amir Khan lost to Ariel Sexton but is back in due to a Sexton injury, Folayang is in for Lowen Tynanes, and Alvarez is in for Nastyukhin. ONE Championship 99: Dawn of Heroes on 8/2 at Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines will feature the Alvarez-Folayang semifinal fight, as well as Demetrious Johnson’s flyweight tournament semifinal fight vs. Tatsumitsu Wadam.

A long-time member of SBGi, Lobov will personally support his teammates at the invite-only, groundbreaking BRAVE 24: London, set for the Copper Box Arena, inside the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, on July 25th. The fighter turned bare-knuckle athlete is one more VIP guest confirmed for the historic show, which will connect the highest level of influencers, celebrities, politicians and businessmen to the sport of mixed martial arts. "The Russian Hammer" is interested in facing world champion Amir Khan in a boxing match. According to SBG Ireland leader and Lobov's mentor John Kavanagh, the fight could take place at BRAVE Combat Federation's November show, set for the International Combat Week, the largest combat sports festival in Asia. As it happens, Khan has also been confirmed to attend BRAVE 24: London and Lobov will no doubt look to get face time with BRAVE CF president Mohammed Shahid and Amir Khan himself in order to get negotiations going about a potential crossover bout.

Former WW IC Colby Covington was scheduled to fight champ Kamaru Usman, but 'The Nigerian Nightmare' is recovering from hernia surgery, so Covington fights Robbie Lawler on 8/3. And then Jorge Masvidal flew himself into title consideration: “Slow down people. Slow down, slow down. Listen, that’s not necessarily up to me. That’s up to the company. My job is to prepare whoever they throw in front of me next, take care of them and continue my title reign. So I don’t care who they put in front of me. If it’s him, if it’s Colby, if it’s Woodley, if it’s Ponzinibbio. ... Yeah I don’t mind. I don’t care. Like I said, it’s not up to me it’s up to the company. I’ll take anybody.” h/t MMA News • Watch TMZ interview