Buried among the UFC hopeful profiles published on September 1 is a genuinely wild survival story. Liam McCracken says he nearly died in 2023 when he was struck by a bus and dragged 60 feet. He describes feeling "protected" through the ordeal, and his recovery to the point of chasing a UFC opportunity says as much about his resilience as anything he could show on the feet or on the mat. Stories like this are exactly why McCracken's name is worth remembering the next time his fights come up.
Sources (8)
We summarise the day's news in our own words. Full credit to the outlets below for the original reporting, click through to read their work.
- UFC news: Justin Gaethje responds to potential Conor McGregor fight (Yahoo Sports)
- Song Yadong defends Usman Nurmagomedov after UFC Shanghai: ‘Actually, I understand’ (MMA Mania)
- Muhammad Mokaev answers Dana White's challenge in push for UFC return (Yahoo Sports)
- Jiri Prochazka Teases UFC Fight News (Yahoo Sports)
- UFC hopeful says his ‘-ov’ surname made Nathaniel Wood turn him down (Yahoo Sports)
- 'Protected': UFC hopeful Liam McCracken recounts miraculous rebound after being hit by bus (Yahoo Sports)
- Cris Cyborg to BKFC? David Feldman excited by idea (Yahoo Sports)
- Nathaniel Wood Draws Undefeated Newcomer at UFC Paris (Yahoo Sports)
Split from that day's roundup, so the sources listed are the full set behind the whole edition rather than this story alone.
This story ran in the September 1, 2026 edition of the daily show.