LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 10: (L-R) Julian Marquez punches Sam Alvey in a middleweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on April 10, 2021 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
UFC fighter Julian Marquez calls out Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes following his submission win over Sam Alvey at UFC Vegas 23.
Patrick Mahomes is a beloved figure in Kansas City after bringing the Chiefs their first Super Bowl victory in 50 years. Some may call him the “King of Kansas City.” UFC fighter Julian Marquez has taken issue with that.
At UFC Vegas 23 on Saturday, Marquez pummeled, knocked down and choked out opponent Sam Alvey to earn his second straight win inside the Octagon. During his post-fight press conference, Marquez dedicated some time to call out Mahomes, declaring that he is the true “baddest man in Kansas City.” From there, Marquez challenged Mahomes, tight end Travis Kelce and wide receiver Tyreek Hill to either a badminton contest or a game of pickle-ball.
FanSided MMA’s Amy Kaplan was at Marquez’s press conference, which you can check at the 3:35 mark in the video below:
Travis Kelce responds to Julian Marquez’s challenge
Shortly after Marquez’s quote went viral, Kelce responded with a video of his own, saying they can settle this up at Chicken N Pickle at Kansas City. The challenge has been accepted!
It did not take long for Mahomes to respond to Marquez’s call out. The quarterback says that he is always down for a challenge, but he will “need a couple of weeks” before participating. Mahomes is still recovering from offseason surgery to repair a torn plantar plate in his left foot that resulted in him wearing a walking boot. However, he did shed said boot at this weekend’s Master’s Tournament.
The only person yet to respond is Hill, but that could change.
So there you have it folks, Marquez will defend his “King of Kansas City” title in pickle-ball against Kelce and Mahomes soon.