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    ‘I’ll f*** up Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury’, says UFC hardman in chilling threat to Brit boxing superstars

    UFC LEGEND Nate Diaz has claimed he would “f*** up” Tyson Fury or Anthony Joshua in a “real fight”.Diaz, 38, threw his hat into the crossover boxing game last year, when he lost to YouTuber Jake Paul in a fifth round defeat.
    Nate Diaz has said he would ‘f*** up’ Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury in a ‘real fight’Credit: Getty
    Fury has previously shown an interest in a crossover matchCredit: PA
    The UFC star is frustrated by boxing as a sport, and feels that MMA leads to a more realistic representation of how two people would deal with a real fight.
    He feels he would take both stars in a street fight, despite weighing a whopping thirty kilograms less than them.
    He’s also considerably smaller than both men, measuring six feet in height, with Joshua 6’6″ and Tyson Fury a whopping 6’9″.
    While many MMA stars have made the crossover into boxing, only a handful of boxers have gone the other way.
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    Francis Ngannou recently boxed Tyson Fury and gave a good account of himself, downing the WBC heavyweight champion in the third round.
    Diaz told Sneako via The Mirror: “I’ll f*** up Tyson Fury. I’ll f*** up Anthony Joshua. All these motherf****rs in a real fight, they don’t stand a chance.
    “It’s like, we’ve got, everybody’s going on boxing [Floyd] Mayweather. We’re playing a little game… I don’t like being like, labelled as an ‘MMA fighter’.
    “I’m a boxer. I’m a Jiu-Jitsu guy. I’m a kickboxer. I don’t like any of the one-dimensional things by itself anyway. I like it all.”
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    Joshua has not shown interest in an MMA fight, but will fight MMA legend Ngannou next monthCredit: Alamy
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    Fury refused to rule out an MMA match with Ngannou during the buildup to their boxing match last October, with many assuming that Ngannou would make light work of the boxer in that form of bout.
    Joshua, meanwhile, has shown little interest in fighting in an MMA bout when asked about the prospect.
    Anthony Joshua set for mega showdown with Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia

    ANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER BOUT
    He takes on Ngannou in March, with the winner assumed to be fighting the winner of Fury Vs Oleksandr Usyk.
    Diaz is a free-agent after being let go by the UFC in September 2022, he admitted that he wanted to be a part of UFC 300 but was not called up for the event.
    On rumours linking him with a boxing match against former UFC rival Jorge Masvidal, Diaz said: “I think I wanna do boxing, fight another fighter. I could fight anybody in the world right now, but no one can fight me.
    “Everybody’s locked down to organisations, locked down to the UFC, PFL.” More

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    Watch Conor McGregor land brutal shot on sparring partner in his garden… leaving Ebanie Bridges in awe

    CONOR McGREGOR looked razor sharp in a sparring session held in his GARDEN – leaving the likes of Ebanie Bridges in awe. McGregor is gearing up for his anticipated UFC return and has spent the past year ramping up training.
    Conor McGregor looked razor sharp in a sparring sessionCredit: https://www.instagram.com/thenotoriousmma/
    Ebanie Bridges was in awe of McGregor’s sparring clipCredit: @ebanie_bridges
    McGregor and Bridges have struck up a friendshipCredit: Instagram @ebaniebridges
    During the Covid-19 pandemic, with restrictions on public gyms, the Irishman built a fully-sized UFC cage on the site of his mansion.
    And McGregor still uses it to this day as he released footage from a recent sparring session.
    He captioned it: “The double goat, I have the full scale octagon in my garden with the canvas covered in billion dollar businesses.”
    In the clips, McGregor lands a series of stinging counter shots and one kick to the stomach had his sparring partner wincing in agony.
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    His comment section was full of praise, with boxing legend Evander Holyfield replying: “Ok then.”
    Ex-champion Bridges followed up with three fire emojis and one lovestruck face.
    The Aussie has struck up a close friendship with McGregor and is even sponsored by his Forged Irish Stout beverage.
    McGregor’s return to the cage has continued to be delayed since his last fight in July 2021, when he broke his leg.
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    The former two-weight UFC champion, 35, had eyed the headline spot on the historic UFC 300 card on April 13.
    But he then brazenly announced he would return on June 29 against Michael Chandler, 37, in a middleweight bout.
    Seven sports stars who started an OnlyFans including ex-footballer and British boxing icon
    UFC president Dana White was quick to shut down McGregor’s claim and even said his comeback fight was more likely pushed back till the winter.
    And White recently spoke out to try and clarify the confusion behind McGregor’s dragged out talks to return.
    He told Kevin Iole: “Only Conor knows [when he’s ready].
    “These are questions for Conor McGregor, not me. I know he’s training. I don’t know what level of training he’s doing.”
    White added: “I don’t know what level of kicking he’s doing right now. I don’t know any of that stuff.
    “I need to know the guy’s in a full camp and he’s ready to go. Conor McGregor has a movie coming out.

    “He’s got businesses that he’s built. It’s a completely different dynamic when you’re dealing with a guy that has this kind of money.”
    McGregor is in training for his UFC returnCredit: https://www.instagram.com/thenotoriousmma/
    The UFC star has not fought since July 2021Credit: https://www.instagram.com/thenotoriousmma/ More

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    ‘I’m going to end him’, warns boxer ahead of Britain’s ‘most bitter grudge match’ after rematch is confirmed

    JOSH TAYLOR and Jack Catterall have confirmed their most bitter of British rematches. Taylor in February 2022 escaped the OVO Hydro arena in Glasgow with a disputed split-decision victory.
    Jack Catterall will rematch Josh Taylor on April 27 in LeedsCredit: Getty
    The controversy and bitterness shared between the two made an immediate rematch a no-brainer.
    But competing promotions and networks stood in the way of the grudge match.
    Although now after two years, a deal has finally been agreed for the arch rivals to settle the score on April 27 in Leeds.
    Catterall said: “This isn’t about belts, this is personal to me and I can’t wait to get my hands on him.
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    “I don’t like him, I don’t respect him and on April 27 I’m going to end him.” 
    Taylor hit back: “I’ve never run from anyone in my life, especially not Jack Catterall.
    “He has spent the last two years running from promoter to promoter while living off my name.
    “Jack should be careful what he wishes for because he’s getting battered on April 27. I am going to enjoy every second of this. See you soon, Jack.”
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    Taylor, 33, at the time defended the undisputed WBC, WBA, IBF and WBO titles against Catterall, 30.
    But as talks for a rematch dragged on, he was forced to vacate three of the four belts, left only with his WBO version.
    Scottish boxing hero Josh Taylor posts inspirational throwback video
    He then lost it in his first career defeat to Teofimo Lopez, 26, last June and has not returned since.
    Catterall meanwhile has won twice on the spin, most recently against former world champion Jorge Linares, 38, in October.
    But when he finally gets Taylor in the ring, no titles will be on the line.
    Instead, it will be for bragging rights as a deal was struck to once again meet at the 140lb super-lightweight limit on DAZN in the UK.
    Promoter Eddie Hearn said: “I’m so happy to get this fight made.
    “British boxing has been crying out for a big fight and now we look to settling the score of one of the most bitter rivalries in the sport.
    “It will be nearly two years to the day since their controversial undisputed fight and not a day has past where opinion and debate has not ensued.

    “The pair have engaged in a back and forth full of hatred and now the time has come to finally meet again in Leeds on April 27.”
    Taylor and Catterall share a bitter rivalryCredit: Getty More

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    Tyson Fury’s five-fight plan including Anthony Joshua blasted by Carl Froch who fears Gypsy King is ‘slowing down’

    CARL FROCH fears Tyson Fury is “slowing down” and blasted his bold five-fight plan. Fury was forced to pull out of his scheduled February 17 undisputed title bout with Oleksandr Usyk after suffering a cut in sparring.
    Carl Froch fears Tyson Fury is ‘slowing down’Credit: Steve Bell
    Fury revealed he has at least five more fights lined upCredit: instagram @kristianblacklock
    It has been rescheduled to May 18 in Saudi Arabia and the Gypsy King ruled out any chance of retirement.
    He announced plans for at least FIVE more bouts; two double headers with Usyk and Anthony Joshua as well as a rematch against Francis Ngannou.
    But Froch – who has been largely outspoken against Fury – is doubtful.
    He told talkSPORT: “I don’t think we’ll even get one fight with Anthony Joshua.
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    “The fact that he is talking about five fights and is now 35 years old and he fights once a year.
    “He’s heading towards 40 years old, he struggles to get the weight off and is up and down mentally.”
    Fury, 35, was dropped by ex-UFC champion Ngannou, 37, in October but escaped with a controversial split-decision win.
    He proceeded onto his unification bout with Usyk, 37, which is set to be contested over two fights as part of a £150million deal.
    Most read in BoxingTyson Fury’s fight five plan

    Usyk
    Usyk rematch
    Joshua
    Joshua rematch
    Ngannou rematch

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    And Fury boasted of then wanting to get Joshua, 34, into the ring for two British blockbusters.
    But Froch said: “Regardless of what Tyson says – I’ll hit you with some facts and statistics – he’s slowing down massively.
    Carl Froch launches stinging attack on Tyson Fury after horror cut caused Oleksandr Usyk fight to be postponed
    “He used to throw 50 feints a round, always throwing feints, light on his feet with fast hands.
    “He doesn’t even throw 15 feints [now]. I’ve sat and watched it and marked it down like a saddo, like a geek, like a tech geek.
    “And I’ve been marking down and watching him, he’s slowing down, he’s on the slide.
    “He’s been on the floor five times in his last 70 rounds of boxing… the big problem is he’s getting hit a lot more now, and when you start getting hit at that weight you’ve got problems.
    “Now, he’s sitting flat-footed, not throwing feints, getting hit with more shots, going on 36 years old and he’s getting bigger and heavier.
    “The desire is not there, we saw that in the Netflix show. So, has he got five more fights left with these top contenders? I’d say no.” More

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    ‘We’re in limbo’, says boxing legend about Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou after Tyson Fury fight

    RICKY HATTON believes Tyson Fury’s fight with Francis Ngannou leaves boxing fans “in limbo” over Anthony Joshua’s upcoming bout. Ngannou last year put his MMA career on hold to make a switch to boxing, where he faced Fury in October.
    Anthony Joshua faces off with Francis NgannouCredit: Alamy
    The ex-UFC champion scored a shock knockdown and was beaten only via controversial split-decision.
    Ngannou now fights Joshua on March 8 in Saudi Arabia and British boxing legend Hatton admits there a still several questions left to be answered.
    He told Instant Casino: “We’re in limbo aren’t we – was Ngannou better than we gave him credit for, or did Tyson take Ngannou lightly?
    “Did Tyson not train as hard as he could and that’s why Ngannou looked as good as he did?
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    “There’s a big question mark around Ngannou, we all know he can hit, but was it because Tyson took him lightly?
    “All these questions no one is sure about yet. Tyson didn’t physically look as good as he normally does.
    “And he’s also had those three fights with Wilder that may have taken something out of him.”
    Fury, 35, was due to face Oleksandr Usyk, 37, for the undisputed title on February 17 but a cut sustained in sparring has moved it to May 18.
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    ANTHONY JOSHUA VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER BOUT
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    So Ngannou, 37, looked elsewhere after being denied a rematch and instead struck a deal to fight Joshua, 34.
    Despite the MMA star’s impressive performance over Fury, still Hatton is tipping AJ to get the job done.
    Anthony Joshua could hit Francis Ngannou with a BASEBALL BAT and he’d keep coming, warns Tyson Fury’s trainer
    He said: “If you’re asking where my money would go, it would go on AJ because he’s an exceptional boxer, you don’t become an Olympic gold medalist and a two time world champion for nothing.
    “He doesn’t have the lateral movement of Tyson Fury, so he’s going to be standing in front of Francis Ngannou, which worries me a little bit because if AJ does cop one, that could be that.
    “But I’m going to go with AJ based on his confidence and his new team. I think he’ll have enough firepower to shine against Ngannou.”
    Ricky Hatton backs Joshua to beat NgannouCredit: The Times More

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    Fury has been vulnerable ever since I left him needing 47 stitches and his new cut in sparring for Usyk fight shows that

    OTTO WALLIN believes he left Tyson Fury as a vulnerable fighter ever since their bloodbath battle. Fury beat Wallin on points in 2019 but a left hook in round three opened up a horror gash on the British legend.
    Tyson Fury needed 47 stitches after his fight with Otto WallinCredit: Getty
    The cut that forced Fury’s fight with Oleksandr Usyk to be cancelledCredit: QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS
    The Gypsy King battled through almost all the fight barely able to see out of his blood-soaked right eye.
    Fast forward nearly five years and Fury sustained another horror cut on his right eye, this time in a sparring session.
    It occurred only two weeks before the fight of his life against Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed title on February 17 in Saudi Arabia.
    Wallin feels the damage he caused Fury all those years ago has proven long-lasting and something Usyk can exploit.
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    He told SunSport: “I’m not a doctor but he had 47 stitches, it was two cuts he had when we fought.
    “So of course, I feel that he’s probably going to be vulnerable. It’s also interesting that another southpaw opened it up.
    “Of course, Usyk is going to be aware of that but with Tyson you can’t just go for the head or a cut like that, because you might lose your gameplan.
    “I think Usyk is smart enough to look at the tapes and see that he really needs to go to the body to set things up.” 
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    Fury, 35, is now set to face Usyk, 37, on the rescheduled date on May 18.
    Meanwhile Wallin, 33, is coming off a brutal five-round beating against Anthony Joshua, 34, in December.
    Legendary cutman Stitch Duran reveals how long it will take Tyson Fury to heal from horror cut that postponed Oleksandr Usyk fight
    Fury’s performance and tactics against Wallin were slammed by outspoken dad John and sparked a huge change in his career.
    He left trainer Ben Davison for American Sugarhill Steward, packed on the pounds and ditched his elusive style in favour of power punching.
    It saw him go onto defeat Deontay Wilder twice, KO Dillian Whyte, stop Derek Chisora and edge past ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou.
    Wallin admits the man he shared 12 gruelling rounds with is completely different to the Fury of today.
    Otto Wallin: I will be back OTTO WALLIN briefly considered his career after defeat to Anthony Joshua.
    But following a three-week rest period, Wallin is ready to go back to the drawing board and work his way back up.
    He told us: “For me now, it’s kind of understanding where I’m at.
    “I’m not close to a title shot right now so I just want to take things step by step and not look too far ahead. 
    “I feel it’s important for me to understand where I am and to work my way up because if you only think about becoming world champion, it feels far away right now. 
    “I need to take it step by step and rebuild.”

    He said: “He’s gone into a way where he’s looking for the knockout more. But I think that he’s not using his feints and he likes to go for the knockouts. 
    “People want to see knockouts but like I said, what made Fury good was his jabs, his feints, his awkwardness. 
    “So he’s got to keep that in there and if he can keep everything together; the knockout power that he’s shown, the awkwardness, then I think he’ll be the best in the world.” 
    Fury beat Wallin on points despite his horror cutCredit: Getty More

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    Paige VanZant reveals ‘really cool’ boxing crossover as ex-UFC star set for first fight in three years

    PAIGE VANZANT revealed she is set to make her boxing debut after three years out of action. The ex-UFC star has accepted a fight but it is not in MMA or bare-knuckle boxing.
    Paige VanZant revealed she is set to make her boxing debut
    The ex-UFC star revealed she has accepted a fightCredit: Instagram / @paigevanzant
    But it will be her boxing debutCredit: Instagram @paigevanzant
    VanZant has not fought since 2021
    She said: “I got called by my manager day before yesterday, and I got offered a fight.
    “A boxing match, and I took it. I don’t know if I can give all the details, I haven’t signed a contract yet. I accepted the fight.”
    VanZant left the UFC in 2020 and made a shock switch to the brutal world of bare-knuckle boxing.
    She had two bouts but lost both, to Britain Hart and Rachael Ostovich and was set for a third.
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    But the fight never happened and VanZant has instead raked it in through her OnlyFans account.
    It left her fight career up in the air but now it appears the American is preparing for a long overdue boxing move.
    She said: “It was initially, the date they offered me was March 23, which was perfect.
    “Hell yeah, I’ll get one more fight in before I turn 30, because I turn 30 [on] March 26. So I told my manager f*** yeah, I’ll take it.
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    “I’ll get back into boxing. I was just really excited. The opportunity was really cool.
    “So it was perfect, eight-week camp, I don’t that long to stress or overthink, or anything like that, so that’s perfect. It turns out it’s not going to be March 23.
    Paige VanZant reveals she was ‘catfished’ by her porn star ‘twin’ with ex-UFC beauty left ‘heartbroken’
    “After I accepted it, they’re like, you know what, we’re going to move it to [May or June].
    “I heard both dates, so once I have the full information, we’ll be able to release it on the podcast.
    “Accepted a boxing match, that will be my next fight. It’s really, really exciting.”
    VanZant has been raking it in on OnlyFansCredit: https://www.instagram.com/p/CjMu_IEMbwP/
    VanZant looks to have left the UFCCredit: Getty More

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    I was meant to be bigger than Anthony Joshua but doctors left me nearly blind – now I’m training boxing icon Butterbean

    ANTHONY OGOGO has opened up on the heart-breaking eye injury that forced him to retire from boxing at the age of 30.The ace, 35, was once tipped to be Britain’s next big boxer after coming through the Team GB ranks ahead of Anthony Joshua.
    Anthony Ogogo was once tipped to be the biggest name in British boxingCredit: Getty
    Ogogo started his career with a bronze medal at London 2012Credit: PA:Press Association
    Ogogo set the stage for a successful career in the ring after winning the bronze medal at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
    He won his first 11 fights, setting up a battle against Craig Cunningham for the vacant WBC International middleweight title in 2016.
    But Ogogo suffered defeat to his fellow Brit and ended up fracturing his eye socket.
    It would prove to be his last-ever boxing fight, as Ogogo struggled to get diagnosed correctly by doctors.
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    He almost ended up going blind after having nine surgeries and eventually called it a day in 2019.
    But after reinventing himself as an actor, podcaster and wrestler, Ogogo is now enjoying boxing again after training with iconic fighter Butterbean.
    Ogogo told talkSPORT: “(It was the) hardest time of my life. My press conference was way bigger than Joshua’s, way bigger than Luke Campbell’s. I was going to be the face of Golden Boy UK.
    “I had everything it takes to get to the top of this world, and then my eye blew up. Those three years, from hurting my eye in 2016 to retiring in 2019 were the hardest three years of my life.
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    “I wouldn’t wish it upon anybody. I had nine surgeries. During one of my surgeries, my heart stopped on the operating table. Now, my life is being played with and I still chose to have [five] more surgeries.”
    One nearly going blind, Ogogo said: “The fracture I sustained wasn’t that bad. It was the misdiagnosis, the wrong surgery, the injection went vastly wrong. I must’ve done something really bad in a previous life to get the unfortunate circumstances I dealt with.
    Boxer Anthony Ogogo has retired from the sport after admitting defeat in his bid to recover from eye injuries
    He won his first 11 pro fights but lost to Craig Cunningham in 2016Credit: Getty
    An eye injury saw Ogogo almost go blind, and he needed nine surgeries before retiring in 2019Credit: Getty
    “I saw Kell [Brook’s] doctor after I’d already had the wrong surgery. Dr. Muhammad Ali, believe it or not, and he said to me, ‘You need a time machine because once they did that your career was done’.
    “The fracture I had was nowhere near as bad as Kell’s, in either of his eyes, but what they did messed everything up and I can never get that back.
    “I lost my career, my passion, my vision in my left eye and any potential case to compensate me for this really bad journey I went on. It took a long time to shrug all that off.”
    On his friendship with Butterbean, who is eyeing a boxing comeback, Ogogo added: “I know Bean really well, he’s such a nice guy.
    “He was on death’s door. He was too big to get new hips. He lost loads of weight, got new hips and fast forward 18 months I’m doing six rounds on the pads with him.
    “He can still bang! The boy can still bang, mate! My job with him is boxing work and also mind-set stuff, health stuff.

    “You know, he’s a great example, he’s been down, and he got back up and now he wants one more fight.
    “He wants to end his story with one more fight and I’ll be in his corner on fight night because I like him, care for him, trust him, have trained him and I want to be there to protect him.”
    Ogogo has reinvented himself as a wrestler and is now coaching boxing icon ButterbeanCredit: X formerly Twitter / @AnthonyOgogo
    The legendary fighter is looking to get back in the ringCredit: AFP More