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      I was first boxer to have a crossover UFC bout and just like Fury it all went wrong – but I’m still fighting aged 55

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      BOXING legend James Toney became the first to trade the ring for the UFC octagon – but it did not go to plan. Toney was among the best during the 1990s and went on to win titles in three divisions.
      James Toney became the first to trade the ring for the UFC octagonCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      James Toney was beaten in a round by Randy CoutureCredit: Getty
      But in 2010, he made the shock move to MMA and challenged UFC legend Randy Couture.
      It ended in disaster for Toney, who got taken to the floor within seconds and tapped out to a chokehold in the first round.
      Reflecting on the fight, he told Sky Sports in 2017: “My plan was to knock him out quickly but he got to my legs, took me down, and did what he did.
      “It worked. MMA is not my game but, if I did it again, it would have been different.”
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      In recent times, MMA fighters have more frequently crossed over to boxing.
      It came after the financial success of Conor McGregor’s money-spinning bout with Floyd Mayweather six years ago.
      McGregor, 35, lost in ten rounds but it encouraged several others MMA fighters to step into the boxing ring.
      But none performed as well as former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.
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      Ngannou, 37, floored and took Tyson Fury, 35, all ten rounds of their clash in Saudi Arabia, with many feeling he was unlucky to lose on points.
      It was the latest and most shocking of the crossover clashes but if Toney had it his way he would have got Couture back in the ring.
      He said: “I would have loved for Randy to do a boxing match but he wouldn’t. I couldn’t wrestle with him but he can’t box with me.”
      Toney would return to boxing six months after his dismal MMA debut and went on to fight nine more times over seven years.
      His last bout was against Mike Sheppard in 2017 all the way up at heavyweight, which he won by knockout aged 48.
      But now at 55 Toney prepares for another comeback bout in an exhibition in Jamaica against Razor Ruddock, who is 59 himself.
      Toney said: “At my age, I can still whup anybody on the planet, any time, anywhere, any place.
      “I’m the original old-school fighter. I was born to fight. Everybody else was taught to fight.”
      James Toney returns to fight aged 55 More

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      Francis Ngannou shuts down massive Anthony Joshua fight on December 23 as ex-UFC star reveals next opponent

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      FRANCIS NGANNOU has shut down a fight with Anthony Joshua to shift his focus to a different opponent. Ngannou amazingly dropped Tyson Fury in his boxing debut but controversially walked away with a points loss in Saudi Arabia.
      Francis Ngannou has shut down a fight with Anthony Joshua in DecemberCredit: Reuters
      Joshua’s promoter Eddie Hearn put him forward to fight NgannouCredit: Getty
      The consequence of the crossover clash has seen Fury’s undisputed title bout with Oleksandr Usyk moved from December 23 to February.
      But Saudi boxing bosses are still planning a huge event before Christmas and now want Ngannou, 37, to headline it.
      So promoter Eddie Hearn put Joshua’s name forward to face the ex-UFC champion.
      But Ngannou rathers a rematch with Fury, 35, and would be willing to sit out until the title unification with Usyk, 36, to do so.
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      He told TMZ Sports: “I would be willing to wait.
      “I know that they are going to fight, they had a contract already, so they are going to fight sometime in February instead of December 23, which is my fault.
      “I shouldn’t have cut him. He would’ve fought December 23, and maybe we would’ve run it back early next year.”
      Ngannou ruled out returning next month and suggested a fight with Joshua would have to wait until he rematches Fury.
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      He added: “First of all, it’s too soon. Secondly, my focus, as boxing is concerned, is a rematch with Tyson.
      “That’s the most important thing for me right now, everything else for boxing comes after.”
      Promoters of both Fury and Usyk have confirmed the historic first four-belt heavyweight unification has been postponed till February.
      Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to fight in FebruaryCredit: Getty More

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      Deontay Wilder threatens to fly to UK to face-off with Anthony Joshua and says Brit boxer is ‘afraid of me’

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      DEONTAY WILDER has threatened to fly to the UK to face off with Anthony Joshua and accused the Brit boxer of being “afraid”.The Bronze Bomber is eager to meet his fellow former world heavyweight champion – as current title holders Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk prepare to clash.
      Deontay Wilder has threatened to come to England to arrange Anthony Joshua fightCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Wilder has claimed the bout against Joshua is the ‘biggest fight in the world’Credit: Splash
      Wilder, 38, has been out of the ring since October 2022 when he knocked out Robert Helenius.
      But despite the long wait, the American has challenged the Brit and reaffirmed that he is ready for an AJ clash.
      The Bronze Bomber even threatened the 2012 Olympic Champ that he would hop across the pond to meet the boxer.
      He said on Blue Blood Sports TV: “I just don’t know what’s up with Joshua, bro. Maybe I’m gonna have to go to England and sit down with him on some real man s***.
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      “I don’t want him to feel like I have anything against him, but I know he’s afraid of me.
      “Joshua – me and you is the biggest fight in the world bro, what are you doing? I really wanna talk to that dude.”
      Promoter Eddie Hearn has been promising 34-year-old AJ will finally face the Bronze Bomber for an eternity.
      And a deal was agreed between Wilder and Joshua but it eventually fell through.
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      But the Matchroom boss has still not delivered anything and Hearn blamed Wilder for not wanting to fight.
      Meanwhile, Joshua intimated the highly anticipated bout could fight on the undercard of the clash between Usyk and Fury.
      Despite his recent inactivity, 42 out of Wilder’s 43 wins have ended by way of KO.
      And Joshua – with 23 knockouts in 26 victories – is planning on another showdown in December before taking on the ex-WBC champion.
      AJ has bounced back from back-to-back defeats against Usyk in underwhelming triumphs against Helenius and Jermaine Franklin. More

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      Deontay Wilder suggests Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou is proof Gypsy King CHEATED in bitter trilogy fight

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      DEONTAY WILDER has suggested that Tyson Fury’s poor performance against Francis Ngannou proves he cheated when fighting the American.Fury failed to impress during his crossover bout with MMA fighter Ngannou and shocked most boxing fans.
      Deontay Wilder has suggested that Tyson Fury cheated against himCredit: Rex Features
      He has claimed that Fury’s performance against Francis Ngannou is proofCredit: Getty
      The Gypsy King was knocked to the floor by Ngannou and only managed to win the fight by split decision.
      It was an uncharacteristically poor showing from Fury and Wilder has suggested that it is proof of foul play during their trilogy.
      The Bronze Bomber failed to beat the Brit, drawing once and losing the other two fights in the trilogy.
      He even knocked Fury to the floor multiple times during their third fight, but still ended up being knocked out by the Manchester born hitter.
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      And speaking to Blue Blood Sports TV he has hinted that there could be a reason why.
      He said: “I didn’t even get to watch the fight [Fury vs Ngannou]. I had a lot of people calling me about it, especially when he got dropped.
      “After the fight a lot of people were figuring out what was going on – ‘Maybe he did cheat, maybe he did have something in his gloves.’ All these things are coming up now. Everybody’s saying he lost.”
      There is no evidence that Fury cheated in any of his fights against Wilder.
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      Fury still remains undefeated after his matchup against Ngannou in October and will now look ahead to his next fight.
      The heavyweight hitter is going to take on Oleksandr Usyk in a world title showdown in February.
      The pair were due to come to blows in December, but have seen the fight rearranged following Fury’s victory over Ngannou.
      Wilder knocked Fury to the floor in their third fight, but the Gypsy King still came out on topCredit: Alamy Live News
      Fury will face Oleksandr Usyk nextCredit: Getty More

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      Jake Paul’s next fight CONFIRMED with YouTuber to return to boxing ring on December 15

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      JAKE PAUL has announced that he will be fighting Andre August on December 15.The fight will take place in Orlando, Florida, as the YouTuber returns to the ring for the first time since fighting MMA star Nate Diaz in August.
      Paul returns to the ring for the first time since his win against Nate Diaz in August.Credit: Alamy
      Ask and I shall deliver. August has more KO’s than me, more wins than me, more experience than me, but I like to gamble. The path to world champ starts here. Just straight up boxing. pic.twitter.com/5AoXxPmAPj— Jake Paul (@jakepaul) November 8, 2023

      According to combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani, the fight will take place at cruiserweight and consist of eight rounds.
      Confirming the fight on X, formerly known as Twitter, Paul, 26, wrote: “Ask and I shall deliver. August has more KO’s than me, more wins than me, more experience than me, but I like to gamble.
      “The path to world champ starts here. Just straight up boxing.”
      According to BoxRec, August, 35, has contested 12 professional bouts, winning 10 with five by knockout.
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      His only defeat came against fellow American boxer Eric Abraham in 2018.
      His most recent victory came against the until then undefeated 7-0 Brandon Martin which he won unanimously on points.
      While August is a relative unknown in boxing, it marks the first time that Paul has fought an out and out boxer.
      That’s reflected in his tweet where Paul says: “Just straight boxing” as it now appears the YouTuber will be moving away from exhibition bouts and towards becoming a fully-fledged professional.
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      Paul initially began by fighting fellow YouTubers but has more recently moved towards fighting former stars of the UFC.
      He defeated Ben Askren before beating Tyron Woodley twice.
      He then won bouts against UFC legends Anderson Silva and Nate Diaz.
      His most recent victory against Diaz arrived via unanimous decision in August.
      Paul has a 6-1 boxing record, with his only defeat coming against Tommy Fury this February in a bout in Saudi Arabia.
      Paul lost the bout via a split decision. More

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      Oleksandr Usyk’s promoter launches stinging attack on ‘random-thought generator’ Tyson Fury over world title showdown

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      OLEKSANDR USYK’S promoter Alex Krassyuk has hit out at Tyson Fury ahead of their upcoming world title showdown. Usyk and Fury will face off in a highly anticipated bout next year and the trash talk from the Ukranian’s camp has already begun.
      Oleksandr Usky’s promoter, Alex Krassyuk, has taken aim at Tyson FuryCredit: Instagram @alex.krassyuk
      Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk are set to come to blows next yearCredit: Getty
      The heavyweight pair were supposed to do battle this December, but Fury has postponed the fight following his close run affair with Francis Ngannou last month.
      The chopping and changing of the dates has already left Krassyuk frustrated with the promoter launching a scathing attack on The Gypsy King.
      Speaking to The Hook podcast, he said: “’In terms of that fight with Tyson Fury, listen, we friendly with hearts full of love called Tyson Fury a random-thought generator.
      “So that was one of his random thoughts before the fight and probably the other one after the fight. You cannot match it.’
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      And he didn’t stop at calling the Brit boxer a “random-thought generator” either.
      Krassyuk went on to take aim at Fury’s poor showing against Ngannou with the fight much closer than many boxing fans were expecting.
      He said: “Can you imagine [if he lost]? Usyk was sweating throughout the fight because there was a chance for Tyson to lose.
      “If he lost, who would watch this fight [Fury vs Usyk]? This [Ngannou] fight didn’t seem to be a big success in the US. A couple of hours ago, I saw the reports from the pay-per-views in the US. 
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      Usyk watched on from ringside for the Fury vs Francis Ngannou fightCredit: Getty
      “So this was the fight that did not bring that much attention. But I think it’s going to be completely different when he fights Usyk.
      “Usyk has always been confident in what he does. Otherwise, there is no space for him in boxing. 
      “I mean, he became the undisputed cruiserweight and he went to run for the undisputed heavyweight race. 
      “And well, that’s where he is now and he has just one belt left.”
      Question marks were raised after Fury only just squeezed past Ngannou via a split decision in their fight.
      It was the Cameroonian-French fighter’s first go at boxing after making the switch from UFC earlier this year.
      Fury was shockingly knocked down by Ngannou during their fightCredit: Getty More

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      Mike Tyson flies to remote village in Poland to buy 100 PIGEONS as heavyweight champion’s unusual passion is revealed

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      BOXING legend Mike Tyson took an unusual trip to a remote village in Poland.That’s so he could splash out on 100 PIGEONS.
      Mike Tyson visited a remote Polish video to buy 100 pigeonsCredit: https://www.instagram.com/teamhypetalk/
      Tyson travelled nearly 6,000 miles from his Las Vegas home for the beloved birdsCredit: https://www.instagram.com/teamhypetalk/
      Tyson, 57, is famous all over the world for being one of boxing’s most iconic fighters.
      The former world heavyweight champion won 50 of his 58 bouts after earning a reputation as a KO artist.
      But now that he’s retired, Tyson has plenty of hobbies on the side.
      The ace hosts one of the most popular podcasts around.
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      And he is also the owner of a lucrative cannabis empire, earning a mind-boggling £500,000 each month.
      However, Tyson also has another passion — pigeons.
      The softie has been caring for the birds since his early years growing up in Brooklyn.
      And Tyson stunned locals this week when he rocked up to a remote village in Poland.
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      Tyson is a big fan of pigeonsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      He has enjoyed a bond with the creatures since he was a childCredit: Getty
      Piatnica Poduchowna is located in the north-east of the country and has a population of just 1,800.
      But Tyson made the 5,748 mile journey from his home in Las Vegas to acquire not just one but 100 pigeons.
      Brilliant pictures showed Tyson posing with a local pigeon trader while showing off his trademark clenched fist.
      The boxing icon is sure to be delighted with his purchase, having forged a deep bond with pigeons throughout his life.
      Reflecting on his relationship with the birds, Tyson previously said: “I always loved pigeons ever since I was a child.
      “They teach us the importance of being compassionate.
      “They were my escape. I was fat and ugly. Kids teased me all the time, the only joy I had was pigeons.”
      On one occasion, Tyson even dumped a partner after she tried making him eat a pigeon.
      He explained: “I tried, I tried (to eat one). I was dating this young lady and she said ‘I don’t know why you’re flying those damn birds, you should be eating them’.
      “She happened to grab one and cooked one and proceeded to eat it, And I just couldn’t do it.
      “It just wasn’t the right thing to do. That’s why she’s not my woman anymore.”
      Tyson has also revealed he KO’d a binman who dumped the body of his favourite pigeon in a dumpster.
      Tyson said: “One morning i woke up and found my favourite pigeon had died.
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      “I was devastated, I left the crate and I returned to see the sanitation man put the crate in a crusher.
      “I rushed him and caught him flush on the temple with a titanic right hand, he was out cold.”
      Tyson has plenty of stories to tell about pigeonsCredit: Reuters
      He has plenty knocking around his Vegas homeCredit: Instagram / @miketyson More

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      Anthony Joshua shows off gruesome scars on his knuckles after ‘fighting six guys on his own instead of getting chicken’

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      ANTHONY JOSHUA once got into a fight with six guys while heading to a chicken shop.Former two-time heavyweight champion AJ sat down for a candid chat with BBC documentary-maker Louis Theroux.
      Anthony Joshua showed off his gruesome scarsCredit: BBC Two
      The former heavyweight star let Louis Theroux inspect his handsCredit: BBC two
      AJ appeared on a BBC documentary with TherouxCredit: BBC Two
      As their conversation began, Joshua showed Theroux the numerous scars on his hands from fighting.
      The 34-year-old has fought a who’s who of heavyweight stars including Wladimir Klitschko and Oleksandr Usyk.
      But it was a group of guys on the way to the chicken shop that inflicted one of his battle scars.
      Showing Theroux his hands, he said: “My skin doesn’t heal too well.
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      “This knuckle, I was going to get chicken one evening and I ended up fighting six guys on my own.
      “Massive. Really good scrap.”
      During their chat, Joshua also revealed to Theroux that he still lives with his mum in London.
      Opening up on his family life, he said: “In our culture you grow up with your family. We grow up in our own family homes for a long time. We support our parents.
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      “Why am I gonna move out and leave my mum by herself? For some girl?”
      On his traditional view of relationships, he said: “When a man marries she becomes a child of the mum.”
      The 6ft 6in star then added: “When a girl gets with me she ain’t just marrying me, she’s marrying my family.”
      Joshua also admitted to smoking marijuana at just 13-years-old.
      Lifting the lid on how he left those days in the past, he continued: “If you can’t get the distractions out of your life, you can’t get your full attention on improving as an athlete.
      “For me, when I stopped smoking I was able to progress.”
      Theroux asked Joshua about his family lifeCredit: BBC Two More