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      Boxer Nick Blackwell shows off three-stone body transformation after nearly dying in ring and becoming ‘unrecognisable’

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      FORMER boxer Nick Blackwell has showed off his amazing body transformation.Blackwell, 32, nearly died in the ring after suffering a bleed on the brain following his middleweight title fight with Chris Eubank Jr in March 2016.
      Nick Blackwell shared his inspirational body transformationCredit: https://twitter.com/nickblackwell02/status/1660642129402576897/photo/1
      Blackwell said he looked ‘unrecognisable’ as his old selfCredit: https://twitter.com/nickblackwell02/status/1660642129402576897/photo/1
      The 32-year-old is a former British middleweight championCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Blackwell suffered a bleed on his brain after a fight against Chris Eubank Jr.Credit: Reuters
      And after a huge struggle with his mental health, Blackwell has now revealed a stunning body transformation which has seen him lose three stone.
      Taking to his Twitter page, the former British middleweight champion shared two images of himself – one taken four years ago and one now.
      Blackwell, from Trowbridge in Wiltshire, described himself as “unrecognisable” in the older picture.
      He said: “It’s taken 4 years to lose 3 stone because of my disabilities and my brain Injury, but I’ve done it with support of my partner, balanced meals, little exercise.
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      “I was unrecognisable as the old nick after my coma and it effect my mental health. FOLLOW ME show support #weightloss #tbi #braininjury.”
      The inspirational post left fans praising his journey.
      One said: “Bang Bang! Well done fella! Keep up the great work! This is the biggest fight of your life and you are killing it! Super proud of you Nick! Keep inspiring people by being yourself!”
      A second commented: “Pleased for you, Nick. That would not have been easy for you either – strength and dedication.”
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      A third replied: “Your one hell of a man Nick, truly inspirational mate.
      “It must be so hard for you to deal with a brain injury everyday, but you make it look easy mate. I for one appreciate all your tweets, so thank you mate and keep on fighting 👏🏾💪🏾❤.”
      Another shared: “Great stuff mate your smashing it. In a world with so many crap role models your one of the top role models not only for kids but for adults. Fair play to you a true champion of life. 💪🏻.”
      “Congratulations bro keep it up, namaste,” typed a fifth.
      Blackwell’s injury left him in a coma for SEVEN days.
      However, just ten months after recovering from surgery for the incident, he tried to make his return to the ring with a sparring session.
      This went against doctors advice and came to bite him, with Blackwell being left “unable to walk” after going 12 rounds with a boxer called Hasan Karkardi.
      This led to part of his SKULL being removed to relieve pressure on his brain, leaving him in a coma for a month on this occasion.
      Following his second near-death experience, Blackwell told The Telegraph: “I died in the ambulance after the Eubank fight. They brought me back to life.
      “The second time, they cut a section out of my skull to relieve the swelling on my brain.
      “They placed it inside my stomach to keep it alive until it went back. Crazy.
      “I was told there was a 75 per cent chance of dying. If I survived, there was an 85 per cent chance of being paralysed down my left side.”
      Robert Smith, general secretary of the British Boxing Board of Control, told SunSport: “I understand he was sparring, fell ill, was taken to hospital and then underwent a procedure.
      “I don’t know exactly what the procedure was, other than the fact they tried to relieve pressure on the brain and he’s now in a stable condition. That’s all I know.
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      “I’m sickened by it. It’s a very tough sport and the doctors here did a wonderful job to save his life. The doctors at hospital saved his life and kept him going.
      “He made remarkable recovery and for somebody to go and do what he’s done, for what I thought was a very sensible young man, is just beyond belief.” More

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      Tyson Fury beams as he meets die-hard fan who has huge tattoo of Gypsy King on his back

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      TYSON FURY beamed as he met a die-hard fan who has a huge tattoo of the Gypsy King on his back. The WBC heavyweight champion is currently in Australia, supporting training partner and friend Joseph Parker.
      Tyson Fury meets a fan with a tattoo of himCredit: Instagram @tysonfury
      Tyson Fury celebrating his win over Deontay Wilder in 2020Credit: Reuters
      Fury was met with much fanfare on arrival Down Under and even bumped into a super-supporter so loyal he’s had the heavyweight icon inked on him.
      The British superstar grinned and pointed to the fans’ tattoo, which portrays Fury celebrating his 2020 win over Deontay Wilder.
      Parker, 31, faces Faiga Opel, 29, in Melbourne tomorrow night and will have the backing of Fury, who made the near 11,000 mile trip over.
      And his arrival brought the shock revelation that he could be in line to fight Aussie heavyweight Demsey McKean.
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      McKean’s manager Angelo Di Carlo told The Herald Sun: “Chats began some time ago for Demsey to fight Tyson Fury in Australia and I think Demsey is the best option for the Gypsy King.
      “We’re certainly keen to do the fight. We’ve had a good association with Matchroom and we have great respect for Eddie Hearn, but I’ll have more talks with Fury’s camp and see where that takes us.
      “If Tyson Fury wants to fight in Australia, the logical option is to fight an Aussie fighter and talking to Fury’s people, they don’t want to fight a small heavyweight.
      “We’ve been given a possible date to fight Fury in August, so hopefully we can make it happen.”
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      McKean, 32, is signed to Hearn’s Matchroom banner and is currently 22-0 with 14 knockouts.
      And he was hired as Anthony Joshua’s sparring before before the Brit’s loss to Oleksandr Usyk in September 2021.
      McKean was also considered as an opponent for Joshua this year before Jermaine Franklin was ultimately selected.
      But the Aussie could get his shot at the big time against Fury, who has not returned since beating Derek Chisora in December.
      He was in talks for the heavyweight division’s first four-belt undisputed decider against Usyk this year.
      But the deal broke down amid a row over the potential split for a rematch between the two.
      So Fury, 34, was looking to come back in the summer at Wembley but found very little available opponents available.
      It led the two-time unbeaten champion to name Australia as a potential host for his very next bout.
      Fury said: “I’m definitely keen, it may even be my next fight, over here. I just haven’t got an opponent yet, so we’re going to figure it out.
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      “Over the next few days we’re going to be travelling around to a few different states and looking at some potential venues for my next fight.
      “Australians are always crazy boxing fans, so it would be great to get the Gypsy King Down Under.”
      Tyson Fury is Australia in support of Joseph ParkerCredit: Getty More

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      Conor McGregor and Eddie Hearn involved in ringside row during Katie Taylor’s fight card

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      EDDIE HEARN had a “friendly row” with Conor McGregor over his choice of matchmaking. McGregor was a special guest at ringside in Ireland for Katie Taylor’s homecoming fight against Chantelle Cameron.
      Conor McGregor with Eddie Hearn in DublinCredit: Getty
      The UFC superstar was left gutted following Taylor’s points loss but Hearn revealed he was upset well before the main event.
      In the co-headliner, lightweight Gary Cully was stunned to a first ever defeat after being knocked out by Jose Felix Jr.
      McGregor fumed at Hearn for choosing Felix as the opponent but the promoter defended his decision.
      He told iFL TV: “He never recovered from the first knockdown.
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      “Got overexcited, had his chin in the air, got hit by a Mexican who can punch.
      “I had a bit of a row, a friendly row, with Conor McGregor, because he said, ‘Why did you put him in with him?’
      “You’ve got to beat kids like that. Tyrone McKenna beat him, Sandor Martin beat him.
      “You are talking about Gary Cully being a world-class lightweight, you have to beat guys like that.
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      “He would have beaten him if he would have boxed smart, but it was a devastating defeat and he’s going to learn a lot from that.
      “He’s going to come back from that and maybe he needs to look to move up to 140lbs as well.
      “He looks so tired at that weight and that was 138lbs.”
      Cully, 27, was floored twice before being stopped on his feet by Felix, 31, losing for the first time in 17 bouts.
      And it was further heartbreak as Taylor, 36, lost a decision against Cameron, 32, for the undisputed super-lightweight titles.
      McGregor, 34, had the bout level as he took to Instagram in praise of his nation’s most beloved sports star.
      He posted: “Our hero! Thank you for an amazing event @katie_t86! I had the fight scored a draw.
      “A very close bout where you once again showed your heart, your skills, your fitness and your toughness. You are an Irish Warrior!
      “I love you Katie, I am honored to know you and be in your presence! Thank you so much!

      “Onwards and upwards we go! Just another day for Katie Tay! For God and for Country.”
      Katie Taylor consoled after defeat by Conor McGregorCredit: Sportsfile More

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      Fans fear for Nate Diaz against Jake Paul as ‘slow and loopy’ boxing training footage emerges

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      NATE DIAZ has fans fearing for him ahead of his fight with Jake Paul fight after footage of his boxing training emerged. The ex-UFC star faces YouTuber-turned prizefighter Paul in his professional boxing debut on August 5 in Texas.
      Footage of Nate Diaz’s boxing training has been revealed
      And a clip has done the rounds on social media of Diaz hitting pads but it left some worrying for him.
      One said: “Slow and loopy is what I see, Nate has decent hands in MMA= junk hands in boxing.”
      Another added: “Oh lord… He going to sleep.”
      One agreed: “Jake Paul is gonna smoke Nate.”
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      Influencer boxer Slim Albaher tweeted: “Jake Paul is gonna sleep him.”
      It is unclear when the footage was recorded but others have thrown their support to Diaz.
      One said: “Easy win for Nate.”
      Another said: “Diaz is going to absolutely destroy Jake Paul.”
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      Paul, 26, was beaten for the first time in February, losing a split-decision in Saudi Arabia to Tommy Fury, 23.
      He then snubbed a rematch to instead turn his attention to Diaz, 38, who left the UFC last year when his contract expired.
      Paul said: “Nate Diaz was always the plan. I’ve always said – even in the Tommy Fury build up – that I wanted Nate Diaz after Tommy.
      “And that really was regardless of the outcome, I’ve always wanted to fight Nate Diaz, so he was always next on my list.
      “There’s always a bunch of options and one day you’re like, ‘I want to do this, I want to do that.’
      “But I went back to the Nate Diaz idea as like the original plan and he was ready and wiling to make the fight happen and it just made more sense than the Tommy Fury rematch right away.”
      Jake Paul facing off with Nate DiazCredit: @mostvaluablepromotions More

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      Lawrence Okolie vs Chris Billam-Smith tale of the tape – where the cruiserweight world title fight will be won and lost

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      LAWRENCE OKOLIE and Chris Billam-Smith will put friendship aside when the WBO cruiserweight title goes on the line. The former sparring partners clash at Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium on Saturday night.

      Okolie, 30, defends his title but does so behind enemy lines against Cherries fan and hometown hero Billam-Smith, 32.
      The pair were once training partners under esteemed British trainer Shane McGuigan.
      But after Okolie left the camp, it opened the door for the friends to turn foes in the ring.
      The 2016 Olympian laboured to a points win over David Light in his March return bout but wanted a quick turnaround.
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      So when Billam-Smith was searching for an opponent to welcome to his beloved Bournemouth stadium, Okolie was raring to go.
      The champion comes into the bout with an unbeaten 19-0 record and has 14 knockouts to go with it.
      Whereas Billam-Smith has been beaten once before in his 18, to Richard Riakporhe, 33, by split-decision in 2019.
      Okolie at 6ft 5in carries a two inch height advantage and is one of the hardest punchers not only at cruiserweight but in the world.
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      And most notably, he has a 82+1⁄2 inch reach compared to Billam-Smith’s 75 inch range.
      The fight makes for a good clash of styles, with Okolie preferring to box at range, using his length to let off his big right hand.
      Whereas Billam-Smith finds a lot of success at mid and close range, tucking in his elbows with a tight guard and letting combinations fly.
      If the challenger is to have success in the bout, he needs to close the distance and overwhelm Okolie with flurries.
      For the champion, he will look to keep the fight long, use his jab to set up the right hand and spoil on the inside when needed.
      But after 300 rounds of sparring between them, it remains to be seen whether the two will open up having known each other so well.

      Chris Billam-Smith and Lawrence Okolie are former sparring partners
      Lawrence Okolie, promoter Ben Shalom and Chris Billam-SmithCredit: BOXXER / Lawrence Lustig More

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      Tyson Fury ‘in talks’ to fight Anthony Joshua’s former sparring partner in Australia in August with Usyk scrap no closer

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      TYSON FURY is in talks for a fight in August in Australia against Demsey McKean, boxing manager Angelo Di Carlo said. Fury has been searching for a summer return after talks to face Oleksandr Usyk in a title unification earlier in the year collapsed.
      Tyson Fury pictured in Australia ahead of Joseph Parker’s fightCredit: Getty
      Anthony Joshua pictured with ex-sparring partner Demsey McKean
      The WBC champion is in Australia to support training partner and friend Joseph Parker, who fights Faiga Opel in Melbourne.
      Fury claimed he is looking to fight in the region one day and could get his wish granted.
      McKean’s manager Di Carlo claimed discussions have been ongoing for the unbeaten heavyweight to fight the Gypsy King.
      He told The Herald Sun: “Chats began some time ago for Demsey to fight Tyson Fury in Australia and I think Demsey is the best option for the Gypsy King.
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      “We’re certainly keen to do the fight. We’ve had a good association with Matchroom and we have great respect for Eddie Hearn, but I’ll have more talks with Fury’s camp and see where that takes us.
      “If Tyson Fury wants to fight in Australia, the logical option is to fight an Aussie fighter and talking to Fury’s people, they don’t want to fight a small heavyweight.
      “We’ve been given a possible date to fight Fury in August, so hopefully we can make it happen.”
      McKean, 32, is signed to Hearn’s Matchroom banner and is currently 22-0 with 14 knockouts.
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      And he was hired as Anthony Joshua’s sparring before before the Brit’s loss to Usyk, 36, in September 2021.
      McKean was also considered as an opponent for Joshua, 33, this year before Jermaine Franklin, 29, was ultimately selected.
      But the Aussie could get his shot at the big time against Fury, who has not returned since beating Derek Chisora, 39, in December.
      He was in talks for the heavyweight division’s first four-belt undisputed decider this year.
      But the deal broke down amid a row over the potential split for a rematch between the two.
      So Fury, 34, was looking to come back in the summer at Wembley but found very little available opponents available.
      It led the two-time unbeaten champion to name Australia as a potential host for his very next bout.
      Fury said: “I’m definitely keen, it may even be my next fight, over here. I just haven’t got an opponent yet, so we’re going to figure it out.

      “Over the next few days we’re going to be travelling around to a few different states and looking at some potential venues for my next fight.
      “Australians are always crazy boxing fans, so it would be great to get the Gypsy King Down Under.”
      Tyson Fury and Joseph Parker together in AustraliaCredit: Getty More

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      Eddie Hearn reveals Dana White ‘inspiration’ for dramatic 18-month body transformation and says ‘mate, give me the plan’

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      EDDIE HEARN has revealed UFC boss Dana White was the inspiration behind his body transformation.The boxing promoter, 43, who guides the careers of fighters such as Anthony Joshua and Katie Taylor, has trimmed down his physique over the past 18 months.

      Dana White remains ripped despite being 53 years of ageCredit: Instagram
      He has lost 37 pounds across that period of time, dropping from 19st 11lbs to 17st 2lbs.
      And he has now spoken about how White, 53, gave him the motivation to improve his own physical wellbeing.
      The UFC chief went on a three-year body transformation after being told he had ten years to live.
      And speaking about how that galvanised him to get in shape, Hearn told Men’s Health: “Look at Dana White. I spoke to him two days ago. He’s been working with a guy called Gary Brecka, who has a company that tells you how long you have left to live.
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      Eddie Hearn admits he felt sluggish before losing the weight over the past 18 monthsCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
      Hearn has even squeezed in sessions with Anthony JoshuaCredit: Instagram
      “Before he started working with him, he apparently had a life expectancy of 10.4 years. Now, they’ve completely changed around his insulin, his glucose, his cholesterol, everything.
      “I look at Dana now and physically as well as from a business point of view, he’s a bit of an inspiration for me.
      “His physique is my dream physique. I texted him about the pictures that he put out and I went ‘Mate, give me the plan.’
      “He said, he used to wake up coughing in the night and couldn’t tie his shoelaces in the morning.
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      “It wasn’t quite as bad as that for me, but when I used to put my trousers on in the morning, I’d feel s**t.”
      Hearn’s “sluggish” feeling was one of the reasons he decided to get in shape.
      He also insists the Conor Benn doping saga was another motivating factor behind his fitness frenzy as he attempted to deal with the intensity of the situation.
      He went on to add: “I knew I needed to make a change, but there’s this perception that men in their 40s who get fit and start to dress a bit younger or cooler, are having a midlife crisis.
      “The reality is, it’s not that at all, it’s just you’re realising you need to make a change because life’s passing you by. I’m not 28 anymore. I’m coming up to my 50s.
      “I want to live a great life, and the only way I’m going to do that, with all the pressure and the hate is to keep myself in shape.
      “Because when you’re in better shape and mentally in a better place, all the other stuff is a lot easier to deal with.”
      White, left, has been an inspiration to Hearn, right, with the pair seen here with Billy Joe SaundersCredit: Instagram More

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      Conor McGregor’s ex-sparring partner makes stunning prediction for fight between UFC icon and Jake Paul

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      PAULIE MALIGNAGGI has thrown another dig at Conor McGregor – by backing Jake Paul to knock him out. There is no love lost between Malignaggi and McGregor following their bitter sparring sessions in 2017.
      Pauli Malignaggi sparring Conor McGregorCredit: Twitter
      Jake Paul in training for his next fightCredit: @jakepaul
      And the former world champion boxer has shown no signs of letting his grudge go in the years since.
      It has led him to pick YouTuber-turned prizefighter Paul, 26, beating McGregor, 34, in the ring amid the prospect of a mega-fight.
      Malignaggi, 42, told Betway: “I think Jake Paul would knock Conor out.
      “Conor is too susceptible to those loopy shots and Jake hits hard enough that only needs to hit you with one or two of them.
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      “I think Conor has decent sharp shots but I don’t think Conor has the discipline to stay with those little sharp shots for a certain amount of rounds.
      “I think he would fall apart because he doesn’t have a lot of heart. Conor has no balls.
      “If you take Conor a few rounds he already has this very big discomfort and mistakes naturally create themselves. You don’t even have to create them anymore.
      “I think he would do OK for a couple of rounds, but if you didn’t get Jake out in a couple of rounds, I think Jake would knock him out, and he would probably knock out with a big shot.”
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      McGregor sparred Malignaggi twice before his professional boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather in 2017.
      But following leaked images and footage of the session, Malignaggi stormed out of the Irishman’s camp.
      McGregor would go on to lose to Mayweather in ten rounds and despite teasing a return to the ring it remains his only boxing bout.
      And having shared the ring with the ex-UFC champion behind closed doors, Malignaggi claimed he knew the result was inevitable.
      He said: “Coming out of that spar I thought this has got to be the biggest money heist in the history of money.
      “This guy is so terrible and he’s going to fight Mayweather, probably the best boxer in the history of the sport.
      “Even though he’s retired, Mayweather is going to beat this guy with his eyes closed. And that’s basically how it went. He played with them.”
      Paulie Malignaggi sparred twice with Conor McGregor
      Floyd Mayweather beat Conor McGregor in 2017Credit: Reuters More