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      Jake Paul called out by Big Brother star for never-before-seen mixed boxing and MMA fight

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      JAKE PAUL has been called out to a never-before-seen mixed-rules fight by MMA star Antonio Carlos Junior. The YouTuber-turned boxer is signed to the Professional Fighters League and talking up an anticipated cage debut. Jake Paul has been called out to a mixed-rules fight by MMA star Antonio Carlos JuniorCredit: CELSIUS/Alex SubersAntonio Carlos Junior won the PFL title in 2021And former PFL champion Junior is ready to meet Paul halfway by proposing the first ever boxing fight in an MMA cage. He told SunSport: “We can do boxing in MMA gloves, or regular boxing, MMA. I’m a martial artist. So whatever it is, I’m in. “But it will not end good for him, at all.” Junior – who starred on Brazilian Big Brother last year – returns to this year’s PFL season after coming back from an ACL injury. READ MORE IN MMAThe Brazilian scooped the light-heavyweight title and $1million cash prize in 2021. But he had to pull out injured just two bouts into the 2022 campaign, missing last year’s as a result. Meanwhile Paul, 27, faces boxing icon Mike Tyson, 57, on July 20 in a controversial clash scrutinised over the 30-year age gap. And Junior, 34, raged: “He never really fights a guy in their prime. Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS“Now he’s going to fight Mike Tyson, who is 57. He’s too old. He was the GOAT, the greatest but now he’s old, it’s different. “Jake, he always fights the guys coming to retirement or whatever.Mike Tyson admits to being ‘scared to death’ of Jake Paul fight”I’d like to see him fight some real fighters in their prime. “He says he wants to fight in MMA, we’re both in the PFL, we can both make the same weight, I don’t know what he’s waiting for.”  More

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      Boxing world champion announces MMA debut and eyes rematch with bitter rival in whole new sport

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      SAVANNAH MARSHALL will become the latest boxing star to make the switch to MMA when she makes her debut on June 8. The undisputed super-middleweight world champion has signed with the Professional Fighters League. Savannah Marshall will make her MMA debut on June 8Credit: GettyAnd she will make her MMA debut in the summer on a PFL Europe card in Newcastle having penned a deal last year. Marshall will even headline the event at the Utilita Arena with her opponent yet to be confirmed. She told Sky Sports: “It’s exciting, it’s new, it’s something that I’m really interested in. “Sometimes in training, I feel good and I think yeah I’m getting it now and other times I’m getting tapped like that and I think: ‘I am terrible at this.’ It’s exciting for me because it’s new.READ MORE IN MMA”It’s BJJ, you’ve got kickboxing, you’ve got judo, wrestling so it’s a mix of all these different sports that I’ve never ever tried.”Marshall, 32, last won in July beating Franchon Crews-Dezurn, 36, to win all four 168lb titles.But she will now turn her attention to MMA, where arch rival Claressa Shields, 29, is currently 2-1 and also signed to the PFL. Seven-division women’s champ Amanda Serrano, 35, is another boxer-turned MMA fighter signed with the PFL. Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSBut Marshall – who was beaten by Shields in their bitter grudge bout in 2022 – is eyeing revenge in the cage. PFL CEO Peter Murray said: “Savannah and Claressa Shields competed in one of the most-watched women’s boxing matchups in history when they first fought.”And now with Savannah’s MMA debut, the two are on a collision course for a rematch wearing four ounce gloves and settling the score in the PFL SmartCage.”Claressa Shields could rematch Marshall in the MMA cageCredit: Richard Pelham / The SunMMA star left brutally ‘folded like a chair’ after stunning ‘face plant KO’ in Bellator Belfast fight More

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      Jake Paul slams ‘jealous’ Conor McGregor as he responds to UFC legend’s criticism of Mike Tyson fight

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      JAKE PAUL has hit back at “jealous” Conor McGregor’s criticism of his fight with Mike Tyson. YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul faces heavyweight boxing icon Tyson in a controversial clash on July 20 in Texas. Jake Paul and Mike Tyson facing offCredit: @jakepaulBy the time the fight for the ages comes around, Tyson will be 58 and have a 31-year age gap with 27-year-old Paul. It has led the likes of McGregor to blast the bout but Paul was quick to hit back on his podcast. He said: “So Conor, you’re saying the interest is low for the fight, but the last fight you announced, there was a thousand articles written in a multi-day span, people talking about your last fight. “In that same multiple-day span, there were ten thousand articles written about this. READ MORE IN BOXING”No fight ever has done these numbers in terms of face-off views and Instagram reels.”Just on our main pages alone, it’s like 50 or 60 million Instagram views on both of our posts. “Not to mention every single other sports page posting it. This is, in my mind, the biggest fight the world will ever see. “There’s no reason for them to be jealous; I get people are jealous, but when the old heads like Conor are trying to hate, it’s like, why are you trying to pull people down?”Most read in BoxingCredit: The SunCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSPaul is 9-1 as a boxer, suffering his only defeat last year to Tommy Fury, 24, before bouncing back with three straight wins. Tyson meanwhile retired in 2005 officially but did return in 2020 to draw over eight exhibition rounds with fellow great Roy Jones Jr. Jake Paul fumes ‘we live in a f***ed up world’ over shock claims Mike Tyson fight has an ‘agreed’ ending McGregor, 35, who has not fought since July 2021 but looks set for a summer return, has been probed on Tyson’s comeback of late. And he said: “Oh, jeez. It’s a bit strange. The interest is low. I don’t know. I don’t understand it. I wish well for Mike.”Conor McGregor slammed Jake Paul’s fight with Mike TysonCredit: Splash More

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      Fans ask ‘did he hire Wilder as a spin doctor?’ after Francis Ngannou’s bizarre excuse for Anthony Joshua defeat

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      FRANCIS NGANNOU has drawn unwanted comparisons to serial excuse maker Deontay Wilder following defeat to Anthony Joshua.Ngannou was brutally knocked out by Joshua in two rounds of their Saudi showdown which started at 3am local time. Francis Ngannou was knocked out by Anthony JoshuaCredit: GettyDeontay Wilder was full of excuses after defeat to Tyson FuryCredit: AFPAnd the MMA star claimed he was picked up to go to the arena too early and was tricked into waiting around for hours until the fight. Ngannou, 37, said on The MMA Hour: “Listen, we both fought at 3am. “What I think happened is that they get me to the arena very early. Like my pickup time was 10.30pm to go to the arena.”And then when we get to the arena, they tell us that we are scheduled around 1:45am right?READ MORE IN BOXING”They come to the locker around 1am and Joshua [was just arriving around 1]. I’m like, ‘OK, we are fighting at the same time, how come I have a pickup time?'”We received a schedule, an email, and then for some reason I was there at least one hour before. But for the fight, at least two hours beforehand.”They do this kind of trick to get you tired. I was like cool, I was like, ‘Bro, it’s okay.’ “I didn’t know how important that was, until the fight day that I had to get there two hours before.”Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSNgannou showed shades of Wilder, who infamously gave a string of excuses following his rematch loss to Tyson Fury. They ranged from his ring walk outfit being too heavy, his water being spiked by his own coach and suffering a bicep injury. Paris Fury looks horrified as Francis Ngannou collapses to floor after he’s brutally knocked out by Anthony JoshuaAnd after his most recent loss to Joseph Parker in December, he complained of a 20-hour flight and lack of sparring for the bout. So Ngannou was likened to Wilder when claiming he was taken to the arena too early for his liking.One said: “Did he hire Deontay Wilder as a spin doctor?” Another added: “Francis Ngannou/Deontay Wilder. Excuse machines.” Ngannou – who was still having medical checks a WEEK after the KO – put his MMA career on hold to make a switch to boxing.He faced Fury, 35, on his debut, even scoring a knockdown, before losing a controversial split-decision.READ MORE SUN STORIESBut his compressive defeat to Joshua, 34, leaves his boxing future in doubt amid talk of a return to MMA.Ngannou’s boxing future has been left in doubtCredit: Getty More

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      ‘I wasn’t there anymore’ – Francis Ngannou makes worrying admission after being knocked out by Anthony Joshua

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      FRANCIS NGANNOU made a worrying admission after being brutally knocked out by Anthony Joshua.AJ finished the ex-UFC champion in two rounds following three knockdowns and one final ruthless right hand.Francis Ngannou made a worrying admission after being knocked out by Anthony JoshuaCredit: GettyNgannou, 37, was left needing oxygen following the finishing shot and has now revealed he has no memory of the KO. He said on The MMA Hour: “When the fight started, I was never there. “Even the first minute, I remember when I get hit, the first punch, I was more surprised about the fact that I’m falling down from that punch than the punch itself. “You know, sometimes even in sparring, you take some punch and you’re like, ‘Damn, this guy hit hard,’ but you’re all right.READ MORE IN BOXING”I take a punch, the first punch, I was awake, but I didn’t really feel it. I find myself down, I’m like, ‘Man, what’s going on?’ “I’m being counted, so, okay, let’s take your time to get back up.’ Take my time, get back up, and things were still a little blurry.”I went to the corner, and we started to talk, and they were talking to me, I was listening. “My memory and my vision and everything kept going. I never came back from the stool. Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”I don’t remember from when I came back from the stool to go back to the second round.”From there from the stool in between the round, I wasn’t there anymore.”Oleksandr Usyk grimaces as he watches Anthony Joshua’s brutal KO of Francis Ngannou Ngannou – who was still having medical checks a WEEK after the KO – put his MMA career on hold to make a switch to boxing. He faced Tyson Fury, 35, on his debut, even scoring a knockdown, before losing a controversial split-decision. But his compressive defeat to Joshua, 34, leaves his boxing future in doubt amid talk of a return to MMA. Ngannou was knocked out in two rounds by AJCredit: Getty More

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      Anthony Joshua’s KO of Francis Ngannou was so devastating the ex-UFC champ is still having medical tests a week later

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      FRANCIS NGANNOU revealed he was still having medical tests a week after his brutal knockout loss to Anthony Joshua. AJ finished the ex-UFC champion in two rounds following three knockdowns and one final ruthless right hand.Francis Ngannou revealed he was still having medical tests a week after his KO to Anthony JoshuaCredit: ReutersNgannou was left needing oxygen following the finishing shot but spoke out on Instagram Live a week later to give fans an update. He said: “I was conscious right after (the KO), and since then everything’s been good. I’m still going to run some medical work, just in case.”Ngannou, 37, had dropped Tyson Fury on his boxing debut only to lose a controversial split-decision in October. But Joshua, 34, helped restore order in the ring just five months later with his emphatic finish. READ MORE IN BOXINGNgannou – now 0-2 as a boxer – revealed he was “falling asleep” while warming up to fight AJ as the bout did not start till 3am in Saudi Arabia. He said: “Leading up to that fight, it wasn’t my day.”Not to say the result would have been different but it wasn’t my day. At any moment of the day, I felt like I wasn’t good to go.“Even in the locker room, trying warm up, it wasn’t going well. I was falling asleep. I was sweating but I was falling asleep. Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”That’s why I took some time out for me, some time to reflect on everything that happened to me.“Heads up to Anthony Joshua, they did everything right. Heads up to my team too, we did everything properly but I didn’t execute the plan because I didn’t feel present.”Oleksandr Usyk grimaces as he watches Anthony Joshua’s brutal KO of Francis Ngannou Ngannou walked out on the UFC and put his MMA career on hold to make the lucrative switch to boxing – which ultimately banked him around £20million. He instead signed for the Professional Fighters League but insisted his business in boxing is not yet over. Ngannou said: “I am not done yet. The only thing missing here was time.”I will take some time for myself to chill, then come back to training to get ready for another challenge.”Joshua knocked Ngannou out in round twoCredit: Getty More

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      Oleksandr Usyk grimaces as he watches Anthony Joshua’s brutal KO of Francis Ngannou

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      OLEKSANDR USYK was left grimacing after watching back Anthony Joshua’s brutal knockout of Francis Ngannou. Joshua floored Ngannou three times in two rounds with the final ruthless right hand finishing the job. Oleksandr Usyk grimaced after watching back Anthony Joshua’s KO of Francis NgannouCredit: X@DAZNBoxingJoshua stopped Ngannou in two roundsCredit: GettyBut Usyk might not have even seen the final blow having refused to watch on after AJ’s second knockdown. DAZN played back the fight to the Ukrainian and his reaction to Ngannou, 37, hitting the deck for the second time was that of shock. And he closed the laptop down to watch on no more, missing the moment the MMA star got to his feet only to be KO’d with the very next punch. Usyk, 36, returns on May 18 in the heavyweight division’s first four-belt unification bout against Fury, 35. READ MORE IN BOXINGThe pair are contracted to rematch right after but Joshua, 34, will hope to muscle his way into a title shot. And AJ – who has twice lost to Usyk – insisted he is just a phone call away if either want to get a deal done. He told Sky Sports: “For my career, I feel like wins are just left in the past, you can’t dwell on them too long because there’s always another challenge coming up. “I feel like a win just moves me onto not dwelling in my sorrows to much because a loss isn’t nice for anyone.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS”And then in terms of Usyk and Fury, it’s really up to them. I’m only a phonecall away, even better, I’m only a tweet away. You can tweet me and we can make the deal, so it will happen.” On the Fury bout, Joshua said: “I’ll fight him in his back garden, it doesn’t matter to me. I’m a fighting man, you know what I’m saying? “Wherever, whenever, however – it doesn’t matter. As long as we deliver for the fans, that’s the main thing.”Inside Anthony Joshua’s amazing car collection More

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      Conor McGregor sensationally opens door to fighting ‘NERDS’ Jake Paul, KSI and Tommy Fury and picks his top choice

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      CONOR McGREGOR has sensationally opened the door to fighting Jake Paul, KSI and Tommy Fury – calling the trio “NERDS.” McGregor has been called out by all three celebrity boxing stars but the UFC legend has always distanced himself from the crossover bouts. Conor McGregor opened the door to fighting Jake Paul, KSI and Tommy FuryCredit: SplashBut now it appears he has had a change of heart when probed on a move back to boxing and picked KSI as the best of the bunch to fight. He told SneekPeakTV: “Yeah you know, the YouTube nerds could be like, I would consider that a nixer. “Your Uncle’s friend needs a f****** radiator fitted in his house, so you’ll do a side job, and get side pay.“I would consider them guys to be nixers. If I was to pick one out of them, I would say KSI, he has a big name in the U.K.”READ MORE IN UFCThe term “nixer” is Irish slang for a side job. And McGregor in 2017 put aside his MMA career to cross over to boxing to face American icon Floyd Mayweather, losing in ten rounds. But due to his current UFC contract – which has two bouts remaining on it – the Irishman is prohibited from another boxing switch. Although that has not stopped Paul – who returns against 57-year-old Mike Tyson on July 20 – from continuing to call McGregor out. Most read in BoxingCHELTENHAM BETTING OFFERS – BEST FREE BET DEALS FOR THE FESTIVALMeanwhile Fury – who has beaten both Paul and KSI – became the latest to challenge the MMA great following news of Tyson’s shock comeback. And McGregor, 35, said in response: “The Pauls – that Tyson fight is just a strange one to me, I hope Tyson takes his nose off.’I don’t think either of us know’, admits Conor McGregor on UFC future after ‘lack of transparency’ over return fight“I’m sure at some stage [I’ll end up fighting one of them], I’m sure at some stage. You know, we’ll go through all of these guys.“Fury called me out yesterday, and he beat Jake and he fought KSI so it’s just like another little world isn’t it?”McGregor is yet to fight since July 2021, when he broke his leg in the opening rounds of his fight with Dustin Poirier, 35. But he remains linked with a return against Michael Chandler, 37, despite growing frustrated as talks drag. And now McGregor has further teased another go at boxing as he concluded: “I’m open to it. I’ll never say no, I’ll never say no.”Both KSI and Tommy Fury have called out McGregorCredit: AlamyJake Paul has long called to fight McGregorCredit: Reuters More