MMA

MICHAEL BISPING admitted he was ‘played’ by Jake Paul and ‘took the bait’ by publicly addressing their fight offer. The UFC legend was last year in talks to face Paul and was even sent a proposal by the YouTuber’s team.
Michael Bisping admitted he was ‘played’ by Jake Paul
Jake Paul was once in talks to fight Michael BispingCredit: Getty
But Bisping believes it was all a ruse to make it seem as though the American really wanted to fight while creating hype.
And he reckons Paul’s latest callout of ex-unbeaten UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, 32, is another example of this.
Bisping, 42, said on his podcast: “Now he’s calling out Khabib. He did the same thing with me.
“He actually made an official offer and I took the bait and I started talking about it.
“What does that do? It just says to everybody, ‘ Jake Paul is looking for real fights’ but there was never a contract that came through.
“There was an e-mail but there was never a contract – it was an email that came to my manager and I talked about it and then the dialogue stopped.
“I was appalled at Jake Paul’s f***ing chess game… He played me.”
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Paul, 25, had two wins to his name at the time, knockouts over online rival ‘AnEsonGib’ and ex-NBA star Nate Robinson, 37.
But after brief talks with Bisping collapsed, retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren, 37, took the fight and was KO’d.
Paul has since beaten ex-UFC champion Tyron Woodley, 39, twice with the first coming on points in August.
Then, when Tommy Fury, 22, pulled out in December Woodley signed as his replacement, only to be brutally KO’d in round six.
Despite Paul’s unbeaten record, Bisping slammed his performances and backed 46-year-old Anderson Silva to beat the celebrity influencer.
He said: “I’ve seen his fights. I’ve seen that he is a shower of s***. I’ve seen that he picks on small guys and from a different sport.
“And I’ve also seen that he might be talking about going out after Anderson Silva.
“Again, that’s his MO. Anderson Silva is about 90 now, even though I think Anderson can still beat him.”
Michael Bisping backed Anderson Silva to beat Jake PaulCredit: Getty – Contributor More

CLARESSA SHIELDS admitted ‘egos’ are to blame for boxers not following her to MMA and putting their reputation on the line. Shields is one of the most decorated fighters ever at just the age of 26, and proclaims to be the ‘Greatest Woman of All Time’.
Claressa Shields admitted ‘egos’ are stop boxers from following her to MMACredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
The American star signed for Professional Fighters LeagueCredit: Getty Images – Getty
She has strong case too, with double Olympic gold medals, belts in three divisions and becoming boxing’s first-ever two weight undisputed champion.
But to further enhance her legacy, Shields last year debuted in MMA with the Professional Fighters League.
She remains the only boxing champ putting her money where her mouth is by fighting in both combat codes, but does not expect too many to follow.
Shields told SunSport: “Ego, men have a lot of egos, a lot of boxers have egos.
“They want to be great at what they’re great at and the minute they’re faced with something uncomfortable or abnormal, they don’t want to do it.
“I don’t think we will ever see a man be a world champion in boxing and then go and try be a world champion in MMA, where that’s PFL or the UFC, or whatever.
“I don’t believe it will ever happen and if it does, the only boxer that would do it is Terence Crawford, because he’s got a wrestling background and he’s a great boxer.”
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Shields won her MMA debut in June, beating Brittney Elkin in the third and final round of her bout.
But for only the second time in her life, the American in October suffered defeat, losing on points to Abigail Montes.
The last time Shields was beaten was an amateur boxer against Britain’s Savannah Marshall in the 2012 world championships.
But she is in line to attempt revenge in a super-fight with Marshall, 30, this year.
It leaves her return to MMA set for 2023, where she will eye PFL’s winner-take-all $1million season, consisting of a quarters, semis and final format.
Only Shields’ MMA training partner Holly Holm, 40 has won world honours in both MMA and boxing.
But if she is to replicate that success, following on from her already unprecedented boxing career, it leaves her among fighting’s elite.
The fact that I’m willing to put my reputation, my record, put everything on the line to achieve the PFL world title, it shows my character.Claressa Shields
Shields said: “Overall in terms of combat sports, I should be up there in the top two, for sure.
“It’s unprecedented, it’s never been done before and that’s what people want to see, extraordinary things.
“And the fact that I’m willing to put my reputation, my record, put everything on the line to achieve the PFL world title, it shows my character.
“It shows that grit that fighter say they have, but you can’t just say you have grit, you have to show it.”
Claressa Shields is a three-weight boxing championCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun More

JAKE PAUL said Conor McGregor is ‘falling apart’ and urged the UFC star to drink calcium as ‘his bones are f***ing breaking’.The YouTuber-turned prizefighter has continued his one-sided war of words with the Irishman, who in July broke the tibia bone in his leg.
Jake Paul said Conor McGregor is ‘falling apart’Credit: AP
Conor McGregor enjoying a pint of stout
McGregor is eyeing a UFC return this year but had fans fearing for the worst following a few bizarre social media posts after nights out in his Black Forge pub.
The ex-UFC champion, 33, promised fans he will undergo ‘complete abstention’ from his whiskey and stout liquids ‘very soon’ to begin full-training.
But Paul, 25, responded to reporters: “I don’t give a s*** about Conor.
“I just want to fight him and smack him in the head – in that sense I hope that he can win some fights so that we can actually fight.
“But the guy is a grown-ass man, he needs to figure out his life; it seems to be falling apart from what I can tell.
“Obviously, everything’s through a lens, we don’t know what he’s going through actually.”
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Paul mocked that McGregor should instead be necking milk to strengthen the bones he broke in his last fight.
He said: “That’s clearly one of his many problems. And get in the gym, and drink calcium because your bones are f*****g breaking, man.”
Paul in 2020, having beaten only online rival ‘AnEsonGib’ and ex-NBA star Nate Robinson, 37, offered McGregor $50million to fight.
He has since beaten retired MMA welterweight Ben Askren, 37, and ex-UFC champ Tyron Woodley, 39, on points and knockout.
McGregor suffered his horror leg break in the first round of his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier, 33, and has since had surgery to mend the injury. 
Jake Paul knocked out Tyron Woodley in their rematchCredit: Getty Images – Getty
Conor McGregor after suffering his horror leg breakCredit: Getty More

CONOR McGREGOR has not asked compatriot Katie Taylor to chin nemesis Jake Paul on his behalf.The UFC legend, 33, is involved in a bitter war of words with the 25-year-old American YouTube sensation over a potential silly-money fight that has turned a bit sinister.
Katie Taylor says pal Conor McGregor has not asked her to ‘chin’ Jake PaulCredit: Sportsfile
YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul is helping to co-promote Taylor’s upcoming fight with Amanda SerranoCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
Paul posted a $50million fight-offer video to McGregor in December 2020 but also called him an ‘Irish c***’ and insulted his wife Dee.
When Taylor and Paul visited SunSport HQ on Monday – to help promote the undisputed lightweight queen’s defence against the Paul-promoted Puerto Rico icon Amanda Serrano – the rival teams were kept apart.
And Taylor confirmed McGregor – who has attended a handful of her fights – has not been in touch to call in a favour while she is in range of the controversial superstar.
She said: “Me and Amanda come from small countries that are very proud to punch above our weight in the ring.
“I come proudly from a path that has been walked by Wayne McCulloch, Barry McGuigan, Steve Collins and Carl Frampton and she has legends like Miguel Cotto and Felix Trinidad.
“We bring all our heritage and fighting pride and it will feel like our whole countries are in New York.”
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When reminded of Conor’s war of words with Paul and asked if things might get heated, the ice-cool diplomat laughed: “No, they don’t get on.
“But he hasn’t been telling me to chin him.”
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