MMA

ISRAEL ADESANYA gave Jake Paul advice after the YouTube star brutally knocked out Nate Robinson. Adesanya was working as a guest commentator for the fight in November 2020, which ended in round two.
UFC champion Israel Adesanya pictured with Jake PaulCredit: Instagram / @jakepaul
Nate Robinson was brutally knocked out by Jake PaulCredit: Reuters
Paul scored three knockdowns before a right hand left Robinson laid flat out and quickly sent into a viral meme.
But after the dust settled, UFC champion Adesanya, 32, spoke with Paul, 25, and boxing coach BJ Flores.
Flores, 43, told The Schmo: “I love Israel man, he’s so chill, so cool, so respectful and so nice to be around.
“He said, ‘Take everyday for what it is and work you ass off.
“Don’t look back with any regrets,’ and you know, coming from a champion, it means a lot.”
Paul came into the fight having beaten online rival ‘AnEsonGib’ in one round of his professional debut.
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Since knocking out Robinson, 37, the American celebrity has improved to 5-0 with four knockouts.
He beat retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren, 37, in March 2021 and then Tyron Woodley, 39, in the August on points.
Paul later signed to face Tommy Fury, 22, but the brother of heavyweight champ Tyson, 33, pulled out with a broken rib.
Woodley, who formerly held the UFC welterweight title, filled in on short notice but was knocked out in round six of their rematch.
Paul is now focused on promoting the women’s super-fight between Amanda Serrano, 33, and Katie Taylor, 35.
But his trainer Flores warned there is plenty left waiting for Paul ahead of return to the ring this year.
He said: “You’ve got to sit back and watch. He’s got a lot of options; he’s knocked out everybody he’s fought and he’s done what he had to do.
“He’s got a lot of good options right now and people are beating down the door to fight him.
“We’ll see what happens over the next few months and see what unravels but it’ll be good whatever happens next.”
BJ Flores pictured with Jake PaulCredit: Instagram / @bjflorespro More

CONOR McGREGOR ended his brief feud with Tyson Fury in a now-deleted tweet. The pair have enjoyed a cordial relationship in the past, publicly congratulating each other despite never meeting in person.
Conor McGregor ended his brief feud with Tyson Fury in a now-deleted tweetCredit: Instagram @thenotoriousmma
Tyson Fury and Conor McGregor were locked in a war-of-words with each otherCredit: PA
But that changed when Fury posted a picture of McGregor’s bitter enemy Khabib Nurmagomedov and praised the Russian.
He said: “This man did it right. Got in & won & got out on top. Big respect.”
McGregor, beaten by Khabib in 2018, then reacted and referenced a video in which Billy Joe Saunders’ dad appeared to be attacked by security at his son’s fight.
The Irishman tweeted: ” U bottled it with Billy joe Da, what were you doing there ? U Left him, Versace t*** U. Done. Nothing.”
But in response, Fury said: “Come back when u win a fight mush,& the difference in me & you is i don’t get myself in trouble & people actually like me, your just a bully who hit old man.”
McGregor then replied: “Oh no people don’t like me what will I ever do hahahahaaha idiot.
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“You are just a little r** licker bro. That’s all. You stood there while your friends father was being attacked and done nothing.
“That’s the be all end all bro. God luck, God bless.”
Fury, 33, had not responded by the time McGregor, 33, buried the hatchet as he shared a video of the Gypsy King praising him.
In the clip, Fury appeared to heap praise on the UFC legend, saying: “Conor McGregor is MMA, isn’t he? That’s it. I couldn’t name you three more fighters in MMA, I just couldn’t.”
McGregor posted the video and captioned: “It’s all good, we forget it. Fair play Tyson. God bless ya mate.” More

CONOR McGREGOR’S training partner said Jake Paul has to ‘try beat one of us first’ before getting a shot at ‘the king’. The YouTuber-turned prizefighting star has long called out McGregor, building a one-sided feud.
Cian Cowley pictured with Conor McGregor
Jake Paul has continued to call out Conor McGregorCredit: © Matchroom Boxing
And while the man himself has chosen to ignore the viral callouts, those around him have not.
Cian Cowley, a 2-5 MMA welterweight and training partner of McGregor’s, told Paul he would have to earn a fight with The Notorious.
Cowley wrote on Instagram: “Has to try beat one of us first before he gets a shot at the king.”
Paul, 25, first called out McGregor in 2020 while only 2-0, beating online rival ‘AnEsonGib’ and ex-NBA player Nate Robinson, 37.
But he has since improved to 5-0 with wins over former UFC pair Ben Askren, 37 and Tyron Woodley, 39.
McGregor, 33, meanwhile is eyeing a UFC return this year, having not fought since July when he suffered a horror leg break against Dustin Poirier, 33.
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But he had fans fearing for the worst following a few bizarre social media posts after nights out in his Black Forge pub.
Paul took the chance to take a swipe at the ex-UFC champion while in London promoting the women’s super-fight between Katie Taylor, 35, and Amanda Serrano, 33.
He said: “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.”
Conor McGregor drinking in his pubCredit: Instagram
Jake Paul knocked out Tyron Woodley in their rematchCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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