MMA

VITOR BELFORT wants to merge boxing and MMA into a new sport – and has challenged Canelo Alvarez to fight under the all-new rules. The Brazilian, who held the UFC light-heavyweight title in 2004, used his boxing and jiujitsu skills to become an accomplished MMA legend.
Vitor Belfort wants to merge boxing and MMA rulesCredit: Getty
Vitor Belfort is a former UFC championCredit: Getty – Contributor
He left the UFC in 2018 and now returns in a boxing match against heavyweight legend Evander Holyfield, 58, on Saturday night.
But Belfort, officially 1-0 as a boxer after his sole bout in 2006, has a vision to mix his two passions.
It would allow for clinching during a fight, but no MMA strikes such as kicks, elbows or knees as well as prohibited takedowns.
Belfort believes it brings the two sports into one, and sets up more super-crossover fights with stars of the opposing codes combining their rules.
He told SunSport: “The future of combat sports is the merge between these two amazing combat sports. 
“Right now, we are boxing under boxing rules, and I accept it. But in the future, I want to mix boxing with the martial arts aspect. 

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“There’s so many guys out there, you name it, tons of champions and my goal is to merge. 
“I want to call it ‘Box Martial Arts’. If they will be courageous enough – I don’t want kicks, I don’t want knees, I don’t want elbows.
“I don’t want it to go to the ground. I just want to be able to box and hold you, to be able to fight in the clinch. I want to see if they can survive that.
“And that’s why I want to merge, I believe I can beat any guy, in any division in boxing with those kind of rules.”
Former UFC champions such as Belfort, 44, Conor McGregor, 33, and Anderson Silva, 46, have all crossed over to the ring before.
But boxers heading into the cage has been far more limited, with James Toney, 53, and Claressa Shields, 26, the two most high profile.
Belfort believes his all-new merger would allow for a more even playing field, and gives MMA fighters added freedom in the ring.
The future of combat sports is the merge between these two amazing combat sports. Vitor Belfort
He said: “It’s like literally bringing what I’ve been working my whole life for, evolving boxing into my sport. 
“It’s called boxing-martial arts. Boxing has so many rules, you can’t do this, you can’t do that, so I want to see if a boxer can box with me with these kind of rules. 
“I call it evening the ground a little, not with kicking, with punches and that’s where I challenge anyone, anyone in the whole entire boxing world.”
Belfort is convinced his masterplan is revolutionary and wants to put it to the test against boxing’s current top attraction Canelo.
He said: “It’s going to be like discovering gold, we have so many good guys out there.
“Canelo is one, champions versus champions, legends versus legends.”
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TYRON WOODLEY ‘looked like a sack of s***’ in his ‘very embarrassing’ loss to YouTuber Jake Paul, ex-UFC title challenger Dan Hardy said.Woodley was beaten by Paul on points after eight rounds despite having the social media star hurt in round four after sending him into the ropes.
Tyron Woodley was beaten by Jake PaulCredit: Getty
Former UFC fighter and pundit Dan Hardy, right, said Woodley looked like a ‘sack of s***’Credit: Getty
It ended months of trash talk and build up between the pair, which included a spat at a press conference where Woodley’s mother was involved.
But after the former UFC champion suffered defeat, Hardy hit out at the American with a brutal assesement.
He told Submission Radio: “He looked like a sack of s*** the other week.
“That was very embarrassing. The reason I’m annoyed about it, is that he validated exactly what I thought was gonna happen, and I expected more from him.
“Like dude, you’re nearly 40, you’re rap game’s not going anywhere, you’re MMA career’s done, you’ve got a guy in front of you that’s been trashing your mum, that’s been talking a whole heap of nonsense for how many months?
“And you’ve got eight rounds to punch him in the face and you’re already half punching him through the ropes, and then you don’t put your foot on the gas because you’re afraid of being vulnerable?

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“That just looks weak to me. It looks weak and it wastes people’s money.”
Paul, 24, moved to 4-0 in his career and added to his wins over online rival ‘AnEsonGib’, ex-NBA player Nate Robinson and retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren, both 37.
Former champ Woodley, 39, left the UFC after four consecutive losses, without a win in three years, with his run of defeats stretching over to the boxing ring.
Hardy, 39, said: “I love all these weird and wonderful fights, but that’s when it runs out of steam.
“Like, that’s when the fire burns out, is when people tune in and they see that s***show and they go, ‘Oh, I won’t get it next time, because I’ll expect the same thing’.
“I’d rather watch Askren get knocked out again than watch that. And Askren wasn’t there to win, we all know that.
“I think what’s even worse is that Woodley was there to win and he didn’t try.
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“And that must burn him. That was burning him in the post-fight interview.
“He could barely contain himself without calling him out before he finished his interview.
“It’s like dude, you’ve missed your opportunity, shut the f*** up and sit down and go and find something else to do, because you’ve just had your opportunity and it passed you by.”
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MICHAEL BISPING warned Evander Holyfield’s comeback fight aged 58 ‘shouldn’t be happening’ as concerning training footage showed. The heavyweight legend is set to come out of retirement ten years after last lacing up the gloves to face former UFC champion Vitor Belfort.
Evander Holyfield, 58, caused concern due to his open workout
Michael Bisping warned Evander Holyfield’s comeback fight ‘shouldn’t be happening’Credit: Getty
But Holyfield has already left fans in fear following footage of his open workout on the pads.
The American – known as the ‘Real Deal’ during his heydey – was barely able to throw a body shot and looked painfully slow.
Former UFC champ Bisping was among several to voice his concern in Holyfield’s return to the ring.
He tweeted: “Fighters by nature are brave, that’s why managers, coaches and commissions are there to protect them from themselves.
“This fight shouldn’t be happening.”
Holyfield, who won titles at cruiserweight and heavyweight, is one of the most celebrated fighters in boxing history.

But he has not been champ since 2001 and retired after beating Brian Nielsen in 2011.
He last year announced plans to make a comeback after his iconic rival Mike Tyson, 55, did the same thing.
Holyfield, who twice beat Tyson – with their second being the rematch where his ear was infamously bitten – entered talks for a trilogy.
But with negotiations collapsing, he continued to train with the view of a new opponent.
After Oscar De La Hoya, 48, was forced to withdraw from fighting Belfort, 44, with coronavirus, Holyfield agreed to replace him.
The fight was forced to move to Florida after the California comission refused to licence Holyfield amid safety fears.
And now he will face Belfort over eight rounds, but consisted over two minutes not the typical three.
Evander Holyfield is set to come out of retirement
UFC legend Vitor Belfort is scheduled to fight the reurning Evander HolyfieldCredit: Getty
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THIS is the moment Tyron Woodley rattled Jake Paul’s jaw with a huge hook.Paul showed his grit and resilience in his boxing bout with Woodley to notch his fourth consecutive win inside the squared circle.

Jake Paul beat Tyron Woodley via split decison in their boxing bout last weekCredit: Getty Images – Getty
The YouTuber, 24, outpointed the UFC legend in their clash in Ohio last week, but he was made to work to stay unbeaten.
Paul was sent against the ropes in the fourth round of their contest following a huge right hand by the former weltwerweight champion.
The ex-Disney star was stunned as he fell back into the ropes as he survived an onslaught from his 39-year-old opponent.
And that wasn’t the only punch Paul had to eat during that round, as Woodley landed a mean left hook flush on his chin.
Showtime Boxing shared slow-motion footage of the punch, with Paul somehow staying on his feet.
Fans were left disappointed with Woodley for not following up with the hook after Paul was clearly hurt.

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One supporter tweeted: “Woodley you smacked him with a left and he dropped both hands and you didn’t hit him with a right. You gotta double up in boxing. You had the WIN right there my friend.”
Another said: “If he followed that up with a right he would have dropped him.”
A third added: “An experienced boxer would have hit him with a straight right immediately after.”
Though one fan praised Paul’s toughness, as he simply stated: “Credit where credit is due, Paul has a good chin.”
Meanwhile another remarked: “Oh s***, Jake Paul is legit.”
Following Paul’s victory, UFC icon Anderson Silva has claimed he is willing to be the next MMA fighter to take on the Problem Child after Ben Askren and Woodley.
The 46-year-old told TMZ Sports: “My goal is my last fight is 49 [years old]. 49, I’m done. Probably, I’m done. That is my goal.
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“Fight three more years and done. 49. That’s the number. Maybe I can fight more, but right now my goal is when I turn 49, I stop fighting.
“Everything is possible. Jake Paul and Logan are doing a lot of good work in this new entertaining show.
“We’ll see. Everything is possible. I respect both. [Jake] is doing good, working hard. So, we’ll see, maybe this is possible too.”
Woodley hurt Paul in the fourth round, but failed to put the YouTuber downCredit: Getty
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