MMA

CANELO ALVAREZ and Billy Joe Saunders are on course to sell out the full 60,000 capacity at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Canelo unifies his WBA and WBC belts with Saunders’ WBO crown on May 8 in Texas.
UFC president Dana White, Billy Joe Saunders and Eddie Hearn
Dallas Cowboys Stadium which will host Canelo Alvarez against Billy Joe SaundersCredit: Getty
With no coronavirus restrictions, promoter Eddie Hearn revealed plans to pack out the place, with 60,000 tickets almost sold.
Hearn told Yahoo Sports: “We got another six or seven thousand to go, and thankfully, we were allowed 80,000 for the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, so we’re going to be at full capacity.”
Saunders, 31, is already in America training for the fight, and visited the UFC’s Performance Institute.
There, himself and Hearn were pictured with UFC president Dana White, an avid boxing fan.
Saunders comes into the fight having boxed just once in the last 12 months, retiring Martin Murray, 38, in a title defence.
Canelo on the other hand is preparing for his third, having won the belts against Callum Smith, 30, in December, before beating Avni Yildirim, 29, two months ago.
But the Mexican superstar, 30, is admittedly gearing up for a whole new challenge in Saunders, who is unbeaten in 30 fights.
Canelo said: “He moves really well, he’s fast, he knows how to box, and that’s why I’m training.
How the two stars shape-up head-to-headCredit: The Sun

“That’s why I’m training, I know how to deal with that. I know it’s going to be a difficult fight, especially in the first rounds, and I’m getting ready for that.
“Yes, it’s different; you have to work the fight differently, and you have to be patient.
“You have to wait around round by round, but you also have to win them.
“And you can get them in the first round, eighth round, or the tenth rounds, but I’m not the same fighter I was in 2014.
“I have more experience, and I think that’ll benefit me.”
Watch as Andy Ruiz Jr’s son trains Canelo Alvarez in gym ahead of huge Billy Joe Saunders world title fight More

BEN ASKREN is back in action this weekend against Jake Paul in his first ever boxing match-up. Although a relative novice himself, Jake Paul is the favourite, but Askren has plenty of fighting experience to call on should things get hairy during the bout.
Credit: Getty
Askren should also have his long-term partner and wife Amy ringside cheering him on.
Who is Ben Askren’s wife?
Askren’s wife is called Amy and is a licensed estate agent at Firefly Real Estate near Milwaukee in Wisconsin.
Amy has a degree in finance from the University of Missouri and started her career in real estate soon after, selling houses in Tosa.
She has 25,000 followers on Instagram and used to be one of two people that Paul followed on Instagram in an attempt to rile Askren.
Amy has doted over her husband’s mental strength on her own Instagram page, after listening to Askren on Paul’s brother Logan’s podcast.
Credit: Getty
“Loved listening to my roommate @benaskren on the @impaulsiveshow podcast,” she wrote.
“He really is the most mentally tough person I’ve ever met. It can sometimes be annoying when you’re feeling lazy or looking for sympathy, but mostly I’m just in awe of the guy.”
Askren married Amy in 2010 and the pair celebrated their 10-year anniversary last April.
How many children do Ben Askren and Amy have?
Askren has three children with Amy, two daughters, Alex and Andy, and a son called Ozzi.
The couple also have a dog, a cane corso called Ragnor. More

CONOR McGREGOR vs Jake Paul is ‘closer than anyone thinks’, according to the YouTuber himself.And it could even go down in the next two years.
Jake Paul has big plans for the futureCredit: Getty
Conor McGregor is currently focused on his trilogy fight with Dustin PoirierCredit: Reuters
Paul, 24, is set to fight former Bellator and ONE Championship belt holder Ben Askren on Saturday night.
But he already has a bout with internet sparring partner McGregor in mind.
The American has repeatedly insulted the Notorious, calling him an ‘Irish B****’.
And he believes that they are on a collision course.
He said: “I think we both are on a road to each other.
“He wants another boxing fight. He wants to fight Manny Pacquiao. He would get toasted. He just keeps on taking Ls.
“So I think him fighting me would not only be his money fight, but it would technically be the easiest challenge, right?
“Fighting Jake Paul would probably be easier than fighting Manny Pacquiao and it would be just as big.
Paul, 24, is determined to prove Ben Askren and Dana White wrongCredit: Getty
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“I think we’re a lot closer to a Jake Paul-Conor McGregor fight than anyone thinks. I think it could happen in the next 24 months.”
UFC chief Dana White bet one million dollars on the ‘f***ing YouTube kid’ to lose to Askren during an appearance on Mike Tyson’s Hotboxin’ Podcast.
And Paul is motivated to prove him wrong.
He added: “I’m excited for Dana White to lose a million dollars.
“But other than that, I’m going to prove millions and millions and millions of people wrong and they have motivated me to become the best version of myself over the last couple of years.”
As for McGregor’s next fight, against Dustin Poirier in July, Paul is rooting for his rival.
He concluded: “Conor’s the big name. He’s an A-list celebrity, and there are very few fighters who are A-list celebrities.
“So we’ll see what happens. I hope he wins against Dustin, I guess, so that the fight becomes more exciting.”
Jake Paul claims he’s an ‘elite’ boxer but admits many see him as a ‘s****y amateur’ ahead of Ben Askren clash More

TYSON FURY and Francis Ngannou have both opened the door to one day fighting each other in a crossover of heavyweight proportion. Ngannou first set his sights on a boxing career aged 22 but after moving to France, he instead embarked on an MMA as it was easier to find fights.
How Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou compare
Fury, 32, too has flirted with the idea of one day swapping the ring for the UFC octagon, but only after he has hung up the boxing gloves.
Ngannou, 34, is adamant his boxing dream is not over and called out the unbeaten WBC champion.
Fury appears up for the challenge as the two traded words online, and here, SunSport details how their careers compare.
Tyson Fury
The Gypsy King was 24 straight wins to the good when he travelled to Germany and dethroned Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.
But a battle with depression and substance abuse caused him to vacate the belts and take three years out the ring.
When he made his inspirational return, it was only two fights and half a year later when he took on then-undefeated champion Deontay Wilder.
Fury convincingly outboxed the American, despite twice being floored, only to get a draw on the cards.
Unfortunately for Ngannou, the Brit’s ability to get up off the floor after being hit by one of history’s hardest punchers is bad news for the UFC star.
Fury then showcased his versatility as he switched tactics to walk Wilder, 35, down, twice deck him, before the fight was stopped in round seven.
The 6ft 9in switch-hitter is by far the most elusive heavyweight in the world, and has proven to take a shot and still get up.
It would be hard to see past Fury completely bemusing Ngannou in the ring, but his susceptibility to being caught with a right hand does at least give the Cameroonian hope.
Fury is set to fight Anthony Joshua, next after the pair signed a two-fight deal in March, and promoters gave themselves a 28-day period to have a venue and date set in stone.
Tyson Fury is the unbeaten WBC championCredit: Reuters
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Francis Ngannou
Ngannou had six fights, with only one loss, before he signed for the UFC in 2015.
He enjoyed a meteoric rise in America due to his devastating power and after six straight finishes he challenged for the UFC title.
But he suffered defeat to Stipe Miocic on points and his fitness concerns were there for all to see after five exhausting rounds.
It knocked Ngannou’s confidence, with the heavyweight gun-shy in his next fight against Derrick Lewis, where he lost on points.
It prompted Ngannou to switch camps to Las Vegas and four wins later he rematched Miocic, and avenged his loss with a devastating KO.
UFC president Dana White revealed tests on the champion proved his power is equivalent to a 12-pound hammer being swung at full force.
Even with the bigger boxing gloves on, that kind of threat makes him a threat against anyone, in the cage or ring.
And his reformed style has made him a more tactical fighter, but even then, he is someway off having the boxing brain of Fury.
Newly crowned UFC heavyweight champion Francis NgannouCredit: Getty
Tyson Fury looks rapid on pads in training ahead of Joshua fight More

CANELO ALVAREZ and Billy Joe Saunders are on course to sell out the full 60,000 capacity at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium. Canelo unifies his WBA and WBC belts with Saunders’ WBO crown on May 8 in Texas.
UFC president Dana White, Billy Joe Saunders and Eddie Hearn
Dallas Cowboys Stadium which will host Canelo Alvarez against Billy Joe SaundersCredit: Getty
With no coronavirus restrictions, promoter Eddie Hearn revealed plans to pack out the place, with 60,000 tickets almost sold.
Hearn told Yahoo Sports: “We got another six or seven thousand to go, and thankfully, we were allowed 80,000 for the Dallas Cowboys Stadium, so we’re going to be at full capacity.”
Saunders, 31, is already in America training for the fight, and visited the UFC’s Performance Institute.
There, himself and Hearn were pictured with UFC president Dana White, an avid boxing fan.
Saunders comes into the fight having boxed just once in the last 12 months, retiring Martin Murray, 38, in a title defence.
Canelo on the other hand is preparing for his third, having won the belts against Callum Smith, 30, in December, before beating Avni Yildirim, 29, two months ago.
But the Mexican superstar, 30, is admittedly gearing up for a whole new challenge in Saunders, who is unbeaten in 30 fights.
Canelo said: “He moves really well, he’s fast, he knows how to box, and that’s why I’m training.
How the two stars shape-up head-to-headCredit: The Sun
GET £140 IN FREE BETS FOR JAKE PAUL vs BEN ASKREN

“That’s why I’m training, I know how to deal with that. I know it’s going to be a difficult fight, especially in the first rounds, and I’m getting ready for that.
“Yes, it’s different; you have to work the fight differently, and you have to be patient.
“You have to wait around round by round, but you also have to win them.
“And you can get them in the first round, eighth round, or the tenth rounds, but I’m not the same fighter I was in 2014.
“I have more experience, and I think that’ll benefit me.”
Watch as Andy Ruiz Jr’s son trains Canelo Alvarez in gym ahead of huge Billy Joe Saunders world title fight More