MMA

Subterms

    More stories

    • 213 Shares109 Views

      in Boxing

      Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury could CLASH with Conor McGregor’s mega UFC trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier

      by

      ANTHONY JOSHUA’s blockbuster undisputed heavyweight title fight with Tyson Fury could end up clashing with Conor McGregor’s latest venture to the octagon.The long-awaited Battle of Britain is in the works for the summer, with both parties working towards a June or July date.
      Anthony Joshua’s long-awaited showdown with Tyson Fury could take place in July, according to Eddie HearnCredit: PA
      Conor McGregor’s UFC trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier is slated for July 10Credit: Reuters
      Matchroom boxing chief Eddie Hearn, however, recently claimed the fight could take place in the ‘first week’ or the ‘backend’ of July.
      That could end up being a cause for concern as McGregor’s trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier is currently targeted for the same month.
      The third instalment of McGregor vs Poirier is set to headline UFC 264 on July 10.
      The good news for Hearn, however, is the former featherweight rivals’ series decider has yet to be finalised.
      Staging the biggest fight in the history of British boxing in the same month as Poirier vs McGregor III could end up having a detrimental effect on pay-per-view buys for both fights.
      Fight fans in the USA will likely have to pay $89.95 – the price of the much-maligned Mayweather vs McGregor PPV in 2017 – to watch Joshua vs Fury and a further $69.99 to view UFC 264.
      CASINO SIGN UP OFFER: CLAIM UP TO £800 IN CASINO BONUS CASH

      Those in the UK will have to stump up a minimum of £40 to watch both fights, that is if Joshua vs Fury isn’t priced more than the usual £19.95.
      But Hearn is confident Joshua and Fury’s long-overdue meeting will indeed take place in July.
      During an appearance on The AK and Barak show, he said: “In July.
      “The date depends on many different things. For one venue, it’s the backend of July, and for another venue, it’s the first week of July.
      “There’s been a bit of talk about Wembley, which is difficult, but we got 100,000 capacity, which the government is working towards.

      “Wembley is trying to initiate full capacity. So if we did have full capacity at the end of July, Wembley comes into the conversation.
      “In AJ’s head, this comes down to as much money as possible, but for AJ, I’m not saying he’s looking for the right deal, but he just wants to fight.
      “He wants this fight next more than anything. So if it’s 100,000 at Wembley, Anthony Joshua is 1 million percent signed and in for this fight.
      “Obviously, we have to do our job and go around the world and present all the offers to the fighters, but Anthony Joshua has told me categorically that if it’s Wembley and full up, ‘I’m in.’
      “But firstly, I have to deal with all these approaches for the fighters.”

      Despite the delay in finalising the bout – which was agreed last June – Joshua and Fury are both hard at work in the gym.
      Hearn, 41, said: “AJ is in 100 per cent full camp.
      “In his mind, this is the only fight that is going to happen next. Whoever comes up with the best opportunity, it’s on.
      “I hope that will come from the other side as well because everybody signed a contract, and they have to approve the site and the deal as far as the site offers.
      “But it’s going to be significant.”
      Eddie Hearn says that Wembley back on as venue for Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury fight More

    • 288 Shares99 Views

      in Boxing

      Ryan Garcia, 22, plans to retire from boxing at just 26 to fight in UFC after ‘beating everybody as quick as I can’

      by

      RYAN GARCIA revealed he plans to retire at 26 to leave enough time to fight in the UFC. Garcia, 22, is touted as boxing’s next ‘Golden Boy’ – the name his promoter Oscar De La Hoya once went by.
      Ryan Garcia is planning a move into MMA after retiring from boxingCredit: Tom Hogan
      The lightweight sensation is unbeaten in 21 fights, and coming off a career best win in January, stopping Luke Campbell, 33, in round seven.
      So it came as a shock when Garcia announced plans to hang up the gloves in just four years time.
      But in conversation with retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren on his YouTube channel, he opened up on plans to make a move into MMA.
      Garcia said: “Hey, let me tell you something Ben; I’ve never said this on air, I’ve always said I’m going to retire at 26.
      “Everybody looks at me crazy, right? But I’m doing it to go into the MMA ring.
      “So, I’m going to need you to teach me some wrestling techniques before I even start trying to dive in there.
      “Some little wrestling, then we’ll go from there. So, I’ve never said that out loud in my life.
      “But yeah, I plan to beat everybody I want to beat in boxing as quick as I can, get out – of course I could dive back for big opportunities – but I want to show the world not only can I box, I feel I can become the best warrior in the world.”
      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

      UFC superstar Conor McGregor, 32, made his boxing debut in 2017, losing to Floyd Mayweather, 44, in a crossover spectacle.
      And recently two-weight undisputed women’s champion Claressa Shields announced she had signed for Professional Fighters League.
      Shields, 26, is set to make her MMA debut in June, having started training with UFC icon Jon Jones.
      But only James Toney has transitioned from boxing to the UFC, but did so in 2010, aged 42.
      Toney was beaten with ease in three minutes, taken down and submitted by Randy Couture.
      Garcia said: “Nobody has ever dominated boxing and then tried to dominate UFC.
      Boxing legend James Toney was beaten in the UFC in 2010Credit: Getty – Contributor
      UFC legend Jon Jones pictured with Claressa ShieldsCredit: @claressashields

      “They’ve done in later, later, later on in their career when they’re already done.
      “But never when they’re still fresh and they still have some juice left in them.”
      Garcia has flirted with a move into the cage, and called out McGregor as well as his training partner Dillon Danis.
      Former UFC champion Henry Cejudo, who retired in May, wanted to instead face the boxer in the ring.
      But talk has since died down, and Garcia is now open to working with Cejudo, 34, and Askren, 36, to gain grappling coaching.
      He said: “Let’s do it. I’m down to hang out with both of you guys and you guys just turn me into a monster. 
      “I’ve got Henry Cejudo and Ben Askren in my corner, that’s pretty devastating to me.”
      Ryan Garcia shows off explosive speed with blistering punch combo More

    • 263 Shares139 Views

      in Boxing

      Jake Paul claims he will call out Dustin Poirier if he beats Conor McGregor in trilogy UFC fight after $50m offer

      by

      JAKE PAUL plans to call out Dustin Poirier if the UFC star wins his summer trilogy fight with Conor McGregor.Paul aggressively pursued a big-money boxing match with The Notorious after his viral KO of ex-NBA star Nate Robinson last November.
      A trilogy fight between Dustin Poirier and Conor McGregor is set to take place in the summerCredit: Reuters
      Jake Paul plans to call out Dustin Poirier if the American beats Conor McGregorCredit: Getty
      But the YouTuber seemingly ended his pursuit of a clash with the Irishman after seeing him lose his UFC 257 rematch with Poirier.
      And the 24-year-old plans to pivot to a showdown with Poirier should The Diamond be successful in his rubber match with the UFC’s poster boy, which is slated for July.
      He told ESPN: “I just think McGregor has that name where he will be big in this sport for a while.
      “But if he loses again to Poirier, I’ll be like ‘Yo, let me fight Poirier.’ Why not?
      “He has to win in his own sport first and then maybe we can figure something out.”
      Former Disney star Paul believes he’s the biggest fight available to McGregor following Khabib Nurmagomedov’s retirement from mixed martial arts last October.
      CASINO SIGN UP OFFER: CLAIM UP TO £800 IN CASINO BONUS CASH
      Jake Paul is cutting no corners with his diet
      He said: “I’m Conor’s money fight right now, as crazy as that sounds. Khabib retired, he’s all pissed off about it.
      “Jake Paul vs Conor is the money fight. It’s funny, what world are we living in where that even makes sense?”
      He added: “If I was Conor he should’ve tooken (sic) the $50million I offered him to take ‘the easier’ fight.
      “He got $10 million with a little bit of backend for the UFC event against Dustin but he lost. So why not take $50 million to fight a YouTuber?
      Jake Paul began aggressively pursuing a boxing match with Conor McGregor late last yearCredit: INSTAGRAL@JAKEPAUL
      “That’s what he should’ve done, quite frankly. Now he has to fight his way back. That’s the most embarrassing loss of his career.
      “He got knocked out, TKOed. He should’ve taken the Jake Paul fight. More money, more hype.”
      Before Paul can think about fighting Poirier or McGregor, he must first win his boxing match with former UFC star Ben Askren.
      The younger Paul brother will lock horns with the former ONE Championship and Bellator welterweight champion a fortnight on Saturday.

      Paul he reckons a win over Askren will show the world he’s a legitimate boxer, saying: “It will build a lot of credibility.
      “And if he can make it past a couple rounds it will truly show the boxing community, like, this kid can actually box and I think people will respect that.
      “I’ve been putting in the work, training with world champions and sparring with world champions and it’s gonna show.”
      Jake Paul taunts Ben Askren during press conference by FaceTiming Jorge Masvidal More

    • 263 Shares109 Views

      in Boxing

      UFC legend Anderson Silva signs boxing contract to fight Julio Cesar Chavez Jr aged 45 after being axed by Dana White

      by

      UFC legend Anderson Silva has signed a contract to fight boxer Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Silva, 45, will face former middleweight champion Chavez Jr on June 19, at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.
      Anderson Silva has signed a contract to fight boxer Julio Cesar Chavez JrCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Canelo Alvarez pictured with Julio Cesar Chavez JrCredit: EPA
      He told TMZ Sports: “When I look back at my journey, I see that nothing has been in vain.
      “I am extremely happy for the opportunity to test my boxing skills with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.
      “I train continuously, always striving for resilience and to overcome obstacles. Fighting is my everlasting breath.”
      Chavez Jr, 35, added: “I have rededicated myself to the sport that I love and I will be ready to face anyone in the light-heavyweight division starting with Silva.
      “I will be prepared to be victorious on June 19.”
      Silva was released by the UFC last year after defeat to Uriah Hall, the Brazilian’s third on the bounce.
      Afterwards, the middleweight legend vowed to continue fighting and his exit from the UFC allowed him to venture into boxing.
      He has twice boxed before, a loss in 1998 and a win in 2005, and was always linked with facing Roy Jones Jr.

      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

      Jones, 52, returned himself in November, drawing to heavyweight icon Mike Tyson, 54, who made a comeback 15 years after retiring.
      RJJ and Silva were in talks to finally fight, but the news comes out of left field that Chavez Jr will instead share the ring with the UFC icon.
      Headlining on the night will be Chavez Sr, 58, against Hector Camacho Jr, 42 in an exhibition bout.
      Camacho is the son of Hector Sr, who fought Chavez in 1992 but sadly passed away in 2012.
      UFC legend Anderson Silva trains after being called out by boxing icon Roy Jones Jr More

    • 225 Shares139 Views

      in Boxing

      Inside Aaron Chalmers’ 3,000 calories a day diet as Geordie Shore star moves from MMA to pro boxing

      by

      AARON CHALMERS is being fuelled with a 3,000 calories a day diet as he prepares to move from MMA to professional boxing. The Geordie Shore star leaves the cage with a 5-2 record and will enter the ring with two knockouts to his name.
      Aaron Chalmers 3,000 calories a day diet
      Helping him in his journey is the team of chef Omar Meziane and sports nutritionist Mike Naylor, who together own meal prep provider Tweakd.
      Meziane and Naylor work with Chalmers’ gym-mates Josh Kelly and Michael Conlan.
      And there they formed a partnership with the ex-reality TV favourite, who stresses the importance of a healthy and strict nutrition plan.
      Chalmers, 33, said: “Diet is crucial towards my training.
      “Eating the right foods, at the right time ensures that I have enough energy to not only get me through my session, but also to support with my recovery.
      “It’s more than just healthy eating – it’s eating appropriately at the right time.
      “You can eat all the salads in the world, but that won’t help you build muscle or in the run up to a fight when you need slow releasing energy to see you through.”
      A regular day will see Chalmers consume bircher muesli for breakfast with a watermelon juice to wash it down.
      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

      And for lunch, Oregano roasted chicken with milanese sauce, pasta and lentils with vegetables is usually on the menu.
      A post-workout snack is normally Chicken gyoza with soy or Thai chicken kebab skewers with dip.
      Dinner comes in the form of chargrill steak with hot potato salad and vegetables as well as banana bread for a snack.
      Naylor, an undergrad in sports nutrition and science, recommends eating three hours before training, with a snack 60 minutes before the session.
      He explained: “Before training you want a bit of time for your food to digest.
      “We want to actually fuel the training to get the most out of it, with carbohydrates to maximize the amount of fuel to get the most out of your training.
      Aaron Chalmers is switching from MMA to boxingCredit: @flysportsuk
      “But we want to provide them in an easily digestible format, so they’re not just sitting on your stomach for a long period of time.”
      The calorie count for any fighter can vary on weight, but also on their type of training schedule.
      Naylor said: “We’ll usually periodise the amount of calories and carbohydrates to go with the training.
      “But it can range from anywhere from the likes of 1,600 calories a day ranging up to the big training days which will go closer to 3,000 calories.
      “So it might not be as big as some of the heavier clients we feed which is 5,000 calories, but still you’re looking at around 3,000 calories on some of the more intense training days.”
      Despite Aaron switching codes, a diet plan is not one-size-fits-all for each sport, instead changing depending on the person.
      Aaron Chalmers was 5-2 in MMACredit: Dolly Clew / The Sun
      The Geordie Shore star had two KOs in MMACredit: Sportsfile
      Naylor added: “It’s not necessarily between the sports, it’s between the individuals.
      “And when you look at the people you work with, and their preference on flavour and taste, that’s where a lot of the differences come in, rather than the actual sport they compete in.”
      Naylor and Meziane, who has a cook book with James Haskell, met 12 years ago while working for London Wasps rugby side.
      Now, they cater to 30 different athletes, in football, rugby, rowing, athletics, as well as F1 and even travelled to the World Cup with England in 2018.
      They say their most popular dish is a crispy chilli Chinese dish and Meziane opens up on the secrets to making the takeaway meal fighter-friendly.
      He revealed: “Rather than deep frying it, like you’d get in a Chinese restaurant, we bake it until it becomes really, really crispy.
      Sports nutritionist Mike Naylor, left, and chef Omar Meziane at the 2018 World Cup
      Omar Meziane owns meal prep service Tweakd with Mike Naylor
      “Then we have an incredible homemade chilli jam that we make and we coat it in that with loads of fresh chilli and ginger.
      “And that’s kind of everyone’s go-to at the moment.”
      With fighters confronted with gruelling hours in the gym, rest and recovery is another vital part of their regime.
      Meaning having the luxury of their meals being taken care of gives them one less thing to think about while in training camp.
      Chalmers said: “Tweakd have been brilliant for me. They provide me with weekly meal programmes which are tailored to my training and goals.
      “The food is absolutely delicious and is a much better size than anything I have had before.
      “Mike and Omar really get my needs and the food is spot on for my goals.”
      Aaron Chalmers works the pads in intensive training session More

    • 275 Shares129 Views

      in Boxing

      Dana White says ‘this s*** is getting silly’ amid Oscar De La Hoya comeback and rules out UFC star facing boxing legend

      by

      DANA WHITE said ‘this s*** is getting silly’ amid Oscar De La Hoya’s comeback and ruled out a UFC star facing the boxing legend. De La Hoya announced he will be returning to the ring on July 3, his first fight since 2008, where he was battered by Manny Pacquiao.
      Dana White said ‘this s*** is getting silly’ amid Oscar De La Hoya’s comebackCredit: Twitter
      Oscar De La Hoya announced he will be returning to the ring on July 3Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      The 48-year-old will make his return on a Triller pay-per-view, the social media platform who brought Mike Tyson, 54, out of retirement in November.
      And Triller’s Ryan Kavanaugh, told ESPN they want a ‘big name’ UFC fighter to welcome De La Hoya back.
      But UFC president White has no interest, and blasted the comeback.
      He said: “To box De La Hoya? Come on guys, this shit is getting silly. You guys just want to ask me silly questions.
      “You have got a 50-year-old guy fu**ing boxing, and you guys are actually talking about it and covering press conferences?
      “Come on, come on you guys.”
      White has had a long-running feud with De La Hoya, dating back to 2017 when the boxing promoter criticised Conor McGregor’s crossover bout with Floyd Mayweather.
      The UFC boss also publicly slammed Tyson’s comeback fight against Roy Jones Jr, 52, which ended in a draw after eight exhibition rounds.
      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

      But White, a personal friend of Iron Mike’s, later admitted he was wrong as he featured on the heavyweight icon’s podcast.
      He said: “Somebody asked me at a press conference about it and I said ‘I don’t like it, I don’t want them to do it, this and that…’
      “Then he called me and was like: ‘Listen man, we’ve been friends for a long time but I’m a grown ass man, if I wanna fight I’m gonna f***ing fight! Don’t be f***ing negative about my fight.’
      “And I said ‘you know what, you’re right. You won’t hear a f***ing peep out of me again.’
      “Then when I watched the fight I thought he looked really f***ing good.”
      Mike Tyson blasts UFC boss Dana White for telling him not to fight at 54 More

    • 238 Shares159 Views

      in Boxing

      Ben Askren posts incredible Rocky 4 training montage and again goads Jake Paul for being ‘Logan Paul’s little brother’

      by

      BEN ASKREN posted an incredible Rocky 4 training montage and again goaded Jake Paul for being ‘Logan Paul’s little brother’. Retired UFC welterweight Askren faces Paul on April 17 at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
      Ben Askren posted an incredible Rocky 4 training montage
      Ben Askren faces Jake Paul on April 17
      Ben Askren took inspiration from Rocky Balboa’s iconic training scene in the 1986 boxing classic
      And to prepare for the fight, Askren took inspiration from Rocky Balboa’s iconic training scene in the 1986 boxing classic.
      In the movie, Sylvester Stallone’s character is set to face Soviet boxer Ivan Drag in Russia.
      And he trains for the fight in bitter cold Russia, running in the snow, chopping wood and lifting logs.
      Askren, 36, paid homage to the film, as he posted a clip online channeling his inner Balboa.
      The former Olympic grappler jogs in the snow, chops at a tree and even pushes his two kids who are sitting in a rubber dinghy.
      All while he takes a swipe at opponent Paul, 24, the younger brother of fellow YouTuber Logan, 25.
      Askren posted: “When I got the call to fight Logan Paul’s little brother I had to go into Rocky Style training!”
      When the two came face to face at their first press conference, Paul appeared to lose his cool after being compared to Logan.

      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

      Askren said: “I’d heard of Jake Paul prior to accepting this fight, but I couldn’t have told you a lot about him or his brother.
      “I knew he kinda came up in his brother’s shadow, he was trying to follow his brother’s footsteps.
      “His brother’s a lot more talented, has a larger following.”
      Tensions later spilled over when Askren facepalmed Paul, causing the social media star to lash out.
      Askren goes into the pay-per-view headliner having never boxed before, instead renowned for his wrestling background.
      Meanwhile Paul has two knockouts in as many fights, but only against online rival ‘AnEsonGib’ and ex-NBA player Nate Robinson.
      Tensions spilled over between Jake Paul and Ben AskrenCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Jake Paul and Ben Askren went face to faceCredit: Getty More

    • 238 Shares99 Views

      in Boxing

      Watch UFC star Francis Ngannou absorb Ryan Garcia’s vicious punches in Body Shot Challenge and laugh off boxer’s power

      by

      UFC star Francis Ngannou laughed off Ryan Garcia’s brutal punches as the pair took part in a Body Shot Challenge.Garcia let rip with a flurry of left hands but heavyweight contender Ngannou stood firm and even asked the 21-0 boxer ‘Are you done yet?’.
      Francis Ngannou laughed off Ryan Garcia’s powerful punches in a Body Shot Challenge
      Nagannou is hoping to take the UFC heavyweight belt off Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 on Saturday night.
      To be one of the most ferocious fighters on the planet, you have to be able to take a punch.
      And the Cameroonian – whose painful punches were compared to being hit by a sledgehammer – proved he can do just that in the footage.
      Soon after Ngannou knocked out Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 249 last year, the pair linked up to shoot the video.
      Ngannou was decked out in a body suit as Garcia let rip.
      But not only did the 260lb fighter withstand the barrage of blows, he seemed to enjoy it.
      After an initial flurry of punches failed to move Ngannou, Garcia eased off.
      But the UFC star quipped: “Are you done?” 
      BETTING SPECIAL – GET 30/1 ON FRANCIS NGANNOU TO WIN VIA KO, TKO OR DQ
      Anderson Silva tops the list for the biggest UFC win streak

      Garcia started again and appeared to up the intensity but the grin on Ngannou’s face only got bigger.
      After a laughing Garcia stopped permanently, Ngannou revealed he would regularly get people to hit him in the stomach earlier in his career to help him build up resistance.
      Earlier this month Garcia opened up about his battle with anxiety in a heartfelt Instagram post.
      Garcia has 8.5million followers on Instagram and is set for boxing stardom.
      But he revealed he battles every day and he is ‘with all of you who struggle’.

      UFC fighter Francis Ngannou inspiring story from fighting rats for food from bins More