MMA

Subterms

    More stories

    • 263 Shares139 Views

      in Boxing

      Ex-UFC star says Jake Paul ‘is not a fighter’ and was ‘afraid’ of him in sparring after YouTuber had nose busted

      by

      FORMER UFC middleweight Markus Perez insists Jake Paul isn’t a ‘real fighter’, claiming the YouTuber was ‘afraid’ of him during their sparring session.The former Disney actor will lock horns with retired mixed martial artist Ben Askren in a boxing match in the early hours of Sunday morning.
      YouTube star Jake Paul (L) will face ex-UFC welterweight Ben Askren (R) in a boxing matchCredit: Getty
      Former UFC middleweight Markus Perez reckons Ben Askren will knock out Jake PaulCredit: GETTY
      Paul, who is 2-0 as a professional boxer, has been tipped by many to knock out the former UFC welterweight.
      But Perez, who recently sparred with the social media star, reckons the 24-year-old will end up being stopped by Funky.
      He told AG Fight: “To tell you the truth I had no idea who he [Paul] was, but when someone related to him offered me $300 (to train with him), I decided to accept.
      “When I arrived at his house with my friend Alexandre Pantoja, I politely went to greet everyone.
      “But when I went to shake hands, he gave me a closed fist. Then I looked at Pantoja and asked, ‘That was the guy I came to help?’
      “He started the sparring going hard, and I hit him with a jab in the end of the first round and his nose started to bleed.
      GET £140 IN FREE BETS FOR JAKE PAUL vs BEN ASKREN

      “From that point on we started to fight.
      “I called for him to beat me up and he was afraid, just circling and staying out of my range.
      “Of course, he is able to box and has a good cross, but he is clearly not a fighter – just an adventurous (type).
      “Askren is a real fighter. He will close the distance and beat him up around the body and liver, just like I did.
      “A fight is always a fight, anything can happen, but I believe he will knock Paul out around the second or third round.”

      jake Paul will clash with Ben Askren in the early hours of Sunday morning

      The abrasive Paul has vowed to add 36-year-old Askren to his list of victims, saying: “These MMA guys think because they throw punches they know how to box.
      “The world complained because I knocked out a basketball player and not a real fighter.
      “So now I’m giving the people what they want by taking on a ‘real fighter.’
      “After Ben Askren is added to my knockout meme collection, what can anybody say?
      “This is why I’m confident in my ability to destroy this guy.
      “They have no head movement, they’re slow, they aren’t going to the gym every day and boxing.”
      Jake Paul vs Ben Askren – Watch LIVE, channel info and start time More

    • 238 Shares99 Views

      in Boxing

      Tyson Fury opens door to Francis Ngannou fight and vows to ‘roast’ Mike Tyson’s pal after Anthony Joshua showdown

      by

      TYSON FURY has promised to end Francis Ngannou’s boxing dream and ‘roast’ the MMA champion in an online feud between the pair.The newly-crowned heavyweight king of the octagon namechecked the Gypsy King in a recent discussion with Mike Tyson on switching sports.
      Tyson Fury is confident he would defeat Francis Ngannou in the ringCredit: Instagram
      UFC champion Ngannou recently told Mike Tyson he wants a shot at boxingCredit: Instagram francisngannou
      But Fury, 32, reckons he would make light work of Ngannou and told Tyson that he will deal with him after fighting Anthony Joshua.
      On Tuesday, the WBC belt-holder tweeted: “Mike Tyson, after I smash Anthony Joshua I’ll roast that guy also.
      “Francis Ngannou easy work.”
      The slanging match escalated as Ngannou aimed a dart at Fury’s cut eyebrow in his 2019 victory over Otto Wallin.
      He declared: “If this guy did this to you, what do you think I would do?”
      But the Brit fired back: “You would do absolutely nothing, I’d smoke you in the first round.”
      GET £140 IN FREE BETS FOR JAKE PAUL vs BEN ASKREN

      Tyson is on the verge of rubber stamping the first of his unification showdowns with rival Joshua.
      Talks over a venue and a date for the £500million clash are progressing.
      And Fury appears to be open to the idea of facing UFC’s top heavyweight afterwards.
      Ngannou, 34, beat Stipe Miocic in two rounds last month to become world champion.
      But he later admitted that boxing is his first love and a sport he still hopes to have a career in.
      The Cameroonian star told the Hotboxin’ podcast: “I don’t want to fight Mike Tyson, but I would like to fight another heavyweight boxer such as Tyson Fury.”

      He added: “This is in the future, it’s somewhere, definitely.
      “I’m going to box. I have to box in my career.
      “My main dream has always been the noble art and even though I deviated into MMA, which I love, I still have to fulfil something in boxing.”
      UFC are in the process of arranging Ngannou’s first defence of his title with Jon Jones tipped to be his next opponent, if a deal can be agreed.
      UFC star Francis Ngannou wants Jon Jones fight next More

    • 225 Shares169 Views

      in Boxing

      Five fights for Conor McGregor after he CANCELS Dustin Poirier UFC trilogy including Justin Gaethje and Manny Pacquiao

      by

      CONOR McGREGOR has thrown his trilogy bout with Dustin Poirier into doubt after claiming ‘the fight is off’. McGregor, who knocked out the American in 2014, enjoyed a cordial build-up to their rematch in January.
      Conor McGregor was beaten by Dustin Poirier at UFC 257Credit: Getty
      So much so, that he vowed to donate $500,000 to Poirier’s ‘The Good Fight Foundation’, before he himself was stopped to level the series.
      But McGregor was accused of not following up with his pledge, despite revealing he was waiting for details on exactly where the money would go.
      The two have gone back and forth online, which resulted in the Irishman calling off the fight – though it is not yet clear how serious that threat is. The UFC have not commented.
      But just in case, here SunSport lists five potential alternatives for McGregor.
      Justin Gaethje
      The pair were in line to fight in the summer of 2019 until an injury kept McGregor out for the year.
      Gaethje went on to beat Donald Cerrone and Tony Ferguson before losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov for the lightweight title.
      McGregor has a personal feud with the American, after he was called ‘s*** human and parent’.
      It led to McGregor responding: “I am going to f*****g butcher you. Your teeth. I’m going to put them on a f*****g necklace. Speak on my skills as a father? You are f*****g dead.”
      It would leave to a blockbuster grudge match with their styles promising all-action.
      Justin Gaethje has feuded Conor McGregor beforeCredit: Getty
      Michael Chandler vs Charles Oliveira winner
      After Khabib’s retirement was made official, he was stripped of the belt.
      With Poirier preferring a rematch with McGregor, the UFC turned to Chandler and Oliveira to challenge for the vacant belt on May 15.
      With McGregor planning to stay on track for July 10, his starpower could be enough to convince the UFC to put him in with the new champion.
      It would be a stretch for the winner to return so quickly, and harsh on Poirier, but stranger things have happened.
      Chandler also confirmed his interest in the proposal, as he tweeted: “May 15 and July 10…book it!”

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

      Nate Diaz vs Leon Edwards winner
      McGregor and Diaz share one of the greatest rivalries in UFC history after their 2016 double header.
      Despite a win for each, a trilogy decider has failed to materialise.
      Diaz recently announced he will return against Leon Edwards, meaning he would be unavailable to face McGregor next.
      But a win for the fan-favourite sets him up perfectly with his old rival, Edwards on the other hand does not have any history with McGregor.
      Having said that, he is the No1 UFC star in England, and could push to sell out Wembley Stadium with The Notorious, which could break an attendance record.
      Nate Diaz and Conor McGregor are yet to have a trilogy boutCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Jorge Masvidal vs Kamaru Usman winner
      Usman again defends his welterweight title against Masvidal, as the rivals headline UFC 261 on April 24.
      McGregor was called out by Masvidal last year as their styles and personalties has the formula for box office success.
      Usman on the other hand offers the Irish star the chance to make history by becoming the first ever three-division UFC champ.
      The 170lb king has traded words with McGregor before and along with his belt it is more than enough to drive demand.
      Whoever wins at the end of the month is a viable option for McGregor, who would again move up to welterweight.
      Kamaru Usman is set to rematch Jorge Masvidal at UFC 261Credit: Zuffa LLC
      Manny Pacquiao
      McGregor made his boxing debut in 2017, losing to Floyd Mayweather in ten rounds – and has since flirted with a return to the ring.
      Himself and Pacquiao – both signed to management group Paradigm Sports – were close to signing to fight each other this year.
      That was until McGregor was beaten by Poirier, and admitted he focussed too much on boxing, with one eye on the PacMan clash.
      Despite that, if The Notorious is in need for a stopgap opponent, no one offers a more lucrative payday than Pacquiao.
      The Filipino icon is currently searching for an opponent too, and offers McGregor the chance to stay active and receive another unprecedented payday.

      Manny Pacquiao was in talks to fight Conor McGregorCredit: AP
      Cormier says Conor McGregor and Dustin Poirier’s ‘bad blood’ is back More

    • 275 Shares129 Views

      in Boxing

      Ben Askren says ‘almost impossible to tell’ if Jake Paul is a good fighter as ‘level of his competition was so low’

      by

      BEN ASKREN reckons it is ‘almost impossible to tell’ if Jake Paul is a good fighter because his level of competition ‘was so low’. Paul has won both his fights by knockout since turning pro in January 2020.
      Ben Askren reckons it is ‘almost impossible to tell’ if Jake Paul is a good fighterCredit: Getty
      YouTuber Jake Paul is 2-0 as a proCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      But those have come only against online rival ‘AnEsonGib’ and ex-NBA star Nate Robinson.
      His biggest challenge comes on April 17, against retired UFC welterweight Askren.
      And the former Olympic wrestler admitted he is still in the dark about what to expect, having seen Paul untested in his boxing career.
      Askren, 36, told The Metro: “We haven’t seen anything.
      “The level of his competition was so low that it was almost impossible to tell if he is actually good at this.
      “If there is one thing people respect about all fighters it’s the toughness to deal with adversity in battle and we have not seen that out of him.
      “I don’t think he was hit hard by either one of those guys. They were so incredibly terrible at boxing. So we haven’t seen anything out of him yet.”
      Askren was considered one of the best talents outside of the UFC before he finally signed with Dana White in 2018.

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

      He divided opinions due to his wrestling-based style, and hung up his gloves after just one win and two losses in the UFC.
      But as Askren heads into his unprecedented boxing match with Paul, 24, he finds himself in an unusual position – as the more popular headliner.
      He said: “I didn’t realise how much people didn’t like Jake Paul until I tuned in and started listening to what people were saying about him.
      “At best for me, it’s like 50 percent positive comments and 50 percent negative comments.
      “That’s my persona. But everyone freaking hates Jake Paul.
      “One of the things you have to realise about prize fighting is that the more recognition and scrutiny you can bring to yourself, the faster you are going to move up the ranks.
      “When you look at the job, you have to look at all parts of the job. Is part of the job being good at fighting? Absolutely.
      “But a part of the job is also figuring out how to promote yourself so you can advance much quicker.”
      Watch Ben Askren train with legendary boxing trainer Freddie Roach as ex-UFC star prepares for Jake Paul fight More

    • 238 Shares179 Views

      in Boxing

      Anthony Joshua cleared to face Francis Ngannou but Eddie Hearn prefers two-fight boxing and UFC deal with Dillian Whyte 

      by

      ANTHONY JOSHUA has been given the green light to fight Francis Ngannou – but Dillian Whyte is first in line for the UFC champion. Ngannou first set his sights on a boxing career aged 22 but, after moving to France, he instead embarked on an MMA career as it was easier to find fights.
      Anthony Joshua has been given the green light to fight UFC champ Francis NgannouCredit: Instagram
      Francis Ngannou is the current UFC heavyweight championCredit: Getty
      Fast-forward 12 years and Ngannou is the UFC heavyweight king after knocking out Stipe Miocic.
      But he has not given up hope of reaching the boxing summit, and recently called to fight Tyson Fury, 32 and Joshua, 31.
      AJ’s promoter Eddie Hearn is on board and threw out the possibility of UFC legends Amanda Nunes or Cris Cyborg challenging Irish boxing champion Katie Taylor.
      Hearn told SiriusXM: “AJ wants to be the best, but he also wants to do different things once he meets his goals.
      “So a fight with Francis Ngannou isn’t impossible. Just like Katie Taylor vs Cyborg or Nunes, potentially.”
      Hearn last year had plans for Whyte, a former European kickboxing champion, to face Ngannou in a two-fight deal.
      It would have seen one bout in the ring and the other in the cage, as both have experience in the rivalling sports.
      Hearn even filmed an explosive online press conference between the pair, but it never aired as the UFC were not aware of the recording.
      Dillian Whyte was in line to fight Francis NgannouCredit: Dave Thompson Matchroom Boxing
      FREE BETS: GET OVER £2,000 IN SIGN UP OFFERS HERE

      The promoter has still not given up on the idea of the historic cross promotion alongside the UFC between Ngannou, 34, and Whyte, 32.
      Hearn said: “I love Francis NGannou. We almost had a presser with Dillian Whyte and him, but the UFC shut that down after we taped it.
      “We do have the footage, though. I would love to see a double matchup with Ngannou and Dillian Whyte.
      “One in the cage and one out of it. Ditto for Taylor and Nunes.”
      Anthony Joshua partners with Revolut to raise money for grassroots sport More

    • 250 Shares149 Views

      in Boxing

      Anthony Joshua vs Francis Ngannou tale of the tape: How knockout artists would compare with UFC champ open to fight

      by

      ANTHONY JOSHUA could one day share the ring with Francis Ngannou after his promoter refused to rule out a fight with the UFC’s heavyweight champion.The fearsome Ngannou claimed the UFC’s heavyweight throne last month with a brutal second-round KO victory over Stipe Miocic.
      How Anthony Joshua stacks up against Francis Ngannou
      UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou also wants to conquer the boxing worldCredit: Getty
      And in the weeks following his historic victory, the Cameroonian clubber has reiterated his desire to compete in boxing.
      Ngannou, 34, is open to blockbuster crossover bouts with Joshua and WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, who are set to meet one another in the summer.
      He told ESPN: “This is in the future, it’s somewhere, definitely. I’m going to box; I have to box in my career.
      “My main dream has always been the noble art and even though I deviated into MMA, which I love, I still have to fulfil something in boxing.”
      And Matchroom Boxing chief Eddie Hearn is open to making the bout, telling Sirius XM: “AJ wants to be the best, but he also wants to do different things once he meets his goals.
      “So a fight with Francis Ngannou isn’t impossible. Just like Katie Taylor vs [Cris] Cyborg or [Amanda] Nunes, potentially.”
      But how does the UFC’s first African heavyweight champion stack up against AJ?
      SunSport is on hand to give you all the details on a potential showdown between the pair.
      GRAND NATIONAL: GET £140 IN FREE BETS FOR FESTIVAL AT AINTREE
      Eddie Hearn has refused to rule out a showdown between Anthony Joshua and Francis NgannouCredit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing
      Age
      Unified heavyweight champion Joshua has a significant advantage in the age department.
      AJ is the younger man at 31, while Ngannou is 34 going on 35.
      Experience
      Joshua has significantly more fights to his name than his UFC counterpart having taken to the ring 25 times.
      Ngannou, meanwhile, only has 19 professional mixed martial arts fights to his name.

      Physical
      Joshua may not be as physically imposing as The Predator, but he is the bigger man.
      The Olympic gold medallist stands at a whopping 6’6, while Ngannou comes in at 6’4.
      Ngannou does, however, have a marked weight advantage over AJ, weighing nearly TWO STONE more than the Brit.
      Anthony Joshua is two inches taller than UFC heavyweight champion Francis NgannouCredit: Instagram
      Joshua tipped the scales at 240lbs for his clash with Kubrat Pulev last December, while Ngannou weighed in at 263lbs for his rematch with Miocic.
      Despite being the shorter man, Ngannou also edges out Joshua in the reach department.
      The Batie brawler has an 83-inch reach while the taller Joshua has an 82-inch reach.
      Records
      Francis Ngannou nearly weighs two stone more than Anthony JoshuaCredit: Getty

      Joshua has only tasted defeat once in his illustrious career, losing to Andy Ruiz Jr in June 2019.
      Ngannou, meanwhile, has three defeats on his mixed martial arts record, the most recent of which came at the hands of Derrick Lewis in July 2018.
      Joshua avenged his sole career loss in a rematch in December 2019, which he won via unanimous decision.
      Although Ngannou has yet to exact revenge on Lewis or Zoumana Cisse, he did level his series with Miocic in brutal fashion.
      Jon Jones vs Francis Ngannou worth $50m and ‘easily’ as big as a Floyd Mayweather fight, claims UFC coach More

    • 288 Shares139 Views

      in Boxing

      Mike Tyson meets up with new UFC champ Francis Ngannou who rules OUT fight with legend but open to Fury and Joshua clash

      by

      BOXING legend Mike Tyson has been snapped wearing Francis Ngannou’s UFC heavyweight title.Cameroonian Ngannou ripped the 265lb belt from Stipe Miocic’s clutches last month with a brutal second-round KO victory in the main event of UFC 260.
      Mike Tyson wears Francis Ngannou’s UFC heavyweight titleCredit: INSTAGRAM@FRANCISNGANNOU
      Francis Ngannou and Mike Tyson appeared to have a laugh during their latest meetingCredit: INSTAGRAM@FRANCISNGANNOU
      Shortly after his historic victory, the newly-crowned heavyweight king was invited to make a second appearance on the Hotboxin’ with Mike Tyson podcast.
      Ngannou, 34, accepted the offer and gave Iron Mike the chance to wear the belt during their meeting.
      The UFC’s first African heavyweight champion shared snaps of his latest meeting with Tyson and retired MMA star Brendan Schaub to his Twitter and Instagram pages.
      The posts’ accompanying caption read: “It’s always a great time with the legend @MikeTyson. New @hotboxinpodcast episode drops soon.”
      The ferocious Ngannou has drawn comparisons to a prime Tyson during his six-year stint in the UFC.
      And the Batie brawler is honoured to have had his name mentioned in the same breath as The Baddest Man on the Planet.
      GRAND NATIONAL: GET £140 IN FREE BETS FOR FESTIVAL AT AINTREE
      SunSport’s latest pound-for-pound UFC rankings
      He told TMZ: “Every time that they compared me to Mike Tyson, you know for me it’s just an honour that they can attach my name to somebody like Mike Tyson.
      “Growing up, hearing about Mike Tyson, even though I didn’t have a chance to see him fight because I was in a small village and we didn’t have a TV and stuff.
      “It was very hard for us to have access of those stuff but as soon as I had a chance I just go on YouTube and keep watching Mike Tyson tape and I was so impressed by him and was just dreaming to become like him.”
      The Predator wants to follow in Tyson’s footsteps by eventually entering the boxing world, although he has no intention of ever sharing the ring with the hall-of-famer.
      Francis Ngannou has no intention of ever fighting Mike TysonCredit: INSTAGRAM@FRANCISNGANNOU
      When asked if he’d box Tyson, he replied: “I don’t want to fight Mike Tyson, but I would like to fight another heavyweight boxer such as Tyson Fury.”
      He added: “This is in the future, it’s somewhere, definitely.
      “I’m going to box; I have to box in my career.
      “My main dream has always been the noble art and even though I deviated into MMA, which I love, I still have to fulfil something in boxing.”
      Francis Ngannou claimed the UFC heavyweight title with a brutal KO victory over Stipe MiocicCredit: Getty

      UFC fans are hoping Ngannou’s next outing will be a blockbuster showdown with former light-heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
      But the mega-fight is being held up by an ongoing pay dispute between Jones and the UFC brass.
      The heavy-handed Ngannou has been offered a June rematch with fan favourite Derrick Lewis.
      But it’s understood he doesn’t want to perform a quick turnaround following a long and gruelling camp for his rematch with Miocic.
      Mike Tyson trains UFC star Francis Ngannou ‘for Tyson Fury fight’ More

    • 288 Shares159 Views

      in Boxing

      Floyd Mayweather meets with Dana White as UFC chief says ‘Holy s*** WTF going on here?’ as boxing icon hints at MMA move

      by

      FLOYD MAYWEATHER has teased a sensational switch to MMA after meeting up with UFC chief Dana White.It’s not the first time the retired undefeated boxing king has flirted with the idea of entering the octagon.
      Floyd Mayweather met with UFC boss Dana White and Rizin CEO Nobu SakakibaraCredit: Twitter
      Dana White hinted that somehting BIG was going downCredit: Twitter
      Last year the 44-year-old incredibly claimed he wanted to fight Conor McGregor and Khabib Nurmagomedov in the same DAY.
      And while that appears unlikely to ever happen, the latest meet-up with White is a sign that something could be in the pipeline.
      White posted a photo on Twitter of him alongside Mayweather, writing: HOOOOOOOLY S**T!!!!!! WTF is goin on here.”
      Mayweather worked with White for his 10th-round stoppage win in a boxing fight against McGregor in 2017.
      Also in attendance was RIZIN CEO Nobu Sakakibara – the promotional company hosted his exhibition thrashing of Tenshin Nasukawa in 2018.
      It’s not known whether the two businessmen are involved in Mayweather’s scheduled exhibition scrap against YouTuber Logan Paul.
      Mayweather is set to face the social media star in a pay-per-view spectacle this year.
      In an interview with entrepreneur Rob Moore, the boxing legend was asked if he is fighting Paul, who is 0-1 as a professional.
      GRAND NATIONAL: GET £140 IN FREE BETS FOR FESTIVAL AT AINTREE

      Mayweather, 44, responded: “Name another boxer, besides myself, that’s more famous than Logan Paul?”
      The 50-0 icon then explained he could make a guaranteed $35million (£25m) to fight any regular boxer.
      But an exhibition extravaganza will earn him $65m more, as he projected he will make $100m (£72m) against Paul.

      Floyd Mayweather, 44, shows off speed and power as he trains with MONEY raining down ahead of $100m Logan Paul exhibition More