MMA

ROY JONES JR could be persuaded to carry on his comeback by the likes of Anderson Silva, Benard Hopkins or Antonio Tarver.
All-time great Jones comes out of retirement on Saturday to face fellow legend Mike Tyson in an eight-round exhibition bout.

Roy Jones Jr prepares to come out of retirement to face Mike Tyson Credit: Instagram / @royjonesjeofficial

UFC legend Anderson Silva has long been linked with fighting Jones Credit: Getty Images – Getty

The challenge comes two years after his last fight, but it may not prove to be the end of the road in the 51-year-old’s illustrious career.
Tarver, 52, and Hopkins, 55, are among those Jones feels he has unfinished business with – as well as UFC legend Silva, 45.
His cornerman Tom Yankello told SunSport: “I know he’s got a couple of guys he wants to settle scores with if they’re willing to.
“We got Tarver and Hopkins. But I don’t think he would come back to just fight, he wouldn’t come for just anyone.

“It would have to be one of the guys he really wants or for a cruiserweight world championship of something like that.
“Anderson Silva, that’s another name I can see something like that too.
“Roy loves to fight, he loves to train, he’s the ultimate competitor he enjoys that.”

Jones beat Tarver in their first fight in 2003, but lost the following two.

Similarly, he saw past Hopkins in a 1993 masterclass, but failed to repeat in their rematch 17 years later.
During the end of Jones’ career, he chased a fight with the UFC’s middleweight icon Silva, but the Brazilian’s contract permitted it.
Now the former champion has been released by the UFC, he is free to crossover to boxing, something Silva also revealed was possible.
Jones and Yanekllo have not explicitly discussed what could be next after Saturday’s pay-per-view spectacle.
Having seen the former four-weight champion revitalise himself over nine weeks of training camp, the trainer has not ruled out further fights.
But it all depends on how well Jones fairs against iconic puncher Tyson.

Jones lost on points in his rematch against Bernard Hopkins in 2010Credit: AFP – Getty

Antonio Tarver twice beat Jones Credit: Reuters
Yankello said: “If he comes out healthy I wouldn’t put it out the realm of possibility. But I would say it’s a little too early to say.
“This fight plays a big part, to see how he comes out and how he feels after it.
“Does this satisfy his sweet tooth, enough to ride off into the sunset?
“He’s spent his whole life doing that and it’s not something that fizzles out, especially once it’s been reignited.”
Jones comes into the fight as the betting underdog, despite Tyson’s 15 year inactivity.
But Yankello is confident what they lack in size in power, they make up for in superior boxing skills.
And he forecasts if Jones can weather the early storm, he can stop Tyson in the later rounds.

Trainer Tom Yankello with Jones

Yankello says Jones can stop Iron Mike in the later rounds
Yankello explained: “The later rounds is where I think Roy takes over. I’m not saying he doesn’t win the early rounds as well.
“But the early rounds will be dictate and then I think Roy outboxes him clearly. I think he could possibly stop him late.
“I think it comes down to how durable Mike is, being off 15 years. That’s the mystery to me, what he’s actually bringing, what his durability is.
“Mike’s been gone 15 years, can he be durable after not being hit for all these years?
“Even though Roy’s not on paper the bigger puncher in this fight, he’s knocked out more people than Mike has.
“He’s a power puncher, he always has been and I think it comes down to how durable Mike is.
“If he does stop him I think it would be later, somewhere from the fourth round onwards.”

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RASHAD COULTER is the ex-UFC and Bellator heavyweight who crossed over to boxing on a mission to revive his career.
Coulter faces cruiserweight replacement Hasim Rahman Jr on Saturday on the undercard of Mike Tyson’s comeback against Roy Jones Jr.

Rashad Coulter is the ex-UFC and Bellator heavyweight who crossed over to boxingCredit: Getty Images – Getty

Coulter in training camp ahead of his fight on Mike Tyson’s undercard Credit: Twitter / @rashad_coulter

Before his fighting career, he played American Football for 17 years.
But in 2010 his good friend Muhammed Lawal – known as ‘King Mo’ – introduced Coulter to Muay Thai.
Within a year of training he made his MMA debut, winning by knockout.
After five fights on the local circuit in Texas, Coulter was given his first big break with a stoppage win against Jeremiah O’Neal under the Bellator banner.

It didn’t go unnoticed, as three victories and two years later the heavy-hitter was signed by the UFC.
But he suffered a disastrous start in MMA’s elite, losing three on the spin, all by knockout.
His fourth and final fight for the UFC did see him successful outpointing Hu Yaozong in a light-heavyweight fight, which he missed weight for.

Coulter had four fights in the UFC but only one once Credit: Getty Images – Getty

The American’s last MMA fight was in 2019Credit: Getty Images – Getty

It spelled the end of the road for his time in the octagon, but the 38-year-old had one more MMA bout, losing to Isaac Villanueva last year.

Despite his up and down career in the cage, Coulter is unbeaten in his four boxing matches.
He made his debut in the ring six years ago, winning on the cards, but has since stopped his other three opponents.
Coulter was due to face Viddal Riley, also unbeaten in four bouts, this weekend but the 23-year-old Londoner has pulled out injured.
Instead, he will fight Rahman Jr, who is 9-0 and the son of Hasim Sr, the man who knocked out Lennox Lewis in 2001.
Coulter grew up watching his next opponent’s dad, and will now share the ring with his son.
He said to MMA Island: “I’m blessed to still be on the card.
“Hasim is a skilled dude who has grown up around boxing, so it’s a new opponent but the same plan.

Coulter was meant to fight Viddal Riley Credit: Twitter / @rashad_coulter

YouTuber Jake Paul pictured with Coulter’s new opponent Hasim Rahman Jr Credit: https://twitter.com/_HasimRahmanJr/status/1314032111276290049

Rahman Sr famously knocked out Lennox Lewis Credit: Reuters
“I know he is southpaw and he switches but my job is to fight my fight and not let him dictate the pace.
“He is tough and has a good record, I have never ran from a fight and this will be great. I grew up watching his pops so this will be fun.
“But again this is strictly business.”
With the mass attention surrounding this weekend’s event, Coulter is looking to capitalise on the hype train and book a ticket back into the UFC.
He told BJ Penn.com: “For me, it opens up more boxing doors and in MMA, it could open up bigger MMA fights like me even going back to the UFC.
“It is a big platform for me.
“My heart is always in MMA, the UFC is a great promotion and I would love to be back in the UFC.
“There are several fights at 205 I want in the UFC. If I go finish Viddal, it will open more doors in MMA.”

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CONOR McGREGOR and Manny Pacquiao will ‘definitely’ fight next year, according to the man who manages the pair.
Audie Attar represents the pair of superstars with his Paradigm SM company.

Conor McGregor is set to fight Manny Pacquiao next year, according to their shared promoterCredit: Getty Images – Getty

And he reckons fans will not be waiting long before they step into the ring together.
McGregor will make his UFC comeback against Dustin Poirier on January 23.
But after that, attention may well turn to the veteran Filipino.
Attar told Bloomberg TV: “As it relates to Manny Pacquiao and Conor McGregor, Conor has a fight on January 23 against Dustin Poirier.

“He will be handling business against Dustin first.
“Conor has come out and said he wants to fight Manny, [and] Manny has come out and said he wants to fight Conor.
“As I stated publicly before, we have had conversations.
“So, that is a fight we are definitely going to make because both fighters want it and there seems to be an interest from the fans all around the world.”

Pacquiao has not fought since beating Keith Thurman in July 2019 for the WBA welterweight world titleCredit: EPA

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McGregor famously fought Floyd Mayweather as he switched across from MMA to boxing in August 2017.
Since then he has competed in the UFC twice – losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018 and then beating Donald Cerrone this January.
But talk of a mega bout with Pacquiao intensified when the eight-weight world champion joined Paradigm in October, making negotiations much simpler.
The 41-year-old, who is a Senator of the Philippines, currently holds WBA welterweight title thanks to his record-breaking victory over Keith Thurman in July last year, his 71st and most-recent bout.
And McGregor could face off with Pacquiao in the Middle East but Mayweather’s uncle Jeff thinks the Irishman would be knocked out inside round one.
He suggested his nephew toyed with McGregor for their ten-round showdown and said: “I think Floyd could have knocked Conor McGregor out anytime he wanted to.
“Just like they were talking about him [McGregor] fighting Manny Pacquiao. Manny Pacquiao wouldn’t play with his a**. He’d knock him out in one round.
“Any other fighter other than Floyd would knock Conor McGregor out in one or two rounds.”

Audie Attar represents both McGregor and Pacquiao with Paradigm SMCredit: Instagram @audieattar

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