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      Jake Paul called out to two-fight MMA and boxing deal by Derek Brunson after leaving UFC for PFL

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      JAKE PAUL has been called out to a two-fight MMA and boxing deal by Derek Brunson. Paul is set to make his debut in the cage next year after signing with the Professional Fighters League, a rival to the UFC.
      Derek Brunson has left the UFC for the PFLCredit: @DerekBrunson
      Jake Paul is set to make his MMA debut with the PFL
      And Brunson also left the UFC after over a decade of service to sign with the PFL, which operates in a win-or-go-home seasonal format.
      When Paul announced his boxing return for December 15 Brunson was an early bookies’ favourite to be the opponent.
      Instead, little-known 10-1-1 pro boxer Andre August, 35, was confirmed as the YouTuber-turned boxer’s shock next fight.
      But Brunson is leaving the door open to settling the score with Paul now the pair are both under the PFL banner.
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      He told SunSport: “Jake Paul is now with the PFL, we’ve got a bit of history. 
      “He asked Dana to fight me a couple years ago, so that’s a possibility. People saw me going over to the PFL and thought the timetable was there and it was perfect. 
      “Like I say, in the past me and Jake had discussions for a boxing match but I was under contract with the UFC. But things may align now.” 
      Paul, 26, was beaten for the first time in February, losing a split-decision to Tommy Fury, 24, in Saudi Arabia.
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      But he bounced back in August with a ten-round points win over ex-UFC star Nate Diaz, 38.
      Paul proposed a double header with the return bout in MMA and offered Diaz over £10million to do so.
      And despite the deal being rejected, Brunson, 39, is ready for a similar two-bout deal.
      He said: “Yeah, I’d be open to that. I love challenging myself, so definitely I’d be up for that.” 
      Brunson makes his PFL debut on Friday in Washington DC against former PFL champion Ray Cooper, 30.
      It could set him up to enter the PFL’s season next year, where stars compete in a four-stage knockout format where $1m is up for grabs.
      Brunson said: “I wanted something new, something to excite me, something to make me want to train really hard.
      “I’d been in the UFC for so long and I felt it was the time to change and the PFL came about and now here we are. 
      “You’re not going to go out there and just lay down, that’s just silly but just being able to have a fresh start, new fighters, the $1million tournament, I can just start over.
      “I can control my own destiny and that was a really big thing for me.” 
      Derek Brunson, right, was in the UFC for over a decadeCredit: Getty More

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      Jake Paul reveals when he will make anticipated MMA debut and slams Nate Diaz for rejecting $10m rematch

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      JAKE PAUL is closing in on his anticipated MMA debut – but he slammed Nate Diaz for turning down a $10million rematch. The YouTuber-turned boxer this year signed for the Professional Fighters League, a competing promotion to the UFC.
      Jake Paul is set to debut in MMA with the PFLCredit: PFL
      Nate Diaz has been called out for a rematch in MMA by Jake PaulCredit: Getty
      Paul, 26, is coming off the back of a ten-round points win over ex-UFC star Nate Diaz, 38, in August.
      And both the American and the PFL have proposed a rematch in the cage.
      But Diaz has so far seemed uninterested and instead wants a return in the boxing ring – claiming a deal was even agreed.
      Paul has spoken out to deny this and insisted the rematch must take place in MMA – where he is set to debut in late 2024.
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      He told MMA Junkie: “I don’t know, I think they’re just begging. Pretty desperate, I guess.
      “Wanting to make money but not actually wanting to make things happen.
      “We’re ready, MMA, end of 2024, $10million (£8m), which is more than he’s ever made for an MMA fight – ever.
      “He’s sitting there asking for more money basically drunk tweeting random s*** and random fight posters, making himself look like a fool.
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      “I just can’t comprehend what they’re trying to do or what they’re saying, but this is the fight game.
      “Everyone says they want to do things, everyone calls people out, everyone blah, blah, blah, but no one actually makes s*** happen.
      “And that’s what I’ve looked to change in this sport and to just provide transparency to my audience about what’s actually going on with these negotiations and not being afraid to fight anyone anywhere, anytime, any place.”
      Paul returns on Friday, December 15 against 10-1-1 pro boxer Andre August, 35, but his PFL debut remains in the pipeline.
      He said: “Yeah, 100 per cent.
      “I’m going to start throwing knees and kicks and getting back to my Ohio Wrestling roots, shooting takedowns.
      “I truly believe that he knows it would be a really tough fight for him, and I think that’s the thing for him where he’s like, ‘Damn, do I risk my whole MMA reputation by giving this kid a chance here?’”
      Jake Paul beat Nate Diaz over ten roundsCredit: Reuters More

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      I was Conor McGregor’s first coach, I knew he was going to be special at 12 and I see the same in his six-year-old son

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      CONOR McGREGOR was just a schoolboy when he first went into Phil Sutcliffe’s Crumlin amateur boxing club. Two decades later, Sutcliffe is still in the UFC legend’s corner as one of his coaches.
      Conor McGregor Jr training with his dad
      Phil Sutcliffe with McGregor
      The Irish trainer is a double Olympian who has worked with a host of amateur champions.
      But his gym in Dublin is synonymous for welcoming McGregor into the world of combat.
      At the time, the future MMA icon was playing for a local football team when he stumbled into Crumlin BC.
      And after being told to take his muddy boots off and have his parents fill out a membership, McGregor’s fighting journey began.
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      In his later years, McGregor trained away from the boxing gym as he became entrenched in learning mixed martial arts.
      But Sutcliffe says the superstar was as talented as any other boxing champion he had – which was clear even from the age of 12.
      He said: “In pure boxing ability he was as equal to them but he didn’t put in enough for the one talent. 
      “It’s like if you wanted to play rugby but you play on the soccer pitch. It’s hard to master the two. 
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      “If you want to play rugby you need to be tough, you want to be fast but in soccer you want to be skillful you want to be avoiding. 
      “It’s the same in the boxing. If you want to box, you stay boxing. But Conor mastered the ability of reading. Reading the shot that comes at you.
      “He always mastered that from an early age of 12 he was able to avoid, he was able to move comfortably.” 
      McGregor left Crumlin and Sutcliffe to pursue MMA with his sights set on the UFC.
      In the years following, he became the sport’s biggest and most well-paid star.
      His fame and fortune skyrocketed in 2017 when he returned to his boxing roots for a crossover clash with Floyd Mayweather.
      He lost in ten rounds but the defeat sparked a reunion with Sutcliffe – who became a part of McGregor’s MMA camp.
      And it also changed the veteran trainer’s mind about the often brutal sport of MMA.
      Phil Sutcliffe with McGregor
      Conor Jr training at Sutcliffe’s gym with dad Conor
      Conor Jr is already learning the ropes
      Conor McGregor pictured as a child before growing up to become the face of UFC
      Sutcliffe said: “I was never fond of mixed martial arts, I thought it was barbaric until I got involved and saw the amount of work these boys have to put into it.
      “I saw it and thought this is interesting.”
      Sutcliffe’s influence has rubbed off on McGregor, who is already teaching his six-year-old son techniques.
      And Sutcliffe admits he cannot help but see himself when McGregor gives Conor Jr a masterclass in boxing.
      He said: “Every time he’s on the pads with his son, I see me. 
      “Every time he’s teaching him I see me, every word out his mouth – except the f’ing and all that type of stuff – I see me. 
      “He’s learned a lot and I’m so glad he’s learned a lot from the person that taught him so much.”
      Conor Jr strikes a remarkable resemblance to his famous fighting father and Sutcliffe is already blown away by the youngster’s skills.
      He revealed: “He’s an athlete. I saw when he was wrestling with Cian Cowley’s son. They’re all friends. 
      “Little Conor is an athlete and his little girl is not bad either! Conor Jr is a natural, you see on the sticks and on the pads but there’s more to that, he’s making his son hard for life. 
      “He’s an athlete, no matter what he does. He’s got flexibility, he’s strong, he has no fear.”
      McGregor, 35, is currently working towards a comeback having been out since July 2021 when he broke his leg.
      He is expected to face American Michael Chandler, 37, in his return which UFC president Dana White has hinted will be in the summer.
      McGregor is back training again and Sutcliffe insisted he is still as hungry and driven as ever.
      He said: “If you see him spar or you see him fight, you see the devil in him and that’s what I love. He still wants it. 
      “He hates losing and I love that, he wants to win because he’s a winner no matter what he does.
      “He has a few years left, get few more fights get this Chandler out the way. He’s more talented than Chandler.
      “Chandler will be a rough person to beat but he’s so talented, skill base and everything, wrestling, his pouches, jujitsu, his kickboxing, he’s special.”
      McGregor is set to fight Michael Chandler in his UFC return More

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      Francis Ngannou reveals he earned more money from Tyson Fury fight than from entire MMA career beforehand

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      FRANCIS NGANNOU revealed he made more in one night boxing against Tyson Fury than he did his entire MMA career. Ngannou walked out on the UFC as their heavyweight champion after 20 fights and 17 wins.
      Francis Ngannou made more in one night against Tyson Fury than he did his entire MMA careerCredit: AFP
      He left the promotion to pursue a lucrative boxing switch and agreed a deal to fight unbeaten star Fury in Saudi Arabia.
      Ngannou even dropped the Gypsy King and was deemed unfortunate to walk away a split-decision loser.
      But despite failing to get the win in the ring, the Cameroonian certainly got the result he wanted in his bank account.
      Ngannou said on The Last Stand podcast: “First off all, whatever would have been my next fight, from the moment that I left the UFC, was going to be way different from what I made.
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      “Because in the past three years in the UFC, I was in a contract issue that I didn’t want to sign a new contract that would have given me more money, but not enough, right?
      “Also the conditions and the terms which would have prevented me from doing boxing, which was one of my ultimate dreams that I wanted to do.
      “So it would have been different, even from my next MMA fight, completely different.
      “It’s at least more than everything that I have earned in my life, in my career.”
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      Fury’s controversial win over Ngannou saw his proposed December 23 title unification against Oleksandr Usyk, 36, postponed till February.
      The British legend is believed to have banked up to £65m for the crossover clash while Ngannou, 37, took home around £8m.
      He is now happy to wait till after the fight to rematch Fury, 35, as he wants to challenge the best boxing has to offer.
      He said: “I prefer to fight the top fighters. Why did I feel Tyson Fury? Because he was the top of the game. I want the best.
      “I want the big fights. I want a big show. I want everything big. But, at the end of the day, it’s a sport and we do what we have to do.”
      Ngannou knocked Fury down during the fightCredit: Getty More

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      Conor McGregor uses me for clout and gets me more OnlyFans subscriptions – I love it, says Ebanie Bridges

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      EBANIE BRIDGES said Conor McGregor is using her for clout… and she loves it. The IBF bantamweight world champion is sponsored by McGregor’s Forged Irish Stout.
      Conor McGregor is sponsoring Ebanie BridgesCredit: Instagram @ebaniebridges
      Bridges said she does not mind McGregor using her for ‘clout’Credit: Instagram @ebaniebridges
      Bridges also runs an OnlyFans accountCredit: Instagram @ebanie_bridges
      Scroll down for more amazing pictures of Ebanie Bridges
      And the pair have also struck up a friendship with both reaping the rewards of the partnership.
      Bridges told Best Gambling Sites: “He uses me for clout really. He’s sponsoring me to get his brand out. That’s what sponsors do.
      “We met at the AJ fight and I wore his brand there, because he’s using me to get his brand out. Otherwise he’d be wearing a stout shirt.
      “But we work together because he knows – me and him – will get people talking about his brand.
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      “It’s not that I need him, but we both help each other out, we are both an asset to each other’s brands, we both help build each other, it’s not one-sided.
      “They reached out to me, it wasn’t me chasing them.”
      Outside the ring, Bridges, 37, is a huge hit online and on her OnlyFans account having made a name for herself with racy weigh in outfits.
      And linking up with McGregor, 35, has only boosted her popularity and bank account.
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      Avril Mathie fights Ebanie Bridges nextCredit: Getty
      She said: “Obviously being attached to one of the biggest sports people in the world, one of the most recognisable names in the world, being attached to that is obviously going to grow my exposure, it’s going get me more fans, it’s going to get me more subscriptions to my OnlyFans.
      “More followers on my Instagram and in the end more money. And in turn, we will both grow from it. It’s a positive in many ways. But I get more hate as well.”
      Bridges’ next fight is against Avril Mathie which she dubbed the “battle of the boobs” in a bid to masterfully promote the bout.
      She said: “I called it the battle of boobs because it will sell. It’s all about selling. Eyes on the sport. Eyes on me.
      “If I call it the ‘Battle of the Boobs’ people are going to check it out. It’s changing the look of boxing and showing different looks.
      “It’s showing you can be a model and be feminine and still box. You don’t need to be masculine if you want to box.
      “It’s about showing little girls they don’t have to be hairdressers and models, they can do what boys do.”
      Inside Bridges’ glamorous life as a boxing champion and OnlyFans star…
      Bridges is the IBF bantamweight championCredit: Instagram @ebanie_bridges
      The Aussie is known for her racy weigh in outfitsCredit: PA
      Bridges posing with her belt in lingerieCredit: Alamy
      Bridges has a legion of fans on social mediaCredit: @ebanie_bridges
      This was Bridges’ way of announcing her OnlyFans deal – by writing on her bodyCredit: Alamy
      Bridges always sets pulses racing on the stageCredit: Getty
      Bridges admits to also having ‘haters’ but claims to have made a ton of money from her online venturesCredit: Instagram @ebanie_bridges More

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      Conor McGregor’s manager opens door to MMA super-fight against Jake Paul as UFC star nears return

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      CONOR McGREGOR’S manager has refused to rule out an MMA super-fight against Jake Paul. YouTuber-turned boxer Paul has continued to call out and goad McGregor since his professional debut in 2020.
      Conor McGregor’s manager has refused to rule out an MMA super-fight against Jake PaulCredit: Sportsfile
      Jake Paul has continued to call out and goad McGregorCredit: Reuters
      And he is so eager to fight the Irishman that he has even offered to do it in the MMA cage.
      McGregor is building towards a UFC return having been out since July 2021 when he broke his leg.
      And his manager Audi Attar is open to the prospect of a blockbuster with Paul after the former two-weight UFC champion makes his return.
      Attar told Fox: “I think anything’s always possible. You never say never. It’s all about how things line up.
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      “I think the challenge with combat sports is looking that far ahead. You never say never.
      “Getting back into the octagon is step one, going in and handling business there.
      “Then, not looking past that, but then, obviously, when you get past that, look at your options and see what’s next.”
      Paul this year signed with the Professional Fighters League, a rival promotion to the UFC which is set to host his MMA debut.
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      But first, he returns on Friday, December 15 against 10-1-1 boxer Andre August, 35, in Florida.
      Paul, 26, suffered defeat for the first time in February losing a split-decision to Tommy Fury, 24, in Saudi Arabia.
      The American bounced back in August by beating ex-UFC star Nate Diaz, 38, over ten rounds in a performance slammed by McGregor.
      He posted on X: “That was abysmal last night, Paul is a r****d, absolute garbage he is.
      “Moving backwards like I was watching a fight in rewind. Holy garbage. Embarrassing stuff all round in my opinion.”
      In the post-fight press conference, Paul snubbed McGregor, 35, as he said: “I don’t care about that guy…
      “I want Nate in MMA. I want more professional boxers and I want Canelo.”
      Jake Paul beat Nate Diaz on pointsCredit: Getty More

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      Fans joke ‘Boy George has let himself go’ as Tyson Fury wears bizarre hat to congratulate Tom Aspinall on UFC 295 win

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      TYSON FURY drew comparisons to pop legend Boy George after congratulating Tom Aspinall on his UFC title win. Aspinall – a former sparring partner of Fury’s – knocked out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 to win the interim heavyweight title.
      Tyson Fury stunned fans with his purple hat as he congratulated Tom Aspinall on his UFC title winCredit: Instagram @TysonFury
      Pop legend Boy George is famed for his brilliantly flamboyant hats
      Fans also compared Fury’s headwear to something the Undertaker might go for
      And the Gypsy King – wearing a burgundy fedora – was quick to congratulate Britain’s newest champion.
      He said: “Just want to say a massive shoutout to my brother Tom Aspinall, the new UFC heavyweight champion of the world!
      “God bless you Tom, all the best brother. It couldn’t have happened to a more lovely person.
      “Congratulations to you and your family and I hope you have a fantastic, fantastic time.”
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      But Fury’s uncharacteristic choice of hat was likened to something singer Boy George famously wears or WWE legend The Undertaker.
      A fan teased: “Boy George has let himself go.”
      Another joked: “What’s that hat sorry.”
      One said: “Why’s he dressed like a maroon version of The Undertaker though?”
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      Aspinall’s crack at glory came after Francis Ngannou was stripped of the UFC title when his contract expired, paving the way for a switch to boxing.
      Ngannou, 37, went on to face Fury, 35, in Saudi Arabia and even dropped the WBC champ but was controversially beaten on points.
      Meanwhile Jon Jones, 36, won the vacated belt and was due to defend it against Stipe Miocic, 41, until injury postponed the bout.
      So Aspinall, 30, filled in on two weeks’ notice and KO’d Pavlovich, 31, in the first round.
      And now the Northerner wants to fight Jones next in a dream bout.
      He said: “Right now I want to take a little break.
      “I don’t want to fight again this year. I’ve had enough of this nerves thing and pressure. I want a little bit of time off.
      “I want to fight Jon Jones. I know there’s a lot of contenders coming up at the moment, but I want to fight Jon Jones. That’s my goal.”
      Tom Aspinall knocked out Sergei Pavlovich in round oneCredit: Getty More

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      Deontay Wilder opens door to incredible career change as talks for massive Anthony Joshua fight stall

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      DEONTAY WILDER has opened the door to a stunning move into MMA.Wilder has suffered frustrations as a super-fight with Anthony Joshua remains on the ropes.
      Deontay Wilder has opened the door to a stunning move into MMACredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Now the former WBC heavyweight world champion is teasing a cross over to the cage.
      He told Blue Blood Sports TV: “I’m thinking about doing both, UFC and boxing. To keep the activity alive and keep it going.
      “I’ll be a dangerous man in the UFC, bro. With those four-ounce gloves?
      “I broke the f***ing hitting bag machine with those four-ounce gloves on. That was some real stuff.
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      “I could see myself in [the UFC]. I think I want to tie it to the competitive side of me, wanting to do both.
      “Get in there and just show the ability and talent of what I could do.
      “I don’t think there’s nothing cooler than being a champion in both. Have the titles at the same time, too.”
      Boxing legend James Toney was infamously dominated in a round against UFC star Randy Couture when he made the move.
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      But UFC president Dana White did not rule out welcoming 38-year-old Wilder to the octagon.
      White said: “It’s interesting, you know what I mean?
      “You never see this s*** happening, you never see the boxers going, ‘I want to come over there and fight in the UFC. So we’ll see what happens.”
      Dana White is open to Deontay Wilder joining the UFCCredit: Getty More