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      Emotional Conor McGregor fights back tears recalling leg break as he reveals return timeline amid UFC 300 rumours

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      CONOR MCGREGOR fought back a wave of emotions as he reflected on his hiatus from the octagon.The Irishman, 35, hasn’t set foot inside the cage since breaking his leg in his Las Vegas trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier two-and-a-half years ago.
      Conor McGregor hasn’t fought since breaking his left leg two-and-a-half years agoCredit: AP
      The former two-division champion is fighting fit and ready to return to the cageCredit: INSTAGRAM@THENOTORIOUSMMA
      The Notorious was overcome with emotion when asked about his journey back to full healthCredit: MMA JUNKIE
      McGregor is fighting fit and ready to return to action next year after a long and arduous recovery, although he still bears the psychological scars of that fateful night in Sin City.
      The Notorious said this past weekend: “I’ve been kept from my living for almost three years now.
      “Understand that. I came through what I came through. I’m sitting on an injury and a loss.
      “You hear what Alexander Volkanovski said? I relate. I must return to my way of living.
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      “This is my job. It’s beyond frustrating. … I just want the date. Give me the date, please. That’s it.”
      McGregor put the wheels in motion for his long-awaited comeback fight with Michael Chandler by re-entering the USADA drug testing pool.
      Although the UFC’s partnership with the anti-doping agency ends on December 31, they plan to keep McGregor on ice for the six months he would’ve required to be in the pool had a new deal been reached.
      That lines up perfectly for a blockbuster return in April, the month UFC 300 is expected to take place.
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      And that timeline works perfectly for the Dubliner, who said: “I’m happy with April.
      “I would’ve loved it earlier, but if I’m to be honest and be realistic, for my fans, I want to put in a good run, build myself back, and that’s it.
      “It’s looking like April, mixed martial arts.”
      Former three-time Bellator lightweight champion Chandler was announced as the opposite half of McGregor’s comeback fight back in February.
      McGregor has flirted with several other bouts on social media in recent months but believes Chandler is still his most likely opponent.
      The UFC’s first simultaneous two-weight world champion said: “It’s whoever they want.
      “I won’t ever say no. I just want a date. I won’t ever say no to no one, yeah?
      “Chandler is what it seems to be. It does not matter to me as long as I get back in there.”
      Conor McGregor will be welcomed back to the octagon by Michael ChandlerCredit: TWITTER@THENOTORIOUSMMA More

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      Fuming fans claim Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou is ‘RIGGED’ as Gypsy King secures hugely controversial points win

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      BOXING fans including Gary Lineker slammed Tyson Fury’s controversial points win over Francis Ngannou. Fury walked away with a split-decision over ex-UFC champion-turned boxing debutant Ngannou.
      Francis Ngannou knocked down Tyson FuryCredit: Getty
      Within the first three rounds, he was cut and dropped as the stunning upset appeared to be on the cards.
      Ngannou put on the performance of his life as he took Fury the ten-round distance and had him hurt and in trouble on several occasions.
      One judge scored the bout 95-94 in his favour but the deciding two officials had it 96-93 and 95-94 for Fury, 35.
      Fans were left outraged online and claimed Ngannou, 37, was “ROBBED” of a shock victory.
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      One said: “Boxing has just ROBBED Francis Ngannou in front of our faces. The Baddest man on the planet, I don’t care what anyone says.”
      One agreed: “FRANCIS NGANNOU GOT ROBBED!!! TYSON FURY LOST. ROBBERY, RIGGED.”
      Another fumed: “Francis was ROBBED.”
      One slammed: “FRANCIS NGANNOU WAS ROBBED. This fight was rigged.”
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      England football legend Gary Lineker posted: “We’ve just seen a robbery.”
      Boxer Chris Eubank Jr added: “Watching from ringside I thought Ngannou won the fight.
      “It was close but he was the aggressor, landed heavier shots & scored a knockdown.
      “Fury deserved to lose after having so much trouble against a man who has never boxed before… too much time filming Netflix specials not enough time in the gym I’m guessing. Unlucky Francis.”
      Fury controversially walked away with a points winCredit: Getty More

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      Laura Woods forced to apologise as TNT Sports Box Office stream goes DOWN ahead of Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou

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      THE pay-per-view broadcast for Tyson Fury’s fight with Francis Ngannou suffered an unexpected crash. Viewers of TNT Box Office were given an apology for the break in transmission midway through the card.
      The PPV broadcast for Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou suffered an unexpected crash
      One fan fumed: “Well that’s not good is it. – come on sort this out.”
      Another raged: “£22 and it doesn’t even work, shambles.”
      One demanded: “Absolute joke. I want a refund.”
      Another hit out: “SORT IT OUT NOW.”
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      The TV broadcast was down for 25 MINUTES before an advert for the night’s main-event played.
      TNT Sports confirmed to SunSport that the issue was caused by a power outage on site in Saudi Arabia.
      Laura Woods was joined by ex-boxing champion Carl Frampton and former UFC star Dan Hardy as she apologised for technical difficulties.
      Presenter Woods said: “A big apology from us guys out here in Riyadh. We had technical issues so you lost pictures for a little while.
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      “That must have been frustrating but the goods news is we are back, we think we know what it was all about so it won’t happen again.
      “And even better news is you haven’t missed a minute of boxing so don’t worry about that.”
      The stream returned in time for heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma’s first-round stoppage over Istvan Bernath.
      Moses Itauma’s beat Istvan Bernath in one roundCredit: Getty More

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      Wayne Rooney backed by UFC legend Michael Bisping to incredibly ‘BEAT UP’ Jake Paul after boxing fight is teased

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      WAYNE ROONEY has been backed by UFC legend Michael Bisping to incredibly “BEAT UP” Jake Paul in a boxing match. Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed Manchester United legend Rooney often messages him about getting in the ring.
      Michael Bisping has backed Wayne Rooney to beat Jake Paul in a fightCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Rooney fancies getting in the ringCredit: Rex
      Jake Paul is 7-1 as a boxerCredit: Getty
      And Hearn has teased an Old Trafford showdown with YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul.
      Rooney, now 38, boxed during his childhood and amazingly has the support of an ex-UFC champ in beating Paul, 26.
      Bisping, 44, told SunSport on behalf of Betway: “Wayne Rooney is nowhere near the size of Jake Paul.
      “But one thing we know, he’ll have tremendous footwork. This is a man that’s competed at the highest level of sport.
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      “He’s got the dedication and the discipline. He’s a tough person.
      “Rooney is used to having a row, he grew up in a tough part of Liverpool and he’s had many street fights and if he had a really good coach to take him under his wing, he can beat up that YouTuber all day long.”
      Rooney is now back in England after taking over at Birmingham.
      But the ex-England striker has not played since 2021 when he finished his career with Derby.
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      Paul on the other hand is three years into his professional boxing career and has a record of seven wins and one loss.
      That defeat came in February against rival Tommy Fury, 24, but the American bounced back in August by beating ex-UFC star Nate Diaz, 38.
      Now Paul is set to return again on Friday December 15 with an opponent – who is expected to be another pro boxer – yet to be confirmed.
      If Hearn – who has promoted and worked alongside the American before – had it his wa,y a fight with Rooney would be in the pipeline.
      He said on The Overlap: “Wayne Rooney had a very limited amateur pedigree but could still fight.
      “Wayne Rooney training, and I said to him, ‘Imagine the shape you could get in as well. You’ll get right back into shape.’
      “(Rooney) against Jake Paul at Old Trafford.”
      Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn with Jake Paul More

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      Conor McGregor and Cristiano Ronaldo to rub shoulders again as UFC star says he’ll attend Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou

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      CONOR MCGREGOR is set to be reunited with Cristiano Ronaldo in Saudi Arabia this weekend.The eyes of the sporting world will be firmly fixed on Riyadh on Saturday night when WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury takes on Francis Ngannou in a controversial crossover clash.
      Tyson Fury throws down with Francis Ngannou in Saudi Arabia on Saturday nightCredit: GETTY
      Footie icon Cristiano Ronaldo will be in attendance to watch pal Ngannou in actionCredit: TWITTER@FRANCISNGANNOU
      UFC superstar Conor McGregor will also be in attendance for the Riyadh rumbleCredit: PA
      A slew of celebs will be in attendance for the Saudi showdown – including Al-Nassr and Portugal star Ronaldo.
      And the five-time Ballon d’Or winner will be joined by UFC poster boy McGregor, who announced on X, formerly Twitter, that he’s jetting over to the Kingdom today to attend the fight.
      He wrote: “Just getting on to announce I will be heading to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia early AM tomorrow for the big heavyweight blockbuster fight between boxer Tyson Fury and mixed martial artist Francis Ngannou – crossover boxing.
      “MMA ventures over to boxing once again, and this time in the Kingdom and this time with the heavyweights.
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      “So excited to be there, can’t wait to touch down in Saudi Arabia, see what the country has to offer.
      “And I appreciate the invite sincerely. I’m looking forward to it so much.”
      Ronaldo’s attendance at the fight was revealed on Thursday by former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou on X.
      Alongside pictures of himself and Ronaldo after Al-Nassr’s 4-3 win over Al-Duhail earlier this week, he wrote: “Great to see you this week my brother @Cristiano.
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      “And thank you for inviting me and my family out to @AlNassrFC game. See you Saturday #FuryNgannou.”
      McGregor and Ronaldo, 35 and 38 respectively, are no strangers to one another, having met in the summer of 2016.
      Fan favourite Ronaldo dropped in on the Irishman’s 2016 training camp for his UFC 202 rematch with Nate Diaz.
      MMA man-mountain Ngannou will look to go one better than McGregor did in his 2017 crossover clash with Floyd Mayweather Jr and pull off one of the great sporting upsets and hand Fury his first professional loss.
      And The Notorious is refusing to rule out his chances of shocking the world in the desert dust-up.
      He said: “I’d like to talk about the bout.
      “Great bout, interesting bout. Francis Ngannou for me is more of a kickboxer/boxer than he is a mixed martial artist, in my opinion.
      Conor McGregor is set for a reunion with Cristiano Ronaldo at the fightCredit: THE MAC LIFE
      The pair met one another in the summer of 2016 in Las VegasCredit: INSTAGRAM@CRISTIANO
      “You start throwing in grappling with Francis, it’s never good for him.
      “He has a striker’s mentality. He has a tall ask with Tyson Fury, but any man can land a shot.
      “I’m excited to see it unfold. Tyson looks great in the build-up, fast, light, elusive.
      “It could be a seriously stellar performance from Tyson Fury here.
      “What’s the variables in this? The Mike Tyson variable is very interesting in Francis Ngannou’s corner.
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      “Francis has power, Francis has big power.
      “With that power, anything can happen. I don’t think Tyson’s going to want to let Francis test his power on him.” More

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      Deontay Wilder reveals shock career change for after Anthony Joshua fight involving Dana White

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      DEONTAY WILDER has revealed he’s eyeing a shock new career – in Power Slap.The former WBC heavyweight champion is towards the end of his knockout-filled career, which he hopes will include a grudge match with long-time rival Anthony Joshua.
      Deontay Wilder is in the final stages of his KO-filled boxing careerCredit: AFP
      The former WBC heavyweight champion has joked that he wants to try his hand at Power Slap after fightingCredit: INSTAGRAM@BRONZEBOMBER
      Powe Slap was formed by UFC president Dana WhiteCredit: GETTY
      The 37-year-old knockout artist – who registered ten successful defences of the iconic green and gold strap – has already turned his hand to music.
      But after being in attendance for a recent Power Slap show in Las Vegas, the Alabama slammer wants to try his hand at the brutal sport.
      The Bronze Bomber shared a clip of one of the vicious knockouts from Wednesday’s show with three million Instagram followers.
      His accompanying caption read: “Live and in person yo this is different and I think I got a career in it.”
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      Wilder’s fans were quick to comment, with one saying: “Lmao. Aye, Bro, Chill.
      “They Don’t Need You In This. Have Mercy!
      Another said: “LMAO naw you going kill somebody.”
      And another said: “Nahh man you’ll catch a whole charge here.”
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      Along with a laughing emoji, one remarked: “Wouldn’t nobody wanna compete anymore.”
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      Deontay Wilder hasn’t fought since knocking out Robert Helenius last OctoberCredit: The Mega Agency
      Another chimed in: “Don’t do it bloodbath!”
      Despite fancying a bit of Dana White’s Power Slap, Olympic Bronze medallist Wilder still has plenty of unfinished business in boxing.
      Chief among his plans is settling his five-year-long feud with former unified heavyweight champion Joshua.
      The pair were on course for a January joust before Saudi boxing chiefs pulled the plug on staging the long-overdue showdown.
      But Wilder is still hell-bent on having the fight come to fruition, taking to social media this week to issue a friendly call-out to AJ.
      He said: “Another thing I want to address is a fight that everyone is looking forward to and hopefully happens.
      “I’m doing everything in my power to make it happen – I’m referring to the Anthony Joshua fight.
      “So Anthony – you’re hearing it from my mouth – I’m here, I’m ready, I’m ready to go.

      “I heard some things your promoter said that my last fight only lasted a short period of time.
      “And I ain’t fought in a year and he don’t know if I want to fight or not.
      “I’m letting you know right now, right here, I’m ready to fight man.
      “Get in that ring. Let’s make this the best time of our lives.
      “This would be a major disaster if we were never able to get in the ring and put our stamp down in history.
      “When people think about classics and great fights, I want them to think about us.
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      “The silliest thing I’ve heard is people saying you not ready.
      “I think you’re ready, I hope you’re ready, so let’s make this happen.” More

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      Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou net worth combined: How career earnings and endorsements compare ahead of super-fight

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      TYSON FURY and Francis Ngannou are set to collide is a crossover clash for the ages where legacies will be put on the line. Fury welcomes the ex-UFC champion to the ring this Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

      TYSON FURY VS FRANCIS NGANNOU: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE CROSSOVER CLASH
      And the bout is expected to earn the pair millions as the boxing and MMA world come together.
      SunSport runs down how much both Fury and Ngannou are worth heading into the Battle of Baddest.
      Tyson Fury
      The Gypsy King – who has won every belt in boxing – has shifted his focus to becoming the world’s richest sports star.
      And he could be well on his way after Derek Chisora said his fight with Ngannou will earn him at least $50million (£41m).
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      He has also agreed to face Oleksandr Usyk afterwards with their agreement believed to include two bouts.
      Fury’s US promoter Bob Arum claimed his three-fight business deal with the Saudis could earn him up to $200m (£165m).
      Fur, with one of his two Rollers, wants to be sport’s highest-paid starCredit: Refer to Caption
      The Gypsy King flies in styleCredit: https://www.instagram.com/gypsyking101/
      That is already added on to the mass fortune he has acquired during his prizefighting career already – which he has partly used to build up a vast car collection including TWO Rolls Royces.
      His two rematch wins over Deontay Wilder and knockout of Dillian Whyte banked him around £70m.
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      He also had another stadium fight with Derek Chisora – which he won in round ten – with reports revealing that made him another £20m.
      It takes his total boxing earnings to over £100m, with potentially another £165m to come over his next three fights.
      Forbes say Fury, who travels by private jet despite having SEVEN mouths to feed, earns $2m (£1.6m) from sponsors, which include his own clothing and drinks line as well as Wow Hydrate.
      Tyson Fury facing off with Francis NgannouCredit: Getty
      Francis Ngannou
      Ngannou walked out on the UFC when his contract expired having seen a move to boxing previously blocked.
      During his reign as UFC champ, the Cameroonian would have received pay-per-view bonuses for his fights.
      Eyebrows were raised when it was revealed Ngannou only made $600,00 (£493,000) for his final UFC win over Ciryl Gane.
      Although with his PPV pounds, his final pay cheque would have been well into the millions.
      Ngannou left the UFC to cross over to boxingCredit: Instagram @francisngannou
      The heavyweight is in line for a big payday against FuryCredit: Instagram @francisngannou
      Still, it is not a fraction of the $10m (£8.2m) that Fury announced Ngannou would make after leaving the UFC for the boxing ring.
      He said: “Everyone said he was an idiot for walking away from the UFC and now all of a sudden he’s a genius, isn’t he?
      “Guy’s about to make $10million. Come on! Egg in their face! Francis is going to make that bag. Rich!”
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      Ngannou was believed to have been offered an $8m (£6.5m) guarantee to remain at the UFC and fight Jon Jones.
      Outside the cage, the heavyweight is sponsored by Gym Shark and had a brief cameo in the ninth Fast and Furious film, released in 2021.
      Fury and Ngannou fight in Saudi ArabiaCredit: Getty More

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      Tyson Fury’s sent stern warning over Mike Tyson’s role in Francis Ngannou’s camp ahead of fight

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      TYSON FURY has been sent a stern warning about Mike Tyson’s role in Francis Ngannou’s camp. Fury welcomes the ex-UFC champion to the ring next Saturday in Saudi Arabia for a huge crossover clash.
      Tyson Fury in Saudi Arabia for his fight with Francis NgannouCredit: Reuters
      Mike Tyson has been coaching Francis NgannouCredit: AFP
      Ngannou – making his boxing debut – has called on the help of American icon Tyson.
      The reformed Baddest Man on The Planet has been coaching the Cameroonian powerhouse.
      And Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum has felt compelled to warn Fury over Tyson’s influence and Ngannou’s power.
      Arum posted: “Mike Tyson is doing a great job training and advising Francis Ngannou.
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      “I’ve cautioned Tyson Fury to be very careful, particularly of Ngannou’s incredible right hand.”
      Fury was actually named after boxing’s youngest ever heavyweight champ of all time.
      So he was left fuming with the news his idol will be in the opposite corner against him.
      Fury, 35, told Sky Sports: “I think that it’s sad, actually.
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      “The man that I am named after, a legend, has to go against me and then come out as a loser, having lost to a man who was named after him.
      “I think that it’s sad and I think that he should be in my corner, not the opposing corner, but business is business and I understand that it’s strictly business.”
      But in response, Tyson, 57, said to TNT Sports: “This is business, and he understands.”
      Fury and Ngannou ahead of their crossover clashCredit: Getty More