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      Watch as fearsome heavyweight is stunned by brutal shot to ribs before he takes savage beating to lose first fight

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      HEAVYWEIGHT Viktor Faust lost his first fight in bizarre and brutal fashion. The Ukrainian heavyweight, now 11-1, was ahead on the scorecards against Cuba’s Lenier Pero until round eight.
      Lenier Pero stopped Viktor FaustCredit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME

      A shot to the ribs caused Fraust to freeze, which left him defenceless to further strikes.
      Pero continued to rein down blows as Fraust stood motionless by the ropes, leaving the referee to jump in and end the fight.
      Faust said post-fight: “After the sixth round I had pain in my ribs, but I decided to continue the fight.
      “The pain increased and did not allow me to compete to my full potential.
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      “I understood that I was winning and controlling the fight during the bout.
      “But after missing a punch in the eighth round, the pain was so unbearable that I could no longer move.”
      Faust was then taken to hospital with suspected broken ribs after his shock loss.
      Pero said: “It was a tough fight.
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      “He’s a great fighter, so I started to build momentum and hit him. Then we finally came ahead in the final round.
      “Since the first round, I was trying to find his liver, trying to go to his body.
      “His punches weren’t that powerful, so I kept working. Then found that final shot.
      “This is pro boxing, and you can’t turn your back on anyone. You can’t turn your back, and I didn’t. I took advantage…
      “I’m setting my sights on England. Let’s see if the Brits would like to come to fight Stateside.
      “I would welcome them with open arms. I’m talking Tyson Fury, Daniel Dubois. Bring them on!”
      Cuba’s Lenier Pero celebrates his winCredit: Amanda Westcott/SHOWTIME More

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      Jake Paul vs Tommy Fury deadline passes for ex-UFC star to replace Love Islander after two previous pull-outs

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      THE deadline for Mike Perry to replace Tommy Fury against Jake Paul is set to pass. The celebrity boxing rivals have rescheduled their grudge match for February 26 in Saudi Arabia.
      Tommy Fury ahead of his fight with Jake Paul
      Jake Paul has Mike Perry on standby in case Tommy Fury pulls out
      It comes after Fury, 23, was twice forced to pull out before, due to a rib injury and US visa issue.
      So Paul, 26, prepared for lightening to again strike by having ex-UFC welterweight Perry on standby.

      But the current Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship star faces missing out on the mega-fight payday with a deadline now up.
      BKFC president David Feldman told The Mirror: “He is the back-up fighter but I don’t think it’s going to happen.
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      “We were supposed to know by the end of Monday (13th) as that was the deadline.
      “I’m hoping it doesn’t happen, but for Mike I am hoping it does happen as he will grab a very nice payday and get a lot of exposure.
      “We have something planned for him in BKFC as we are announcing a big opponent for him on April 29.
      “Does he beat Jake Paul though? I don’t know, Jake Paul is actually a pretty decent boxer but Mike Perry has got something inside of him that I’ve never seen before, he’s a different type of animal.
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      “I don’t think there’s anyone you can put in front of Mike Perry that’s going to blow him out.”
      Perry, 31, left the UFC in 2021 to sign with BKFC, where he has had two wins with brutally exposed fists.
      And promoter Feldman gave him the green light to potentially save the show if Paul needed it.
      He said: “I was open to it because of the notoriety that Mike Perry was going to get and BKFC, because they also have to do some branding for BKFC for this to have happened.
      “If Perry does step up, BKFC gets branded to fans that haven’t watched it yet so it’s an opportunity for us too.
      “I thought it was an opportunity for him to make a good payday, he gets paid very well with us so it’s not much more than that.
      “It’s also an opportunity to expand the growth of our promotion. At the end of the day it looks like Tommy Fury is going to show up and I think he’s going to put on a hell of a fight.”
      Mike Perry left the UFC for bare-knuckle boxingCredit: Getty More

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      Floyd Mayweather heads out shopping with huge entourage and ’30 security guards’ as boxing legend is mobbed by fans

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      FLOYD MAYWEATHER was flanked by an army of security to stop him being mobbed by fans on a recent shopping trip.The undefeated boxing legend, 45, is known for lavish lifestyle after raking in millions from the sport. 
      Floyd Mayweather, wearing the Adidas hoody over his head, was mobbed while out shoppingCredit: Twitter@BoxingKingdom14
      The legend was flanked by a huge army of security guards in the mallCredit: Twitter@BoxingKingdom14
      And he was out again splashing the cash in Scottsdale, Arizona.
      As ever, despite having his head covered by an Adidas hoodie, the superstar did not go unnoticed.
      One stunned shopper filmed Mayweather in the mall being led forward by a wall of security guards, with a huge entourage in tow, as a hoard of his supporters followed him.
      Meanwhile, Mayweather is set for his first fight in the UK as he takes on Aaron Chalmers NEXT WEEK.
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      Former five-weight world champion Mayweather will be back in action on February 25 in an exhibition fight with the Geordie Shore-turned-MMA star at London’s O2.
      Mayweather was last in action at the end of 2022 when he stopped KSI’s brother Deji in the sixth round of their fight.
      The 50-0 boxing icon also beat Mikuru Asakura and Don Moore in exhibition fights last year.
      Chalmers, best known for his stint on reality TV show Geordie Shore, has turned his hand to combat sports in recent years.
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      Having won a few MMA bouts, most notably with Bellator, Chalmers launched his boxing career last year, winning on points.
      But a clash against one of the greatest fighters of all time in Mayweather represents an entirely different task.
      However, boxing fans have been left outraged after the record cost to buy the exhibition bout on pay-per-view was announced.
      Floyd Mayweather will face Aaron Chalmers next week at The O2 More

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      Tyson Fury told to fight released UFC heavyweight instead of Francis Ngannou by Nate Diaz in his new promotion

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      TYSON FURY has been told to fight a former UFC heavyweight by Nate Diaz.The Gypsy King, 34, could be tempted with another venture away from boxing if the unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk cannot get finalised.
      Tyson Fury could fight under MMA rules if his showdown with Oleksandr Usyk crashesCredit: Getty
      And a hybrid fight against Francis Ngannou appeared to be on the cards following the Cameroonian’s UFC contract expired.
      But now Diaz, who has launched his own promotion Real Fight Inc, wants to see Fury take on a different MMA star.
      The 37-year-old Californian tweeted: “Ben Rothwell vs Tyson Fury,” followed by a fist emoji and the Real Fight Twitter handle.
      Rothwell, 41, is a 6ft 4ins 120kg heavyweight who won 39 of his 53 professional MMA bouts – appearing 17 times on UFC cards.
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      His most-recent fight was a round-one TKO defeat to Marcos Rogerio de Lima in November 2021.
      But Diaz would like to see his fellow American fight Fury.
      However, fans on Twitter were completely underwhelmed by the suggestion with various memes and gifs expressing their confusion.
      Instead most supporters want Fury to take on Usyk – and Ngannou if that cannot be arranged.
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      Ngannou seemed willing to agree to Fury’s strange rules for their potential battle with 4oz gloves and Mike Tyson refereeing.
      The Usyk showdown, though, would be the main attraction with all the world titles on the line.
      Talks remain ongoing between the two camps but with Saudi Arabia struggling to secure the hosting rights, it could take place at Wembley on April 29.
      Ben Rothwell was put forward as a shock suggestion to fight FuryCredit: Getty – Contributor
      Nate Diaz’s suggestion did not go down well on TwitterCredit: Getty More

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      Jake Paul says Nate Diaz could ‘definitely’ be his first MMA opponent after talks for two-fight deal with ex-UFC star

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      JAKE PAUL said Nate Diaz could “definitely” be his first MMA opponent after talks for a two-fight deal with the ex-UFC star. Paul has signed with the UFC’s competitor the Professional Fighters League to both promote and compete.
      Jake Paul has offered Nate Diaz a two-fight boxing and MMA dealCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Nate Diaz has left the UFCCredit: Getty
      Upon the initial announcement, the YouTuber-turned 6-0 boxer revealed he offered Diaz a two-fight deal for a boxing and MMA bout.
      It leaves the former UFC favourite as a frontrunner to welcome Paul to the cage as talks continue.
      Paul told the Daily Mail: “We offered a two-fight deal to Nate Diaz, one for boxing and one for MMA.
      “That could definitely happen and he could definitely be my first MMA opponent, 100 per cent.
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      “It would be diving into the deep end but, for some reason, I just feel as if I’m going to be really good at MMA.
      “I have the wrestling background, I have the better boxing than all of them, so I’ve really just got to learn the kicks and the takedown defence.”
      Paul, 26, first returns to the ring on February 26 Saudi Arabia in the hope of finally fighting Tommy Fury, 23.
      Fury has twice pulled out of the celebrity boxing bout before due to a rib injury and US visa issue.
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      But they look to settle their score in the Diriyah desert with bragging rights, reputations and unbeaten records on the line.
      Ex-UFC welterweight and now bare-knuckle boxer Mike Perry, 31, is the man on standby in case lightning strikes again.
      And SunSport understands a two-fight MMA and boxing deal has also been proposed for Paul and Perry.
      Mike Perry is on standby for Jake Paul’s next fightCredit: GETTY More

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      Conor McGregor to hold talks with Eddie Hearn at his Dublin pub to secure £500,000 to host Katie Taylor fight in Ireland

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      CONOR McGREGOR is set to hold talks in his pub with Eddie Hearn in a bid to secure Katie Taylor’s next fight at Croke Park. Taylor is set to headline in Ireland for the first time in her career in a rematch on May 20 against Amanda Serrano.
      Conor McGregor is set for talks with Eddie Hearn over Katie Taylor’s next fightCredit: Instagram
      Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor are set to rematch on May 20Credit: Sportsfile
      Hearn eyed the 80,000-plus seater Croke Park for the historic occasion but revealed it would cost three times that of Wembley.
      So UFC legend McGregor offered to help fund the extra £500,000 fees and will meet with Taylor’s promoter at his Black Forge pub in Dublin on Monday.
      Hearn said: “I spoke to him a few times and I will be flying out to see him on Monday at the Black Forge.
      “We have been communicating on Twitter messages. I noticed he followed me on Twitter and I saw his tweet that he wants to make Taylor’s Croke Park fight happen.
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      “He loves Katie Taylor and he would love to help get it at Croke Park.
      “I haven’t given up but there is probably a €600,000-£700,000 deficit of where we need to be. Maybe he can fill that.
      “But it’s not a publicity stunt, I think he feels like it would be cool to be a part of that.”
      Boxing is set to return to Ireland for the first time since 2014 with the 3Arena the frontrunner to host.
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      Taylor, 36, beat Serrano, 34, in their New York thriller at Madison Square Garden last April, for the undisputed lightweight crown.
      Serrano moved back down to featherweight to achieve the same feat, beating Erika Cruz, 32, for all four belts.
      And it set her up with a rematch against Taylor – both as undisputed champions – which was announced after her win over Cruz.
      But the cost of paying the pair of boxing stars means Hearn may be forced into an arena fight opposed to Croke Park stadium, for now.
      I spoke to him a few times and I will be flying out to see him on Monday at the Black Forge.Eddie Hearn on Conor McGregor
      He said: “It’s not just a case of Katie deserves it, pay it.
      “Because Katie Taylor deserves to get paid and she has a number that she wants to get paid for that fight and so does Amanda Serrano.
      “If we do it at Croke Park, we lose money. I’m not doing it. I’m not losing money on a fight like that.
      “So what I’m talking to Conor about is potentially bridging that gap but more importantly looking at why the costs are so high, can we overcome them in May, or can we all work together to do the first fight at the 3Arena, and then a September fight at Croke Park.
      “Whether that’s Taylor-Serrano 3 or more than likely Chantelle Cameron.
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      “Our date is May 20 which is immovable because it’s built around the DAZN schedule.
      “So maybe that is at the 3Arena then in September we go to Croke Park.” 
      Katie Taylor beat Amanda Serrano in their MSG thriller More

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      ‘I’m serious about that’ – Deontay Wilder calls out ex-UFC champ Francis Ngannou to two-fight boxing and MMA deal

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      DEONTAY WILDER said he is serious about a two-fight boxing and MMA deal with Francis Ngannou. Ngannou is a free agent after leaving the UFC following a breakdown in contract talks.
      Deontay Wilder is serious about a two-fight boxing and MMA deal with Francis NgannouCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Francis Ngannou has left the UFCCredit: Getty
      It has paved the way for him to make a dream move into boxing, where the likes of Tyson Fury, 34, and Anthony Joshua, 33, await.
      But Wilder, 37, is ready to go one step further and face Ngannou, 36, in both the ring and cage.
      He told Trill Boxing Talk: “I’m very interested in it. I even thought about this idea, though, I was like; all right, let’s make it a two-fight deal.
      “Everybody always comes to boxing, but let’s do this: You come to my s***, I come to yours. You know what I’m saying? You feel me?
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      “I’ll do it up. You come to my house, I come to yours. A true tea party. I’m a true warrior.”
      Fury and Ngannou have both flirted with a hybrid-rules bout, under boxing rules but in a cage with smaller 4oz gloves.
      But Wilder is ready to rip up the script and become one of few boxers to enter the world of MMA.
      He said: “I’m serious about that. That’s something I thought about even from the first spark of the idea. I want to do something different.
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      “Since everybody always be crossing between combat sports, and the MMA guys always come to boxing, of course, they ain’t got no stand-up game as far as boxing is concerned.
      “So it’s always going to be favoured on the boxer’s side, because you’re in our territory. It’s just like being in the water with sharks, with a shark.”
      Boxing legend James Toney was among the few to cross codes but was beaten by ex-UFC champion Randy Couture in three minutes of their 2010 fight.
      Wilder briefly met Ngannou last year when he was using the UFC’s state of the art training facilities.
      He revealed: “I love Francis. When I met him at the Apex in Vegas, they was talking about doing it that time.
      “I’m still interested in that fight. I would love to go to Africa for that. I would love to do that in Africa.”
      Deontay Wilder pictured with Francis Ngannou More

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      ‘Do it now!’ – Jake Paul urged to SCRAP Tommy Fury fight and box UFC legend instead

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      JAKE PAUL has been urged to pull the plug on his grudge match with Tommy Fury after the Brit’s press conference no-show.The social media stars are set to end their near two-year feud in a Saudi showdown at the end of the month.
      Jake Paul and Tommy Fury are set to throw down at the end of the monthCredit: GETTY
      Former Love Island star Tommy snubbed the pair’s Saudi presser on WednesdayCredit: GETTY
      Back-up Mike Perry has urged Paul to pull Fury out and fight himCredit: GETTY
      Paul and Fury, 26 and 23 respectively, were due to face off in a press conference on Wednesday but the latter didn’t show up.
      And back-up opponent Mike Perry believes Paul should sub him in for the unreliable former Love Island star.
      During an appearance on The MMA Hour, Platinum said: “They’ve got to kick Tommy Fury, and they’ve got to do it now.
      “They cannot wait until the last minute. They cannot wait until the weigh-ins. They can’t let Fury keep calling all the shots.
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      “What he did to them is [irredeemable]. But nope, he gets another $2million, and he gets to go to an even nicer location. It’s really weird.
      “But at some point, they have to take control if they want to be respected, and it’s a hard thing that MVP’s [Most Valuable Promotions] had. MVP is new and boy have they had to pay for an education.
      “They’ve gotten a rougher go of anyone else ever, but at some point they have to make it clear that they are in charge.
      “And today when he skipped the press conference, his second time, you cut him, you bring Perry in, and that is it.
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      “It’s a mistake that MVP is making… I would have done it an hour ago.
      “They get to the press conference, and he’s not there, and the world’s watching, that’s when you make the reveal.
      “That’s when you bring in Mike Perry, to try and bring it in after.
      “They’re in a little bit more difficult spot. But they had to see that coming. He’s already done it to them once.
      “They had to see, ‘Hey, there’s a slight possibility that when we get here he’s not here.’
      “Somewhere he missed his flight, somewhere he didn’t check into the hotel room.
      “They should have had a word and had enough time to scramble, and had Mike Perry there. They should have moved on with it.”
      Paul was seething with Fury’s no-show but was hardly surprised he skipped the presser.
      He said: “I’m used to his behaviour at this point, he’s unprofessional and he’s a flake.

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      “He’s not a serious businessman or a serious fighter and I’m going to prove that.
      “It’s why this fight is called, ‘The Truth’ because the truth is going to come out.
      “He’s going to have to pay for all of the times he’s pulled out. All the business people he screwed over, it’s disrespectful.
      “There’s some of the biggest names in boxing, the biggest promoters and the most influential people in the world.
      “One of the greatest countries in the world and he doesn’t want to show up because of a ‘private matter’. We all have private matters.
      “When you sign up to do something, you make a commitment, that’s what it should be about.
      “It just shows me he’s scared because he said he didn’t need to train for this fight.
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      “Meanwhile, his first excuse was that he needed to train extra, but now it’s a private matter.
      “I love Tyson but it’s typical from the dad [John] and Tommy.” More