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      UFC legend Conor McGregor believes his boxing has improved since Floyd Mayweather fight ahead of possible rematch

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      CONOR McGREGOR claims his boxing technique has improved since fighting Floyd Mayweather.The Irishman, 34, has been out of action since he was forced to retire from his bout against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in 2021 after suffering a broken leg.
      Conor McGregor explained how his boxing technique has improvedCredit: Rex Features
      McGregor returned to his first ever boxing coaches at the Crumlin amateur club, with former Olympian Phil SutcliffeCredit: Instagram @thenotoriousmma
      And he could be set for a sensational rematch with Mayweather in the next year, if recent reports are to be believed.
      The UFC superstar made his ring debut in 2017, losing in ten rounds to all-time great Mayweather.
      In the open workout before the fight, McGregor was ridiculed for his unusual warm up in the ring before hitting various bags for 12 rounds at the UFC’s Performance Institute in Las Vegas.
      McGregor returned to his first ever boxing coaches at the Crumlin amateur club, with former Olympian Phil Sutcliffe, for the first time ever, cornering him in the octagon.
      Before he beat Donald Cerrone in just 40 seconds in 2020, McGregor was filmed back at the UFC’s PI.
      There the southpaw revealed he is sitting down on his punches to generate more power, opposed to his more unconventional karate-style strikes displayed three years ago.
      McGregor said: “I actually look at the Mayweather [fight], the shots on the bag and the way I was punching and I actually can’t even watch that.
      “I shiver when I see the way I was throwing my punches back then. I just wasn’t sitting right on them, just floating through the air.
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      McGregor was beaten by Floyd Mayweather on his boxing debutCredit: Getty – Contributor
      “Now I’m getting into positions and sitting in. Got to go through everything to learn, to truly learn. Experience is the best teacher of all.”
      McGregor neglected to bring in a boxing coach before his loss to Mayweather with striking trainer Owen Roddy instead leading the camp alongside John Kavanagh.
      They will now instead work alongside those who first taught McGregor how to box.
      McGregor has continued boxing training with a Mayweather rematch tippedCredit: Twitter / @TheNotoriousMMA More

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      Watch Mike Tyson break down in laughter as he recalls UFC chief Dana White landing him job fighting a SHARK

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      MIKE TYSON and Dana White were left in hysterics when they recalled the boxing legend’s appearance on Shark Week.The former undisputed heavyweight champion took part in a series of underwater challengers on the Discovery Channel show in 2020 – in which he put a shark to sleep by tickling its nose.
      Boxing legend Mike Tyson appeared on Shark Week in 2020Credit: REUTERS
      UFC president Dana White helped get Tyson the gigCredit: HOTBOXIN’ WITH MIKE TYSON
      Tyson was left in stitches when recently recalling how he got the job with WhiteCredit: HOTBOXIN’ WITH MIKE TYSON
      UFC president White used his contacts to get Tyson on the show to stop the boxing legend – whom he considers a close friend – from returning to the ring.
      Tyson initially questioned his pal’s regard for his safety when getting him the gig, which they couldn’t help but laugh about during a recent catch-up.
      Iron Mike said: “I said, ‘He cares about me?’ This n***a cares about me? He wants me to get hurt, he put me in there with a shark.”
      MMA mogul White said: “I called him up and I said, ‘Dude, I don’t want you to do this f*****g fight, man.
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      “‘This is f*****g crazy. I’ll get you a job on TV, I’ll get you a TV show [and] you’ll make some money.’
      “So I put him on Shark Week. And he was like, ‘Wait a minute, you care about me?
      “‘You tell me not to fight and you put me on f*****g shark week.
      “‘Yeah, you really care about me.'”
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      Tyson, 56, admitted to being a bag of nerves ahead of filming, and his nervous energy put the entire crew on edge.
      White said: “So the day he had to jump in and do the shark thing, I guess he was f*****g going crazy, he was pissed off and the whole film crew is terrified.
      “Everybody was scared. He had to dive into the water and swim with these sharks.”
      Tyson recalled the experience during a recent chat with UFC commentator Joe Rogan, saying: “My wife thought it was a good idea too.
      “I said, ‘Y’all m***********s don’t care about me.’ They don’t give a f**k about me. My wife said, ‘That’s a good idea.’ What?”
      White’s attempts to stop Tyson from fighting again failed as the legend returned to the ring in November 2020 for a clash with fellow great Roy Jones Jr.
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      Tyson rolled back the years and turned in a stellar display against the former four-weight world champion.
      Iron Mike flirted with the prospect of lacing up his gloves again last year but has yet to commit to fighting again.
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      Watch as Floyd Mayweather’s bodyguard SHOVES Mikuru Asakura away from boxer during face-off ahead of fight

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      THE bad blood between Floyd Mayweather and Mikuru Asakura intensified after the boxing legend’s security got involved in a tense staredown.The 45-year-old will take on the Japanese MMA fighter and popular YouTuber in his latest exhibition fight.
      Floyd Mayweather and Mikuru Asakura had a tense face-off in Hawaii on TuesdayCredit: RIZIN
      The boxing legend’s security intervened to shove the Japanese star awayCredit: RIZIN
      And he came face-to-face with his new foe, 30, on Tuesday in Hawaii at a press conference to promote their September 25 clash at Japan’s Saitama Super Arena.
      During their staredown, both fighters got up close and personal, and Mayweather’s bodyguard shoved Asakura after the 16-3 Japanese star got too close to the former boxing champion.
      The bouncer intervened and shoved his employer’s rival away, which clearly angered Asakura, before the American palmed his security aside in order to stare into his opponent’s eyes again.
      Mayweather has fought in three exhibition fights since his 2017 retirement from the ring.
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      They came against featherweight kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa, 23, YouTuber Logan Paul, 27, and ex-sparring partner Don Moore.
      Now he will face the Japanese ace, who is clearly confident that he can pull off a shock later this month.
      He said: “My name is Mikuru Asakura and I’ll be fighting Floyd Mayweather.
      “I’m an MMA fighter but I’m going to use this opportunity and I’m going to use him to raise my name and value internationally. I’m going to win this fight.”
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      Mayweather is enjoying entertaining people “from all walks of life” and has no concerns about tarnishing his reputation as a fighter with these money-spinning exhibitions.
      The 50-0 icon said: “My legacy is already engraved in stone, like I said before. But it’s still great just to go around the world and entertain people from all walks of life.
      “I’m pretty sure he’s gonna come out and give his best, like any and every guy, but I’ve seen every style, so, my job is just to go out there, be me, have fun and do what I do best.
      “September we’re going to have fun and entertain people.
      “I’m Floyd Mayweather to him. He’s just another opponent to me.” More

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      Floyd Mayweather will fight MMA star and YouTuber Mikuru Asakuru in September as boxing legend, 45, continues comeback

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      FLOYD MAYWEATHER will take on MMA fighter and popular YouTuber Mikuru Asakura in his latest exhibition fight.The 50-0 boxing great, 45, has fought in three exhibition fights since his 2017 retirement.
      Mayweather will face Asakura on September 25Credit: Reuters
      Money will face Japanese MMA fighter Asakura at the Saitama Super ArenaCredit: GETTY
      Mayweather was last in action in May against former sparring partner MooreCredit: AFP
      They came against featherweight kickboxer Tenshin Nasukawa, 23, YouTuber Logan Paul, 27, and ex-sparring partner Don Moore.
      But it has been announced Mayweather will now take on popular Japan MMA fighter and YouTuber Asakura, 30, inside the squared circle.
      The fight will take place on September 25 inside the Saitama Super Arena.
      Rizin Fighting Federation featherweight Asakura is confident he can beat Mayweather.
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      The 16-3 fighter said: “My name is Mikuru Asakura and I’ll be fighting Floyd Mayweather.
      “I’m an MMA fighter but I’m going to use this opportunity and I’m going to use him to raise my name and value internationally.
      “I’m going to win this fight.”
      Mayweather is enjoying entertaining people “from all walks of life” and says his “legacy is already engraved in stone”.
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      He said: “My legacy is already engraved in stone, like I said before.
      “But it’s still great just to go around the world and entertain people from all walks of life.
      “I’m pretty sure he’s gonna come out and give his best, like any and every guy, but I’ve seen every style, so, my job is just to go out there, be me, have fun and do what I do best.
      “September we’re going to have fun and entertain people.
      “I’m Floyd Mayweather to him. He’s just another opponent to me.” More

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      Jake Paul, 25, set to fight Anderson Silva, 48, next despite YouTuber’s coach slamming idea of bout with UFC legend

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      JAKE PAUL is set to announce UFC legend Anderson Silva as his next opponent in October. The YouTuber-turned prizefighter was due to return on August 6 until suffering two fight cancelations.
      Jake Paul knocked out Tyron Woodley in his last fightCredit: Amanda Westcott
      Anderson Silva is set to fight Jake Paul in OctoberCredit: Getty
      But Paul has reacted fast by scheduling his comeback fight just two months later, which is widely reported to be against Silva.
      YouTube reporter Keemstar was first to break the news, with TMZ Sports since following up.
      Further reports add the fight will be on October 29, headlining on ShowTime pay-per-view Stateside.
      Silva, 48, was released by the UFC in 2020 following five losses in six bouts, three of which on the spin.
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      But he has made a successful transition to boxing, having already had a 1-1 record in the ring.
      Silva beat former middleweight world champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr, 36, in June 2021 then knocked out ex-UFC champ Tito Ortiz, 47, in September.
      He will become Paul’s first opponent with a recognised boxing record.
      The American was twice set to fight Tommy Fury, 23, until the Brit pulled out after suffering an injured rib and then over US visa issues.
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      Hasim Rahman Jr, 31, had signed to replace Fury but a weight disagreement with Paul, 25, saw their bout cancelled.
      Paul last fought in December, knocking out Fury’s substitute Tyron Woodley, 40, who he had already beat on points four months earlier.
      That added to KOs over online rival “AnEsonGib”, ex-NBA player Nate Robinson, 38, and retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren, 38.
      Silva was mentioned as a replacement for Fury in August but the idea was publicly slammed by Paul’s coach BJ Flores.
      Flores responded to a fan who said the Brazilian made sense as an opponent, and said: “Does he? 48 year old MMA fighter.”
      Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions banner teased the upcoming fight announcement and labelled him the bookies outsider.
      MVP posted: “@jakepaul will almost certainly be the underdog. He knows that and he wants that.”
      Jake Paul returns after two recent fight cancelationsCredit: Reuters More

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      Jake Paul reveals next fight will be announced ‘next week’ after slamming ‘smart’ KSI for not calling him out

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      JAKE PAUL’s next fight will be announced in a matter of days.The YouTuber turned boxer is set to return to the ring in October following a longer-than-expected hiatus after his brutal KO of ex-UFC champ Tyron Woodley.
      Jake Paul hasn’t fought since his December dust-up with ex-UFC champ Tyron WoodleyCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Paul is set to return to the ring in OctoberCredit: Instagram
      The Prolem Child has revealed his next fight will be announced next weekCredit: TWITTER
      And The Problem Child, 26, has announced the identity of his next opponent will be revealed next week.
      He tweeted: “Just got the call. Massive opponent announcement this week. October.”
      Paul’s promotional company also shared the news via their social media account.
      Most Valuable Promotions tweeted: “Next week we will announce Jake Paul’s next opponent.
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      “Jake Paul will almost certainly be the underdog. He knows that and he wants that.”
      Paul’s bombshell came moments before he trolled fellow YouTuber KSI for not calling him out after his back-to-back wins at The O2 on Saturday night.
      He tweeted: “Smart man KSI is not calling me out. He knows the truth.”
      Paul was due to face bitter rival Tommy Fury earlier this month but their grudge match fell through due to travel issues for the Love Island star.
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      The former Disney star was then scheduled to fight Hasim Rahman Jr – the son of former heavyweight champ Hasim Sr.
      But he pulled the plug on the Madison Square Garden melee after an alleged 11th-hour weight change request from Rahman Jr.
      An enraged Paul vented his frustrations on social media, saying: “Hasim Rahman Jr has pulled out of the fight.
      “This is not a joke, I am devastated, I cannot f***ing believe this; we just found out this news,” he said.
      “This is another case of a professional boxer, just like Tommy Fury, being scared to fight me.
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      “It is as clear as day that these guys have been so unprofessional to work with, looking for any excuse to suck more money out of this event.
      “To coerce us into doing things and I knew from the jump that this guy didn’t want to get in the ring with me.”
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      Fighters who have called out Jake Paul, from Nate Diaz to female boxing world champ Claressa Shields

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      JAKE PAUL has put the fight world on notice with his brash arrogance and unlimited self-confidence. Paul has now beaten AnEsonGib, Nate Robinson, Ben Askren, and UFC star Tyron Woodley TWICE.
      Jake Paul has won all of his pro fightsCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      And the thunder he appears to be stealing from boxing and MMA’s top attractions has irked several of them.
      Paul has made it clear his intention is to eventually fight UFC superstar Conor McGregor – with the duo’s teams ‘constantly’ in talks.
      While he was set to take on Tommy Fury before the ex-Love Island contestant dropped out due to visa issues.
      Here’s a look at some of those who claimed to want a piece of the YouTuber.
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      Dillon Danis, Bellator welterweight
      If Paul, 25, can’t get hold of McGregor, the next best thing would be his close friend and training partner Danis, 29.
      The pair have been going back-and-forth and confronted each other on the streets of LA earlier last year.
      After Paul’s win over Robinson, he said: “There’s a long list of opponents that I want – Conor McGregor, Dillon Danis. I’m going to knock them both out.”
      Danis’ Bellator promoter Scott Coker confirmed the fight talks: “Those conversations are ongoing, and have been happening.”
      And Danis made another dig at Paul, tweeting a photo of plenty of available seats for Paul’s second fight against Woodley alongside the message: “damn @jakepaul thought you sold out arena’s 😂”.
      Dillon Danis pictured with Conor McGregor
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      Claressa Shields, 3-weight women’s champion
      Shields, 27, who made her MMA debut kast year in the PFL, told TMZ she would more than welcome a mixed-gender showdown with Paul.
      She said: “I, Claressa Shields, will whoop Jake Paul’s ass.
      “He can come in the ring weighing 180lb and I will come weighing 168 and I will beat the s**t out of him.”
      Paul responded in a tweet: “Don’t get me started about @Claressashields.”

      Amanda Nunes, UFC featherweight champion
      Having grown tired of Paul’s online callouts of McGregor, UFC president White told TMZ Sports: “I’m thinking of letting Amanda Nunes knock his ass out.”
      To which Nunes, 34, responded: “I’m in! @ufc @danawhite.”
      Paul later remarked on Instagram: “You say you don’t want me to fight Conor McGregor because he’s one of the greatest fighters in the world, and I’m just a YouTuber or whatever.
      “But then, in a statement today, you say, ‘Oh, I’m thinking about having Amanda Nunes just knock him out,’ but she’s also one of the greatest fighters?”

      Kamaru Usman, UFC welterweight champion and p4p No1
      UFC pound-for-pound No1 Kamaru Usman offered Jake Paul a chilling warning during a back and forth between the pair.
      He said: “I understand you think this is a game which is probably why you don’t realize that this is how people truly get hurt.
      “I don’t play fighting and I can change your life in the worst way.”
      Iron Mike Tyson is behind the match-up, telling Henry Cejudo on his podcast: “I want to see that s**t.
      “It’s going to be so much f**king money, how can he turn it down?
      “That’s way more money than… it’s twice or three times as much money [than he earns] in the UFC. So, how could he turn it down?”
      P4P No1 Kamaru Usman offered Jake Paul a chilling warningCredit: Getty
      Nate Diaz, UFC welterweight
      The UFC veteran surprisingly leaped to the defence of his former rival McGregor, after Paul called him an ‘Irish c***’ and disrespected his fiancee Dee Devlin.
      Diaz tweeted: “Jake Paul u need your ass beat for free u spoiled f*** u can’t really fight dumbs*** your gonna end up with your ass whooped for real somewhere talking like that.”
      Paul fired back by telling Diaz ‘I really beat your boy up’ in a sparring session relating to the UFC star’s training partner.
      He later tweeted Diaz: ‘You can get the smoke too’.
      The legendary MMA star from Stockton, California is set to have his hands full, however, with a blockbuster bout at 170lbs against Dustin Poirier potentially in the works.

      Henry Cejudo, ex-UFC champion
      Tyson’s pal Cejudo announced a shock UFC retirement in 2020 – but appears open to crossing over to boxing.
      And he was left less than impressed with Paul’s KO over Robinson and claimed he would give his fight purse to charity if the YouTuber beat him.
      Cejudo, 35, tweeted: “Yo @jakepaul since you really think you’re a legit fighter by beating up on retired NBA D lister’s who really deserves an academy award for best fall.
      “How about we fight and if I can’t stop you I’ll give all money to charity of your choice.”
      Yo @jakepaul since you really think your a legit fighter by beating up on retired NBA D lister’s who really deserves a academy award for best fall. How about we fight and if I can’t stop you I’ll give all money to charity of your choice. #dontbescaredhomie 🖊 📄 pic.twitter.com/cLXKxLtNuY— Henry Cejudo (@HenryCejudo) December 6, 2020

      Antonio Tarver, retied boxing legend
      Tarver called on Mike Tyson to set up a fight between him and Paul.
      He has not fought since 2015, but would come out of retirement to stop the new age of outsiders venturing into the ring.
      Tarver, 53, wrote on Instagram: “I really want to kick @jakepaul ass for what he did to @naterobinson last night and rid boxing of these clowns once and for all.
      “He fought a complete novice so fighting me shouldn’t be a problem… @miketyson make this fight.” More

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      Ex-UFC star Mike Perry looks unrecognisable after bare-knuckle boxing bloodbath against Michael Venom Page

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      MIKE PERRY and Michael Venom Page were left bloodied, battered and bruised following their bare-knuckle boxing bloodbath. The pair of MMA stars headlined a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship bill in London.
      Mike Perry after his fight with Michael Venom PageCredit: Rex
      Michael Venom Page was beaten by Mike PerryCredit: Rex
      They could not be settled so an extra round had to be added to the already five gruelling ones beforehand.
      And former UFC welterweight Perry emerged victorious, showing his battle scars after.
      The American was left with a suspected broken jaw as well as being cut up severely.
      Whereas Britain’s Page, floored in the opening round, had a gruesomely swollen left eye.
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      Perry joined BKFC after leaving the UFC and called out YouTuber-turned prizefighter Jake Paul, 25.
      He said: “Jake Paul, you need an opponent. You need the money fight, I’m the real money fight.
      “Maybe I’ll put the pillows back on if you’re scared to get in here.”
      Perry endured six tiresome rounds with Page in their London main-event.
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      He said: “S***, I said I was gonna do six rounds, and he said, ‘You don’t go to a draw with me.’
      “They were gonna give it to me at the end of five, but I walked out and told a lie, because I wanted more bloody, baby.
      “I didn’t know it, but now I do. This is definitely for me.
      “I love this, because a lot of tough men are scared of this, and I want to be the toughest SOB out there.”
      Mike Perry won after six brutal roundsCredit: Rex
      Mike Perry called out Jake PaulCredit: Rex More