More stories

  • in

    Eddie Hall vs Neffati Brothers: Start time, FULL World Freak Fight League card, live stream as strongman makes MMA debut

    EDDIE HALL will make his MMA debut THIS Friday in a bizarre showdown in Blackburn.The legendary strongman, 36, who lost to Hafthor Bjornsson in the ring back win 2022, will take on two brothers at the SAME TIME in his next bout.Eddie Hall will face TWO brothers at the same time next monthHis two opponents are Neffati brothers Jamil and Jamel.Hall, who weighs close to 330lbs, hasn’t competed in MMA before, but came close to doing so last year before talks came to a halt.Now, he’ll face the Neffati siblings in a fight which is being led by brand-new promotional outfit World Freak Fight League.Jamil and Jamel, however, weigh just 145lbs each. With two of them on the same team, though, they’ll fancy their chances.Eddie HallWhen is Hall vs Neffati Brothers?
    Eddie Hall’s big clash with the Neffati Brothers will take place on Friday, June 7.
    The bout will take place at the King Georges Hall in Blackburn, England.
    Ring walks for the main event are likely to get going from around 11pm BST with the main card starting from 8.30pm BST.
    How to watch Hall vs Neffati Brothers
    The fight will be shown live on Vimeo PPV.
    You can live stream the action from the Vimeo app.
    The pay-per-view will be priced at £14.99.
    FULL World Freak Fight League cardHall is not the only recognisable figure on the card Ty Jones, who has made a name for himself as an Ed Sheeran lookalike, will also be fighting.X-Factor winner Myles Stephenson, a former member of the group Rak-Su, is another set to appear.Most read in BoxingDwarves Salim Chiboub and Radoslaw Wolan will also fight on the show.Here is the fight card in full:Card subject to change
    Eddie Hall 2 vs 1 against The Neffati Brothers
    Couples Fight – Ben Hatchett & Megan Olivia vs Whitney & Joel Ainscough
    No Time Limit – Kamil Jagielski vs Myles Raksu
    OG Freak Fight – Jakub Szymanski vs Tadeas Vesely
    Lookalikes – Ty Jones aka Sheeranator vs Papa Snow aka The Storm
    Salim Chiboub vs Radoslaw Wolan
    Mixed Rules – Pro Boxer Jack Fay vs MMA Pro Chris Fishgold More

  • in

    Eddie Hall vs Neffati Brothers: UK start time, ring-walks, live stream as strongman takes on TWO brothers at same time

    EDDIE HALL makes his MMA debut next month in a bizarre showdown.The legendary strongman, who lost to Hafthor Bjornsson in the ring back win 2022, will take on TWO people at the same time in his next bout.Eddie Hall will face TWO brothers at the same time next monthHis two opponents are Neffati brothers Jamil and Jamel.Hall, who weighs close to 330lbs, hasn’t competed in MMA before, but came close to doing so last year before talks came to a halt.Now he’ll face the Neffati siblings in a fight which is being led by brand-new promotional outfit World Freak Fight League.Jamil and Jamel, however, weigh just 145lbs each. With two of them on the same team, though, they’ll fancy their chances.Eddie HallWhen is Hall vs Neffati Brothers?
    Eddie Hall’s big clash with the Neffati Brothers will take place on Friday, June 7.
    The bout will take place at the King Georges Hall in Blackburn, England.
    Ring-walks for the main event are likely to get going from around 10pm BST.
    How to watch Hall vs Neffati Brothers
    The fight will be shown live on Vimeo PPV.
    You can live stream the action from the Vimeo app.
    A pay-per-view price for the event has yet to be announced.
    Full cardHall is not the only recognisable figure on the card Ty Jones, who has made a name for himself as an Ed Sheeran lookalike, will also be fighting.X-Factor winner Myles Stephenson, a former member of the group Rak-Su, is another set to appear.Most read in BoxingDwarves Salim Chiboub and Radek will also fight on the show and came head-to-head at a press conference earlier this month. More

  • in

    Watch former world’s strongest man Eddie Hall smash UFC champ and Francis Ngannou’s record for hardest punch

    EDDIE HALL smashed Alex Pereira and Francis Ngannou’s records for world’s hardest punch.The British strongman put the UFC superstar and the man who dropped Tyson Fury in the shade with his terrifying power.Eddie Hall just broke the world record punch force at the UFC PI 🤯Eddie Hall: 208,901Alex Pereira: 191,796Francis Ngannou: 129,161 pic.twitter.com/X8ksepEW3I— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) April 25, 2024

    Eddie Hall broke Alex Pereira and Francis Ngannou’s record for world’s hardest punchCredit: X/ufcontntThe machine calculates a score based on numerous factors including strength and speedCredit: X/ufcontntThe UFC’s Performance Institute in Las Vegas has a high-tech machine – known as the ‘Power Cube’ – which measures the force of a hit in units.It calculates a score based on numerous factors including strength and speed.And the world record had previously been held by Ngannou, the UFC-fighter-turned-boxer who narrowly lost to Fury earlier this year, who recorded a score of 129,161 units in 2017.At the time, UFC president Dana White compared it to being hit with the same force as a moving Ford Escort or 12lb sledgehammer. READ MORE IN BOXINGThen, light-heavyweight champ Pereira smashed the record at 191,796.But now former world’s strongest man Hall has blown both out the water by clocking in a stunning score of 208,901.Hall has been in training after being lined up for a stunning four-man MMA tournament in Qatar. He was due to face Mitchell Hooper or Brian Shaw in February – until talks suddenly broke down.Most read in BoxingCASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERSHall, 36, crossed over to boxing in 2022 but was beaten in a super-heavyweight exhibition against rival Hafthor Bjornsson, 35.But he began training with interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, 31, for his MMA debut and revealed he got down to 25 stone.Strongman Eddie Hall gives update on next fight after missing out on ‘life-changing money’ for MMA debutTalks for an MMA fight continue as Hall called out strongmen duo Hooper and Shaw as well as 6ft 8in actor Martyn Ford.Eddie Hall is still teasing an MMA fightCredit: @eddiehallwsm More

  • in

    Strongman Eddie Hall gives update on next fight after missing out on ‘life-changing money’ for MMA debut

    EDDIE HALL revealed he lost out on “life-changing money” after his MMA debut was cancelled – but he may not have to wait long to fight. The former world’s strongest man was lined up for a stunning four-man cage tournament in Qatar.
    Eddie Hall lost out on ‘life-changing money’ after his MMA debut was cancelled
    And he was due to face Mitchell Hooper or Brian Shaw – until talks suddenly broke down.
    Hall said on his YouTube channel: “I’ve been training for an MMA fight for the last, I’m going to say six months of my life.
    “And I’m sure you’ve heard the news, seen other articles, big Brian Shaw has talked about it.
    “Don’t know quite what went wrong but the fight fell through. It was big money, it was life-changing money and that’s why I took the contract.
    READ MORE ON EDDIE HALL
    “Of course, me and Brian being family men, we want to secure our futures, make everything financially secure for our children, our great grandchildren etc.
    “We took this deal, we had a contract in place and it all just fell through. It’s just one of those things.”
    Hall, 36, crossed over to boxing in 2022 but was beaten in a super-heavyweight exhibition against rival Hafthor Bjornsson, 35.
    But he began training with interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, 30, for his MMA debut and revealed he got down to 25 stone.
    Most read in Boxing
    CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
    Hall is back in talks for an MMA fight and called out strongmen duo Hooper and Shaw as well as 6ft 8in actor Martyn Ford.
    He said: “Is there a fight looming? Yes, there is.
    Strongman Eddie Hall submits UFC champion Tom Aspinall in grappling session
    “I’m talking to quite a few promoters, got quite a few different people setting things up, trying to lure fighters in.
    “Martyn Ford, of course is one of those. Brian Shaw is one of those, Mitchell Hooper is one of those.”
    Eddie Hall poses with the face of strongman rival Brian Shaw on his trunksCredit: Instagram More

  • in

    Watch strongman Eddie Hall get DROPPED with brutal head kick in training for MMA debut

    STRONGMAN Eddie Hall got DROPPED with a brutal head kick in sparring for his MMA debut.Hall is set to take to the cage for the first time on February 17 in Qatar as part of a four-man tournament.
    Eddie Hall got dropped with a brutal head kick in sparring for his MMA debutCredit: https://twitter.com/HappyPunch
    He was sparring a 6ft 9in heavyweightCredit: https://twitter.com/HappyPunch
    And the former world’s strongest man has been pushed to his limits in preparation for the event.
    Hall gave fans an inside look into his training on YouTube, and revealed he was sparring a 6ft 9in professional Russian fighter.
    And Hall, 36, said: “I was pre-warned that he was a bit of a lethal weapon.
    “I was very cautious with this guy, didn’t want to attack him to be honest, just wanted to feel each other out.
    READ MORE IN MMA
    “And you’ll wait and see, I get a nice little kick to the face in a second.”
    A left high kick then lands flush on Hall, dropping him to the floor.
    He said: “That’s OK. That was a good one! F*** my life, someone could have told me about that back leg!”
    Hall, who won world’s strongest man in 2017, amazingly continued to spar despite the knockdown.
    Most read in Boxing
    CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
    He crossed over to boxing in 2022 for a super-heavyweight exhibition against rival Hafthor Bjornsson, 35, but he was beaten on points.
    And now he will switch to MMA for a massive event with Hall set to fight current WSM Mitchell Hooper.
    Bodybuilder and actor Martyn Ford is also on the card against strongman Brian Shaw.
    Eddie Hall won WSM in 2017Credit: Instagram/ eddiehallwsm
    He was beaten by Hafthor Bjornsson in his boxing debutCredit: Probellum More

  • in

    Who are the previous winners of World’s Strongest Man?

    THE World’s Strongest Man is an annual strongman competition that began back in 1977.There have been 24 winners of the contest, which takes place in the US in the summer but isn’t aired in the UK until late December.
    Brian Shaw of USA is one of the past winners of the World’s Strongest Man competitionCredit: Victor Fraile/Getty Images
    Who are the winners of the World’s Strongest Man?
    Bruce Wilhelm – 1977-1978
    Bruce Wilhelm won the first ever World’s Strongest Man contest, which was held at Universal Studios, California, in 1977.
    He went on to win the competition again the following year, beating runners-up Bob Young and Ken Patera.
    After his wins, Wilhelm helped organise and officiate subsequent contests.
    He was also a member of the executive board of the United States Olympic Committee. 
    READ MORE ON STRONGMAN
    Don Reinhoudt – 1979
    Don Reinhoudt was named the World’s Strongest Man in 1979, a year after he placed as a runner-up at the 1978 event.
    Despite his win, Reinhoudt would go on to compete only once more, placing ninth in 1980.
    Bill Kazmaier – 1980-1982
    Bill Kazmaie is a former World’s Strongest Mans champion and world record holderCredit: Dave Kotinsky/Getty Images
    Bill Kazmaier dominated the World’s Strongest Man contest from 1980 to 1982.
    He was inducted into the International Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 and is widely considered to be one of the greatest strength competitors of all-time.
    Most read in Athletics
    Geoff Capes – 1983, 1985
    British strongman Geoff Capes was the first non-American to win the World’s Strongest Man contest in 1983Credit: Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
    Brit Geoff Capes became the first non-American to win the World’s Strongest Man title in 1983.
    The former shot putter also had a very successful athletic career and represented both England and Great Britain.
    He competed at the Commonwealth games, the European indoor championships, and at three Olympic Games.
    Jón Páll Sigmarsson – 1984, 1986, 1988, 1990
    Jón Páll Sigmarsson won the title of World’s Strongest Man four times
    Jón Páll Sigmarsson was a strongman, powerlifter and bodybuilder from Iceland.
    He was the first man to win the World’s Strongest Man four times.
    Sigmarsson died on January 16, 1993, after suffering a heart attack while deadlifting.
    Jamie Reeves – 1989
    After placing third the year before, Jamie Reeves took home the win at the 1989 World’s Strongest Man competition.
    The former coal miner, from Sheffield, was also a professional wrestler.
    After retiring from competitive sports, Reeves worked as a referee, event promoter and coach for strength contests.
    Magnús Ver Magnússon – 1991, 1994-1996
    Magnús Ver Magnússon, from Iceland, is one of the most famous World’s Strongest Man winnersCredit: Antonio RIBEIRO/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images
    Icelandic strongman Magnús Ver Magnússon dominated the World’s Strongest Man contest for much of the 1990s.
    Like his fellow Icelandic competitor Sigmarsson, Magnússon won the competition four times.
    Ted van der Parre – 1992
    Ted van der Parre won the World’s Strongest Man contest in 1992, with the 6’10” athlete becoming the tallest ever competitor to take the title.
    As of 2023, he is the only competitor from the Netherlands to win the competition.
    Van der Parre competed again in 1994 but was forced to drop out due to a calf injury.
    Gary Taylor – 1993
    Welsh strongman Gary Taylor won the title of World’s Strongest Man in 1993.
    According to Guinness World Records, 6′ Taylor is the shortest ever winner of the contest.
    The sportsman, from Cardiff, has become a commentator and organiser for the annual UK’s Strongest Man contest since retiring from competing himself.
    Jouko Ahola – 1997, 1999
    Jouko Ahola is a former strongman, powerlifter and actor from Finland.
    He won the World’s Strongest Man twice and is also a two time winner of the Europe’s Strongest Man competition.
    Ahola has starred in films like Kingdom of Heaven, Bad Day to Go Fishing and War of the Dead.
    He also had a role in the History Channel series Vikings.
    Magnus Samuelson – 1998
    Magnus Samuelsson competed for the title of World’s Strongest Man three times before winning in 1998.
    He has been named one of best arm wrestlers in the world and was a European Arm Wrestling champion before moving into strongman competitions.
    Samuelson is also an actor and has starred in Swedish crime thriller series Arne Dahl as well as the BBC’s The Last Kingdom.
    Janne Virtanen – 2000
    Janne Virtanen of Finland was once the World’s Strongest Man competition winner but has since retiredCredit: China Photos/Getty Images)
    Finland’s Janne Virtanen was a runner-up in 1999 but moved up to the top of the podium in 2000.
    He also won Finland’s Strongest Man in 1998, 1999, 2000, and 2001, the Helsinki Grand Prix in 2000), and the Turkey Grand Prix in 2002.
    Virtanen announced his retirement in 2007 and now works as a carpenter.
    Svend Karlsen – 2001
    Svend Karlsen became Norway’s first World’s Strongest Man in 2001.
    He retired from competing in 2006 and began working in TV.
    Karlsen has worked as the presenter and producer of the Norwegian version of the World’s Strongest Man contest, and for the qualifying tour Giants Live.
    Mariusz Pudzianowski – 2002, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2008
    Mariusz Pudzianowski is a former strongman and MMA fighterCredit: Maciej Gillert/Gallo Images Poland/Getty Images
    Mariusz Pudzianowski is a former strongman competitor and MMA fighter.
    The sportsman, from Poland, has the nicknames “Pudzian” and “Dominator”.
    Pudzianowski won five World’s Strongest Man titles in seven years, the most in history.
    He retired in 2009 and made his debut as an MMA fighter the same year.
    Vasyl Virastyuk – 2004
    Vasyl Virastyuk won the World’s Strongest Man contest in 2004.
    He is one of only two people to defeat Pudzianowski during his seven-year stint at the contest.
    Virastyuk is also a politician and in 2021 he was sworn in as a member of the Ukrainian parliament.
    Phil Pfister – 2006
    Phil Pfister won the World’s Strongest Man contest in 2006Credit: Ron Antonelli/NY Daily News Archive via Getty Images
    Phil Pfister was named the World’s Stongest Man in 2006.
    He was the first American to win the title since Kazmaier in 1982.
    Pfister came in fourth at the 1998, 2001, 2007, and 2008 contests but retired from the sport in 2009.
    Žydrūnas Savickas – 2009, 2010, 2012, 2014
    Zydrunas Savickas of Lithuania has won the World’s Stongest Man competition four timesCredit: Victor Fraile/Getty Images
    Zydrunas Savickas knocked Pudzianowski off the top spot to claim his first World’s Strongest Man win in 2009.
    He went on to win the competition three more times and break over 70 world records.
    The Lithuanian hasn’t appeared at the World’s Strongest Man competition since 2018, when he finished tenth.
    Brian Shaw – 2011, 2013, 2015, 2016
    Brian Shaw of USA is a four time winner of the World’s Strongest Man contestCredit: Victor Fraile/Getty Images
    Brian Shaw is one of Savickas’ fiercest competitors and has also won the World’s Strongest Man competition four times.
    The athlete, from Colorado, became the first man to win the Arnold Strongman Classic and the World’s Strongest Man competitions in the same calendar year in 2011.
    He then replicated this feat in 2015.
    Shaw is the fourth most decorated strongman in history and announced his official retirement in August 2023.
    Eddie Hall – 2017
    Eddie Hall was crowned the World’s Strongest Man in 2017Credit: John Phillips/Getty Images
    Eddie Hall is a former strongman and boxer who won the World’s Strongest Man competition in 2017.
    Hall is best known for setting the world-record 500kg deadlift in 2016, widely regarded as one of the most iconic lifts in the history of the strongman sport.
    Since retiring from strongman, Hall has revealed plans to move into bodybuilding.
    Hafthor Björnsson – 2018
    Hafthor Julius Bjornsson is a World’s Strongest Man champion
    Hafthor Julius Björnsson won the World’s Strongest Man contest in 2018, after missing out by just one point the previous year.
    He is the first and only person to have won the Arnold Strongman Classic, the Europe’s Strongest Man, and the World’s Strongest Man competitions in the same calendar year.
    Björnsson is also an actor and is best known for his role as “The Mountain” Ser Gregor Clegane in the HBO’s Game of Thrones.
    Martins Licis – 2019
    Professional Strongman Martins Licis was named the World’s Strongest Man in 2019Credit: Paul Archuleta/Getty Images
    Latvian-American professional strongman Martins Licis had a surprise win at the 2019 World’s Strongest Man event.
    He went on to win the 2021 Rogue Invitational and 2022 Arnold Strongman Classic strongman championships.
    Oleksii Novikov – 2020
    Ukraine’s Oleksii Novikov won the World’s Stongest Man competition in 2020Credit: The Sun
    Oleksii Novikov claimed his first World’s Strongest Man title in 2020.
    The Ukrainian became the second youngest man to win the competition, triumphing when he was 24 years and 278 days of age.
    Sigmarsson is the youngest to have won, clocking in at 24 years and 271 days of age when he gained his title in 1984.
    Tom Stoltman – 2021, 2022
    Tom Stoltman has won the World’s Strongest Man title twiceCredit: Antonio Brecht Grist/ Alamy Live News
    Tom Stoltman made history when he became the first Scot to win the World’s Strongest Man title in 2021.
    The sportsman won the contest again 2022, becoming only the tenth man in the competition’s history to win the title of World’s Strongest Man twice.
    Mitchell Hooper – 2023
    Mitchell Hooper won the World’s Strongest Man competition for the first time in 2023
    Mitchell Hooper claimed the World’s Strongest Man title for the first time in his career in 2023.
    Hooper, from Midhusrt Canada, became the first Canadian in World’s Strongest Man history to win.
    What is the prize for World’s Strongest Man?
    The prize for winning World’s Strongest Man is monetary.
    The amounts have changed over the years and the prize pot went up significantly after 2021.
    Read more on The Sun
    It has been reported that the 2020 first prize was around £42,000, while in 2021 it increased to just over £117,000.
    Runners-up also receive money for their efforts. More

  • in

    Watch Tommy Fury punch former world’s strongest man Eddie Hall so hard he nearly VOMITS

    TOMMY FURY hit Eddie Hall so hard in the stomach the strongman almost threw up his breakfast. The pair spent the day swapping lives, eating each other’s diets and undertaking their training regimes.
    Tommy Fury hitting Eddie Hall in the stomachCredit: Twitter
    Fury, 23, and Hall, 34, enjoyed a hearty cooked breakfast before heading to the gym for a boxing session.
    And they decided on a body shot challenge, taking turns to land blows to the stomach.
    Fury hit Hall right in the sweet spot – so much so that the former world’s strongest man was left heaving and nearly vomiting.
    He said: “Fair play, man. There’s some power in that, man. Jesus.
    READ MORE IN BOXING
    “And again mate, I’ve done that with so many people and that is by far the hardest. By far the hardest.”
    Fury ended the day eating around 9,000 calories, which is FOUR times the average male consumption.
    It was also the first time he put the boxing gloves back on, having put on THREE STONE as he enjoys some rest after beating Jake Paul in February.
    Fury was twice forced to pull out of the celebrity grudge match, amid a rib injury in December 2021 and US visa issue in August of last year.
    Most read in Boxing
    CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
    But he ended two years of feuding over the eight rounds, which ended in a split-decision win.
    Fury said: “It felt good because there was a lot on that fight. Especially because the fight fell through twice before.
    “It was like, ‘Tommy’s scared, he doesn’t want to lose to a YouTuber.’ You know, that was never the case.
    “All those reasons why the first fights didn’t happen were legitimate, so to go out there, put an end to it all and shut him up once and for all, it felt amazing.”
    Jake Paul was beaten by Tommy Fury on pointsCredit: GETTY More

  • in

    Tommy Fury and former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall take TANK through McDonald’s drive-thru as they film together

    TOMMY FURY left his legion of fans stunned by riding a TANK with former World’s Strongest Man Eddie Hall.Former Love Island star Fury has been enjoying some downtime following victory in his February grudge match with Jake Paul,
    Tommy Fury is currently enjoying some downtime after beating Jake Paul in FebruaryCredit: GETTY
    And he recently took a trip to McDonald’s with Eddie Hall in a tankCredit: INSTAGRAM@EDDIEHALLWSM
    The pair spent. the day together filming content for YouTubeCredit: INSTAGRAM@TOMMYFURY
    TNT, like many boxers, has been enjoying some post-fight junk food in the weeks after the biggest victory of his career.
    And he recently took a trip to McDonald’s with man-mountain Hall – albeit while in a military-sized tank.
    Hall shared a snap of himself and Fury riding the tank in a Maccy’s drive-through with his 3.8million Instagram followers.
    Massive weightlifter Hall sat in the driver’s seat While 23-year-old Fury sat on top the gun.
    READ MORE IN BOXING
    Hall’s accompanying caption read: “Day with Tommy Fury done right. Video coming soon.”
    Fury defeated YouTuber turned boxer Paul via split decision in their Saudi showdown – which had been over two years in the making.
    A rematch with The Problem Child could be on the cards later this year, although talks have yet to come to fruition.
    A dad John recently claimed Tommy is in negotiations over a shock showdown with KSI.
    Most read in Boxing
    CASINO SPECIAL – BEST ONLINE CASINOS FOR 2023
    He told The Mirror, via Freebets.com: “We aren’t sure [about the rematch].
    “I have been in talks with the Sauerland brothers about a possible match-up with their man KSI.
    “I had a meeting with them the other day and it went well.
    “Let’s see what happens.
    “I am still waiting to hear from them, but they did text me the other day saying they are really busy and they are on it.
    “If it can be done, we will do it. Whoever else wants to box Tommy, ring the number and get in touch.
    “I don’t deal with the Jake Paul rematch, I am on a rest period and I have just left that to my lawyer. But I’m sure if it can be done, we can do it.” More