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      Canelo Alvarez start time against Caleb Plant will NOT be delayed if UFC 268 main card runs over after Kovalev shambles

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      CANELO ALVAREZ’s eagerly-anticipated showdown with Caleb Plant will NOT be pushed back this weekend – despite its clash with a monster UFC card.The pound-for-pound king’s undisputed super-middleweight title fight with the American will take place at the same time as a blockbuster UFC 268 card at Madison Square Garden.
      Canelo Alvarez will bid to unify the super-middleweight division against Caleb Plant this weekendCredit: Rex
      But the mouthwatering bout will clash with a stacked UFC 268 card at MSGCredit: UFC
      Golden Boy delayed the start of Canelo’s bout with Sergei Kovalev the last time they clashed with a UFC eventCredit: GETTY
      But Showtime Sports chief Stephen Espinoza insist that won’t be happening this weekendCredit: MARK ROBINSON
      But Showtime have no plans to push back the pair’s ring walks to accommodate for the bonanza of mixed martial arts at the Garden.
      Showtime Sports president Stephen Espinoza told ESPN: “We’re completely unconcerned with the timing of any other competing event.
      “Canelo Alvarez is the No.1 star in boxing by far at the box office.
      “We wouldn’t be doing his event justice if we were putting his audience in the arena, and on television, on a delay and sort of compromising the viewer experience and fan experience to accommodate some other event happening across the country.”
      Espinoza anticipates some ‘crossover’ but is confident the UFC’s penultimate pay-per-view card of the year won’t detract from Canelo’s potentially historic bout.
      He said: “I’m not saying that competing combat sports on that same night will never draw from our audience.

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      “But in terms of the overlapping fan appeal, I don’t think there are any Canelo fans who are worried about Colby Covington and vice versa for that matter.
      “Undoubtedly, there is some crossover.
      “But if you look at the kinds of events, the demographics, we’re relatively unconcerned about losing [our] audience.”
      But renowned pundit and coach Teddy Atlas reckons several boxing fans will end up tuning into Kamaru Usman’s clash with bitter rival Colby Covington.
      He said: “Those fans will say, ‘I’m going to go over where I’m guaranteed a competitive fight, I’m going to go with the sure thing, and guess what else I’m going to get? The undercard.’
      “Boxing fans are not dumb. I have news for the promoters: The gig is up.
      “They’ve been suffering through some of the crap on the undercards and guess what? There is no crap on the undercard of the UFC.
      “Every one of those fights can be life or death, every one of those fights can be a war.”
      Canelo will bid to become undisputed 168lb champion this wekeendCredit: REX
      The clash of pay-per-view events is the second time in three years a Canelo fight has fallen on the same night as a UFC pay-per-view event.
      In November 2019, the Mexican’s WBO light-heavyweight title fight with Sergei Kovalev clashed with Jorge Masvidal’s UFC 244 clash with Nate Diaz.
      And that night, Golden Boy made the stunning decision to delay the fight until after the conclusion of the BMF fight.
      That delay led to a fully kitted out Canelo catching some shut-eye less than an hour before his 11th-round KO of the Russian.

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      Canelo Alvarez would ‘love to fight in England’ as promoter Eddie Hearn teases Mexican star headlining at Wembley More

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      Colby Covington claims UFC threatened to ‘strip’ bitter rival Kamaru Usman if he didn’t accept UFC 267 grudge match

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      COLBY COVINGTON has claimed Kamaru Usman only agreed to a rematch because the UFC threatened to “strip” him of the welterweight title.The bitter rivals will renew their feud early on Sunday morning in the main event of UFC 268 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
      Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington will renew their rivalry at UFC 268Credit: GETTY
      Usman vs Covington II headlines a stacked card at Madison Square GardenCredit: UFC
      But Covington claims Usman only agreed to the rematch to avoid being stripped of the 170lb titleCredit: GETTY
      Covington aggressively pursued a rematch with Africa’s first UFC champion after their war for the ages in December 2019 but was unsuccessful.
      And Chaos claims the Nigerian Nightmare has only agreed to give him a shot at redemption for fear of being stripped of the belt.
      He told ESPN: “It’s been such a journey. It’s been tough. It wasn’t supposed to happen.
      “They did not want it to happen. His manager, they were refusing.
      “They were trying to find every way in the book out of fighting this rematch.
      “They didn’t want this fight and the only reason they have to take it is the UFC gave them no choice.

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      “They said, ‘Hey, you fight this fight or we strip you. It’s one or the other.’
      “‘You’ve got to come out and prove you’re the best in the world. There needs to be no controversy surrounding this fight.’ So it’s been tough.”
      Covington and Usman, 33 and 34 respectively, locked horns with one another in the main event of UFC 245 in December 2019.
      Following a back-and-forth affair, Usman retained the 170lb strap with a fifth-round TKO victory.
      Covington has only fought once since that fateful night in Las Vegas, registering a fifth-round TKO victory over his old team-mate and former welterweight champ Tyron Woodley.
      And the former interim 170lb titleholder has attributed his inactivity to the top contenders in the division refusing to face him.
      Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington first fought at UFC 245 in December 2019Credit: GETTY
      And Chaos has vowed to exact his revenge on The Nigerian NightmareCredit: GETTY
      He said: “The fact is no one wanted to fight me. Go to Hunter Campbell, go to Dana White, ask them the truth. No one would fight me.
      ‘Street Judas’ [Jorge] Masvidal, they wanted to make this big hype fight, best friends turned rivals who hate each other’s guts now.
      “He was running his mouth in the media saying all this and that, ‘I’ll drop Colby on sight, that guy’s fragile, blah blah blah.’
      “I was trying to put on the biggest and best fights for the UFC.
      “No one wanted to take the bait so now we are here and we get the best fight in the welterweight division and it’s gonna be a real treat for the fans.”
      Covington will happily jump right into a trilogy fight with Usman should he level their series this weekend.
      But he doesn’t foresee Usman following suit.
      SunSport’s latest pound-for-pound UFC rankings
      He told Yahoo Sports: “I’m not going to be a coward. I’m going to give the people what they want.
      “If they want this trilogy, I’ll do it right away. The thing is, after I finish him next weekend, he’s not going to want to come back. It’s going to be a life-changing defeat.
      “He’s not going to want to come back for the trilogy, he’s probably going to retire.”
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      Colby Covington vows to ‘finish’ Kamara Usman at UFC 268 More

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      Conor McGregor invites Sir Alex Ferguson for a drink after wading into Man Utd woes.. before swiftly deleting tweet

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      CONOR McGREGOR invited Sir Alex Ferguson for a drink after he waded in on Manchester United’s woes. United fan McGregor tweeted, but swiftly deleted, to say that he would love to share a glass of his Proper 12 whiskey.
      Conor McGregor invited Sir Alex Ferguson for a drinkCredit: Instagram thenotoriousmma
      Manchester United legend Sir Alex FergusonCredit: PA
      It came after the Irishman called for Old Trafford boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s role to be ‘rearranged’ in another deleted post.
      McGregor, 33, tweeted: “The issue at United is it’s just bunch of young fellas talking to each other. Peers.
      “You need some one above the group chat to take the helm. Ole was on the bench when Ronaldo played. A peer. Not enough.
      “Love and respect Ole to the max but his role needs rearranged. My opinion.”
      But McGregor denied he was firmly in the ‘Ole Out’ brigade.
      He responded: “Never Ole out you silly fool. Ole is forever United!

      “His role simply needs to be readjusted, and again, someone above the group chat needs brought in.
      “Someone to command the young squad. God bless.”
      United were thrashed 5-0 at home against Liverpool last Sunday, mounting huge pressure on Solskjaer.
      His job is deemed safe for now, but his future could be decided after their next two matches, away trips to Spurs in the league and then Atalanta in Europe.
      It is believed the board – including club icon Alex Ferguson – are prepared to give the under-fire manager time to turn things around.
      But without a win in five matches, their last coming almost one month ago at West Ham, Solskjaer desperately needs a change of fortune.
      Love and respect Ole to the max but his role needs rearranged. My opinion.Conor McGregor on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
      SunSport revealed United have already drawn up a four-man shortlist of potential candidates to replace the Norwegian.
      It includes Antonio Conte, Zinedine Zidane, Brendan Rodgers and Erik ten Hag.
      Conte won the Premier League with Chelsea in 2017 but is out of work after leaving Inter Milan last summer, despite leading them to the Serie A title.
      Similarly, Zidane is out of work since walking out of Real Madrid for the second time.
      Rodgers, an ex-Liverpool boss, has emerged as one of the best managers in the country at Leicester, winning the FA Cup last season.
      And Ten Hag is currently in charge at Ajax, where he has won two Dutch league titles.
      Conor McGregor and wife Dee Devlin look happy as ever as they drive around in £170,000 convertible Bentley More

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      UFC legend Michael Bisping predicts Mike Tyson ‘absolutely flatlining’ Logan Paul and brother Jake is ‘the better boxer’

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      MICHAEL BISPING predicted Mike Tyson ‘absolutely flatlining’ Logan Paul and said the YouTuber’s brother Jake is ‘by far the better boxer.’Heavyweight legend Tyson and social media sensation Paul were rumoured to be in talks for an exhibition in February.
      Logan Paul, left, pictured next to his brother Jake
      Mike Tyson is rumoured to be in talks with Logan PaulCredit: @miketyson
      Neither have confirmed the reports, but Tyson exclusively revealed to SunSport that he will return to the ring in February.
      Paul, 26, has not boxed since taking American legend Floyd Mayweather, 44, the distance in their exhibition in June.
      But despite that feat, former UFC champion Bisping gave him little chance against Tyson, who is 29 YEARS older.
      He said on his YouTube channel: “Logan, you know, he’s tall, you know, he’s long. He’s kind of a big guy, he’s athletic. He’s got a great physique.
      “Jake Paul is by far the better boxer I would say. If I had to pick who was better then I’d say Jake Paul’s way better but Logan, you know, he has some skills.
      “He can certainly punch and as I say, he’s big and he’s athletic and he’ll learn from the fight against Floyd.
      “Maybe he’ll learn to manage his gas tank a little better. But there’s just no way I don’t see Mike Tyson going out there and absolutely flatlining him.”

      Tyson, 55, returned to boxing in November, after 15 years out, and drew with Roy Jones Jr, 52, in an exhibition.
      On the undercard, Paul’s younger brother Jake, 24, knocked out ex-NBA star Nate Robinson, 37, to extend his record to 2-0.
      He has since beat former UFC fighters Ben Askren, 37, by KO and Tyron Woodley, 39, most recently on points.
      Before beating Askren, the internet phenomenon was in talks to fight Bisping, who retired from the UFC in 2018.
      The Brit was unable to come to terms with Paul and just months later was ringside as a pundit to witness the win over Woodley.
      And Bisping has since hailed Paul for his influence on boxing since debuting professionally in 2020 against online rival ‘AnEsonGib’.

      He said: “Jake Paul isn’t just a YouTuber. He’s a boxer now. He’s still a YouTuber, but he’s also a boxer.
      “Just because you discover your love for the sweet science later in life doesn’t mean you have to be labelled a YouTuber your entire life.
      “The reality is, Jake Paul’s doing a great thing in the boxing world. Jake Paul’s bringing a lot of attention, a lot of eyes to the boxing world.”
      Michael Bisping retired from the UFC in 2018Credit: Getty
      Jake Paul tipped to beat Tommy Fury as UFC legend Michael Bisping breaks down where YouTuber wins fight More

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      Nate Diaz to ‘QUIT UFC’ for £10m Jake Paul fight and then onto Conor McGregor trilogy in boxing ring, claims ex-MMA star

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      NATE DIAZ will leave the UFC after his contract expires to fight Jake Paul for up to £10million, his former opponent predicted. Diaz has just one bout left on his current UFC contract and recently hinted at facing Tony Ferguson.
      Conor McGregor is 1-1 with UFC rival Nate DiazCredit: Getty
      YouTuber star-turned 4-0 boxer Jake PaulCredit: Getty
      So far, he is yet to extend his deal and Josh Thompson believes the American is eyeing a lucrative boxing switch to fight Paul over a trilogy with Conor McGregor.
      Thompson, 43, said on his Weighing In podcast: “He’s leaving the UFC, he’s fighting Jake Paul. Just stop, OK.
      “This is his last fight, he’s not fighting in the UFC anymore. He’s going to leave and he’s going to fight Jake Paul.
      “He’s just trying to get a fight to get out the door, he’s done with MMA. He knows that fight is going to make him double then he’d make [against McGregor].
      “Conor’s not that draw anymore that he once was. Conor can’t get out of his contract, he’s on an eight or ten fight deal I believe.
      “So he’s stuck with the UFC forever. Speaking from a Nate point of view, I think Nate’s going to leave and end up fighting Jake Paul in boxing.”

      Diaz, 37, beat McGregor, 33, in March 2016 but lost the rematch in a modern classic just five months later.
      The trilogy decider is yet to materialise despite the pair regularly goading each other online.
      But Thompson, the only man to ever KO Diaz in the UFC, believes the rubber match could take place in the boxing ring.
      And he claimed his old rival could end up making over TRIPLE the money to fight YouTuber-turned 4-0 boxer Paul opposed to McGregor.
      Thompson said: “I know he can make any more from between $10 to $15million (£10m) to do that one fight versus him having to fight Conor and make $2million, maybe $4million (£2.9m).
      “Why? When he can fight one time in boxing against somebody who he’s got a lot more experience against and against somebody his brother knows.
      “If Nate goes and beats Jake Paul, then I can see Dana saying, ‘OK, let’s fight Nate in boxing’. I couldn’t see him doing it before, he has to beat Jake Paul first.
      “If he beats Jake Paul I can see him riding Conor in to be like, ‘Nate and [Conor] in boxing makes sense’.
      “It’s a trilogy fight but not a trilogy fight because it’s in boxing not in MMA.”
      UFC star Nate Diaz gives his reaction to the Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder trilogy More

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      Five next fights for Tommy Fury if British star beats Jake Paul including YouTuber’s brother Logan and Love Island rival

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      DESPITE being in the infancy of his boxing career, Tommy Fury is one of the most in-demand fighters in Britain. At only 7-0, Fury is among the most recognisable boxers in the UK, thanks to his stint on reality TV show Love Island in 2019 and his older brother Tyson.
      Tommy Fury is 7-0 as a boxer, but is a household name after his stint on Love Island in 2019Credit: Round ‘N’ Bout Media
      Eyeballs have been on his career ever since his 2018 debut but the pressure is now greater than ever.
      As revealed by SunSport, Fury is set to fight YouTube sensation Jake Paul on December 18 in Miami, and opens as the betting favourite.
      If the bookies are correct, it leaves the light-heavyweight sitting even prettier, and here SunSport runs down five fights that could follow.
      Logan Paul
      Jake’s older brother Logan, 26, has also forged a prizefighting career of his own, even taking boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, 44, the distance in their June exhibition.
      He then blasted Fury as an ‘amateur’ for failing to knock out his pre-Mayweather sparring partner Anthony Taylor in August.
      If Fury, 22, beats little brother Jake, 24, then Logan may want to go in for revenge – and the fight has been given the green light by Tommy’s dad.
      John Fury said on the True Geordie podcast: “Once he smashes, sorry when he smashes Jake Paul, he’ll take on his brother Logan and smash him along if he fancied it.”
      Logan Paul is Jake’s older brother and could want revengeCredit: Reuters

      Idris Virgo
      Virgo, 28, is another Love Island alumni but has a more experienced boxing record of ten wins and one draw.
      He has relentlessly chased a fight with Fury, who has refused to engage or acknowledge the super-middleweight.
      Virgo is yet to break into the mainstream like Fury, and could be deemed too much of a risk to his unbeaten record.
      But he has the talk to go with the skills and would provide Fury with a tough test while keeping the celebrity appeal alive.
      Unbeaten Idris Virgo also starred on Love IslandCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Dillon Danis
      Danis, 28, is a 2-0 Bellator MMA welterweight but is most commonly recognised as a training partner of Conor McGregor’s.
      But he is equally polarising outside of the cage and has continuously feuded with Paul online, but turned down the chance to fight him in March citing an injured knee.
      Danis has even hit out at Fury, recently tweeting: “tommy fury is a** lol.”
      Despite coming out of left field, it would give Fury a recognised-named opponent in the US.
      Dillon Danis is a 2-0 MMA fighter
      Tyron Woodley
      Woodley, 39, still wants a rematch with Paul, but faces waiting in a long line with others.
      If Fury was to beat the social media sensation, Woodley could capitalise by then challenging him.
      It would then give the ex-UFC champion the chance to get back into the ring and try and force through a rematch with Paul.
      But it would be hard to see it interesting Fury.
      Tyron Woodley after his loss to Jake PaulCredit: Amanda Westcott
      Jake Paul rematch
      Without a single punch being thrown between Paul and Fury, millions of dollars have already been made.
      The pay-per-view and ticket sales are almost guaranteed to be a success, meaning no matter the result, a rematch is always a possibility.
      As the A-side, it is likely if Paul were to lose he would be afforded the chance to fight Fury again with a rematch clause.
      And even if the fight is exciting enough, a two-partner cannot be ruled out.
      Tommy Fury is set to fight Jake Paul on December 18Credit: BT Sport More

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      Five next fights for Jake Paul if YouTuber beats Tommy Fury including Conor McGregor and Jorge Masvidal

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      JAKE PAUL is a man with many options in the boxing business. For now, he is set to fight Tommy Fury, the brother of heavyweight champion Tyson, on December 18 in Miami, as revealed by SunSport.
      YouTube star Jake Paul is 4-0 as a boxerCredit: Getty
      Paul is the betting underdog and will for the first time face an opponent with professional boxing experience.
      But the YouTube sensation is thus far unbeaten in his four-fight career and he proven capable of carrying knockout power.
      With the chance of a bookies upset victory, SunSport looks at five potential opponents for Paul afterwards.
      Conor McGregor
      Paul, 24, has relentlessly chased a fight with McGregor, 33, who lost his pro boxing debut to Floyd Mayweather, 44, in 2017.
      So far, even after a $50million offer, the Irishman has refused to engage or even acknowledge social media star Paul.
      But McGregor is coming off a horror leg break sustained in his trilogy bout to Dustin Poirier, 32, in July, and boxing will be an easier way back into competition.
      And if the mega money is still being fronted, the ex-UFC champion may feel the deal is too good to turn down.
      Jake Paul has been vocal in calling out Conor McGregorCredit: Getty

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      Jorge Masvidal
      Before Paul knocked out Masvidal’s ex-opponent and rival Ben Askren, 37, in April, the pair trained together.
      But when Paul signed to fight – and later beat – Masvidal’s training partner and friend Tyron Woodley, 39, their relationship soured.
      The internet celebrity later called out Masvidal, who is willing to accept but only ones his UFC career comes to a close.
      Despite that, if the price is right and it makes sense, UFC president could give the green light for the crossover fight sooner, rather than later.
      UFC welterweight Jorge Masvidal has been feuding Jake Paul recentlyCredit: Getty
      Anderson Silva
      Silva, 46, was released by the UFC last year after three consecutive losses but made a move into boxing, where he was already 1-1.
      He beat ex-boxing champion Julio Cesar Chavez, 35, and then knocked out Tito Ortiz, 46, formerly of the UFC, in one round in September.
      Silva then opened the door to fighting Paul or his brother Logan, but talks did not progress far.
      The Brazilian is a proven striker, has size to match Paul but does not speak good English and his age could leave any opponent with a lot to risk but not as much to gain.
      UFC middleweight legend Anderson SilvaCredit: Getty
      Tyron Woodley rematch
      There was not much debate surrounding the result in August, but Woodley felt he did enough to win.
      Previously, the pair bet that the loser must get the winners name tattooed on them but afterwards Paul promised a rematch if the wager was honoured.
      Woodley has since got the tattoo, on his finger, helping build towards some demand for a second fight.
      And if the ex-UFC champion was able to get a win in the meantime in the ring, it could help drum up interest for a rematch.
      Tyron Woodley after defeat to Jake PaulCredit: Amanda Westcott
      Tommy Fury rematch
      Without a single punch being thrown between Paul and Fury – millions of dollars have already been made.
      The pay-per-view and ticket sales are almost guaranteed to be a success, meaning no matter the result, a rematch is always a possibility.
      As the A-side, it would be more likely if Paul were to lose and then demand a rematch.
      But if Fury, 22, is stunned, and the fight was exciting enough, a two-partner cannot be ruled out.
      Tommy Fury and celebrity fighting rival Jake PaulCredit: BT Sport More

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      Conor McGregor’s training partner Dillon Danis claims Tyron Woodley was contractually ‘not allowed’ to KO Jake Paul

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      DILLON DANIS has claimed Tyron Woodley was ‘not allowed’ to knock out Jake Paul as it was ‘in the contract’. Paul scored the biggest win in his four-fight boxing career in August as he beat ex-UFC champion Woodley on points over eight rounds.
      Tyron Woodley was beaten by YouTube star Jake PaulCredit: Getty
      Dillon Danis claimed Tyron Woodley was ‘not allowed’ to knock out Jake PaulCredit: The Mega Agency
      But it did not come after some scares for the YouTube sensation, who in round four was sent into the ropes after a right hand.
      Woodley was unable to follow up as Paul recovered to eventually see the danger out and win on the scorecards.
      But Danis, a training partner of Conor McGregor’s who has feuded with the social media star before, made sensational allegations about the fight without any evidence.
      He said on The MMA Hour: “Tyron Woodley, from what I heard, had it in the contract that he was not allowed to knock out Jake Paul.
      “I swear on anything, when he was against the ropes, I swear, that’s why when Jake Paul was against the ropes, Tyron Woodley didn’t hit him.
      “I’m telling you right now. It was in his contract where it said you’re not allowed to knock him out.”

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      Danis, 28, was offered the chance to fight Paul, 24, in March but declined amid a knee injury.
      Ex-UFC welterweight Ben Askren, 37, instead agreed and was knocked out in one round in April.
      Paul followed it up with his win over Woodley, 39, to go 4-0 as is now in talks with Tyson Fury’s brother Tommy.
      He has ruled out ever fighting Danis, after his initial offer was turned down, and told Fury, 22, the same could happen if they do not agree terms.
      But Danis, who is 2-0 in MMA but has not fought since 2019, believes he will fight Paul in the future, when he returns from injury.
      Tyron Woodley, from what I heard, had it in the contract that he was not allowed to knock out Jake Paul. Dillon Danis
      He said: “So, I’m allowed to do boxing, I’m saying in a month-and-a-half, two months.
      “Right now, I can’t. I’m not allowed to turn my leg, so I can’t even do boxing. I’m not allowed to even pivot, that’s what I’m saying.
      “I don’t think it’s about not being [able to fight him]. I think the fight will happen.
      “He’s still calling me out. I mean, the thing is like, these fights should happen, you know.
      “It’s just like Tony Ferguson and Khabib Nurmagomedov. These fights need to happen.
      “And I think that me and him have so much beef. It’s not like anything ever happened – He hasn’t lost. I haven’t lost. I think we should do it.”
      Tyson Fury’s brother Tommy will be forced to quit boxing if he doesn’t KO Jake Paul in four rounds, warns dad John More