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      Watch UFC star Francis Ngannou absorb Ryan Garcia’s vicious punches in Body Shot Challenge and laugh off boxer’s power

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      UFC star Francis Ngannou laughed off Ryan Garcia’s brutal punches as the pair took part in a Body Shot Challenge.Garcia let rip with a flurry of left hands but heavyweight contender Ngannou stood firm and even asked the 21-0 boxer ‘Are you done yet?’.
      Francis Ngannou laughed off Ryan Garcia’s powerful punches in a Body Shot Challenge
      Nagannou is hoping to take the UFC heavyweight belt off Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 on Saturday night.
      To be one of the most ferocious fighters on the planet, you have to be able to take a punch.
      And the Cameroonian – whose painful punches were compared to being hit by a sledgehammer – proved he can do just that in the footage.
      Soon after Ngannou knocked out Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 249 last year, the pair linked up to shoot the video.
      Ngannou was decked out in a body suit as Garcia let rip.
      But not only did the 260lb fighter withstand the barrage of blows, he seemed to enjoy it.
      After an initial flurry of punches failed to move Ngannou, Garcia eased off.
      But the UFC star quipped: “Are you done?” 
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      Garcia started again and appeared to up the intensity but the grin on Ngannou’s face only got bigger.
      After a laughing Garcia stopped permanently, Ngannou revealed he would regularly get people to hit him in the stomach earlier in his career to help him build up resistance.
      Earlier this month Garcia opened up about his battle with anxiety in a heartfelt Instagram post.
      Garcia has 8.5million followers on Instagram and is set for boxing stardom.
      But he revealed he battles every day and he is ‘with all of you who struggle’.

      UFC fighter Francis Ngannou inspiring story from fighting rats for food from bins More

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      Watch Ben Askren facepalm Jake Paul before furious YouTuber slaps and shoves boxing rival in explosive face-off

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      BEN ASKREN humiliated Jake Paul as the world watched on by facepalming him at their pre-fight press conference. And in return the seemingly furious YouTuber reacted by giving the retired UFC star a slap and a shove as his back was turned.
      Ben Askren showed Jake Paul ZERO respect at their pre-fight press conferenceCredit: Getty
      Askren was unfazed by Paul’s posturingCredit: Getty
      The loud-mouthed YouTuber faces retired UFC welterweight Askren on April 17, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
      A media event was held on Friday, hosted by Snoop Dogg, to promote the much-maligned but intriguing showdown.
      Askren seemed to get under Paul’s skin for much of the night with comments about his older and ‘more talented’ brother Logan.
      There was a lot of posturing from a jittery Paul, 23, as he tried his best not to let Askren get a word in.
      At one point he even pulled his phone out to continuously replay a clip of his record-breaking defeat to Jorge Masvidal in 2019, the fastest KO in UFC history
      But after the back and forward, the two men squared up.
      Paul was fidgety and appeared nervous as he bounced from foot to foot muttering expletives in Askren’s face.
      But the 36-year-old remained stock still with a grin on his face that suggested he didn’t take the inexperienced fighter very seriously.
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      And to make it clear that was exactly how he felt, as Paul turned away to hold his fist up to the camera, a nonchalant Askren turned, pushed him in the face and strolled off stage.
      A visibly rattled Paul did NOT like it and ran back towards his opponent slapping him in the back and shoving him.
      But Askren kept his cool once again, laughed and carried on walking towards his team.
      Paul has two knockouts in as many fights, against online rival ‘AnEsonGib’ and ex-NBA player Nate Robinson.
      Askren is an ex-ONE Championship and Bellator champion but was renowned for his grappling rather than striking and even admits he was not gifted with speed or power.
      However, after social media barbs between the two, he has agreed to swap the cage to pull on the boxing gloves for the Triller showpiece.
      Jake Paul is cutting no corners with his diet
      UFC fighter Francis Ngannou inspiring story from fighting rats for food from bins More

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      Watch Dillian Whyte throwback clip of brutal MMA KO amid feud with UFC aces Francis Ngannou and Stipe Miocic

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      DILLIAN WHYTE conducted a savage MMA knockout in a throwback video posted online by the heavyweight boxer.The Body Snatcher, 32, may have made a name for himself inside the boxing ring over the last decade.
      Dillian Whyte shared his brutal punch with earned him victory in his sole pro MMA fightCredit: https://www.instagram.com/dillianwhyte/
      The Brixton star landed a savage right hook on Mark Stroud inside the first 12 secondsCredit: https://www.instagram.com/dillianwhyte/
      But before that he had a brief stint in kickboxing and mixed martial arts.
      As well as becoming British and European kickboxing champion with a 20-1 record, Whyte also had one pro MMA fight.
      And it lasted just 12 seconds.
      He demolished Mark Stroud with a stunning KO punch at the Ultimate Challenge MMA 1: Bad Breed event in December 2008.
      Sharing the clip on his Instagram page last year, the Brixton star wrote: “Have been laying em out from an early age across all different style who want it can get it simple.”

      Writing exclusively for SunSport having called out Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou, he revealed his plans to conquer the UFC world.
      He said: “Reigning WBC and UFC heavyweight champion of the world has a nice ring to it.
      “I have not trained in kickboxing or MMA for a while but, for me, it is like riding a bike.
      “Once I knock off some of the rust, my instincts come rushing back and I am ready to dominate again.
      “The heavyweight guys over there, champion Stipe Miocic and Francis Ngannou, are elite and I would have to work on my grappling and wrestling.
      “But I know, standing up and boxing in 4oz gloves, I could knock ANY of their top-ten heavyweights out.
      “I would need time to get my MMA conditioning back because it is totally different to boxing where, if you are clever, you can take time in the three minute rounds.

      “In these cages it is five-minute rounds of non-stop moving, kicking, punching, wrestling — it is no joke.
      “But I have better hand skills than any of them and because they try to cover a lot of aspects, that leaves a lot of holes in their game.
      “The guys at the top, like Miocic and Ngannou, come from boxing but weren’t good enough to make it as pro boxers — as they could have made more money — they would usually want to stand up.”
      But next up for Whyte is a revenge mission against Alexander Povetkin in a rematch with the Russian later this year.
      The fight – back in December 2008 – was stopped immediatelyCredit: https://www.instagram.com/dillianwhyte/
      Whyte then turned his attention to boxingCredit: https://www.instagram.com/dillianwhyte/
      He has dreams of becoming both boxing and UFC heavyweight world champCredit: Getty Images – Getty More

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      UFC star Sean O’Malley predicts a ‘sloppy fight’ between Jake Paul and Ben Askren but backs YouTuber to win on points

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      SEAN O’MALLEY predicted Jake Paul will be dragged into a ‘sloppy fight’ by Ben Askren, but backed the YouTuber to still win on points. Paul faces retired UFC welterweight Askren on April 17, at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
      Jake Paul faces retired UFC welterweight Ben Askren on April 17
      Ben Askren is an ex-ONE Championship and Bellator championCredit: Getty
      The social media star has two knockouts in as many fights, against online rival ‘AnEsonGib’ and ex-NBA player Nate Robinson.
      Askren is an ex-ONE Championship and Bellator champion but was renowned for his grappling rather than striking and even admits he was not gifted with speed or power.
      As a result, UFC bantamweight O’Malley warned the former Olympic wrestler will try and make things ugly in the ring as Paul fights to prove himself.
      He said ahead of UFC 260: “I wanna see that fight. I don’t know, Ben versus Jake, it’s exciting. It’s gonna be a sloppy, sloppy fight.
      “Ben’s gonna make it sloppy, which is good for him. Jake, he looks like he’s training hard.
      “He’s young, he’s athletic, so if he doesn’t beat Ben Askren, we’ll see where he goes from there. He has to beat Ben to show he’s a legitimate boxer.”
      Paul, 24, ruthlessly KOd Robinson last November on the undercard of Mike Tyson’s comeback.
      And he has warned Askren, 36, is in for an equally brutal night.

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      But O’Malley advised Paul to instead pace himself to victory, or risk running out of steam and allowing experienced Askren to take over.
      He explained: “Ben’s such a good competitor – it’s not gonna be a good boxing fight. It’s gonna be gruelling.
      “God, I hope Jake doesn’t come in there and try to put his lights out in the first round, two rounds. He’s gonna gas out and Ben’s gonna be there.
      “Ben’s gonna be there all eight rounds. I don’t think Ben’s gonna gas.
      “I think if Jake comes out calm, stays calm fight week, stays calm fight day, doesn’t get too excited and just blow his load the first couple of rounds, I think he can outbox him.
      “If he stays behind his jab and doesn’t let Ben do what Ben wants to do, I think Jake could get the job done.”
      Sean O’Malley predicted Jake Paul will be dragged into a ‘sloppy fight’ by Ben AskrenCredit: Getty
      Watch Ben Askren show off boxing skills in training ahead of Jake Paul fight More

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      Francis Ngannou punch same as sledgehammer swung at full force, as coach of UFC 260 star says training him is ‘painful’

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      FRANCIS NGANNOU punches so hard that even holding the pads for the UFC heavyweight leaves his coach battered and bruised. Ngannou – who headlines UFC 260 this weekend in a fight with Stipe Miocic – has been working with former boxer and kickboxer Dewey Cooper since 2017.
      Francis Ngannou with striking coach Dewey Cooper
      Francis Ngannou’s punches are equivalent to a 12lb sledgehammer being swung at full forceCredit: Getty
      Cooper acts as the Cameroonian’s striking trainer, with Eric Nicksick head coach.
      UFC president Dana White revealed in 2018 that tests on Ngannou proved his power was equivalent to a 12lb sledgehammer being swung at full force.
      Or, a Ford Escort going as fast as it can, and Cooper has felt the full impact while on pad duty for the MMA powerhouse.
      Also on occasions, when Ngannou’s sparring partners have unsurprisingly no-showed, the retired fighter-turned-trainer has been brave enough to fill in.
      Cooper, 46, told SunSport: “He hasn’t broken anything, but it feels broken!
      “I’m a strong guy, who works out and fought heavyweight and cruiserweight, so I’m used to big, strong guys, but with Francis, it’s painful.
      “Holding pads and getting kicked by him is very painful. He’s separated by ribs with knees, he’s swollen my face with the pad just hitting me.
      “He’s punched me a few times too when his sparring partners didn’t show up and I had to spar him.
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      “He hits hard and I definitely have felt a lot of pain training him, stuff feels broken but it isn’t.
      “He’s hurt my hands, arms and ribs so many times, but it’s part of it when you have a guy as powerful as Francis.
      “I try my best to improve him, so as hard as he hits, I want him hitting harder and sharper anyway.”
      Cooper was part of Ngannou’s team for his first ever loss, a points decision against Miocic.
      Up until that point, Ngannou had spent just 16 minutes in the octagon, having won all his fights by KO and never going past the second round.
      So it was a shock to the system when Miocic, 38, withstood the power and dragged the fight all five rounds.
      Right after, a gun-shy Ngannou was beaten on points by Derrick Lewis, where he appeared seemingly scarred from the exhausting experience of going the distance.
      It caused him to switch trainer full-time to Nicksick in Las Vegas, with Cooper still by his side, and the team have since won four on the spin.
      Francis Ngannou’s power is equivalent to a Ford Escort going as fast as it canCredit: Instagram @francisngannou
      Dewey Cooper holds pads for Francis Ngannou
      Ngannou, 34, with his confidence regained, is now in the exact spot he found himself in three years ago, challenging for Miocic’s heavyweight crown.
      But this time, Cooper says all of Ngannou’s trials and tribulations since that heartbreaking first defeat will lead him to victory in the rematch.
      He said: “The only difference to me with this fight to the last fight is experience factor, which is very vital.
      “He just didn’t have enough fight experience for the first Stipe fight. That’s the bottom line.
      “Experience has a lot of facets to it. Experience is not just the time you trained, it’s the amount of time you have in real fights, in real moments.
      “He had none of that before the first championship fight, those or huge factors, they’re irreplaceable, especially the five rounds with Stipe.
      “He knows he can do five, it’s now about the output in those five rounds. Those experiences for him are magnificent.
      “That will be the difference in the fight, that will be the difference in him becoming the UFC heavyweight champion.”
      Stipe Miocic beat Francis Ngannou in 2018Credit: Getty – Contributor
      Francis Ngannou has his confidence back ahead of his rematch with Stipe MiocicCredit: Getty More

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      Jake Paul would ‘beat the s***’ out of Conor McGregor and his team-mates, predicts UFC rival Khabib’s manager

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      KHABIB NURMAGOMEDOV’S manager has claimed Jake Paul would ‘beat the s***’ out of Conor McGregor and all his team-mates. YouTuber Paul has been relentlessly pursuing a boxing match with McGregor and even claimed he sent the UFC star a $50million (£37m) deal.
      Jake Paul has been relentlessly pursuing a boxing match with Conor McGregorCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Conor McGregor pictured ahead of his UFC return Credit: Twitter @thenotoriousmma
      It came after he called The Notorious an ‘Irish c***’ and insulted his fiancee Dee Devlin earlier this year.
      The viral callout earned the respect of Nurmagomedov’s manager Ali Abdelaziz – who himself has a bitter rivalry with McGregor.
      Abdelaziz told TMZ Sports: “Jake Paul, I like this kid. You know why? Because he is real.
      “When he talked about Conor’s wife, [Paul] said [McGregor] talked about Khabib’s wife. I like Jake Paul.
      “I think he’ll beat the s**t out of Conor, Conor’s team-mates, all these guys.
      “I like his brother too. Logan Paul, I like these kids, they make something from nothing. Even Mike Tyson likes these kids. Mike is my friend.”
      Paul even went after UFC president Dana White in a desperate bid to entice McGregor back into the ring.
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      Khabib pictured with his manager Ali Abdelaziz

      But the Dublin southpaw – who lost his boxing debut against Floyd Mayweather in 2017 – is more interested in his cage career.
      McGregor, 32, is set to face Dustin Poirier, 32, in July, and will look to avenge his recent defeat to the American.
      Paul, 24, on the other hand is still celebrating going 2-0 after he knocked out ex-NBA player Nate Robinson, 36.
      The YouTube sensation is due to fight MMA pro Ben Askren next month.
      Paul has even moved out of his Los Angeles mansion to focus more on training.
      Jake Paul slammed as a coward by ex-UFC star Ben Askren who says YouTuber has gone silent after accepting fight More

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      Manny Pacquiao should ‘ride off into the sunset’ against Floyd Mayweather or Conor McGregor, says ex-sparring partner

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      MANNY PACQUIAO has been urged to ‘ride off into the sunset’ with a deserved farewell fight against Floyd Mayweather or Conor McGregor. The Filipino icon is nearing the end of his illustrious career, which has seen him win titles in a historic eight divisions.
      George Kambosos was a sparring partner of Manny Pacquiao’sCredit: Supplied
      Floyd Mayweather beat Conor McGregor in 2017Credit: AFP or licensors
      Two final fights have been touted before Pacquiao – who is yet to return since beating Keith Thurman in 2017 – makes a potential run in the 2022 Philippines election.
      Mikey Garcia, 32, is in talks to welcome PacMan back, leaving room for someone else to share the ring with Pacquaio one last time.
      George Kambosos, a trusted ex-sparring partner of the all-time great, called for his mentor to close out his career with a mega-money payday against Mayweather or McGregor.
      Kambosos, 27, told SunSport: “I’d like to see him fight Mikey Garcia and for the last one, let him ride off into the sunset, if there’s a McGregor fight there or a massive money fight.
      “Maybe even a Mayweather rematch or something like that, let him ride off into the sunset.
      “He’s deserved to finish up his career, make as much money as he can because he deserves it. The guy’s been fighting the best for like three decades now.
      “He’s incredible and the amount of world titles he’s won or world champions he’s ran through it’s crazy.”
      Pacquiao, 42, and Mayweather, 44, spent five long years in negotiations before they finally agreed terms in 2015.
      Floyd Mayweather outpointed Manny Pacquiao in 2015Credit: AFP or licensors
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      The long wait proved a blockbuster success, with a record 4.6million pay-per-views sold
      But the action in the ring was less eventful, with Mayweather expertly boxing to a 12-round decision.
      Pacquiao has always maintained he fought with an injured right rotator cuff and since campaigned unsuccessfully for a rematch.
      With Mayweather in retirement after beating McGregor in 2017, the former two-weight UFC champ emerged as another lucrative option for PacMan.
      Both are managed by Paradigm Sports and looked on course to share the ring this year.
      That was until McGregor, 32, was knocked out by Dustin Poirier, also 32, in January.
      The pair are set for a summer trilogy bout, putting the Irishman’s return to the ring on hold as he fights for his career in the UFC.
      Manny Pacquiao beat Keith Thurman in his last fightCredit: USA TODAY Sports
      Conor McGregor was knocked out by Dustin PoirierCredit: Getty
      But Kambosos believes such is McGregor’s popularity, a super-fight with Pacquiao will never lose demand, no matter his circumstances in the cage.
      He said: “McGregor is such a big name in the world, it doesn’t matter whether he’s coming off maybe five losses, he would still generate money and people will wanna watch him.
      “I love McGregor, he’s great at what he does, he’s done amazing stuff for the UFC and it would be a great fight.
      “Obviously Manny is an unbelievable athlete, super fast, but we saw glimpses of what McGregor can do against Mayweather.
      “So, it would be a good fight, it’s all up to them, Manny would win but how the fight would pan out? That remains to be seen.”
      Kambosos, who challenges for Teofimo Lopez’s undisputed lightweight crown in May, first linked up with Pacquiao in 2017.
      Manny Pacquiao pictured with George Kambosos
      George Kambosos fights Teofimo Lopez in May
      He provided the speed needed to prepare PacMan to face Aussie Jeff Horn, which he later lost controversially on points.
      Kambosos stuck around for Pacquiao’s fights with Lucas Matthysse and Adrien Broner – which were both won – and the sessions were box office.
      He said: “People would have paid a lot of money to watch myself and Manny spar.
      “We’re both super fast, super explosive, we move great, and will sit there and fight, take shots, give shots.
      “It was back and forth action and great for my experience and to end up doing like 250 rounds with the guy, I sit back and say, ‘Well, what’s Teofimo Lopez going to do to me?’
      “It’s nothing that I haven’t seen already, or felt in the trenches with a guy like that.”
      Boxer George Kambosos works out with punchbag ahead of Teofimo Lopez fight More

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      Lawrence Okolie celebrates world title win with bath after UFC hero Israel Adesanya slides into DMs to congratulate him

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      LAWRENCE OKOLIE is bathing in praise for his world title win from UFC hero Israel Adesanya  but still cannot fit in a standard tub.On Saturday night the 6ft 5in MMA fan demolished Krzysztof Glowacki in six Wembley arena rounds to land the WBO cruiserweight crown.
      Lawerence Okolie celebrated his world title win with a different sort of bubblesCredit: Dave Thompson Matchroom Boxing
      With lockdown keeping London’s best nightclubs closed, the only bubbles he could celebrate with were in his bath.
      But at least he could catch up on his ‘well done’ messages with one from the middleweight superstar standing out.
      The former McDonald’s worker said: “It was just an epsom salts and essential oils bubble bath to celebrate.
      “I don’t have a custom-made bath yet, I just have to do the lower half of my body first, then the upper, just interchange it really.
      “There have been a lot of nice messages, I don’t want to highlight too many as they’re personal but my favourite one was from the MMA fighter Style Bender (Israel Adesanya).
      “He is someone I have watched as a fan and he slid in my DMs just saying ‘well done for achieving your dreams’.
      “I have posted to him in the past, as a fan, so for him to reach out was cool.”
      Mairis Briedis, the IBF champ and No1 ranked 14st 4lbs fighter, is the main target for Okolie next.
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      The Latvian’s promoters have already expressed an interest in making the fight and ‘The Sauce’ is ready to box again as early as June.
      With another step up in class, the super-dedicated scholar is always looking for marginal gains to make.
      And spending a little less time on his love life is one of the few areas the smooth slugger knows he has to improve.
      He said: “I probably need to be a bit more strict on my interactions with women.
      “I can get a bit distracted sometimes with the odd late night here or there.
      “I still get a good night’s sleep but that kind of thing can be tightened up.”
      UFC star Israel Adesanya was one of those to congratulate the Brit on his winCredit: Getty

      Okolie vs Glowacki – Round by round More