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      Jake Paul reveals reason Conor McGregor will ‘never’ fight him as he claims to be ‘bigger in the sport than he is’

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      JAKE PAUL has claimed Conor McGregor will NEVER fight him. The YouTuber-turned boxer has continuously called out McGregor since making his professional debut in 2020.
      Jake Paul has claimed Conor McGregor will never fight himCredit: Getty
      McGrego has been continuously called out by Jake PaulCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      But he now believes his skills and starpower has surpassed that of the UFC legend.
      Paul told DAZN: “A fight between me and McGregor would be massive, entertaining and fun. I would beat his ass but he wont fight me.
      “At this point you can see how it went from me calling him out and that seeming crazy to me being bigger in the sport than he is and him knowing my skill level is greater than his in such a short amount time. Life is crazy.”
      McGregor, 35, has boxed as a pro just once when he crossed over to the ring in 2017 to lose to American legend Floyd Mayweather, 46.
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      Meanwhile Paul, 26, is now 7-1 as a boxer and returns this Friday against 10-1-1 Andre August, 35.
      He was beaten for the first time in February by Tommy Fury, 24, losing a split-decision in Saudi Arabia.
      Paul, 26, bounced back in August by beating McGregor’s old UFC rival Nate Diaz, 38, on points.
      But he now returns against little-known August in a non pay-per-view bout as he looks to gain more experience against seasoned pros.
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      Paul said: “I’m a professional boxer and I want to be world champion, so I need to pursue the path towards greatness against people who have been boxing their whole life.
      “So far, my entire boxing career has been on pay-per-view, but now it’s about more than business.
      “Now I want to build my experience in the ring against seasoned fighters. I’m coming to prove my greatness for the world to see.” More

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      Conor McGregor bizarrely faces off with UFC star TWO weight divisions below as boxing match in 2024 is teased

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      CONOR McGREGOR bizarrely faced off with Petr Yan as a boxing match between the two was teased. The pair of UFC stars – who are two weight divisions apart – attended an IBA boxing event in Dubai when they went head to head in the ring.
      UFC star Petr Yan and Conor McGregor going face to face
      Umar Kremlev – president of the International Boxing Association – then announced that the pair would meet in the ring next year.
      But the UFC would be sure to disagree.
      UFC fighters are prohibited from competing outside of the promotion unless granted special permission.
      McGregor was given so in 2017 for his crossover bout with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather, which ended in tenth-round defeat.
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      But heavyweight Francis Ngannou walked out on the UFC last year after being denied the chance to do the same.
      He instead signed for rivals The Professional Fighters League and fought Tyson Fury, controversially losing on points after scoring a knockdown.
      McGregor, 35, is out in Dubai training for his UFC return, which is set for next year against Michael Chandler.
      He is finally on track for a comeback bout, which will be his first since July 2021.
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      He has suffered a frustrating period on the sidelines since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier, 34.
      But after returning to the UFC’s all-year round random drug testing program, he will be eligible to fight again.
      Chandler, 37, has had frustrations of his own waiting for the bout to materialise but the American is willing to wait it out.
      He said on The MMA Hour: “I’ve fought extremely hard.
      “Some very, very tough fights I’ve had since I came into the UFC, especially [since] I fought everybody inside the top five basically.
      “Fights of the Year, Knockouts of the Year, all of those different things.
      “So any time I find myself being frustrated, I believe I’m always able to go back to my north star that, hey, it’s going to work out the way it’s going to, just like me coming to the UFC.
      “That door stayed closed until it was time for that door to open.
      “The door opening for this fight with Conor, whenever it’s finally supposed to be, it will be, and I’m just being at peace in the midst of the waiting.”
      McGregor is set to fight Michael Chandler in his UFC return More

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      Anthony Joshua called out by Francis Ngannou after heroic Tyson Fury bout with UFC icon offering Brit ‘ring or octagon’

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      FRANCIS NGANNOU has called Anthony Joshua out for a fight following his narrow defeat to Tyson Fury in October.The former UFC heavyweight champion told Joshua that the fight could be “in the ring or in the octagon”.
      Francis Ngannou downed Fury during their October boutCredit: Getty
      Ngannou has set his sights on Anthony JoshuaCredit: Getty
      His call out of Joshua follows his earlier proposal to fight Deontay Wilder.
      Speaking on the Club Shay Shay podcast, Ngannou said: “Anything that he wants. Ring or octagon. The good thing is I’m the one that can go everywhere comfortably.
      “My comfort zone will be the octagon, but I’m going to the ring and putting them in a bad spot in the ring.
      “I have my territory [in MMA] where they cannot mess with me. If they come, they will need something like some favour, like, ‘I’ll give you this, we’ll take kicks out.’
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      “I have to give him something, but when we step in the ring, they don’t give me anything and I still get them in trouble.”
      Joshua will fight Swede Otto Wallin on December 23 in what is expected to be a tough match-up for the Brit.
      Wilder fights Joseph Parker that same night with the card in theory serving as an eliminator.
      Many are expecting Joshua and Wilder to fight each other if they both win their bouts.
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      December 23 was set to be a bumper night of boxing with Tyson Fury meant to be fighting Oleksandr Usyk to decide the undisputed heavyweight champ.
      But a cut to the face Fury sustained against Ngannou put a stop to that and fight fans will now have to wait until February to see the two rumble.
      Ngannou has called out several high-profile boxers after more than holding his own against Fury in October – with many feeling he actually won the bout.

      TYSON FURY VS OLEKSANDR USYK: ALL THE DETAILS YOU NEED AHEAD OF HUGE UNDISPUTED HEAVYWEIGHT BOUT More

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      Ebanie Bridges already planning for retirement after going into business with Conor McGregor for ‘rest of her career’

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      EBANIE BRIDGES already has a plan in place for retirement after going into business with Conor McGregor. The IBF bantamweight champion returns on Saturday in San Francisco, defending her belt against Miyo Yoshida.
      Conor McGregor pictured with Ebanie BridgesCredit: Instagram @ebaniebridges
      Bridges is sponsored by McGregor’s Forged Irish StoutCredit: Twitter
      The boxing champ is friends with UFC legend McGregorCredit: Twitter
      And she will do so sponsored by McGregor’s Forged Irish Stout.
      Bridges has formed a partnership with the brand and the UFC legend himself.
      She told Lucky Block: “Obviously, mine and his collaboration is a little bit deeper.
      “I’m a face for Forged Stout now. I can learn a lot from him as well for when I finish boxing – and what he’s doing in business, I think is really inspiring.
      READ MORE ON EBANIE BRIDGES
      ‌“It was natural and we’ll be working together for the remainder of my career. We work really well together.
      “I’m great for his brand and he’s great for my brand, and we get along really well.”
      Bridges, 37, was due to face Avril Mathie, 36, in what she dubbed the “Battle of the Boobs” but her Aussie rival pulled out.
      Meanwhile McGregor, 35, has been out since July 2021 when he broke his leg against Dustin Poirier, 34, in the first round.
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      But he is now set to return next year against Michael Chandler, 37, with the Irishman preparing for the bout.
      Bridges revealed: “I don’t know who it will be but I know he’s training. I’ve seen clips of him training and he’s busy in the gym.
      “I don’t know if he puts it on his socials. I don’t really look at his social pages to be fair, but I’ve obviously seen some of his training stuff that he’s done.”
      Bridges is the bantamweight world championCredit: Alamy
      Bridges returns in San FranciscoCredit: PA
      McGregor poses with pal BridgesCredit: Sportsfile More

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      Lennox Lewis ‘rejected’ £5m offer from Vince McMahon for huge crossover match with UFC and WWE icon Brock Lesnar

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      LENNOX LEWIS once turned down £5million from the WWE to face Brock Lesnar in a crossover match. The year was 2002 and Lesnar was on his rise as a future WWE superstar while Lewis was the world heavyweight boxing champion.
      Lennox Lewis turned down £5m to face WWE star Brock LesnarCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      Lesnar was WWE champion by 25Credit: WWE
      And there were talks for the two to meet in the ring with Vince McMahon even going to the Nevada Athletic Commission for sanctioning.
      But according to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, Lewis rejected it after finding out about Lesnar’s real grappling experience.
      The former undisputed heavyweight king did open up about the negotiations in a 2015 interview with TSN’s Off The Record.
      He revealed he was offered £5m but claimed he had to wear gloves while Lesnar would not have.
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      Asked if he considered the offer, Lewis said: “Very seriously, until they said he wasn’t wearing gloves.
      “They wanted to put me in with gloves on.”
      It is not clear whether the match would have been scripted or a legitimate fight.
      Lewis went onto retire from boxing in 2004 after defeating Vitali Klitschko a year prior.
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      Meanwhile, Lesnar was WWE champ by 25 in 2002 and later turned to MMA, where he won the UFC title.
      He had nine fights in the cage – with his last in 2016 – and continues in the WWE to this day.
      Lesnar has been linked to a UFC return but his last fight against Mark Hunt ended in controversy after he tested positive for banned substances.
      Lesnar has not fought since 2016Credit: Getty More

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      Ex-UFC champ left with horror facial injuries after losing brutal bare-knuckle fight to ‘king of violence’ Mike Perry

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      EX-UFC champion Eddie Alvarez was left with horror facial injuries after brutal bare-knuckle boxing defeat to Mike Perry. The pair of former MMA stars headlined a Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship event in Salt Lake City, Utah.
      Eddie Alvarez was left with horror facial injuries after defeat to Mike Perry
      Alvarez showed off his battle scars post fight
      And the two put on a hellacious show for two rounds until Alvarez’s corner pulled him out of the bout.
      The American’s left eye was so badly swollen he could not continue any longer.
      Alvarez, 39, showed off the extent of his battle scars in the post-fight press conference, sporting a severely swollen and bruised face.
      Perry, 32, was also marked up as he celebrated his vicious victory.
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      He roared: “I like to get hit a little bit sometimes. I like that s***. It makes me feel alive.
      “I work on the head movement but the last one ended so easily, I just wanted to have a battle so I let him get some shots off. I had a great time.
      “Eddie Alvarez is a hell of a competitor. Who owns combat sports now? The king of violence! ‘Platinum’ Mike Perry!”
      Perry, who left the UFC in 2021 after four losses in five fights, is now unbeaten in his four BKFC bouts.
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      And he called out Conor McGregor, 35, and Darren Till, 30, after extending his record to 4-0 with exposed fists.
      Perry said: “Conor McGregor would be a great matchup.
      “I just beat somebody he fought for a world title. Who’s bigger than that? There’s no one bigger than Conor McGregor except me.
      “These boxers don’t want to take the gloves off. Darren Till said he doesn’t want to do it with no gloves.
      “Who wants to fight Platinum Mike Perry with no gloves?”
      Mike Perry beat Eddie Alvarez in two roundsCredit: Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship More

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      Jake Paul sensationally backed to BEAT Nate Diaz in MMA fight by ex-UFC star amid £10m rematch offer

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      JAKE PAUL has been backed to sensationally BEAT Nate Diaz in MMA by ex-UFC star Matt Brown. The YouTuber-turned boxer this year signed for the Professional Fighters League, a competing promotion to the UFC.
      Jake Paul beat Nate Diaz over ten roundsCredit: GETTY
      Paul, 26, is coming off the back of a ten-round points win over ex-UFC star Diaz, 38, in August.
      And both the American and the PFL have proposed a rematch in the cage and offered up to £10million.
      But Diaz has seemed uninterested and Brown insisted he has reason to.
      He told MMAFighting: “Jake Paul, I’m going to pick him to win. I’m going to pick him to beat Nate Diaz in MMA.
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      “We already know he can outbox him. When was the last time you saw Nate Diaz take someone down?
      “But I don’t think he’ll be able to take him down, even if he tries to [take him down].
      “He’s way, way undersized. Jake Paul is so much bigger than him. I don’t know what weight it will be at, probably 185.
      “Nate’s not a great wrestler, it’s going to end up staying on the feet. What difference would it be [from their boxing match] if it stays on the feet?”
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      Ex-high school wrestler Paul has called to fight Diaz in his MMA debut and Brown believes the styles clash favours the American well.
      He said: “First, Nate rarely throws elbows. Really doesn’t throw kicks a whole lot. He’s primarily an MMA boxer.
      “His MMA style is he pressures you, he outboxes you and pressures you until you take him down or grab hold of him, which, that’s what he wants. Now he can do his jiu-jitsu game. It’s just a bad matchup.
      “I wouldn’t pick very many people to be able to do that, but I don’t think Nate will be able to take [Paul] down and we already know what’s going to happen on the feet.
      “Jake will train for kicks and elbows and knees and all that stuff and they might have a little effect.
      “But I don’t see Nate finishing him with a kick or even really chopping him down or elbowing him. It’s just not his style.”
      Matt Brown backed Jake Paul to beat Nate Diaz in MMACredit: Getty More

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      Conor McGregor was smart not to fight me… I would have destroyed him and he’s a QUITTER, says bitter sparring rival

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      PAULIE MALIGNAGGI has issued another stinging attack on bitter sparring rival Conor McGregor. The former boxing world champion entered McGregor’s training camp in 2017 before his crossover bout with Floyd Mayweather.
      Paulie Malignaggi infamously sparred Conor McGregorCredit: @TheNotoriousMMA

      They sparred twice in the UFC’s Las Vegas base, over eight and then 12 rounds.
      And it was the second of session that is remembered infamously, as images and footage of the spar leaked.
      It included a disputed knockdown of Malignaggi, which caused the American to storm out the camp.
      The two have continued to feud ever since and now Malignaggi has claimed McGregor was wise not to accept a grudge match with him.
      READ MORE ON MCGREGOR
      He told Action Network: “I’m a better trash talker than McGregor, that’s one of the reasons he did not fight me. I would have trashed him in the press conferences and the fight.
      “It would have ended all of the hysteria around him because I would have destroyed him in the trash talking and in the ring.
      “I would have ruined the whole aura around him. He was smart not to pull the trigger on a fight with me.”
      Malignaggi, 43, always insisted he was pushed to the ground by McGregor, who went on to lose in ten rounds to Mayweather.
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      It has kept the feud alive but a boxing bout slipped away with McGregor remaining in the UFC octagon.
      Although Malignaggi said the 35-year-old is now a “punching bag” and compared his career to heavyweight boxer Anthony Joshua.
      He said: “McGregor was lucky to achieve what he achieved in his career, physically and talent wise he’s up there, but just because you can do a bunch of high kicks from a Jean Claude Van Dam movie, doesn’t mean you’re a fighter; you need guts, you need a willingness to succeed, you need a willingness to enter the trenches and if you don’t have that, you’re going to fade.
      ‘We’ve talked about AJ losing that edge, but McGregor is on a different level. McGregor will quit on you, he does quit.
      “AJ does not take as many risks anymore but at least he’s not quitting. McGregor is an outright quitter.
      “He is a fighter that was not as good as advertised, there was great marketing behind him.
      “And the money he’s made now isn’t helping, so you’ve got a problem – all he’s going to do is continue to be a punching bag.
      “If you’re a punching bag in your twenties, you’ll definitely be a punching bag in your thirties.”
      Malignaggi claimed he was pushed down by McGregorCredit: @TheNotoriousMMA More