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      Jake Paul joined by Olivia Dunne, UFC boss Dana White and Arsenal chief in top 50 most influential figures in sport

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      JAKE PAUL was joined by some star-studded names in the top 50 most influential figures in sports. The YouTuber-turned boxer made the list compiled by Sports Illustrated.
      Jake Paul was named in the top 50 most influential figures in sportsCredit: Getty
      Lionel Messi also made the listCredit: AFP
      UFC president Dana White was includedCredit: Getty
      His work as a pay-per-view prizefighter, promoter and boxing manager saw him named alongside some of sport’s biggest stars.
      Paul was the only fighter on the list, with Conor McGregor, Canelo Alvarez and Tyson Fury nowhere to be seen.
      He said: “I love the sport. It’s changed my life. It saved my life. And it can be so much better.”
      Footballers Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe made the cut due to their impact on and off the field.
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      Cristiano Ronaldo did not join them but the Saudi Investment Fund – which prised the superstar over to the Middle east – was recognised.
      PSG owner Nasser Al-Khelaifi is also the chairman of Qatar-based sports network beIN and was named on the list.
      Other sports owners such as Arsenal, LA Rams and Denver Nuggets boss Stan Kroenke were also included and so too was UFC president Dana White.
      White helped the UFC’s owners Endeavor merge with the WWE in April to form a $21.4billion public company.
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      American legends such as basketball icon Lebron James and golfer Tiger Woods also made the cut.
      And newcomer Olivia Dunne featured due to the gymnast’s 7.5million followers on TikTok and 4.1million on Instagram. 
      Meanwhile, sports presenter Pat McAfee made the cut due to the popularity of his show, set for a move to ESPN this year.
      Gymnast Olivia Dunne was recognised in the listCredit: https://www.instagram.com/livvydunne/
      Olivia Dunne has millions of social media followersCredit: INSTAGRAM/LIVVYDUNNE
      Arsenal owner Stan Kroenke is a big influencerCredit: Getty More

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      Prince Naseem Hamed casts doubt over Anthony Joshua’s career as boxing legend says ‘we all have a sell-by date’

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      BOXING legend Prince Naseem Hamed has cast doubt over Anthony Joshua’s future after saying “we all have a sell-by date”.Joshua will fight Dillian Whyte on August 12 ahead of a heavily-rumoured showdown with Deontay Wilder in December.
      Prince Naseem Hamed doubts Anthony Joshua’s ability to return to the topCredit: Getty
      Hamed was unimpressed by Joshua’s performance against FranklinCredit: Getty
      But Hamed poured cold water on the idea of AJ reviving his career and returning to the top level of boxing.
      Joshua began his attempts to come back from back-to-back losses to Oleksandr Usyk when he fought Jermaine Franklin in April this year.
      He entered the bout as heavy favourite but was forced to go 12 rounds with the American, in what many saw as an underwhelming performance.
      Speaking to talkSPORT boxing about whether AJ can get back to the top, Hamed said: “That’s a question AJ can only answer.
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      “For me personally, it’s gonna be hard, very, very hard for AJ.
      “I remember seeing him before his last fight [against Jermaine Franklin], I looked him in his eyes and I said, ‘This is the time where you’re gonna have to prove your heart, you’re gonna need to smash this guy around, show that you’re in charge.’
      “That didn’t happen.
      “What kind of level are we talking about [returning to]? Right at the very top? He had his time, we’ve all got sell-by dates.”
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      Prince Naseem also gave his views on the heavyweight boxing scene more generally, and criticised Tyson Fury’s decision to fight former UFC star Francis Ngannou.
      The two will face-off in a boxing match in Saudi Arabia in October.
      Reacting to the fight, Hamed said: “I think it’s a great business move,
      “Tyson’s proven that he’s an amazing champion.
      “But what can I say? For me personally, I really wanted to see him fight Oleksandr Usyk after what he did to Anthony Joshua.
      “His next fight, what does it really mean to us? He’s not even fighting a boxer.
      “It’s gonna probably be a big fight in Saudi Arabia, but does it really mean anything in the sport of boxing?
      “It is a money fight, it may be a good business decision from Tyson Fury.
      “But listen, Tyson Fury – people have not seen him get beat. He’s still number one, he’s still the man.
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      “So credit goes out to Fury, we like him.”
      The finer details of the fight purse between Ngannou and Fury have not been revealed but Ngannou’s manager Marquel Martin described the amount of money on offer as “life changing”. More

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      Conor McGregor called out by Oleksandr Usyk as heavyweight as champ’s rival Tyson Fury agrees Francis Ngannou fight

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      OLEKSANDR USYK has mocked Tyson Fury’s ring return – by calling out Conor McGregor.WBC heavyweight champion Fury finalised a controversial crossover clash with former UFC star Francis Ngannou earlier this week.
      Tyson Fury finalised a shock showdown with Francis Ngannou this weekCredit: ESPN
      The fight has scuppered a potential end-of-year showdown between Fury and Oleksandr UsykCredit: AP
      Boxing’s P4P king has jokingly out UFC star Conor McGregor in response to the fightCredit: SPORTSFILE
      The Saudi showdown was booked just months after The Gypsy King’s proposed undisputed title fight with pound-for-pound king Usyk fell through.
      And undefeated Ukrainian Usyk has derided Fury’s decision to face the MMA man by jokingly calling out McGregor – the biggest name in the history of the sport.
      He told SecondsOut: “I have no ambitions besides one ambition – it’s to fight Tyson Fury.
      “I saw that Conor McGregor put some significant weight on his body.
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      “Hey Conor, why don’t we make a fight at Wembley?”
      The mouthwatering showdown between Usyk and Fury fell through after very public negotiations.
      An end-of-year showdown was mooted but is now up in smoke as Fury has opted to fight Ngannou on October 28.
      Usyk will now defend his unified heavyweight titles against Fury’s stablemate and fellow Brit Daniel Dubois in Poland on August 26.
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      When pressed further on Fury’s latest outing, Usyk told Sky Sports: “This is a great opportunity for Francis Ngannou.
      “For Tyson Fury, it’s definitely not.
      “Doesn’t it seem strange that instead of choosing a top 10 guy, Tyson Fury’s choosing a guy who has never boxed before?”
      Usyk, 36, believes Fury’s decision to throw down with Ngannou was driven by fear of losing their undisputed clash.

      He said: “Of course [he’s afraid of me[. Of course.
      “Greedy belly is afraid of me.”
      Fury’s clash with Ngannou will be a ten-round affair but the Brit’s WBC title will NOT be on the line.
      The fight will be under Queensberry boxing rules, although it’s unclear whether or not it will go on both men’s professional records. More

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      Carl Froch reignites Conor McGregor feud as he calls his whiskey ‘s***’ and reveals what would happen in crossover fight

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      CARL FROCH has reignited his feud with Conor McGregor by calling Proper 12 whiskey “s***” and warning him off a crossover fight. The bad blood goes back to 2017 when Froch was a commentator for McGregor’s blockbuster bout with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather.
      Carl Froch has reignited his feud with Conor McGregor by calling Proper 12 whiskey “s***”Credit: Getty Images – Getty
      Conor McGregor has feuded Carl Froch in recent years
      He criticised the UFC star’s punch power and it sparked the rivalry which is still brewing to this day.
      Froch told Betting Sites: “Conor McGregor was talking s***, wasn’t he? Talking nonsense about me and piping up.
      “Then I think he realised that actually, if he takes me on in my discipline in boxing, it’s going to be even worse than what happened to him when he fought Mayweather.
      “Mayweather is a quality fighter, but he’s small, he’s a light boxer. I’m quite heavy and I’m even heavier now.
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      “Been retired for nine years and I keep myself in shape. So I think he realises that you don’t want to be getting in the boxing ring with me which is fair enough.”
      Froch, 46, retired in 2014 after knocking out George Groves in front of 80,000 at Wembley Stadium.
      Meanwhile McGregor, 34, is yet to return to the UFC for over two years and has not boxed since defeat to Mayweather.
      And Froch added: “Conor McGregor, I’ve got to be honest, I’ve got loads of respect for him because he’s smashed it.
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      “He’s had some real tough and brave fights. He’s had his leg snapped, his head smashed in and he’s been choked out.
      “He’s made himself a fortune. I’ve got a lot of admiration for him.
      “But if a crossover fight between me and Conor McGregor could happen and people wanted to see it, that’s the important thing, then I’d happily participate in a boxing match.”
      Froch addded: “Whatever McGregor’s got, if he’s blowing it and spending it and buying Lamborghini boats and being frivolous with it by gambling, I hope he isn’t.
      “He’s earned his money the hardest way. He’s got his whiskey brand too but everyone says that whiskey tastes like s*** by the way.”
      Conor McGregor was beaten by Floyd Mayweather in 2017Credit: Getty More

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      Conor McGregor will NEVER fight Jake Paul but I’ll smoke him instead, says UFC star’s training partner Kiefer Crosbie

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      CONOR McGREGOR’S training partner Kiefer Crosbie has told Jake Paul to forget about fighting the UFC star. But Crosbie would gladly step in to shut Paul up following years of the YouTuber-turned boxer calling out McGregor.
      Kiefer Crosbie with training partner Conor McGregorCredit: @kiefercrosbie_mma
      Jake Paul in training for his next fightCredit: @jakepaul
      He told SunSport: “I’d smoke Jake Paul, I’d smoke him. But obviously it comes down to a name thing.
      “The easy thing is, ‘Who’s he?’ That’s the easy way out of that fight, ‘Who’s Kieffer Crosbie?’ 
      “Cool, well move round with me then, mate. Spar me then, fight me then, it would never happen, he’d never fight me. 
      “He’d go after a bigger name with less skills, that’s what he’s trying to do or the biggest name where he knows it will never happen. 
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      “He’s calling out Canelo, calling out Conor, he knows them fights will never happen and he’d never win them fights, let’s be real. 
      “But yeah, I’d smash Jake Paul, easy. Let’s be real, he’s good and improved but you can only improve so much in a couple of years. 
      “I’m doing this my whole life, you can’t just jump into this sport and after two or three years think you can take on the world.” 
      Paul, 26, suffered defeat for the first time in February, losing a split-decision to Tommy Fury, 24, in Saudi Arabia.
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      But he snubbed a rematch to instead return on August 5 in Texas against Nate Diaz, 38, who shared two classics in the octagon with McGregor.
      Paul wants to fight McGregor, 34, afterwards and claimed he would even do it in the cage.
      But Crosbie, 33, said: “Conor is the biggest combat sports athlete of all time, so of course the whole world is going to try call him out. 
      “Jake Paul calling someone like Conor out is just stupid to me. There’s levels to this game, let’s be real here. 
      “Look what Conor’s done, all his accomplishments. He’s one of the best of all time and that’s a way all these guys are trying to get clout. 
      “They’re calling Conor out to keep their name out there but that’s just what YouTubers and celebrities try to do. 
      “They’re looking for clickbait and Conor is not bothered about all them. Jake Paul, he’s a marketing genius.”
      Conor McGregor and Kiefer Crosbie are friends and training partnersCredit: @kiefercrosbie_mma
      Jake Paul facing off with Nate DiazCredit: @mostvaluablepromotions More

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      Tyson Fury vs Francis Ngannou purse details revealed as MMA ace set to pocket ‘multiple’ times more than UFC earnings

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      FRANCIS NGANNOU is set to earn a career-high payday against Tyson Fury – which will eclipse his entire UFC earnings.The Predator finalised a controversial crossover clash with the WBC heavyweight champion earlier this week.
      Francis Ngannou finalised a big-money showdown with Tyson Fury this weekCredit: ESPN
      The Predator bagged the fight six months after leaving the UFCCredit: GETTY
      Ngannou is set to take home a career-high payday for the Saudi showdownCredit: GETTY
      Ngannou, 36, bagged the most high-profile fight of his career a little over six months after leaving the UFC.
      And according to his manager Marquel Martin, the Saudi showdown will see the Cameroonian clubber pocket a “life-changing” amount of money.
      During an appearance on The MMA Hour, Martin said: “Let’s just say this: The bag is so big, he may actually just drop it on the way to the bank.
      “Let’s just say that.
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      “I don’t know what the haters are trying to say right now, I kind of just blocked it out, but they’ll just be proven wrong again.
      “This is life-changing. This is exactly what we planned and visualized, so we’re happy.”
      When asked if Ngannou’s earnings for the fight will be more than his UFC winnings, Martin added: “Oh, my God. I mean, by far. By multiples.
      “Just to make [this money] even while being champion, he would’ve had to fight multiple times just to [be in this ballpark].”
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      Ngannou and Fury’s showdown will be a ten-round affair under the official Queensberry boxing rules.
      But it’s not yet known if the fight will count on both men’s records.
      Knockout artist Ngannou trained as a boxer before being convinced to try his hand at mixed martial arts by former head coach Fernand Lopez.
      And he plans to turn the combat sports world upside down by becoming the first man to defeat the fleet-footed Fury.

      He said: “I’ve been waiting to meet Tyson in the ring for the past three years.
      “My dream was always to box, and to box the best.
      “After becoming the undisputed MMA Heavyweight Champion, this is my opportunity to make that dream come true and cement my position as the baddest man on the planet…
      “All I will say to Tyson for now is he better dance in that ring because if I touch him, he’s going to sleep.” More

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      Geordie Shore star Aaron Chalmers reveals talks to become Jake Paul’s first MMA opponent with two-fight deal discussed

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      AARON CHALMERS has put himself in line to be Jake Paul’s first MMA opponent after talks with the Professional Fighters League. Chalmers left behind the Geordie Shore house for a career in MMA in 2017 and he went on to have a 5-2 record in the cage.
      Aaron Chalmers has put himself in line to be Jake Paul’s first MMA opponentCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Jake Paul is set to make his MMA debut in 2024Credit: Getty
      But he is now focused on boxing and this year faced American legend Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition.
      Meanwhile, Paul is 6-1 as a boxer but is also signed to MMA promotion PFL, where he is set to make his cage debut in 2024.
      And Chalmers spoke to PFL Europe chief James Frewin during an event in the UK about welcoming the YouTube sensation to MMA.
      He proposed a two-fight deal which would see the celebrity pair share the cage and ring.
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      Chalmers told SunSport: “We were talking.
      “It’s kind of dried up at the moment because I was trying to double up and get a crossover, as in Jake in boxing and in MMA. 
      “He’s obviously getting his way in the boxing and I’m a bit more experienced in MMA.
      “It would make sense for something like that and I would definitely go back to it. 
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      “There’s a lot of hurdles to overcome, Jake’s right up there in the mix, he’s quite a big name. 
      “So I feel like a few wins under my belt in the next few months would hopefully push us back up that ladder.”
      Chalmers, 36, switched over to boxing in 2022 and in only his second bout in the ring he went eight rounds with Mayweather, 46, in February.
      And he returns on Saturday night at the 3Arena in Dublin against Irish MMA veteran Kiefer Crosbie, 33, training partner to Conor McGregor.
      Chalmers said: “He’s MMA based and I’ll tell you hand on heart, whenever Kiefer fights I watch because I know he’s always in a f*****g war. 
      “That’s what gets the blood pumping for me, because I know every fight Kiefer has it’s a war. So that’s what I’m prepared for. 
      “I know that’s what it’s going to be and I can probably say hand on heart it’s going to be fight of the night by a long stretch.” 
      Aaron Chalmers facing off with Kiefer CrosbieCredit: @aaroncgshore More

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      Boxing fans adamant Jake Paul will ‘smoke’ Nate Diaz after more sparring footage leaked

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      FANS ARE convinced Nate Diaz is going to get “smoked” by Jake Paul after seeing him sparring.Diaz makes his professional boxing debut on August 5 in Texas against YouTuber-turned prizefighter Paul.
      Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz will take place on August 5 in Texas
      UFC legend Diaz has been sparring with Esquiva Falcao in preparationCredit: Twitter @HappyPunchPromo
      Fans are convinced Paul will ‘smoke’ the MMA star after viewing the leaked sparring clipCredit: Twitter @HappyPunchPromo
      The 38-year-old MMA legend walked out on the UFC last year in pursuit of a lucrative switch to boxing.
      And Paul, 26, snubbed a rematch with Tommy Fury, 24, to face the UFC veteran despite his loss in their celebrity grudge match.
      Now both men are preparing for the highly-anticipated showdown – but fans are starting to become convinced that it will be the Problem Child that will have his hand raised come the final bell.
      In preparation for the pay-per-view bout, Diaz sparred with Robert Garcia-trained middleweight Esquiva Falcao, and the footage has now been leaked.
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      And viewers were quick to predict the American’s downfall after seeing him in action, with one declaring: “If this is real, Jake gonna smoke him!”
      Another wrote: “Broski looks like he’s a kid slapping.”
      While a fellow fan described it as “awful” with another predicting: “Bro, Jake first round ko.”
      The 30–0 Falcao – an Olympic and world champion amateur boxer from Brazil – was also less than impressed by Diaz.
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      He said in a social media video: “At first I thought he was tired, and in the end it looked like he was dying.
      “His fighting style is crazy. You look at him and say, ‘Oh, he’s tired,’ and then we started sparring.
      “Robert told me in the second round, ‘He’s tired already, hold back a little bit and keep the rhythm so he does at least 10 rounds.’
      “I held back and kept boxing, and we did 12 rounds. He was tired but taking punches and throwing, too.
      “[He] is bad, [he] is bad, but since he’s too heavy – he’s overweight, probably around 220lbs or more – and I’m the only big guy in the gym, I had to do it. But I liked doing it.” More