WBA lightheavyweight champ Dimitri Bivol has run out of options. The Canelo fight is out of the question and a mega fight against unified lightheavyweight world champion Arthur Beterbiev is also out of the question because of the war on Ukraine policies. So what will the champ do to stay active? Who will he face? Clock is ticking and every champion must defend their belt.

For the first time in this four belt era , two undisputed champions will face eachother and go for it all. Over all the controversy over who P4P king Canelo will face next , its now official its undisputed champion Jermell Charlo. Charlo is putting aside mandatory WBO challenger Tim Tszyu in order to fight Canelo for his biggest payday and an opportunity to win big. We are already acustomed to see Canelo put aside mandatory challengers, so it no surprise he wont be fighting Benavides next.

The highly anticipated UFC 290 event has encountered a setback as welterweight contender Sean Brady has been forced to withdraw from his scheduled bout against rising star Jack Della Maddalena, just over a week before the event. Multiple sources confirmed the news, with Brady himself posting a photo on Instagram receiving medical treatment and indicating his condition on "Day 4." The announcement of Brady's withdrawal was initially made on Twitter, leaving fans disappointed by the sudden change in the fight card. In the wake of this unfortunate turn of events, Della Maddalena and his team are eagerly awaiting news regarding a potential replacement opponent. Displaying remarkable flexibility, the Australian fighter has expressed his willingness to face "anyone" within the 170 to 185-pound weight range, as relayed by his camp to MMA Fighting. With an undefeated record of 4-0 in the Octagon, Della Maddalena has established himself as a highly touted prospect, known for his impressive first-round finishes. While he could have chosen to wait for a ranked opponent or postpone his appearance to a later date, Della Maddalena has decided to remain in Las Vegas, hoping to salvage the opportunity to compete on July 8. Meanwhile, Brady's withdrawal is another unfortunate turn of events for the Philadelphia native. He was previously forced to withdraw from a scheduled fight against Michel Pereira in March. Eager to bounce back from his first career loss to Belal Muhammad last October, Brady will now have to wait for a future opportunity to reestablish himself in the win column. As of now, the UFC has not secured a replacement opponent for Della Maddalena, leaving fans and the fighter himself on edge. The possibility of a different matchup at either the welterweight or middleweight division remains uncertain. Despite the setback, the anticipation for UFC 290 remains high, and fans eagerly await news of Della Maddalena's potential new opponent. The fighter's willingness to face anyone across multiple weight classes adds an intriguing element to the event, demonstrating his determination to stay active and showcase his skills on the big stage. In the unpredictable world of mixed martial arts, where injuries and unforeseen circumstances can alter fight cards, the resilience, and adaptability of fighters like Della Maddalena become evident. The quest for victory and the pursuit of greatness continues as the UFC works diligently to deliver an exciting and memorable event for fans worldwide.

In a highly anticipated featherweight clash at UFC 290, reigning champion Alexander Volkanovski sees undefeated rising star Ilia Topuria as his potential next challenger, provided he successfully defends his title against Yair Rodriguez on July 8th. Following a razor-thin loss in his lightweight title challenge against Islam Makhachev at UFC 284, Volkanovski expressed his desire for another shot at the belt. However, the emergence of Topuria at UFC Jacksonville has captured his attention, and he believes the undefeated contender deserves a chance to face him. While acknowledging Topuria's skills and potential, Volkanovski remains confident in his abilities. "To be honest, again, I'm not going to say too much, obviously I think he's a good fighter. But the more I speak, the less I'm going to hype up the fight. I think he's great," the champion stated during an interview on ESPN's DC & RC. Volkanovski's immediate focus is his upcoming title defense against Yair Rodriguez. A victory would mark his fifth successful defense and solidify his undefeated reign at 145 pounds. However, Topuria's impressive win over Josh Emmett has added fuel to the fire, with the Georgian-Spanish fighter boldly declaring his intention to dethrone Volkanovski. While Topuria expressed interest in a potential showdown with former champion Max Holloway in Spain, Volkanovski prefers that the path to the featherweight crown remains clear for the undefeated contender. By keeping potential challengers at bay, Volkanovski aims to have the freedom to choose from lucrative matchups should he triumph over Rodriguez at UFC 290. “I want [challengers],” Volkanovski said. “I want to be active. I was at a stage where I was like, ‘Give me No. 1 guys, give me No. 1 guys.’’ Though Volkanovski acknowledges the hype surrounding Topuria, he believes that his immediate concern lies with the formidable Yair Rodriguez, considering him a more significant threat. The champion is determined to handle business against Rodriguez first before considering any potential matchups, including a highly anticipated rematch with Islam Makhachev. While fans and pundits discuss Topuria's status as the next title contender, Volkanovski remains focused on his upcoming challenge. "If people think he's the next guy: bring it on. But I've got Yair to worry about," he emphasized. As the countdown to UFC 290 continues, the featherweight division eagerly awaits the outcome of Volkanovski's clash with Rodriguez and the subsequent revelation of the next potential contender. The champion's hunger for challenges and his acknowledgment of Topuria's potential make for an enticing storyline that fans and fighters alike eagerly anticipate unfolding. In the world of mixed martial arts, where fortunes can change with a single punch or submission, the journey toward featherweight glory remains an ever-evolving tale that continues to captivate and inspire.

The fight between Errol Spence Jr. and Terence Crawford has been years in the making, but the mouthwatering matchup never crossed the finish line because the business elements around bout were never right. But all of that changed as soon as the fight was announced, and ahead of their much anticipated undisputed welterweight matchup on July 29 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Spence opened up about how the deal was signed, sealed, and delivered. "I feel like it was basically me making concessions that people thought I wasn't going to make," Spence said in an interview on “The Last Stand” with Brian Custer. "I basically gave him stuff that the business people felt like he didn't need, or he didn't deserve. I wanted to make the fight happen, so, give it to him." Stephen Espinoza, Showtime’s president of sports and event programming, told BoxingScene.com in an interview that everybody involved in the fight made concessions that they never made before. “It was a unique set of challenges in this particular fight. Part of it was that there were two very involved fighters. In particular, Terence Crawford was very active,” Espinoza explained.

Henry Cejudo's second fight in his UFC comeback will have to wait. Cejudo announced he is pulling out of his scheduled UFC 292 bout against Marlon Vera due to a shoulder injury. "Unfortunately due to my right shoulder, I won't be able to fight," Cejudo said in an Instagram post. "I've already torn my left shoulder, where I was out for about a year. I don't want it to tear further than what it already is. That being said, there's a tear in there. The cat's out the bag. It's actually a 50 percent tear." Cejudo, 36, lost to Aljamain Sterling in May after coming back from a three-year retirement. The former two-division champion ended his first run in UFC on a six-fight winning streak and is 16-3 as a professional fighter overall. There has been no announcement regarding a replacement opponent for Vera, who would have walked in as a heavy underdog. Vera's last fight was a split-decision loss to Cory Sandhagen during a UFC on ESPN event in March. The 12-year MMA veteran is 20-8-1 in his career and has been with UFC since 2014 but has never fought for a title. UFC 292 is currently slated to be headlined by a Sterling vs. Sean O'Malley main event. Zhang Weili is also set to defend her women's strawweight championship against Amanda Lemos.

RICKY HATTON has unleashed a blistering attack on the heavyweight boxing scene in response to the latest developments between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua. After failing to reach an agreement to fight one other earlier this year, neither Fury nor Joshua currently have fights scheduled. The two British boxers had engaged in negotiations that were broadcast live on social media, including videos provided by Tyson Fury. However, none of the ideas made by the Gipsy King were accepted by the two. They have both been sidelined as a result of what seems to be a slowdown in the heavyweight class. Hatton, a former two-weight world champion, has grown frustrated with the heavyweights. "The heavyweight scene is a little bit upsetting, isn't it? "I'm not pointing any fingers at promoters or TV or even fighters, but it's a little bit like a circus at the minute, you don't know who to believe or what to believe. "I originally saw that Dillian Whyte vs Anthony Joshua was going to be made in August and then Dillian Whyte said he hasn't even had an offer and then Eddie Hearn said he had made an offer and then they were arguing over how much the offer was and I was thinking to myself 'what do you believe?'." "Negotiating is part of the business. I've been there and you want the best deal, but sometimes they're going to cut the nose off to spite the face. "You see YouTubers, rappers and Mixed Martial Artists fighting each other and they're the ones pulling in the crowds while our sport is suffering and it's because big fights aren't being made."

The parent firms of UFC Gym Australia have $15 million in debt. The first step towards potential bankruptcy was taken last month by Ultimate Franchising Group Pty Ltd. and Ultimate Franchising Group Properties Pty Ltd. The organizations are in possession of the master agreement for UFC Gym Australia and New Zealand, which operates multiple locations around Oceania. On Monday, a local Australian news source broke the story of UFC Gym Australia's financial difficulties. The parent firms are reportedly owed $15,654,000 by unsecured creditors. Australia's national department of revenue is owed $160,000. Due to financial difficulties, UFC Gym Australia recently closed all of its locations indefinitely. In light of this void, it's unclear if the franchise's present owners will try to sell. Unpaid staff at their numerous locations are reportedly owed $42,000. In recent years, the MMA scene has seen significant growth in Australia and New Zealand. At UFC 290, Yair Rodriguez will battle UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski, who trains at City Kickboxing in Auckland.

With less than a month away from what I believe to be the biggest fight in boxing at the moment. Especially with the heavyweights playing games I do believe this is the biggest fight . I really dont see how these two can let us down and have a boring fight. It will be a smart fight but once one of those two gets tagged with something it will get going . Both are very dangerous finishers and I really dont see it going to the scorecards, both have alot of heart and will fight to the end. So I think we are in for a real treat ladies and gents.

Tommy David Morrison (1969–2013) Possessed knockout power with either hand, Tommy "The Duke" Morrison brought excitement to boxing's heavyweight division during the 1990's , what many experts call the golden era in the heavyweight division. "The Duke" nickname derived from Morrison's unsubstantiated claim he was the grandnephew of Hollywood movie legend John Wayne. Born in Gravette, Arkansas, on January 2, 1969, Morrison was raised in Jay, Oklahoma, where he began boxing at age ten. Participating in Golden Gloves competitions, he culminated his amateur career at the 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials. There Morrison dropped a split decision to Ray Mercer, who subsequently won the gold medal in the heavyweight division at the Seoul Summer Olympics. Making his professional debut in October 1988, Morrison won his first twenty-eight bouts, including twenty-three by knockout. In 1990 he landed a role in the movie Rocky V, portraying the character Tommy "The Machine" Gunn antagonist to Sylvester Stallone's Rocky Balboa. Returning to the ring, Morrison suffered his first defeat when he met Ray Mercer for the vacant World Boxing Organization (WBO) heavyweight championship. The former amateur rivals squared off on October 18, 1991, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, with Mercer winning via fifth-round knockout. Mercer a few years later stated that Morrison was the hardest puncher he ever faced. Morrison rebounded from the loss with eight consecutive knockout wins. The 6'2", 215lbs fighter was a fan favorite and a staple of cable and network boxing telecasts. Against top competition Morrison fought through injuries and was often knocked to the canvas. On more than one occasion he rallied from near defeat to score a knockout victory with his trademark left hook. Morrison received a second chance at the WBO heavyweight championship when he faced former and future world heavyweight champion George Foreman in Las Vegas, Nevada, on July 6, 1993. Wary of Foreman's legendary punching power, Morrison boxed smartly and won by unanimous decision. His title reign was brief, however on October 29, 1993, in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he lost in his second title defense to unheralded challenger Michael Bennt by first round knockout. Over his next eight fights Morrison registered seven wins and a draw. Included was a stoppage victory over Donovan "Razor" Ruddick to win the International Boxing Council heavyweight title and a knockout lose to two-time world champion Lennox Lewis. In 1996 Morrison was suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission after a blood test indicated he had HIV. Morrison announced his retirement, but subsequent negative medical tests caused him to deny his illness. Granted a boxing license in West Virginia, Morrison had two bouts before retiring in 2008 with a final record of 48 wins, 3 loses, and 1 draw with 42 wins by knockout. In the 1990s Morrison was plagued by health, personal, and legal issues. As early as 1993 he faced charges of assault and public intoxication. During the mid-1990s he was arrested multiple times for various offenses, and in January 2000 he received a two-year prison sentence at the Southwest Arkansas Community Correction Center in Texarkana. Morrison's health steadily declined following his parole in 2001. Bedridden the final year of his life, Tommy Morrison died on September 1, 2013, in Omaha, Nebraska, from AIDS complications and was buried in Butler Creek Cemetery at Sulphur Springs, Arkansas. His sons, Trey Lippe Morrison and Kenzie Witt, are professional boxers keeping the family legacy alive.

Daniel Cormier believes Jon Jones does not deserve an ESPY this year. This year, Jon Jones, alongside Leon Edwards, Islam Makhachev, and Amanda Nunes, are ESPN’s nominees for the Best Fighter ESPY, with the winner being announced on July 12 in Los Angeles. The award covers from July 2022 to July 2023, and of the four nominees, Jones is the only one who has not competed multiple times; he earned a lone win over Ciryl Gane for the vacant UFC heavyweight title in March. The win made Jones a two-division champion and came after a three year layoff, which was undoubtedly impressive. But according to Cormier, it was not exactly on par with the other contenders. “I just don’t know if one fight in the year against Ciryl Gane puts you in that position,” Cormier said on DC & RC. “And that’s no knock on Ciryl. It was just one fight. You gotta think of the storylines that follow these other athletes. From Makhachev beating [Charles Oliveira] to win the belt, from Makhachev beating Alexander Volkanovski... “Then you look at Amanda losing her belt to Julianna [Peña] and then winning it back. Then Leon Edwards doing what he did. Let me tell you something, Jon Jones is in there ... because Jon Jones is the biggest star. He’s the biggest star that’s holding a championship right now outside of Israel Adesanya. That’s why he’s in there. What’s crazy about it is, he might win it because of him being the biggest star of the people in there. “I agree that the other three should be in there. I think Jones needed one more performance to find himself in the running for an ESPY, if we’re being completely fair. The storyline just doesn’t add up.” Cormier and Jones have a long and sordid history with one another. However, in recent years the two have set their personal enmities aside. So perhaps with that in mind, the former two-division champ went on to clarify that his statements weren’t meant in opposition to Jones in general – just a belief that other champions deserved the nomination more.

On Saturday, September 23, live on TNT Sports, heavyweight giants Zhilei Zhang and Joe Joyce will square off at the OVO Arena in Wembley in a highly awaited rematch. Mid-April saw Big Bang Zhang and Juggernaut Joyce square off for the first time in the Copper Box Arena, and Zhang left the fight with the WBO Interim Heavyweight World Championship belt. Referee Howard Foster stopped the fight in the sixth round due to the heavy swelling around the right eye of defending champion Joyce. The Chinese hero Zhang lived up to his stage name in Stratford, ending the unbeaten professional record of the fellow Olympic silver medallist. The New York City Zhang, who is 25-1-1 (20 KOs), put on a career-best performance in London to advance into the elite group of heavyweights, but he must first once more fend off Joyce's forceful advances as Joyce, who is 15-1 (14 KOs), will be determined to reclaim his lost ground and reassume the top spot in the WBO rankings.