The most important fight in Devin Haney's career will take place in a few weeks when he defends his undisputed lightweight title against former three-division world champion Vasiliy Lomachenko. The event is held at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, on May 20. Some people think that regardless of the outcome of the fight, Haney's career at 135 pounds would likely come to an end. A switch to junior welterweight is said to be highly likely. But should he triumph later this month, Haney still has some significant matches at 135 to look forward to. Haney acknowledges that the "only way he stays at 135" is for a fight with "Shakur Stevenson" or "Gervonta 'Tank' Davis." "That depends on how it goes on May 20, first coming out of the fight successfully and then we'll go from there. But the only way I'm going to stay at 135 is because of guys like Stevenson, or guys like Tank," Haney told ESPN Deportes. "I don't plan to be here much longer. This has been my first weight class. I've been at 135 since I was 16 years old, My body has been maturing. I've been saying this for a long time. "I have the best team in boxing. I have a great nutritionist, I'm going through all the steps to do it successfully, but you never know what happens in the ring. I feel good, I feel healthy, I feel strong." Last year, Haney, at 24 years old, defeated George Kambosos in a decisive decision match to unify all four divisional belts. A few months later, in a scheduled rematch, he outboxed Kambosos once more.

In a thrilling and bloody battle, Eddie Alvarez emerged victorious over Chad Mendes in the main event of Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championship 41 on Friday night. The former UFC lightweight champion secured a split decision victory after five grueling rounds, but it was Mendes who stole the show with his display of heart and determination. The fight started with both fighters exchanging blows in the center of the ring. Mendes, a former UFC featherweight title challenger, landed some heavy shots early on, but Alvarez weathered the storm and began to find his range. The two fighters traded punches and clinches throughout the first round, with neither able to gain a clear advantage. Alvarez, a bare-knuckle first-timer, began with a long jab and reached for a lead, but Mendes responded with powerful punches, leaving a cut under his right eye. In the second round, Mendes landed a left that knocked Alvarez down. Alvarez tried to regain control, but Mendes countered with stiff uppercuts. Alvarez got his revenge with a short shot that briefly dropped Mendes. By the fifth round, Alvarez's face was showing signs of damage with cuts and blood. He launched a flurry of punches that overwhelmed Mendes, who fell to the canvas, but Mendes bounced back with a left-right combo that wobbled Alvarez, the referee ruled it as a knockdown, evening the score between the fighters. In the end, the two judges scored the fight 47-46 in favor of Alvarez, while Mendes got the same score from the third judge with a split decision fight going in favor of Alvarez. “This is a pleasure,” Alvarez said. “Chad is a f****** dog. I did not expect that. The man hits crazy hard. This is a dog fight in here. I’m convinced right now this is going to be the best sport in the world. BKFC is here to stay.” Mendes, on the other hand, announced his retirement from combat sports immediately after the fight, citing he has no desire left to engage in combat sports. “Eddie is a freaking beast. Hats off to Eddie,” Mendes said. “I just wanted to say thank you to all the fans. I’m officially hanging them up tonight. Thanks for all the awesome memories.” The fight was a testament to the toughness and skill of both fighters and a reminder of the excitement and unpredictability of bare-knuckle fighting. BKFC 41 was a night of thrilling fights, with a few other exciting bouts on the card, but it was the main event that will be remembered for years to come.

Aljamain Sterling, the current UFC bantamweight champion, appears to be motivated to become champ-champ. At UFC 288 on May 6, 2023, Sterling will defend his bantamweight title against Henry Cejudo, a former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion. 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley and Henry Cejudo are the rumored opponents for Aljamain Sterling's defense of his bantamweight (135-pound) championship. Then, according to Sterling, he'll advance to the featherweight (145-pound) division. He stated that he'd prefer to compete against and defeat the victor of the next match between Alexander Volkanovski, the current UFC featherweight champion, and Yair Rodriguez, the interim featherweight champion. "Funk Master" said that he might stop competing in mixed martial arts after defending the featherweight title once. Sterling said: "I smash Henry Cejudo. I smash Sean O'Malley. I go up to 145 pounds. I fight Alex Volkanovski or Yair Rodriguez, and maybe I defend the belt one time, and I'm done." Only four fighters have ever held UFC championships in two different weight divisions at the same time in the organization's history. Conor McGregor, a past UFC featherweight and lightweight champion, Daniel Cormier, a former UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight champion, Amanda Nunes, current UFC women's bantamweight and featherweight champion, and Henry Cejudo, a former UFC flyweight and bantamweight champion are among these fighters.

Welterweights Vicente Luque and Rafael dos Anjos are expected to compete in a main event bout on July 15, with the card most likely taking place in Las Vegas. Several sources with knowledge of the contest and verbal agreements from the competitors confirmed the details on Saturday. Luque, who is regarded as one of the most thrilling competitors on the roster, has lost his last two fights. Luque has been a mainstay in the 170-pound rankings in recent years. Luque lost to Belal Muhammad and Geoff Neal after racking up four straight victories, including finishes over Tyron Woodley and Michael Chiesa, two former UFC champions. As the Brazilian looks to build on his return to welterweight after he defeated Bryan Barberena with a second-round submission this past December, Luque will now try to get back on track when he faces another former champion in dos Anjos. Dos Anjos has a record of 3-1 overall in his last four fights, with his lone defeat coming against Rafael Fiziev at lightweight. The July 15 show, which follows UFC 290 and is likewise scheduled to take place in Las Vegas to close out International Fight Week 2023, is set to feature Luque vs. dos Anjos as the main event.

Saturday's UFC Fight Night main event in Las Vegas was supposed to be a competitive bout between two bantamweight prospects. It turned into a one-sided showcase fight for Song Yadong. Yadong defeated Ricky Simon by TKO in the fifth round of their five-round headliner on Saturday. After torching Simon with a perfect counter left hook, Yadong pounced on Simon and landed a string of follow-up punches until referee Herb Dean waved it off. At just 25 years old, Yadong has already won nine fights in the UFC. He called for a top-five opponent next, suggesting contenders Sean O'Malley and Marlon Vera. "I'm extremely happy," Yadong said. "Simon is a very tough opponent. I'm sorry, but today is my night. I want to fight top five next -- O'Malley or 'Chito' Vera." The finish, Yadong's sixth in the UFC, capped off a brilliant performance. ESPN scored every round for Yadong leading up to the TKO. He dropped Simon (20-4) with the same left hook in the final second of the fourth round and outlanded him 102-44 in total strikes, according to UFC Stats. A native of China who now fights out of Team Alpha Male in Sacramento, California, Yadong looked extremely comfortable during the fight and even between rounds. He smiled playfully at Simon in certain moments and laughed occasionally after just missing a big strike. Yadong's body work was especially impressive, as he routinely loaded up with left hooks to the body. He also defended seven of Simon's nine takedown attempts, which was probably viewed as his greatest challenge going into the matchup. Although his punches drew the most attention, he also landed a string of sneaky good leg kicks to Simon's lead leg. The victory comes nearly four years after Yadong's mentor, UFC Hall of Famer Urijah Faber, upset Simon in a high-profile bout in Sacramento. Faber was in Yadong's corner on Saturday.

Mike Perry played spoiler to Luke Rockhold’s post-UFC venture when he emerged victorious in Saturday’s BKFC 41 main event. Perry continued to shine in the world of bare-knuckle boxing when he picked up arguably the biggest win of his combat sports career with a second-round TKO of former UFC champion Rockhold in their middleweight headliner, which took place at 1stBank Center in Broomfield, Colo. After the fight, former two-division UFC champ Conor McGregor stepped in the ring for an unexpected faceoff with Perry. Luke Rockhold is not retired, but he may not be back to bare-knuckle after his BKFC 41 loss to Mike Perry. The former UFC middleweight champion told fans he could “check bare knuckle off the list” after a brutal mouth injury ended his fight with Perry in the main event of Saturday’s pay-per-view card. Rockhold gave Perry his props for teeth-shattering shots to his mouth in their two rounds together. He said a “beard” or “better mouthpiece” might have extended his night. “It’s a shame it had to end that way,” he said. Referee Dan Miragliotta waved off the fight at the 1:15 mark of the second frame after Rockhold looked at him and signaled something was wrong with his mouth; his lower lip appeared to be badly cut. Later, BKFC President David Feldman explained Rockhold wasn’t able to continue because his “teeth got messed up pretty good.”

The World Boxing Council (WBC) has refused to sanction a potential undisputed fight between light heavyweight champions Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. WBC President, Mauricio Sulaiman, revealed that the organization cannot accept a fight involving Bivol due to the WBC's stance on Russian athletes amid Russia's ongoing military conflict with Ukraine. Beterbiev, who holds the WBC, IBF, and WBO titles, is based in Canada, while Bivol is still a Russian national. Bivol and Beterbiev's camps tried to reach an agreement earlier this year, but Bivol's manager, Vadim Kornilov, disclosed that the offer was not good enough. Sulaiman clarified that if Bivol and Beterbiev do reach an agreement for a future fight, the WBC title will not be at stake. Sulaiman also insisted that Beterbiev must fight his mandatory challenger, Callum Smith, before any future fights. While Beterbiev's path is clear, Bivol has several options in front of him. He shocked the boxing world with a dominant twelve-round decision win over Mexican superstar Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez last year, followed by another dominating win over mandatory challenger Gilberto Ramirez. If Canelo wins in May, Bivol may face him in a September rematch. Sulaiman's stance on Russian athletes demonstrates the WBC's commitment to supporting Ukraine during a time of military conflict. While it is an unfortunate situation for Bivol and Beterbiev, the WBC's refusal to sanction their potential fight demonstrates the organization's commitment to political neutrality and to standing in solidarity with those affected by the ongoing conflict.

Shakur Stevenson Sets Sights on Gervonta Davis After Lightweight Debut Win Shakur Stevenson has recently made headlines with his successful lightweight debut and his call out of Gervonta Davis, one of boxing’s hottest rising stars. The 25-year-old Newark native has already won two world titles in different weight classes, and he is now eager to make his mark in the 135-pound division. Stevenson's recent victory came on April 8 against Japanese fighter Shuichiro Yoshino, whom he stopped in the sixth round. Despite his impressive performance, Stevenson is not satisfied with just one win in his new division. Instead, he is already targeting some of the biggest names in the sport. In a recent interview with TMZ, Stevenson commented on Davis’ latest fight, a dominant win against Ryan Garcia. Stevenson did not hold back in his assessment of Garcia's performance, describing him as "preschool" and "not on that top level." In contrast, Stevenson sees himself as a fighter who possesses both the ring IQ and the ring smarts to compete at the highest level. He believes that he has what it takes to beat Davis, and he is willing to make the fight happen. A potential super fight between Stevenson and Davis would require Top Rank and Premier Boxing Champions to work together and stage a co-promotion. While this may seem like a long shot, the prospect of two of boxing's brightest young stars facing off against each other is certainly an enticing one. In terms of his own career, Stevenson has already achieved a great deal, but he is not content to rest on his laurels. He sees the lightweight division as his next big challenge, and he is eager to prove that he belongs among the elite fighters in the sport. Stevenson's call out of Davis is just the latest example of his ambition and determination. While it remains to be seen whether the fight will happen, one thing is clear: Stevenson is a fighter to watch in the coming months and years, and he is sure to make his mark on the sport in a big way.

Joe Joyce, the British heavyweight Olympic silver medalist, is already looking towards his next fight following a loss to Zhilei Zhang earlier this month. Joyce, who had been in a mandatory position with the WBO, lost to Zhang due to a badly injured right eye and is now considering his options for the future. In an interview with Sky Sports at the Sports Industry Awards, Joyce explained that he had met with his promoter, Queensberry, to discuss his next steps. "There will be some news coming out soon [about his next fight]," he said. Joyce has the right to execute an immediate rematch clause against Zhang, but is also considering taking an interim-fight. "There are plenty of options," he said. "It's not the be all and end all [to do the rematch next]." Despite the loss, Joyce remains optimistic about his future prospects. "I was in that great position and I didn't really need to take that fight but it's something I'd like to avenge and get back in the driving seat and move onto bigger and better fights," he said. "I don't regret taking it, it's just part of the story, I lost my 0 but I'll still continue and be in some great nights." Joyce also expressed his respect for Zhang, acknowledging that he was a great opponent. "It was a tough fight," he said. "It was very frustrating but one I'd like to avenge, hopefully we'll do it again." Fans will have to wait to see what Joyce's next move will be, but one thing is certain: the British heavyweight is not going to let one loss define his career.

The war of words between Jake Paul and Nate Diaz has been heating up as they prepare to face each other in the boxing ring. In a recent tweet, Diaz accused Paul of being on steroids and called for an extra four rounds to make it a 12-round fight. Paul, who is known for his social media presence and willingness to engage in verbal battles with his opponents, fired back with a challenge of his own. He reminded Diaz that he had tested positive for steroids in the past and suggested that they make it a 15-round fight. The trash-talking between the two fighters has been building for months, and fans are eagerly anticipating their clash on August 5th at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas. While the fight is currently scheduled for eight rounds, Diaz's call for an extra four rounds indicates that he is confident in his ability to go the distance with Paul. Paul was not mentioned in the Tweet by Diaz, but he certainly saw it since on Friday night, 'The Problem Child' responded. The former UFC championship contenders' latest chaotic weekend in New Orleans gave the Jake Paul vs. Nate Diaz bout the appearance of being placed at risk, but Diaz's representative said the TUF 5 winner was recently given the all-clear to head out immediately following being granted bail. “Bond has been granted and posted with the full permission from the court to resume travel which includes returning to Stockton today. We appreciate how we were treated by the New Orleans Police Department, the court, and their staff.” Both fighters come from very different backgrounds, with Paul making his name as a YouTube personality turned boxer, and Diaz being a veteran of the UFC with a reputation for being a tough and gritty fighter. Despite their differences, they share a love for combat sports and a desire to prove themselves in the ring. For Paul, this fight represents another opportunity to silence his critics and show that he is a legitimate boxer. He has been working hard in training camp and is determined to build another unbeaten streak in the ring since getting dropped by Tommy Fury in his last outing. Diaz, on the other hand, is looking to prove that he is still a top-level fighter and can compete with the best in the world. He last competed against one of the greats in UFC, Tony Ferguson, which was his last fight under the UFC banner. With both fighters talking a big game, the stage is set for an explosive showdown between Jake Paul and Nate Diaz. Whether it's an eight-round or 12-round fight, fans can expect to see two warriors leave it all in the ring on August 5th.

Conor McGregor is known for his fiery personality and his willingness to fight anyone, anywhere, anytime. And it seems that his rival, Max Holloway, is no exception. Recently, McGregor took to social media to express his approval for a potential rematch with Holloway. The Notorious is now getting ready for his comeback versus Michael Chandler at training camp. The two acted as coaches for The Ultimate Fighter's most recent season, however, their duel's weight division and date haven't yet been announced publicly. The season's production was completed early this year, and the series will debut next month. The two fighters first met in August 2013, with McGregor emerging victorious in a unanimous decision. Since then, both fighters have gone on to achieve great success in the UFC, with McGregor becoming a two-division champion and Holloway dominating the featherweight division for several years. The former featherweight champion came in the most recent episode of The MMA Hour to challenge McGregor. “I would love to fight Conor. I was the only guy that took Conor to a decision at 145, and he’s big right now, we’ll see what happens. I know he wants to come back, and that would be a fight that is super interesting, super fun. There’s a lot of questions, a lot of unknowns, we’re just two different fighters from when we fought back then.” “I think a lot of fans would love that fight, a lot of fans been asking for that fight. We’ll see what happens you know, at the end of the day it’s not even a weight thing bro. I’d fight him open weight, whatever the commission will tell us, just show up at the weight bro. You don’t have to worry, I’d just like to test him.” A rematch between the two fighters would undoubtedly be one of the most highly anticipated fights in UFC history, with fans eager to see who would emerge victorious this time around. But what makes this potential rematch even more intriguing is the fact that both fighters have undergone significant changes since their first meeting. With both fighters at the top of their game, a rematch between McGregor and Holloway would be an epic battle, showcasing the best that the UFC has to offer. A prospective fight between the two was endorsed by Conor McGregor only a couple of days following Max Holloway's remarks. On Twitter, the Irishman reacted to the request for candidates and expressed excitement. There is plenty to wait for a rematch because McGregor said he had no intention to leave the sport. But will the rematch happen? Only time will tell. McGregor has been known to make bold claims on social media before, only to backtrack or change his mind later. And with Holloway currently focused on defending his featherweight title, it remains to be seen if the two fighters will be able to agree on when and where to fight. Regardless of whether the rematch happens or not, McGregor's statement has once again reminded us of his unwavering commitment to the sport of mixed martial arts. And for fans of the UFC, that's a reassuring thought - knowing that we'll continue to see McGregor in the octagon for years to come.

Don’t expect ONE Championship to co-promote with any other MMA organizations in the near future. That’s according to ONE CEO Chatri Sityodtong, who responded to a question about the Singapore-based company possibly teaming up with another promotion like what Bellator MMA has done with RIZIN in recent years. Co-promotion has been very rare across MMA and Sityodtong doesn’t really see a need to explore that option for ONE Championship unless the opportunity was there to potentially work with who he considered the other biggest show in town. “Only UFC,” Sityodtong said on The MMA Hour. “Look, again, if you look at the largest players in the combat sports industry, pure facts and figures. Forget about marketing. Pure facts and figures. The Nielsen industry report, if you’re a fan an don’t know anything, go look at the followers that ONE has. We have 70 million social media followers globally, when you include China and stuff. I think the UFC has 100 million plus. “It’s very clear there are two big giants — one in the east and one in the west.” Chatri Sityodtong, the CEO of ONE Championship, referred to a study conducted by Nielsen Sports in 2021, which ranked the biggest sports properties worldwide based on various factors such as organic reach on television, social media influence, and video views across multiple platforms. The study consistently highlighted ONE Championship and UFC as the two major players in combat sports. In terms of television reach, ONE Championship had 406 million viewers globally, while UFC had 259 million. Sityodtong cited this study to support his claim that UFC and Bellator are the only viable competitors to ONE Championship in promoting MMA events globally. He emphasized the importance of relying on hard facts and numbers to assess the market position of various combat sports organizations.