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UFC fighter Justin Gaethje has voiced his displeasure with the idea of Conor McGregor getting a title shot off a win against Michael Chandler. In an interview with ESPN's Brett Okamoto, Gaethje stated that he would "probably" quit if McGregor were to jump ahead of him in the rankings for a title shot. Gaethje, who is currently ranked #3 in the UFC lightweight division, has been angling for another shot for the division gold strap. Recently, Justin Gaethje had a fantastic performance at UFC 286. In the co-main event, "The Highlight" faced off against emerging fighter Rafael Fiziev. During the action-packed back-and-forth battle, Gaethje ultimately raised his hand to win. Gaethje won the fight with scores of 29–28, 29–28, and 28–28 from the three judges. In an interview with ESPN, Gaethje discussed the Irish superstar and indicated if the UFC offered Conor a title match, he could consider leaving the organization. "Would I quit if Conor won and they gave him a title shot? Probably. That's how hurt I would be by the actions of the company that I represent. But that's out of my control, so you know, I just really hope that it doesn't happen. We can imagine a lot of things but there's a possibility that that's the scenario, which I would be devastated, for sure," Gaethje's comments come in the wake of rumors that McGregor could be in line for a title shot if he can defeat Chandler in his upcoming fight after the end of TUF 31. McGregor has been inactive in the octagon for over a year after snapping his leg in a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier but remains one of the biggest draws in the UFC due to his star power and previous accomplishments. While Gaethje's threat to retire may seem extreme, it highlights the frustration that many fighters feel about the UFC's matchmaking and how certain fighters are given preferential treatment over others. Gaethje has consistently been one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC, with his aggressive style and knockout power winning over fans and fellow fighters alike. It remains to be seen whether McGregor will indeed get a title shot if he defeats Chandler, or if Gaethje will follow through on his threat to retire. Regardless, the controversy surrounding the UFC's matchmaking and the treatment of its fighters is likely to continue, as fans and fighters alike demand more transparency and fairness from the organization.

Former UFC and WEC featherweight champion Jose Aldo is nowadays concentrated on his forthcoming battle versus Jeremy Stephens at the Gamebred Boxing 4 event in Milwaukee, amid his desire in a potential boxing bout with iconic boxer Floyd Mayweather sometime this year. Aldo disclosed that he currently got Ali Abdelaziz as his manager in the boxing business and continues to be in discussions for a potential Mayweather fight in Saudi Arabia on MMA Fighting's Trocaço Franca. He, nevertheless, avoids looking beyond their current conflict and keeps his complete attention on Stephens. “I’m only training here,” Aldo said. “I forget all that [with Mayweather] for a bit because my next step is the Jeremy match, so I can’t think of anything else. After my performance on Saturday, not only the Mayweather one, we’ll get new offers for us [to box].” Artem Lobov and Jose Aldo were supposed to fight at Gamebred Boxing 4, however, the match was scrapped. Despite Acelino Freitas' frequent challenges over the recent years, Aldo seems to have no intention of challenging him to a bout. Notwithstanding Freitas' latest exhibition bouts in Brazil versus Whindersson Nunes & José Landi-Jons, Aldo insisted that he is concentrating on what is right rather than what can occur. Aldo asserted that perhaps the prize money for his upcoming fight with Jeremy Stephens is way greater compared to what certain fighters earn in other promotions. He also said that he will not make comparisons with the money he could earn by competing in Brazil, in which the pay-per-view event and arena attendance are very different from those in the US. Aldo is currently just thinking about his next showdown against Stephens and isn't intending to take on any additional opponents. José Aldo faced Emmanuel Zambrano in his boxing introduction this past February in Rio de Janeiro and prevailed through decision after six rounds. Aldo was conscious of the stress of performing because his battle with Jeremy Stephens was already timetabled for April, although he didn't get compensated well for the contest. Although the fight wasn't originally meant to be beneficial, Aldo felt the pressure of the Stephens battle and the ambitions of his supporters and detractors. “I had to put on a good performance and have a great debut to convince everybody,” Aldo said. “I had a little fear of [the fight] not going the way I expected and frustrating the next step we had in mind, knowing we already had the next [match] booked — and [Stephens] is way tougher than the debut [opponent].” Jeremy Stephens and Jose Aldo have previously been involved in mixed martial arts action, having Aldo prevailing via first-round stoppage in the octagon in 2018. Aldo won four of his last eight UFC fights after the match, which included a contest against Petr Yan for the vacant bantamweight gold. Aldo formally ended his MMA career in 2022 to focus on his boxing career. “It’s a new story,” Aldo said of fighting Stephens a second time. “We’re facing off now and it has nothing to do with what we did for years in the UFC or any other promotion he’s fighting in right now. I think he’s not thinking of what happened before. We’re going to box, it’s completely different now.”

Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury, two heavyweights, watched the Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury match last month in Saudi Arabia from the stands. The two adversaries eventually gathered and seemed to make small talk with one another during the occasion. In their three-part series, Wilder had repeatedly called Fury a "cheater." Following their second match in 2020, Wilder alleged, among other things, that Fury filled his gloves. Fury has strongly denied Wilder's claims. Despite what might have seemed to be a cordial meeting, Wilder makes it obvious that he still feels unfavorably towards Fury and still thinks the British fighter is a "cheater." "I know a lot of people seen me with Fury. There's a place and a time for all things. Of course... I can't stand that motherf------, they know what's up. He's a cheater, I know a lot of things," Wilder told ES News. "A lot of top people know a lot of things, so they can't be fooled bro. This is a peaceful ground. It's like 'I don't like you, but I can come and let you know I see you see. We can co-exist with each other, you stay over there and I'll stay over here, that's it.' In their 2018 clash, they battled to a contentious twelve-round split draw. In the seventh round of the rematch, Fury would knock out Wilder. In the greatest fight of the trilogy, which took place in 2021, both fighters were knocked down before Fury defeated Wilder in the final round. The final eliminator between Wilder and Andy Ruiz was mandated by the World Boxing Council. The WBC world championship of Tyson Fury would be up for grabs for the victor. There is currently no information on whether Wilder will continue working on a fight with with Ruiz or take a different path.

Aldo, who recently retired from MMA to pursue his passion for boxing, is set to make his second professional boxing appearance this Saturday against former UFC rival Jeremy Stephens. But this is just the beginning of Aldo's transition to the sport of boxing. The former UFC and WEC featherweight champion has announced that he is in negotiations with none other than the legendary Floyd Mayweather for a boxing match that could take place in Saudi Arabia in the near future. According to sources close to the fighter, he has been training extensively with a renowned boxing coach and has his sights set on making a name for himself in the boxing world. The Brazilian boxer is focused on his upcoming fight this weekend, but the thought of fighting against one of the greatest boxers of all time has got his heart racing. When asked about the potential fight with Mayweather, Aldo couldn't contain his excitement and replied in a charged tone, "Yeah, we’ve been negotiating that fight for a good while. Floyd already knows about the fight. I first need to think about my fight this Saturday, and then I can see what’s going to happen. But yeah, we’ve been in negotiations for a long time, and that fight could go down in Saudi Arabia." Related Shakur Stevenson believes Ryan Garcia lacks the IQ to beat Tank Lyndon Arthur Continues His Winning Streak and Eyes World Title Shot Israel Adesanya: “UFC 287 is my last shot” Justin Gaethje wants Dustin Poirier rematch as his next fight Since making his MMA debut in 2004, Aldo has established himself as one of the greatest featherweight fighters of all time. With a record of 31 wins and just 8 losses, he has been a dominant force in the octagon for nearly two decades. But now, at the age of 35, Aldo is taking a new direction. Jose Aldo's move to boxing is a bold and exciting new direction for the former MMA champion. Whether he will achieve the same level of success in boxing remains to be seen, but there's no doubt that he has the talent and drive to make it happen.

Fans have already started counting down the days by grabbing their diaries. Ryan Garcia and Gervonta "Tank" Davis will square off on April 22nd at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, with a catchweight of 136 pounds. Both fighters will be putting their perfect records on the line. Davis started out as the clear favourite when their tantalising match was made official. The Baltimore resident is expected to handle business, according to Shakur Stevenson. “Tank,” said Stevenson to 210 Boxing TV when asked to give a prediction. “I think Tank is on a different level.” Most of the time, Davis' destructive knockout ability has proven to be far too much for his opponents. A shot at Davis earlier this year went to Hector Luis Garcia, who was cocky in his assurance and stern in the conviction in his chin. The former Olympian sauntered into their matchup with confidence after an impressive 2022. However, only a few rounds later, the 31-year-old was stopped in the ninth round, sharing Davis' fate with the bulk of his rivals. Ryan Garcia isn't giving up despite everything. The California product has repeatedly demonstrated that, despite the 24-year-old packing a powerful punch of his own, he'll make things appear relatively simple against his opponent. Stevenson, however, isn't precisely a believer. Garcia appears to be the total deal in terms of his physical attributes. His quickness? A blur. His strength? Concussive. But according to Stevenson, none of the aforementioned characteristics will ultimately be decisive. Instead, Garcia's failure will eventually be caused by what is, or is not, going on in his head. “Ryan don’t have the IQ, the defense. I just think Tank's IQ is better than Ryan’s for sure. You gotta make him earn everything. Ryan, it don’t look like he’s the type of fighter that’s gonna make him earn anything. It’s all gonna be given to him. Once he gets that shot, it’s over with.”

In preparation for a title defense, Justin Gaethje claims to have the ability to take out champion Islam Makhachev. However, he understands that he must earn the match, so he is prepared to defeat Dustin Poirier to do so. Gaethje, 34, who is currently ranked third among lightweights in the UFC, appeared with Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV program. He discussed a variety of topics, including who he wants to face next, how he would fare against the champion, how long he sees himself competing, and Conor McGregor's recent use of the term "handicap" to describe him on Twitter. Regarding who Gaethje wishes to face after a convincing victory over rival Rafael Fiziev at UFC 286 in March: "I think that's the obvious choice, Dustin. He's sitting at number 2 right now, I gave the new guys a chance and I proved that I am elite, and I need to fight elite fighters to fight for a belt. I think Dustin's the obvious choice. I think the loser of Dariush and Oliveira is also an option, but outside of those two, I do not see an option." Gaethje also spoke about the fact that how a fight between him and Islam would look like in the future. "I think [Islam is] a hard fight for anybody. Just create damage. I'd have to fight the perfect fight," Gaethje told us, adding he recognizes he wouldn't be on the Dagestani fighter's level when it comes to "submission grappling," but Justin believes with his power, he can shut anyone's lights out. "I think I can knock him out. I think I can knock anybody out with the power that I possess." He also added that the biggest difference between Khabib and Islam is that Islam has been finished once in his UFC career. "I think they're very similar. I think the biggest difference is Islam has been finished. He's lost a fight. He's been finished. So that aura of invincibility is there, but it's not based on 100% facts like Khabib has, I think that's the biggest factor, the biggest difference."

Lyndon Arthur kept his world title hopes alive with a convincing victory over Boris Crighton on Saturday night. The Manchester-based fighter dominated his opponent throughout the 10-round contest and showed his punching power by flooring Crighton in the final round. Originally scheduled to face Braian Suarez for the vacant IBO light heavyweight world title, Arthur had to adapt to a late change of opponent after Suarez failed a medical. Despite this setback, Arthur remained focused and determined to put on a good performance. Crighton, a former sparring partner from Scotland, proved to be a spirited opponent and made life difficult for Arthur at times. However, the Manchester fighter stayed composed and used his superior skills and experience to control the fight. Arthur's victory means he is now the mandatory challenger for the vacant IBO light heavyweight world title and is scheduled to fight for the belt in May. The identity of his opponent has yet to be confirmed, but Arthur is confident he can become a world champion. Speaking after the fight, Arthur said: "Crighton literally came in at the last minute and I was supposed to be fighting someone completely different, with a completely different style, for the title. It was scrappy at times but, in the end, it was a good 10 rounds for me and we keep moving." Wasserman Head of Global Boxing, Kalle Sauerland, also confirmed the news, stating: "We have had it confirmed by the IBO that Lyndon is now mandatory challenger for the vacant belt and we will find out his opponent in the next few weeks, but there will be a world title for Lyndon Arthur in May." Arthur's record now stands at an impressive 22-1, and with his sights set on world title glory, he will no doubt be pushing himself even harder in the coming weeks to ensure he is fully prepared for the biggest fight of his career.

Israel Adesanya isn't leaving anything to chance ahead of his rematch with Alex Pereira at UFC 287 next weekend. In all of their combat sports clashes, there has been one recurring pattern between Adesanya and Pereira, and sadly for "The Last Stylebender," that there has been Pereira winning. Before their recent confrontation in mixed martial arts (MMA) this past November 2022, the two fought thrice in kickboxing. Adesanya had a good lead through the first four and a half rounds of their UFC 281 fight before succumbing to a wild comeback effort from "Poatan" by technical knockout. UFC 287 marks the culmination of the Pereira vs. Adesanya rivalry, and Adesanya believes it is his last chance to reclaim the Middleweight title. “I’m hunting, and I mean that in every sense of the word,” Adesanya said on his YouTube channel. “The mindset is different, definitely. Even [coach] Eugene [Bareman] and I are on the same page. The mindset is definitely different. “I like it because it puts it all on me, and it’s kind of poetic in a way,” he concluded. “One life: Roll the dice. This is my last shot, and I’m going to give it all I’ve got in every sense of the word.” Adesanya's loss against Pereira in November 2022 was only the second of his remarkable 25-fight career (his first at Middleweight). Pereira stormed his way to the top of the division in no time, winning his first three UFC fights in less than a year to earn his title chance.

Ilia Topuria has been handed the biggest opportunity so far in his UFC career According to a report from KOImenero, Georgia's Topuria (13-0) is scheduled to headline his first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event on June 17, 2023, against recent interim Featherweight championship challenger Josh Emmett (18-3). The venue for the UFC Fight Night event has not yet been chosen. When Topuria faced Bryce Mitchell on the main event of UFC 282 this past December 2022, he shone brightest on his biggest stage. "El Matador" defeated "Thug Nasty" all over the place in just two rounds, eventually choking him with an arm-triangle hold. After the match, Topuria demanded a match with two-time championship challenger Brian Ortega, but "T-City" isn't fully healthy, which may be the reason for his new opponent. Emmett will attempt to recover from his first title defeat, which occurred in February 2023. In his match for the interim championship at UFC 284 in Perth, Australia, Emmett battled Yair Rodriguez. Emmett, a 145-pound knockout artist, was unsuccessful thanks to a second-round triangle choke submission.

Moses Itauma Added to Joe Joyce-Zhilei Zhang Card at Copper Box Arena Highly-touted heavyweight prospect Moses Itauma has been confirmed to fight at the Copper Box Arena on April 15, as part of the undercard for Joe Joyce's showdown with Zhilei Zhang. The 18-year-old Itauma, who boasts a record of 2-0 as a professional, recently defeated Ramon Ibarra to earn his second win. The young fighter, who won both World and European youth gold medals, will step up to six-round action in London. Itauma's inclusion on the card adds to an already stacked event, which features Joyce's defense of his WBO Interim-world heavyweight title against the towering Chinese fighter Zhang. The winner of that bout will get a mandatory shot at the unified world champion, Oleksandr Usyk. Also on the card is former unified super-featherweight belt-holder Mikaela Mayer, who will be making her lightweight debut against former two-time super-lightweight world champion Christina ‘Medusa’ Linardatou. Denzel Bentley is set to defend his British middleweight title against Scottish challenger Kieran Smith, while Sam Noakes will put his WBC International Silver and Commonwealth lightweight titles on the line. In addition, Eithan James, a super lightweight from Northampton, will feature over eight rounds, while Sonny Liston Ali will fight in a six-round super lightweight bout and Dagenham super welterweight Joel Kodua will fight over four rounds. Itauma's addition to the card adds further excitement to the already highly-anticipated event, with many fans keen to see how the young heavyweight prospect performs on the big stage. With a strong undercard featuring some of the sport's biggest names, the Copper Box Arena is set to be the site of an explosive night of boxing.

Lawrence Okolie, the WBO cruiserweight champion, successfully defended his title against David Light in a unanimous decision victory on Saturday night at the AO Arena in Manchester. Okolie, who was out of the ring for over a year, showcased his dominant performance by winning with scorecards of 119-108, 117-110, and 116-112. The fight was the first with his new trainer SugarHill Steward, who helped Okolie control the range with a pawing jab that prevented Light from landing any significant shots. Although the fight was not easy on the eyes due to a lot of holding and wrestling, Okolie showed his dominance by losing just one point in the eleventh for excessive holding. Light showed his toughness by taking several big shots in the later rounds and surviving the storm when Okolie had him in trouble. Despite Okolie's dominance, he was impressed with Light's performance. After the fight, Okolie said, "David Light was extremely tough, but there’s no excuses, and we use it to get better." Okolie is open to fighting anyone who thinks they can beat him, including potential unification bouts and domestic showdowns with Richard Riakporhe and Chris Billam-Smith, who are both fighting under the Boxxer banner on Sky Sports. Okolie's return to the ring was also his first bout with his new promoter, Boxxer, who provides the bulk of boxing content for Sky, the prominent UK broadcaster. With this victory, Okolie has proven that his decision to switch from Matchroom to Boxxer was a wise one. Overall, Okolie's victory against Light was an impressive performance, showcasing his dominant skills as a fighter. The win puts Okolie in a great position for his future fights, and we can expect to see him in several exciting matchups in the future.

According to Henry Cejudo, a rising challenger is poised to put the bantamweight class on notice. Cejudo will compete for the UFC bantamweight title against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 288 in May. He returns to the ring after a three-year absence after proclaiming his retirement following a victory at UFC 249. Cejudo hopes to reclaim the bantamweight title and debunk the idea of "ring rust." When he returns to the division he once ruled, it has become more stacked and talented. Cejudo is unsure how long he will fight, but he has his sights set on a surging Dagestani. Cejudo labeled Umar Nurmagomedov as the division's dark horse in a recent broadcast on his YouTube channel. “Umar is the most dangerous guy,” Cejudo said. “At 135 pounds, out of all these cats that I see, Umar Nurmagomedov is the toughest challenge for any of them, including myself. "He can wrestle, he can strike, he can box, he’s well-rounded. He’s seen his brother and his cousin win world titles and he wants to be next.” Umar, Khabib Nurmagomedov's cousin, is undefeated in professional MMA. He's progressed through the bantamweight ranks with recent victories over Nate Maness and Raoni Barcelos. Nurmagomedov is reportedly awaiting his next UFC assignment after a fight against Merab Dvalishvili slid through the cracks.