Search Results

Scottish Champion Josh Taylor to Honor Ken Buchanan's Legacy in NYC Title Defense Against Teofimo Lopez Scottish super lightweight champion Josh Taylor is set to defend his WBO 140-pound title against Teofimo Lopez this summer in New York City. The fight holds special significance for Taylor, who aims to follow in the footsteps of his revered forebear, Ken Buchanan. Buchanan, Scotland's first undisputed boxing champion, made the same voyage to the United States in 1972 to take on Roberto Duran, only to suffer a controversial loss after being struck with a low blow in the 13th round. Sadly, Buchanan passed away earlier this month, but Taylor intends to honor his legacy by winning his upcoming fight. "My fight with Teofimo Lopez ends up the same way, except it’s me knocking him out," Taylor confidently declared during an ESPN broadcast of a recent boxing bout. Taylor, who developed his skills with the help of additional training, is one of Scotland's most promising athletes and is already making waves in the world of boxing. He is supremely confident about his upcoming match with Lopez and has predicted a quick victory, forecasting the fight will not go beyond the sixth or eighth round. Boxing enthusiasts from around the world are eagerly awaiting this clash of titans, with Taylor poised to continue the legacy left behind by his late Scottish compatriot. Despite the similarities between the two voyages made by Buchanan and Taylor, the latter has high hopes of a different outcome and is ready to bring his A-game to retain his title.

The UFC has announced a highly anticipated rematch between Raquel Pennington and Irene Aldana. The two bantamweights will square off at UFC Vegas 73 on May 20th, 2023, in what promises to be an electrifying showdown. Pennington and Aldana first fought at Prelim Card of Anjos vs Edwards in July 2019, with Pennington winning by a split decision. Since then, both fighters have continued to build their resumes and rise to the ranks of the bantamweight division. Earlier speculations stated that Aldana and Pennington would face off in San Antonio's March 25 main event. The fight, however, was never staged. Since their 2019 battle, neither fighter has suffered a defeat, but Pennington has had a better recent record with an extra victory. She last suffered a defeat against Holly Holm at UFC 246 in January 2020. A split decision victory against Ketlen Vieira in January gave Raquel Pennington a five-fight winning run. In addition to being on a winning run, Pennington, who is rated second at bantamweight, has victories over Aspen Ladd, Macy Chiasson, Pannie Kianzad, and Mario Reneau. This will mark Pennington's second main event appearance in the UFC; her first being the title fight at UFC 224, which she dropped to Amanda Nunes by TKO. Irene Aldana recently defeated Macy Chiasson by way of knockout at UFC 279 in September. She defeated Yana Kunitskaya via TKO earlier, at UFC 264. This will be the Mexican fighter's second UFC main event, and she is presently rated fifth at bantamweight. She lost a decision against Holly Holm in her maiden major event, which was also her last defeat, in October 2020. Aldana has a 7-4 record in the Las Vegas-based promotion, including victories against Lucie Pudilova, Bethe Correia, and Ketlen Vieira, among others. Aldana had been expected to be Amanda Nunes' next opponent by some spectators and analysts. The company chose to match Nunes up with Julianna Pea in a trilogy fight, though. Whether you're a die-hard UFC fan or a casual observer, this is a fight that you won't want to miss. Be sure to tune in on May 20th to witness two of the best bantamweights in the world go head-to-head in a battle for supremacy.

Demetrious Johnson, one of the most successful fighters in MMA history, has recently revealed that retirement is a possibility after his upcoming trilogy fight with Adriano Moraes. Johnson, who is currently 36 years old, has had an illustrious career in the sport, having won titles in both the UFC and ONE Championship. Johnson's upcoming trilogy fight with Moraes is set to take place on May 5th in Colorado, USA. The two have split their previous two meetings, with Moraes winning the first fight by unanimous decision in April 2021, and Johnson winning the second fight by second-round knockout in August 2021. Johnson's retirement would mark the end of an era in MMA, as he has been one of the most dominant fighters in the sport over the past decade. He began his career in the UFC in 2010 and quickly rose through the ranks to become the flyweight champion. He held the title for nearly six years, making a record 11 title defenses before losing to Henry Cejudo in 2018. After leaving the UFC, Johnson signed with ONE Championship, where he won the flyweight Grand Prix and became the promotion's flyweight champion. He was defeated in the title fight at first before regaining it back from Moraes in their second meeting. Throughout his career, Johnson has been known for his speed, technical ability, and impeccable conditioning. He is widely regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in MMA history, and his retirement would be a major loss for the sport. Demetrious Johnson spoke with TheScore about retiring in a recent interview. The ONE Championship flyweight champion there acknowledged that he had changed his original goals. Johnson said he anticipated continuing to battle for four more years in March 2021. Johnson seems to have altered his perspective, though. He said he had no intention to engage in combat for the next two years in the interview. Johnson has hinted that his trilogy showdown with Moraes may be his final fight. “That’s not f—–g happening,” Johnson said regarding his original retirement plans. “I’ll tell you that: That’s not happening. F–k no… It could be [my last fight], You never know… I talk to my close friends who don’t do mixed martial arts and they’re like, ‘What else are you trying to prove?’ And I’m like, ‘I’m trying to get this money, I’m trying to get this bag.'” He continued, “I think after this fight, I’ll decide what I want to do. I want to compete in IBJJF in my Gi and work toward my black belt. … But I don’t want to fight for two more years. I have no interest. When I hear two more years, I’m like, ‘Ew, that sounds horrible’… I’ve been doing this for 18 years – ever since I was 18 years old. At some point, if you stay at the party for too long, you end up drunk. I don’t want to get drunk.”

On Saturday, May 20, the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas will host a night of champions as part of the ESPN-televised prelims to the PPV main event headlined by undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney’s title defense against former pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko. The two-fight telecast is headlined by the vacant WBO junior bantamweight world title showdown between Australia’s former world champion Andrew Moloney and Japan’s undefeated former WBO flyweight titlist Junto Nakatani. This highly anticipated fight promises to be a thrilling battle between two of the best in the division. Opening the broadcast will be undefeated middleweight prospect Nico Ali Walsh, grandson of Muhammad Ali, in a scheduled eight-rounder against a to-be-determined foe. Ali Walsh’s return to the ring is sure to be a highlight of the night, as fans eagerly anticipate the young fighter’s future in the sport. The Haney vs. Lomachenko main card will stream live on Top Rank on ESPN+ PPV, the event’s exclusive digital distributor in the United States, beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. Additionally, it will be available via cable and satellite pay-per-view providers and is priced at $59.99 across all distributors. The PPV undercard features a 10-round junior lightweight co-feature between two-division world champion Oscar Valdez and Adam “BluNose” Lopez in a rematch of their 2019 battle. This fight promises to be a thrilling rematch between two top fighters in the division. In the PPV opener, rising lightweight Raymond “Danger” Muratalla will take on big-punching Namibian contender Jeremia Nakathila in a 10-round clash. This fight is sure to be a highlight of the night, as both fighters look to make a statement in the lightweight division. Overall, this night of champions promises to be an unforgettable event for boxing fans around the world. With top fighters from around the globe competing in high-stakes bouts, there is sure to be plenty of excitement and drama in the ring. Don’t miss out on this must-see event, airing live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT.

World Boxing Council President Mauricio Sulaiman Stands by Jermall Charlo Amidst Inactivity Backlash Jermall Charlo, the World Boxing Council's middleweight world champion, has been out of the ring for 21 months and counting, raising concerns from some about his title position. However, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman has expressed his unwavering support for Charlo, stating that the organization will continue to recognize him as its middleweight world champion. Sulaiman recently met with Charlo during last month's super middleweight clash between David Benavidez and Caleb Plant in Las Vegas, describing their meeting as "wonderful" and "very nice." Charlo reportedly thanked the WBC for their support amidst his personal issues. Despite backlash regarding his inactivity, Sulaiman suggests that Charlo will remain the WBC's champion. "He is our champion, and he is coming forward," Sulaiman stated. Charlo's last fight was on June 19, 2021, where he scored a unanimous decision victory over Juan Macias Montiel. Since then, he has faced criticism for his lack of activity in the ring. However, Sulaiman's support for Charlo indicates that the WBC values loyalty and recognizes the personal struggles that may affect a fighter's career. It remains to be seen when Charlo will return to the ring, but with the WBC's continued support, he can focus on his personal issues while maintaining his title position. The boxing world will be eagerly awaiting Charlo's next fight, and the WBC's stance on his title position will undoubtedly be a topic of discussion leading up to it.

Heavyweight challenger Joe Joyce is not expected to rise to the level of a "elite" fighter in the weight class, according to Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn. Joyce lost for the first time in his career on Saturday at the Copper Box in London when Zhilei Zhang of China stopped him in six rounds. Joyce was repeatedly hit with left hands throughout the bout, which caused his right eye to close and ultimately resulted to the fight being stopped by the ringside doctor. For his skill in using heavy blows to wear down his opponents, Joyce was well-known. Due to the punishment Joyce has received throughout the years, Hearn could foresee Joyce quitting the sport. Although Joyce has the option of facing Zhang right away, it's unclear if he will actually choose to do so. “The reality is, Joe Joyce has never boxed an elite heavyweight. Zhilei Zhang is not an elite heavyweight. Joe wasn’t good enough to deal with Zhilei Zhang. When you sell your attributes based on 'you can hit me as hard as you like, and I’ll keep coming' – that’s not the recipe for longevity in a career… “He gets hit by absolutely everything, Joe Joyce. I would understand if he retired from boxing. He’s taken unbelievable punishment in sparring, in amateur tournaments and even in the professional code and it was really uncomfortable watching that on Saturday. If you can’t beat Zhilei Zhang, you have absolutely no chance of winning a world heavyweight title, no chance. If Oleksandr Usyk had boxed Joyce on Saturday night it would’ve been one of the greatest mismatches of all time. “If Zhilei Zhang is doing that to him, Usyk would have absolutely peppered him. The reality is Joe Joyce is not an elite heavyweight and you can talk about ‘Oh he’d steamroll Anthony Joshua’, do you know the speed of AJ compare to Zhang? AJ would ping him absolutely everywhere. Joe has got a massive decision now, because if he doesn’t rematch Zhang, he should retire.”

Evidently, Gervonta Davis isn't too happy on having his biggest fanbase present at the fight between him and Ryan Garcia. The ferocious southpaw from Baltimore suggested in a recent interview that he would prefer that his mother and other family members stay home on April 22 when he competes against Garcia of Victorville, California in a 136-pound match at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Showtime Pay-Per-View. Kenya Brown, Davis' mother, is frequently spotted roaring wildly at her son's fights and is a recognised figure. But in a recent interview, Davis made the suggestion that, given the anticipated "war" with Garcia, his mother might be better off staying at home. Davis has occasionally dismissed Garcia as an overblown social media product who is unfit to go off against him, but he has also made it apparent at other times that he sees Garcia as a formidable foe. “No. I don’t think so,” Davis said of bringing his family to the Garcia fight in an interview with Complex. “No, I won’t bring them there. It may be[come a war]. It may get there. It’s more so the kids and the woman at home [that won’t come to the fight]. “Even my mom has got to stay home. My mom, she’s, like, tough, but, nah. …Nah, it can get ugly—on both sides. This is a 50-50 fight. So, I got to lock all the way in.” The fight between Davis, 28, and Garcia, 24, two of the brightest names in their sport, was finally finalized following protracted discussions between their respective organizations. Garcia is promoted by Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy, while Davis is supported by Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions. The majority of bookies view Davis as the odds-favorite. In his most recent fight, Davis defeated Hector Luis Garcia in the ninth round at the Capitol One Arena in Washington, D.C. Garcia hasn't competed since he defeated Javier Fortuna in six rounds in July of last year.

Former UFC middleweight champion Robert Whittaker has expressed his lack of interest in a third booking with Paulo Costa for his next fight. The two were scheduled to face each other at UFC 284 in February 2023, but the fight was scrapped due to contract negotiation issues between Costa and the UFC. Costa had previously failed to show up for a match against Whittaker. The fight was scheduled in April 2021, however, Costa pulled out because of sickness, and Kelvin Gastelum took his place. Whittaker fails to regard Costa as being a trustworthy rival considering their past encounters. Whittaker, who is currently ranked #2 in the middleweight division, has been on an impressive run for a long time since 2014 only failing to capitalize against his bitter rival Israel Adesanya two times. In a recent interview, Whittaker made it clear that he's not interested in rebooking the fight with Costa, who is ranked #5 in the middleweight division. “I’m not fighting him because, mate, this is the second time I was supposed to fight him, and he’s pulled out, and it just mucks everything up,” Whittaker said on “The MMA Hour.” “I have to do a whole camp, and I make expenses and costs and everything like that to get to a point where he falls away. This is the second time he’s done it. I want a fight that’s going to happen. I want a sure thing.” Khamzat Chimaev, whose middleweight shift has been hinted at on multiple occasions following his horrific scale miss at welterweight, is another athlete who has remained in the thoughts of numerous spectators. Whittaker, meanwhile, is also not a fan of the Chechen born Swede native. “Chimaev, he’s not in the division rankings,” Whittaker said. “I’m not a huge fan of guys just sliding in fighting wherever they want. It’s a different place. Like, the rankings are there for a reason, right? I like fighting top-five guys. That’s just where I’m at. I like fighting top about five guys because they’re the guys that they’re the best of the best, and they’ve earned, worked their way through the division to get there. It is so much harder to work your way through a division than to just slide in at the top.” The public who discovers irregularities in the chances that are granted to specific individuals has often called into doubt if not openly ignored the fairness of the structure recognized as the UFC's rankings. Whittaker is aware that although having a number next to his name, it's uncertain he will face Adesanya a third time. But he won't stop striving despite it.

Former UFC featherweight title challenger Chad Mendes has announced that his upcoming fight against former UFC and Bellator lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez could be his last in combat sports. The co-main event of BKFC 41, which takes place on April 29 at Denver's 1STBANK Centre, features Mendes taking on fellow UFC veteran Eddie Alvarez. However, Mendes has made it clear that he has "zero interest" in pursuing a Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championship title after this bout. Mendes last competed in MMA in 2018 when he lost to Alexander Volkanovski at UFC 232. He then signed with BKFC and made his debut in 2021. He has been inactive since then and hasn't fought in either MMA or BKFC. The 37-year-old defeated Joshuah Alvarez impressively in his BKFC first appearance, but if his next bout doesn't bring him a sizable payday, he could hang up his gloves. “I don’t know. This honestly might be the last fight,” Mendes said in an interview with War Sports. “We’ll just kind of see how this one goes. But I mean, the plan in my mind is probably to hang them up after this. We’ve just gotta see how this fight goes, and we’ll go from there. I keep saying that, but money talks. I already told the wife this is likely to be the last one.” He continued, “If we go out there and get a quick knockout, I might toy with one more.” On the other hand, Eddie Alvarez is coming off a unanimous decision loss against Ok Rae Yoon at ONE on TNT 4 in April 2021. The 37-year-old has expressed interest in competing in BKFC and then signed in March 2023 with the promotion for a potential debut. Mendes could potentially set himself up for a championship battle with double champion Luis Palomino with a victory over Alvarez. Mendes, though, clarified that wasn't what he was wanting. Mendes and Alvarez are both known for their aggressive fighting styles and excellent grappling skills, making this an exciting matchup for fans of both MMA and BKFC. It remains to be seen if Mendes will indeed retire after this fight. Regardless of the outcome, the former UFC featherweight title challenger has left a lasting impact on the sport and will be remembered as one of the most exciting fighters of his generation.

Former UFC middleweight Sam Alvey recently disclosed that the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) refused to pay him what he needed to go through a fight camp, instead directing him to an alternate Russian promotion. Alvey spoke ahead of his scheduled match at the B2 Fighting Series: 183 on May 27 about his conversations with BKFC to fight in their organization and their refusal to pay him what he required. He stated, "Everyone talks about bare-knuckle boxing... I said, "Hell yeah, I love boxing. I love all that. Let's freaking do it." And then they say, "Well, we're not going to pay you. We're not going to pay you much." I asked, "What will you pay me? “I need to do a camp, I need to support my family... [BKFC said] We can't pay you, but Russia, they do bare-knuckle boxing and they're looking for boxers right now." He spent about eight years in the world's leading MMA promotion, making his promotional debut in August 2014 and was released in August of last year. Sam Alvey rose to prominence after breaking the UFC's record for the longest winless streak with eight losses and one draw. On May 27, Alvey will square off against Cameron Graham. Graham has a five-win, twelve-loss record.

Ryan Garcia claims he'll stake his entire purse on his fight against favorite Gervonta 'Tank' Davis this Saturday, April 22nd, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Although Ryan stated that he is ready to have contracts set up to gamble his money, there is no way that he and Gervonta (28-0, 26 KOs) will be willing to wager on the outcome of their twelve-round Showtime PPV main event. With the amount of strength, these two have, the fight might be decided by who lands the first clean headshot. Tank is known for knocking out opponents with single shots, but so is Ryan. Given how much money these two will make, they will not want to risk it on a gamble. Here is the full conversation: Ryan Garcia: Look at all you guys. I’m all by myself. I just did the work. You guys are playing games. I put the work in already today,” said Ryan on Instagram live. “You ain’t even ready for me. You can’t even talk. You on pause right now. Shut up. I’m going to work you. What do you want to bet” Gervonta Davis: “The whole thing.” Ryan: “Yeah, I’m down.” Gervonta: “The whole purse.” Ryan: “The whole purse.” Gervonta: “That’s a bet.”

Now that he has overcome Joe Joyce, Zhang Zhilei would appreciate the chance to shock another heavyweight who is undefeated and is promoted by Frank Warren's business. A fight against WBC champion Tyson Fury, who is anticipated to return to the ring this summer, would be welcomed by the newly crowned WBO interim champion. Before China's Zhilei halted Fury in the sixth round at Copper Box Arena in London on Saturday night due to serious swelling around his right eye, Warren and Bob Arum, his co-promoter, had discussed Joyce as a potential opponent for Fury. “Let’s do that,” Zhilei said through a translator when asked about facing Fury during a post-fight interview with IFL TV. “If my team says that, let’s do that. I can go either way.” The 6-foot-6, 278-pound Zhilei predicted he would knock out Fury if given the opportunity. “Tyson Fury doesn’t have that chin,” Zhilei said. “He will go down.” Fury (33-0-1, 24 KOs) isn't the only opponent Zhilei (25-1-1, 20 KOs) gets to choose from, but he might have a commitment to fulfil under a contract. He had a rematch clause in his contract for the fight with Londoner Joyce (15-1, 14 KOs), whose team risked Joyce's status as one of Oleksandr Usyk's obligatory challengers by selecting the 13th-ranked Zhilei for an optional defence of his WBO title. According to the terms of their contracts, the rematch does not have to happen immediately away, but in the end, Joyce will decide whether he wants to face Zhilei straight away. Joyce would run the danger of Zhilei losing and never getting the rematch he is entitled to if he were to fight Fury or someone else. By defeating Joyce, Zhilei, the Olympic silver medallist from 2008, took Joyce's place as the WBO's required challenger for Usyk's WBO belt. According to the rotational system established by the IBF, WBA, WBC, and WBO, Ukraine's Usyk (20-0, 13 KOs) would be required first to make a mandatory defence of his WBA title against London's Daniel Dubois. If Usyk were to defeat Dubois (19-1, 18 KOs), who has the secondary WBA title, he would next have to face Filip Hrgovic (15-0, 12 KOs), the obligatory challenger for the IBF, before Zhilei's time as the WBO's mandatory challenger. Zhilei, who turns 40 on May 2, understands that defeating the 6-foot-6, 256-pound Joyce totally transformed his life. “This is the beginning,” Zhilei said. “I’m going for the title.”