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Demetrious Johnson will try to end his feud with Adriano Moraes by raising his hand in their trilogy bout at ONE Fight Night 10 on Amazon Video. By joining ONE Championship, Johnson has added a new chapter to his already famous career, which has been defined by two memorable fights with Moraes. No opponent has ever defeated 'Mighty Mouse' twice. Moraes is hoping to add the biggest win of his career on May 5 at the 1stBank Center in Colorado, after being the first man to knock him out. While Johnson's place as one of the greatest of all time is secure, the question remains: how long can he continue to compete at the highest level of the sport? Johnson recently spoke with FOX 13 Seattle on the longevity of his career and what he attributes it to: “I credit it to great training, the coaches, great lifestyle. The family’s support back at home with my wife and the kids and my mother-in-law and father-in-law. I’ve just been blessed with a healthy body and just been smart. I keep telling everybody, this might be the horse’s last ride, we shall see.” The trilogy bout between the two flyweight greats will close out the stacked ONE Fight Night 10 card. The entire event will be broadcast live and for free to all Prime Video subscribers in North America.

John Fury, father of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, has hit back at recent statements made by Deontay Wilder regarding his son. Wilder has continued to make allegations that Tyson Fury cheated in their 2020 rematch, claiming that Fury loaded his gloves with "egg weights." However, these allegations have been vehemently denied by the Fury camp. During a recent interview with ES News, Wilder made it clear that he still harbors negative feelings towards Tyson Fury, calling him a "cheater." Despite appearing to exchange pleasantries with Fury during the Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury showdown in Saudi Arabia, Wilder made it clear that he has no respect for the British boxer. John Fury, who is known for his outspoken nature, did not hold back when responding to Wilder's comments. He called Wilder a "horrible, decrepit man" and stated that he does not like him at all. Fury went on to say that Wilder is a sore loser and will never earn his respect. Fury also criticized Wilder's behavior following his loss to Tyson Fury in the trilogy fight last year. While Jake Paul handled his defeat well and went back to the drawing board, Wilder continued to howl and scream abuse, according to Fury. He questioned how someone can accuse another of cheating when they have been knocked out. Fury further added that if he was a young man like his son, he would have hit Wilder both hands straight in the mouth. He stated that Tyson Fury is a great boxer but does not have his fire, and if someone insults him, he will hit them straight in the mouth. It is clear that tensions are still running high between the two camps, despite their apparent meeting at the Jake Paul vs. Tommy Fury fight. Whether or not there will be a fourth fight between the two heavyweights remains to be seen, but it is clear that John Fury will not be backing down from defending his son's honor any time soon.

Although they aren't in a fight, Jorge Masvidal and Kevin Holland came close to starting UFC 287 a few days early in Miami. The welterweights were separated by security at the host hotel on Wednesday, though it appears there was no physical altercation, only a verbal one. A short video of the fighters shouting at each other leaked on social media, with UFC security holding them apart. “Let me just say it,” Holland said on Instagram after the video surfaced. “Before that video’s gonna come out, they’re probably gonna do an opponent change again.” There's no indication on what sparked the incident, but sources told that the fight was "nothing significant" and that neither fighter threw a punch. According to sources, UFC security was already aware of a developing feud between Holland and Masvidal and took precautions to ensure they didn't go too close to one other before their fights on Saturday.

Two-time Olympic gold medallist Kayla Harrison has expressed her frustration with not being included in the 2023 Professional Fighters League season. When Larissa Pacheco crushed lightweight season champion Harrison (15-1) last November in the title fight of the 2022 PFL Championships, she couldn't manage to secure the title for her third consecutive season. The two-time Olympic gold medallist had already made up her mind not to participate in an additional tournament which necessitated her to compete four times over approximately seven months after she fought in a third season for the PFL. Harrison was excited to participate in individual fights, particularly after the PFL unveiled intentions to add pay-per-view shows beginning in 2023. Harrison, who won the PFL women's lightweight championship in both 2019 and 2021, was hoping to avenge her loss in the upcoming season. However, the PFL announced their roster for the upcoming season, and Harrison's name was not on the list. “I wanted to be in the season,” Harrison said on The MMA Hour. “Of course, I wanted to be in the season. The second the tournament was over, the second I lost, I wrote down my goals. I was like: ‘145-pound champ. Going to be in the season. Avenge my loss.’ I had all my key areas of focus, and that’s not in the cards for me. That’s not what they want to do. They want me to fight on the pay-per-view. “I don’t know. I think I get paid a lot of money. I think that they feel like (the regular season and playoffs are) not the best way to utilize me. I think they want to put me on a pay-per-view card against a big name.” Harrison acknowledges that she dislikes being a spectator and feels that she lacks the excitement of the season. “I’ve been a little bit depressed about it,” Harrison said. “It’s hard to watch something you helped build. No matter how awakened and peaceful I am, the world is still moving forward and I’m sitting right here. Sometimes that’s hard. I want to fight, I don’t just want to talk about fighting. I want to fight, so it’s frustrating.” There wouldn't have been much of an audience left if Harrison hadn't fallen to Pacheco a third time. But Pacheco's triumph provided the ideal plot for an anticipated fourth match and an effortless publicity chance for the PFL's upcoming pay-per-view. Sadly, the proposal fell apart since Pacheco declared she wasn't expecting another fight with Harrison to happen this year because of her devotion to four fights if she once again makes it to the finals. Pacheco entered the 2023 PFL season at featherweight. Harrison is presently hoping for yet another chance because this has placed her in a position of uncertainty with little clarity concerning what lies ahead.

In his last eight fights, going back to 2018, Vasiliy Lomachenko has competed as a 135-pound fighter. Having won three different iterations of the lightweight championship before losing them to Teofimo Lopez Jr. in 2020, the Ukrainian has achieved great success in the category. In fights against opponents at the lightweight limit, Lomachenko has typically been the smaller fighter despite having also won world championships at 126 and 130 pounds. When Lomachenko, 35, squares off against undefeated champion Devin Haney, 29-0, 15 KOs, on May 20 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on ESPN+ pay-per-view, he will once more be the smaller boxer. On the tale of the tape, Lomachenko is one inch taller than Haney at 5 feet 8 inches, but when the two finally face off, a rehydrated Haney will appear much larger. Haney has hinted at moving up to 140 pounds because it's getting harder for him to maintain 135 pounds. When asked if he, too, would think about stepping up to 140 pounds for a chance to exact revenge for his loss to Lopez, Lomachenko (57 KG, 60 KG), a two-time Olympic gold medalist, quickly put the breaks on the idea. “One hundred thirty-five, everybody knows, it’s not my weight class. And I can't do 140. After that, you ask me about Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, so sorry,” Lomachenko said in an interview with BoxingScene.com and other reporters. In what appears to be a fantasy fight for now, Lomachenko was also asked if he would go back down to 126 pounds to possibly fight Top Rank stablemate Naoya Inoue, the former 118-pound undisputed champion who has yet to make his 122-pound debut. “Maybe [I would fight Inoue]. I forgot how to make weight,” said Lomachenko. “I need to try to make 126. But of course, it's always interesting fighting top fighters near our weight classes … I've seen his fights. He has power. He's a top fighter.”

Former UFC lightweight champion Eddie Alvarez has called for a fight with Nate Diaz in the Bare-Knuckle Fighting Championship to settle an old score. Alvarez, who is known for his aggressive fighting style, has long been regarded as one of the toughest fighters in the game. Diaz, on the other hand, is a fan favorite who has built a reputation as a warrior who is never afraid to go toe-to-toe with anyone. A while back Eddie Alvarez inked a contract with BKFC, meaning that he will clash with Chad Mendes in his first fight. On April 29, the two are scheduled to face off at BKFC 41. In a press conference before his BKFC 41 match versus Mendes, the former lightweight champion of the UFC and Bellator was questioned about who he would want to face. He added that they argued in earlier years that almost resulted in a physical confrontation and instantly referenced Nate Diaz. "I confronted him in Mexico City about grilling me and doing some weird little kid bullsh*t and we got into then UFC broke it all up. We never got to hash that out, and I beat up his teammate so I thought after I beat [Gilbert] Melendez that maybe that would warrant a fight against him, but still, he never fought me. So, I think this is the right stage the right opportunity to get this done." Along with Francis Ngannou, Nate Diaz remains one of the most desired free agents since departing the UFC. Everyone is seeking to get involved in a conversation with the Stockton king. It's not hidden that he is connected to other organizations as he assesses the best course of action. The Stockton native is the only adversary that "The Underground King" has expressed interest in facing off against, he said: "I think he'd transition well over to here with that real 'gangster' style or whatever he wants to be. I think it'll do good here and I think that's the only opponent that I would only want to fight. I don't really have a desire to fight anyone besides him." The BKFC, which has been gaining in popularity in recent years, would be the perfect stage for a fight between Alvarez and Diaz. A fight between Alvarez and Diaz would undoubtedly draw a huge crowd, as fans of both fighters would be eager to see who comes out on top. Of course, there are still many hurdles that would need to be overcome before a fight between Alvarez and Diaz could take place. Both fighters would need to agree to the terms of the fight, and the BKFC would need to be willing to put up the necessary funds to make it happen. However, if all parties can agree, a fight between Alvarez and Diaz would be one of the most anticipated bouts in BKFC history.

Canelo Alvarez has already heard it all. The undisputed 168-pound champion from Mexico, who will defend his title against John Ryder on May 6 at Akron Stadium in his hometown of Guadalajara, did not exhibit any signs of being impressed by David Benavidez's most recent display during a recent media workout. Fans have been calling for a fight between the two super middleweights for years, and the clamour peaked last Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas when Phoenix, Arizona's Benavidez comprehensively beat Caleb Plant over 12 rounds. Early on, Plant had the upper hand, but Benavidez's emergence on the inside in the second half of the fight rapidly changed the momentum. After the fight, Mexican fighter Benavidez, dubbed The Mexican Monster by none other than Mike Tyson, challenged Alvarez to a fight.  Alvarez defeated Plant in just 11 rounds in November 2021 when they competed for the championship Alvarez, 32, who recently defeated Gennadiy Golovkin by unanimous decision in the third round of their trilogy fight last September, made it obvious he was not intimidated by Benavidez or the idea that the 26-year-old posed a real threat to him. Alvarez emphasised that he has previously faced several opponents who were regarded as "monsters," including Erislandy Lara and Golovkin. “Everybody say the same thing,” Alvarez told a group of reporters from his San Diego gym. “Before I fought with Golovkin, [people were saying], ‘Wow, he’s a monster. He’s gonna knock out Canelo, this and out. At the end of the day, being in the ring with other fighters isn’t like being in the ring with me. It’s different.” When asked if he thinks Benavidez is a tougher fight than one with Dmitry Bivol, the light heavyweight titlist who defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision last spring. Alvarez has been adamant about wanting to face Bivol again later this year. He replied “I don’t know,” Alvarez answered. “I need to find out, right? What I already experienced, Bivol is a great fight, a top fight. Benavidez? We don’t know. We need to find out. Alvarez, who had Benavidez defeating Plant, thought their fight went according the way he envisioned, with Plant winning the early rounds and Benavidez coming on strong in the second half. In other words, Benavidez looks “good”, not “great.” “He’s a good fighter,” Alvarez said of Benavidez, adding, “He’s a good fighter, but look, I’m a great fighter.”

George Sotiropoulos will meet Josh Togo in a lightweight match at Hex Fight Series 26 — which takes place May 26 at the Melbourne Pavilion in Australia — according to the organisation, which confirmed the event on Tuesday. Sotiropoulos competed on the sixth season of The Ultimate Fighter and had 11 fights inside the UFC's octagon between December 2007 and October 2013. Sotiropoulos won his first seven UFC fights and was on the verge of a featherweight title chance before he lost a decision to Dennis Siver at UFC 127 in February 2011. George Sotiropoulos has important victories over George Roop, Joe Stevenson, and Joe Lauzon. The defeat to Dennis Siver ruined his momentum and sent his career spiraling downward. The 21-fight pro lost his next four fights, including his final three in the UFC and a decision loss to Mike Ricci. Josh Togo enters the battle on a three-fight winning streak and has won seven of his last eight fights. In his most recent fight, the Australian Top Team standout won a decision against Tahir Abdullaev to earn the UAE Warriors welterweight title in September 2022.

Roy Jones Thinks Chris Eubank's Recent Upset Loss Might Compel Him to Become a Better Listener Following Chris Eubank Jr's recent loss to Liam Smith in January, Roy Jones, the Hall of Fame fighter and trainer of Eubank, believes the British middleweight may become a better listener. Eubank's knockout loss to Smith came as a shock to the boxing world, as he is known for his durability. Jones, who has trained Eubank for his last several fights, has suggested that Eubank's unwillingness to concede body shots in order to preserve his head might have led to his downfall. According to Jones, Eubank would rather take a punch to the head than one to the body, and that kind of thinking was what led to the disastrous result in Manchester. Jones has been trying to teach Eubank that sometimes taking a body shot can be the better option, but Eubank had expressed a preference for taking head shots instead. However, Jones believes that the loss to Smith might make Eubank more receptive to his training advice. "I know he never been hurt or ever been down before, but I felt he got an elbow before he got caught but still the elbow was to the head," Jones said on The DAZN Boxing Show. "And you never know what happens when you get hit in your head a certain way. And that’s really what I was trying to tell him. Why you gonna give a body shot up as opposed to a head shot? A head shot can cause damage. And you don’t know until after it happens. So if you take the body shot, you don’t take that risk. But he had never been hurt before so he didn’t understand that." Eubank has activated his rematch clause with Smith, but the two have not yet finalized a deal. Eubank has also been rumored to be considering a fight with Conor Benn in a middleweight bout on June 3 in Abu Dhabi. Eubank and Benn were meant to face each other in a 157-pound catchweight bout last year that capitalized on their fathers' rivalry in the 1990s. However, a few days before the fight, Benn was revealed to have failed a performance-enhancing drug test.

Raymond Ford Looks to Prove Himself Against Jessie Magdaleno More than a year ago, Raymond Ford was at a pivotal moment in his career. His hard-fought decision win over Edward Vazquez in their February 2022 battle of unbeaten prospects didn’t exactly resonate with the masses. Some observers even thought that Vazquez deserved the win. However, Ford wasn’t interested in taking a step back in his career development. Instead, the unbeaten southpaw from Camden, New Jersey, decided to take a step forward. He won more decisive victories over undefeated Richard Medina and featherweight gatekeeper Sakaria Lukas, rounding out a three-win 2023 run. Ford and his team then started seeking even bigger challenges for a 2023 campaign that he hoped would include a shot at his first major title. The search led Ford to former WBO junior featherweight titlist Jessie Magdaleno, whom he will face in a scheduled twelve-round featherweight contest. The bout is part of a four-fight DAZN show from Boeing Center at Tech Port in San Antonio, Texas. “We were looking at anyone that would represent the toughest, biggest fight of my career,” Ford said of his first bout of this year. “I’m already ranked by the sanctioning bodies. So, yeah, I believe I’m a contender now. But this fight will prove it if anyone doesn’t already believe it.” Magdaleno’s name was always in the mix, but it was a matter of which established fighter would accept the assignment. The 31-year-old Las Vegas-bred southpaw answered the call, as he seeks to extend his current four-fight win streak. All four wins come after his title reign ended in an eleventh-round knockout to then-unbeaten Isaac Dogboe in April 2018 at the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia—the same venue which would host Ford’s pro debut eleven months later. Needless to say, Magdaleno represents by far the most established opponent that Ford will face as a pro. “I feel like it was a fight that could separate me from the other top prospects, that’s why I wanted it,” insisted Ford, who signed with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing following a stellar amateur career that included the 2018 National Golden Gloves championship. “We were looking at anyone that would represent the toughest fight of my career. “So, it was very important to get this fight lined up. I was excited, I was happy when we heard Jesse accepted it. I needed this fight to start my year, so that we can get that title shot for my next fight.” Headlining the show is local favorite and former WBC junior bantamweight titlist Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez and Mexico’s Cristian Gonzalez, who will vie for the vacant WBO flyweight title. This marks the third time that Ford will appear in a DAZN-aired supporting bout on a show headlined by Rodriguez. Among the names sought out by the 24-year-old southpaw and his team, which includes manager Brian Peters, were former two-division titlist Kiko Martinez. The Spaniard was strongly considered to land the assignment, but he booked another fight—an IBF title eliminator versus Japan’s Reiya Abe. Ford, who has a record of 13-0-1 with 7 KOs, is confident that his bout against Magdaleno will prove that he is a legitimate contender. If he is successful, he hopes to secure a title shot in his next fight.

About three months have passed since Francis Ngannou formally became an independent free agent. The move saw him relinquish the UFC heavyweight title and leave MMA's top organization due to a long-running contractual issue that could not be resolved. Several organizations have shown interest in obtaining the Cameroonian's signature since then. The first promotion to do so in the immediate aftermath was the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. BKFC's social media account hinted at a pursuit of the free agent, and its president David Feldman acknowledged that his company was "extremely interested" in signing Ngannou, calling him a "perfect fit" for the bare-knuckle organization. Feldman spoke during the press conference for BKFC 41 on Tuesday, which will feature former UFC champion Luke Rockhold vs. Mike Perry and lightweight great Eddie Alvarez vs. Chad Mendes. During the press conference, Feldman was asked about the latest developments in his talks with Ngannou. While the founder and president of BKFC stated that he has spoken with "The Predator," he labeled the former UFC fighter's financial demands as "unrealistic." "Francis Ngannou, he’s somebody we’ve certainly reached out to," Feldman said. "We’ve reached out to him, we’ve reached out to his team, and we just feel like he’s asking for unrealistic money. We’re not willing to pay that kind of money for him." "I do think he needs to make his mind up pretty soon,” Feldman asserted. “As the days go on, his value is starting to drop a little bit." Although Ngannou has expressed a desire to return to MMA, among other things, it appears that his immediate priorities are in the ring.

George “El Yuyu” Acosta Set to Face Blas Ezequiel Caro in Thompson Boxing’s “New Blood” Main Event Whittier, CA – Super featherweight rising prospect George “El Yuyu” Acosta (14-1, 2 KO) will return to the ring on Friday, April 21, against Blas Ezequiel Caro (9-5, 4 KOs) of Rosario, Argentina. The eight-round bout will serve as the main event on Thompson Boxing’s “New Blood” card, taking place at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, CA. Acosta, who is on a seven-fight winning streak, is excited to continue his momentum with another victory. “Staying busy is a blessing and I’m happy to be returning to the ring for the second time this year,” said Acosta. “I have big plans to make a nice run this year, and I know a win will keep me on track. I’m going to put on a great show for all my hometown fans who will be in attendance.” However, Caro is equally motivated and confident, stating from his training camp in Argentina, “I’ve seen Acosta fight and I see a lot of flaws in his style. He is not as strong as I am, and I’ll be coming into this fight in great shape. I’m going to stop him if I get him hurt, that you can bet on.” In the co-main event, Rigoberto Hermosillo (12-4-1, 9 KOs) of Los Angeles, CA, will take on Walter Santibanes (11-2, 2 KOs) of Phoenix, AZ, in an eight-round featherweight bout. The undercard will feature a lightweight six-round battle between Ruben Islas (6-1, 5 KOs) of Rialto, CA, and Francisco Duque (1-2) of Guadalupe, Mexico. Super featherweight Anthony Chavez (9-3-1, 3 KOs) of Redlands, CA, will face battle-tested veteran Dihul Olguin (15-30-5, 10 KOs) of Guadalupe, Mexico, in another six-round bout. The card will open with a four-round welterweight bout between Kevin Sagado (1-1) of Murrieta, CA, and Steven Walker (pro debut) of Lancaster, CA. Doors open at 6:30 p.m., and the first bout starts at 8:00 p.m. Tickets for “New Blood” are priced at $40, $60, and $100 and are available for purchase online at ThompsonBoxing.com or by calling 714-935-0900.