Fighting as the co-main of an explosive Misfits x DAZN 004 card that had seen upsets, explosions and knockouts with the main fight of KSI and Faze Temper yet to come. Slim is no stranger to the influencer boxing scene, amassing a record of 5-0 with 4 of which coming by way of knockout, causing a meteorite rise of the Brooklyn man with his name linked with a fight with KSI. While music star Tom Zanetti comes into this fight making his debut, as a wide underdog. He did win a lot of the fans over with his public workout however, showcasing sharp and powerful combinations, delivered with speed and technique. Fans were keen to point out Slim was seemingly shook at what he was witnessing ringside, something Tom Zanetti was eager to make clear in the weigh in yesterday. Both men had a lot of respect for each other in the build up when talking their game, both fighters confident in their skill set to bring back the victory. Slim has set his eyes on a KSI fight in the future, claiming the Brit ‘ducked’ him in favour of his fight with Faze Temper on the same card. Slim would have to of course get through Tom first, a formidable opponent with a lot to offer, a spanner in the road for the Brooklyn fighter. Tom walked out in confidence to his walkout, to the unusual ring walk sound of Coldplay. Eating up the energy of the crowd as the music switched up to Gorillaz. Slim, who is known by the community for his quirky walkouts himself, did not disappoint as he coldly walked out to a choreographed display backed by breakdancers with a dance himself to the enjoyment of the British crowd. Round One The fight started with explosions, heavy pace with both fighters being erratic and both landing. Tom Zanetti getting the better of his opponent, landing his right and screaming at his opponent, before making him miss. Slim responded well with a good combination. Slim rocked Zanetti with a big right hand, taking the fight to the ropes with Zanetti lucky to stay on his feet before regaining himself and fighting his way back in. An explosive round came to an end, both fighters landing well but the edge being given to Slim, who inflicted a lot of damage on his opponent, who appears to have a granite chin. Round Two The fight was nearly dragged into a wrestling match on the ropes after Tom lands well, Zanetti coming out with fire and landing well. Tom seemingly tired as Slim lands a slick right hand midway through the round before cracking combinations on Tom who struggled around the ring, continuing to take big shots. Slim looking for the knockout with 30 seconds left on the clock, Tom taking a lot of punishment and fighting back. Another Slim round. Round Three Both fighters trade at the start of the round, Slim landing a heavy right hand that didn’t affect Tom. Tom gassed but landing a good combination, while demonstrating his granite chin by taking huge shots from Slim, who looks to end it. Slim slipping shots well and his counters sharp as he lands on Tom Zanetti repeatedly. With 30 second left on the clock, Tom lands a big combination that seemingly hurts his opponent, not taking advantage of the hurt Slim but enough to take the round, making the fourth and final round a big one. Both fighters landed big, both showing their chins are strong. Round Four Tom comes out landing the better shots, techniques out of the window for both fighters. Zanetti landing shots, while defensively responding well to Slims punches. The pace of the fight slowed down as the fight came to a close, both fighters gassed as the bell rang for the end of the fight, embracing into a hug. A fight that could go both ways, with Slim likely edging it and a draw not out of question as the fighters joined the referee awaiting the result. After being awarded a unanimous decision win, Slims arm was raised as he retained the Misfits Belt in a very tough war with Tom Zanetti, a fight that may have given his opponents the key to beating him. Slim will now be looking to fighting KSI next, calling him out in his post fight interview.

The former four-division champ, Mikey Garcia will not be fighting as a professional boxer again as his brother Robert Garcia has cleared the air surrounding his future. In December 2022, Robert indicated that Mikey could still return to the ring as he has still a lot to offer to the fans but now the veteran trainer has come up with an amendment in his statement, citing that Mickey’s career is done and dusted. “Mikey is not coming back,” Robert told IZQUIERDAZO. “He took the decision of not fighting anymore, and that is not going to change." “I know my brother very well, and we have joked about that. There have been stories that he is thinking about returning to boxing, but there are just jokes that we have told to each other." Garcia’s last fight came against the Spaniard, Sandor Martin in 2021 but that outing didn’t go to plan as he suffered an upset loss against the latter. Garcia beat the likes of Adrien Broner, Sergey Lipinets, Robert Easter Jr., Jessie Vargas, Juan Manuel Lopez, and Orlando Salido throughout his career. There were eyebrows raised after Robert said that Mickey is still hitting the bag in the gym but with his new statement, all hopes of his comeback have faded.

The UFC Middleweight Nassourdine Imavov is optimistic that his elder brother, Daguir will soon make his debut in the UFC. Imavov is preparing for his biggest challenge in the octagon as he faces a ranked opponent Sean Strickland in the main event at UFC Vegas 67. Imavov had to make a complete shift as he was originally due to face Kelvin Gastelum in a middleweight bout. But an injury forced Gastelum out of this contest and Strickland was announced as a late replacement. The Russian Sniper is enjoying a three-win streak in the promotion after dropping a decision to Phil Hawes back in 2021. He intends to keep on carrying that moment when he faces Strickland this Saturday. But Imavov knows it will take a lot out of him to get the better of Strickland who himself is probing for a victory after a disappointing couple of results. Meanwhile, Imavov prepares for his fight, he also gave an update on his brother, Daguir’s possible arrival in the UFC. Nassourdine feels his brother is close to penning a deal with the world’s premier MMA organization and soon will be fighting in the UFC colours. “Yes in fact, I have a brother Daguir,” Imavov answered through a translator. “Daguir deserves to go to the UFC. Actually, Daguir’s got a better record than [me]. He’s 14-3, [I’m] 12-3. [He] deserves to go to the UFC soon. Actually, he was supposed to got to the UFC, but there’s always a problem. Like maybe he was hurt, or visa problems or something like that…[He’s] in the main French league in France, Ares… [I] hope he’s gonna win the Ares belt, then UFC.” If Daguir does make it to the UFC, the Imavov brothers will become the fresh sibling duo to compete in the organization with the likes of Chris and Kyle Daukaus already showcasing their talents in their respective divisions.

fight that offers enough to excite the masses, including those outside of the influencer boxing world as these two skilful and technical fighters clash on the KSI v Faze Temper undercard in the Misfits x DAZN 004 card in London, England. Dubbed by many as the ‘battle of the boogiemen’ as these two have become widely avoided in the scene and now are set to clash against one another. Both fighters enter the ring unbeaten with all of their fights ending early in their favour, someone’s 0 has got to go. Salt Papi come into the fight with a record of 2-0, while his opponent comes in with the same boxing record, with addition to his winning MMA record. The winner of this bout a real contender in this scene with potential to call out the biggest names in the scene such as KSI, Jake Paul and Slim. Both fighters had a lot of respect for each other in the build up, but let known their confidence with Salt Papi saying “I’m going to make this s*** look easy” and Josh Bruekner not letting his words go, insinuating he would let his boxing do the talking. The crowd was electric as the fighters entered the ring, Salt Papi having the sold out London crowd on his side. Both men entered with a cool and calm aura, ready to put on fireworks in the ring in what is dubbed as the ‘people’s main event’ by the masses. Round One Salt Papi surrenders a heavy height and reach advantage as he came to the centre of the ring, popping his jab. Josh started to chase Salt Papi, missing all that he through on the slick Philly shelled Salt Papi. Salt Papi landed a flurry mid round, before dodging a return in slick fashion. Josh Bruekner finished a technical round with a combination that didn’t seem to have an effect on his opponent who came out on top in the first of four rounds. Round Two Papi was the first to land, a straight right that beat the guard, starting a flurry between the two, Josh getting the better of it. 1 minute and 41 seconds left on the clock, Salt Papi landed a bomb of a straight left hand right on the button after a quiet period, dropping his opponent to the canvas, Josh unable to get back to his feet, awarding Salt Papi the knockout victory. Salt Papi demonstrated slick technique throughout, showcasing his professional ability of range control, shot selection and vast skill set, as well as he devastating power that can finish just about anyone in this scene. It will be interesting to see who he will face next with his calling out King Kenny ringside and previously stating his desire to fight KSI and Jake Paul next. In his post fight interview, Salt Papi said “I want to fight Pineda next time”, offering another option for his next bout, facing the Mexican who won on his return on the same card. “I want to fight the best. I want to fight Jake Paul” he furthered. Before facing King Kenny face to face, who he demanded signs the contract. It is clear to see Salt Papi is one of the best in this scene.

Billed as the ‘Madman vs the Badman’, these two exciting British influencers clashed on the undercard of the Misfits x DAZN 004 event, headlined by Smarmz former opponent KSI, who takes on Faze Temper in London, England. The two had shared a bit of fireworks in the build up, clashing on social media and in the build up to the fight, but showed a level of respect for one another, showing it was just business. Both fighters enter the ring off the back of defeats, Smarmz to the events headliner KSI via a second round TKO, while Ryan Taylor lost via UD to the events co-main Slim. Ryan entered the fight as the wide favourite in this fight, previously showing his toughness having went the distance with some of the biggest names in the scene in Slim, Anthony Taylor and DK money. While Swarmz comes into this fight with one full round under his belt, entering the ring with a record of 0-1. The first bell rang, Swarmz coming out strong with a few fast jabs to the physical Ryan Taylor who almost wrestled his opponent. Swarmz hurt Ryan hard with a potential orbital bone break as he was rocked on his feet, leading the referee to call time on the fight for him to get medical help as Taylor repeatedly told his corner he can’t see and that he was in distressing pain. The referee was then forced to call an end to the fight in the first round with Ryan Taylor unable to continue the fight, telling Ryan “if you can’t see, you can’t fight”, awarding Swarms the win with what looked like a jab. Swarmz himself even doubted his victory as he could be heard saying “I only tapped him”. It will be interesting to see where Swarmz goes from here after he beat a gritty tough fighter that no one expected him to win. In a post fight interview, swarmz made it clear he was seeking redemption after his KSI defeat before calling out Deji and King Kenny.

Kicking off the Misfits x DAZN 004 card comes a fight between what cannot be described as a 'influencer' boxing fight, with the two fighters coming from very strong fighting backgrounds. Idris is by far the more established boxer, with a boxing record of 12-0-1 entered the fight as the majority favorite, his opponent Taylor, entering the fight with a pro record of 2-3. Idris started the fight, showcasing his skill set and utilizing his jab to set up combinations with Taylor not offering a lot in return, other than a string of clinches at every given chance. Idris set the trend in the first round for how the next two would play out, with the British boxer controlling the ring and setting the pace for the fight. He was able to land a flurry of punches, clearly set on getting the knockout, Taylor managing to hang on through his relentless clinches. Virgos' coach could be seeing goading the Brit to finish the American mid rounds, noting that Taylor was tired. It was questionable if the former MMA fighter, Taylor, would even see the final bell in this fight as he was beginning to show signs of being stopped, be it via retirement, Virgo finishing him or the referees call. Into the final round with all four previous rounds in his favour, Idris was looking for the knockout. He had inflicted a lot of damage to his opponent throughout the fight and controlled every second but the final bell loomed closer, finishing the fight shy of a KO victory. No one could argue with the decision as Idris Virgo was handed a win via UD, having controlled won every round. It will be interesting to see what's next for both fighters after an explosive start to the Misfits x DAZN 004 card.

In his recent bout, Joe Joyce won a tremendously competitive heavyweight contest between two serious contenders by becoming the first man to stop Joseph Parker in the eleventh round to win the interim WBO heavyweight championship. With the Brits consistent pressure and force, Joe Parker was beaten and bloodied, and unable to respond well, with whatever he did land having no effect on Joyce. The Brit seized complete control of the fight in the later rounds and in round 11 and was triumphant via knockdown, which resulted in the referee putting a stop to the bout and thus, achieving what Anthony Joshua and Dillian Whyte could not. Joyce is particularly eager to fight Usyk because Usyk currently holds the WBO title in addition to the WBO, WBA, IBF, and WBO titles; it is obvious that Joyce has his sights set on winning the world championship. And since Tyson Fury still holds the WBC title despite rumours that he is retiring, and Joyce (15-0, 14 KO) has claimed that he is ready to take on Fury, who is more likely to face off against Charr next in a fight that isn’t likely to captivate the masses and media. There is no information on Joyce's opponent for his next fight, likely to be in March, but it appears that it will not be one of the division's top fighters. Despite Joyce's desire, I do not see him jeopardizing his chances of challenging for the title by engaging in a risky contest. Anthony Joshua is a fight that might materialize at some point in the future. Joyce would undoubtedly believe he could defeat his countryman in this contest, but it remains to be seen whether this fight will be made next, or even in the near future. There can be no doubt that there will be a significant battle, and it will happen in due course, and the same could be said for a clash with Dillian Whyte. I am sure these are names that will have crossed his mind. Otto Wallin is a strong candidate for the next fight; given that the Swede's lone loss was to Tyson Fury, defeating Wallin more convincingly will put him on everyone's radar for a WBC showdown with the "gypsy king." Joyce has a lot of names to consider, with all of the previously mentioned potential opponents, along with other options such as Martin Bakole, Filip Hrgovic, and many others, are options for Joyce to face in the future. After overcoming Luis Ortiz, he may also face Andy Ruiz Jr. in an intriguing matchup but this is all to be foreseen, what is clear is the 'Juggernaut' has a bright future ahead of him.

Following his recent dominant decision victory of Brit, Anthony Joshua, Oleksandr Usyk is taking some well earned time off, with the aim to return to the ring next year, eyeing up a couple of big showdowns. The only two names he will seemingly entertain, a world-stopping unification battle with Tyson Fury and a breathtaking clash with Deontay Wilder, with talks of retiring at the idea of an alternative fight being made. Big ambitions for a great fighter who has nothing left to prove in this great sport. Since conquering the cruiserweight division, this great fighter has come a long way in the heavyweights, despite claims he was too small, he has collected all but one of the belts, missing only Tyson Fury’s WBC belt, having taken the rest from Anthony Joshua and once defending them from the man himself. Instantly, Usyk and all of boxing’s eyes were set firm on a historic clash between Tyson Fury, with all of the belts on the line, to announce just one man as the king of the division and both fighters seemed keen, but it wasn’t to be in this moment, for whatever reason, leaving him with only one alternative. Deontay Wilder. A fight that he has claimed he would like to be held in the USA, he has said this is the only fight he would take other than Fury and what a fight it would be! Wilder first has to get past his next hurdle in his comeback fight when he takes on Robert Helenius, which could first set him up for a meeting with Andy Ruiz Jr and potentially Tyson Fury once again before seeing Usyk, but should he decided to accept this challenge, an explosive clash of styles would be on our hands. Both have shown strong chins in their time, both have shown power but this would be the definition of skill vs power, something that is thrown around a lot in this sport, this time more fitting than ever. But it may appear that the unification will be next, with apparent talks in the works for a clash with Tyson Fury later this year, all belts on the line for what promises to be an explosive showdown both in and out of the ring.

Dmitry Bivol has disclosed that his ultimate ambition is to become the undisputed light heavyweight champion of the world, rather than focusing on a rematch with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez. The Russian successfully defended his WBA light heavyweight title last September by defeating Gilberto Ramirez in a resounding unanimous points decision. He had just a few months earlier stunned the pound-for-pound king at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Bivol has stated that he would rather face Artur Beterbiev than perhaps face Canelo Alvarez again. “This was a good year for my career, but I am still on my journey to my dream. I am taking some time off now, enjoying time with my family. “I still want to become undisputed and hopefully I will get my opportunity in the near future.” Beterbiev, a master of the knockout, now holds the WBC, WBO, and IBF titles in the light heavyweight division. Bivol is the current WBA champion. On January 28, Beterbiev will compete against scrappy underdog Anthony Yarde at London's famed O2 Arena.

Leon Edwards believes that a third fight with Kamaru Usman is inevitable. Recently, there have been speculations that Usman has a hand injury and won't be ready to compete for the UFC welterweight championship. But Edwards asserted that he fully anticipates finishing the trilogy with Usman on March 18 at UFC 286 in London. "Yeah, 100%," Edwards said on the "Believe You Me" podcast when asked if he was fighting Usman on that date. "That's what I've been told. I spoke to the UFC last week, I think, and they said, 'Nah, the fight's on. He's already training for the fight.' So I was like, 'OK, perfect.” "So I am aiming toward that. But if something changes in the meantime, then we'll go from there. But now I am focusing on that trilogy against Usman in London." In one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history, Edwards stopped Usman with a left head kick in the fifth round to win the 170-pound title in August. Usman came into the battle as the pound-for-pound king and with a record of five victories in title defences. Edwards' knockout was named one of the Knockout of the Year, and it was certainly one of the wildest finishes in MMA history. Since his first encounter with Usman in 2015, Birmingham, England native Edwards hasn't suffered a defeat in MMA.

It is hard to tell whether Jake Paul is a legitimate boxer from the hype surrounding him. He is a social media sensation with a 6-0 record and four knockouts. However, most would claim he has never fought an actual boxer in the ring, even after his decision victory over combat sports legend Anderson Silva. Although Paul has been scheduled to face a boxer on at least three occasions, he has been pulled. Previously scheduled opponents include light heavyweight prospect Tommy Fury, and heavyweight Hasim Rahman Jr. Many people have doubts about Paul's boxing abilities over the years, but some boxing analysts believe he has potential to be a contender, slowly gaining the respect of the pro's and critiques alike. One thing that can't be taken away from Jake, is that he knows how to get people talking about him. There are many talented young boxers making their way up the ladder. It is a great time to be in boxing, and Paul is a prime candidate to make a name for himself in the ring. But he'll have to prove himself against opponents who can fight back. As a member of the Golden Boy Boxing Club, Paul has been a huge draw for the sport. In fact, his most recent fight with Katie Taylor brought a new audience to the sport, and Paul was the hype man behind the fight. While there are some questions about Paul's boxing prowess, he deserves credit for all his efforts and for bringing a new generation of boxers to the sport. Jake Paul has many fans on social media. His Instagram and YouTube pages have over 18 million followers, and his videos have over 2 billion views. He is 5'7" tall and weighs 155 pounds. While his social media following has been impressive, there is no guarantee that he will have much success in the ring. If Floyd Mayweather was to fight Jake Paul, he'd probably be a better choice. He's a social media sensation and a former MMA star. But if Jake Paul continues to face MMA fighters past his prime, he won't be taken seriously. Floyd Mayweather, however, will appreciate the buzz and attention that Jake Paul is garnering. A Hall of Famer like Mayweather can't ignore that buzz. Jake Paul is the right mix of ability and entertainment value. He has the potential to become a world champion but he will need to train hard to make it. He has the potential to add adrenaline to boxing while attracting a new audience that might eventually become fans of the "real" fighters. As long as he doesn't ruin boxing as some argue, he'll be a valuable addition to the sport. Jake Paul has made boxing more popular. His fights with Conor McGregor have garnered nearly five million views on YouTube alone. His knockout against Woodley more than doubled that number. If Jake Paul can pull off more fights like this, he should be able to keep people interested.

Veronica Macedo is getting ready to make a return 3 years following her last bout and therefore not long since getting married to a former UFC title challenger. Macedo faces TUF 30 winner Juliana Miller in a women’s flyweight bout when the UFC returns to London for UFC 286 in March. Miller made the fight confirmation during the Outside the Box podcast with Xaria Bloom, as there hasn't been an official statement from the UFC. The 27-year-old last competed in an octagon fight in March 2020, when she suffered a unanimous decision loss to Bea Malecki at bantamweight. After going 1-4 since launching her MMA appearance in 2016, Macedo decided to quit and take a vacation from the sport to heal. Issues concerning concussions were the cause of her retiring early. The Venezuelan-born athlete began dating former fighter now analyst Dan Hardy throughout her prolonged absence from the octagon, and the couple eventually wed on Christmas Day in 2022. Veronica Macedo has a terrible record in the UFC, but she has demonstrated the ability to be tougher than just what her statistics would indicate (6-4). She showed an intention to participate across both the women's flyweight and bantamweight divisions throughout her five outings in the promotion, earning Performance and Fight of the Night bonuses. She won a $50,000 bonus for submitting Polyana Viana using an armbar in under 69 seconds in August 2019. With only three professional fights under her career when she first joined The Ultimate Fighter, Miller was undoubtedly a significant underdog. Miller, who has a history in grappling and a feisty attitude, gained the show's audience over and proceeded on to beat Brogan Walker in the TUF 30 championship match via third-round TKO last August. On March 18, 2023, UFC 286 would occur at the O2 Arena in London, England. Although no formal confirmation has been made, Leon Edwards, the promotion's current welterweight champion, is anticipated to be the main event.