UFC bantamweight Sean O'Malley has given Jake Paul some advice for a successful MMA debut later this year in the PFL. Paul sparked debate in the MMA community when he announced earlier this week that he had signed with the PFL. Later this year, he will make his MMA debut and aid in the emergence of the PFL's "Super Fight" division. Paul will battle in what is likely the No. 2 MMA promotion despite having no prior MMA experience. Although he has some experience from professional boxing and high school wrestling, the adjustment to MMA will likely be his most difficult test to date. Paul has already attracted a large number of possible opponents who are willing to face him in the PFL SmartCage. This includes Anthony Pettis, a former UFC champion who participated in the PFL postseason the year before. “If he picks the right fights and literally just wrestle defense, I would even say don’t even train Jiu-Jitsu,” O’Malley said of Paul. “If you’ve got good takedown defense…he picked up boxing pretty quick. Some guys, just because they’re MMA fighters, doesn’t mean they’d whoop Jake. Jake’s got good boxing. “Good takedown defense, learn how to check some kicks, that’d be important. If he fights a good wrestler they’ll take him down, but if he fights someone who’s like 6-3 who’s a kickboxer and doesn’t wrestle at all, there’s ways he can win.

Michael Zerafa, a middleweight contender, feels he is the "largest payout" for IBF, WBA, and IBO world champion Gennady Golovkin. Zerafa has wanted to fight Golovkin since last year, but he's also open to fighting WBA "regular" champion Erislandy Lara and WBO champion Janibek Alimkhanuly. Golovkin has until February 14 to decide whether to fight the IBF's top contender Esquiva Falcao in a mandatory defense. If Golovkin decides to resign, Zerafa and Falcao might fight for the vacant belt. “And Golovkin is the fight I want,” Zerafa stressed to Fox Sports. “I know he thinks I’m the easiest fight out there for him. And that’s fine. “But I’m also his biggest payday. His three options right now are to fight me, Lara, or Falcao. And of those, I represent the most money. With all the backing I’ve got to bring that fight to Australia, I know he’s definitely interested. And Zerafa v Triple G ... it even has a nice ring to it. But regardless, I’m fighting for a world title next.” Golovkin last fought in September of last year. He went up to super middleweight but was outboxed by Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez over twelve rounds. Whereas, Zerafa (30-4) has won four matches in a row.  He was recently promoted to WBA number one contender, putting him in line for a fight at Golovkin's super championship and Lara's'regular' strap. Zerafa is also ranked second by the International Boxing Federation. Zerafa informed Fox Sports in November that Golovkin has already "verbally agreed" to fight him in Australia. However, Golovkin's representatives never responded to the claim. “I don’t get involved in the (contract discussions) but I know my name has come up within his camp. And quite a few times," Zerafa said. “After Golovkin’s last fight too, he said he was happy to come fight in Australia. And I know he sees me as his easiest option. But I’m ready. Four times in my career, I’ve fallen short. But I was a boy back then. Now, I’m a man. In my prime. It’s my time.”

Josh Taylor will face Jack Catterall in a rematch later this year to end their nasty animosity; Taylor cautions Catterall that he may have been complacent before their first fight, but he won't be making the same mistake twice. Josh Taylor, the former WBO junior welterweight champion, is fired up for his rematch with domestic opponent Jack Catterall. Taylor won a contentious twelve-round decision to maintain his undisputed 140-pound title when the two boxers first faced in February 2022. Taylor has since relinquished his IBF, WBA, and WBC titles, as mandatory orders from the sanctioning bodies piled up and Taylor prepared to face Catterall for the second bout. The rematch is scheduled for early March, with an official announcement coming soon. Taylor has since engaged a new trainer, Joe McNally, and intends to approach the second encounter quite differently. "I've been waiting on this for a long time I've had to let go of belts, I've had to let go of all my belts near enough, I've got the WBO left, just to make this fight happen and prove that I'm a real champion," Taylor told Sky Sports News. "I just needed a fresh change up in my approach to things. I just felt in my previous camp I was getting taken away from what my natural qualities are and sort of changing my style a little bit too much. I need to get back to my own self. "I think what I had achieved in 18 fights and in only four or five years as a professional, becoming an undisputed champion, no one's ever done it before in the UK in the four belt era, creating a massive part of history, I just got a little bit complacent. I tried to learn from other athletes and boxers letting complacency creep in but I am only human at the end of the day and it did creep in a little bit but I won't be making the same mistake twice."

Ryan Garcia can defeat Gervonta Davis in a highly anticipated super fight, but he must keep him at bay and avoid a brawl. That's the opinion of Amir Khan, a former world champion who knows what it takes to compete on the big stage. Garcia, the former WBC interim lightweight champion, has not fought since a July victory over Javier Fortuna. He is presently scheduled to fight Davis in a headline pay-per-view event on April 15, after recently confirming his split from his previous manager Floyd Mayweather. Davis, on the other hand, will face WBA super-featherweight champion Hector Garcia first, on Saturday at the Capital One Arena. Meanwhile, Garcia is focusing on ensuring that he is properly prepared for his long-awaited clash with 'Tank,' after opting out of fighting Mercito Gesita on January 28. And Khan, who retired after losing to Kell Brook last February, has revealed how Garcia may beat Davis in their big match. Ryan Garcia has to keep it long,” Khan told Fight Hub TV. “Counter him every time. Throw them hard shots in. Every shot that Ryan throws has to be hard and accurate. “He can’t let Tank smother him, or get too close, because that’s when he’s in trouble. Ryan has to have strong legs, have good feet, keep it long, keep it moving left to right. Don’t let Tank settle, because once he settles, he’s going to let those big bombs off. “If he draws him in, Ryan’s got a good jab, he could double that jab up. If Tank throws that right hand or even a left hook, if he catches his left hook with that, what a shot that would be. “He’s a big guy, he’s taller. See when you’re fighting someone that’s smaller than you, he’s got that advantage over him, he can put that pressure on him. Size wise he looks a lot bigger as well, so I think he’s got a lot of advantages. “But like I said I do lean more towards Gervonta in that fight because I think Tank is just more experienced. But it’s a 50-50 fight, it’s hard to say who is going to win, but I wish them both the best.”

Nate Diaz might have found a new home in the land of the rising sun. Diaz completed his contract with the UFC after 15 years with a submission victory against Tony Ferguson at UFC 279 in September. Since then, almost everyone has speculated on what Diaz will do next. While most expected Diaz to enter the boxing ring with fights against Floyd Mayweather or Jake Paul, it appears that those who have RIZIN Fighting Federation on their Nate Diaz bingo card may be the winners. The Stockton Slugger took to Twitter to tweet a promotional image for the Japanese fight company, giving fans even another option to choose from. While RIZIN FF is not yet a household name, the promotion has made significant progress in recent years, scheduling bouts with boxing legend Floyd Mayweather. On New Year's Eve, the promotion faced off against Bellator MMA fighters in a well-received cross-promotional event. On the same night, RIZIN announced the signing of another boxing legend, Manny Pacquiao. When it comes to brand growth, RIZIN FF president Nobuyuki Sakakibara knows that relying primarily on the Japanese market is no longer realistic. Nate Diaz could be precisely for a future North American expansion. Could we see Nate Diaz performing in Rizin or would he opt for a good paycheck against Jake Paul? Let us know in the comments

The UFC has released Francisco Trinaldo, who was previously a mainstay in the organisation. Trinaldo made his promotional debut at UFC 147 as a middleweight before switching back to his natural weight class of lightweight. Before his recent departure, the Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt spent ten years under the UFC brand. The news was first revealed by Damon Martin of MMA Fighting. Trinaldo's non-re-signing was apparently decided upon after UFC Fight Night 211 in October. During the event, Randy Brown defeated 'Massaranduba' by a unanimous vote. Trinaldo has a 28-9 professional MMA record, including a 19-8 UFC record. 'Massaranduba' fought opponents like Kevin Lee, Jim Miller, Paul Felder, Michael Chiesa, and Gleison Tibau throughout his ten years in the UFC. At UFC Fight Night 95 in September 2016, Trinaldo defeated Felder with a stunning TKO in the third round. Trinaldo might not have much left in the tank at 44 if he decides to run for another promotion.

Having been trained in sambo including both Islam Makhachev and Khabib Nurmagomedov both as a child, Usman is a very skilled grappler. However, Nurmagomedov's striking was what rendered him so threatening because he had also got his education in Muay Thai at a very young age. With such capabilities, after thrashing Patricky "Pitbull" Freire at Bellator 288, Usman Nurmagomedov has lately been crowned the new lightweight champion of Bellator. He has surpassed each of his opponents throughout the run and still is unbeaten with a record of 16-0 in MMA. The lightweight Usman Nurmagomedov has lately been referred to as "the Luke Rockhold of Dagestan" by his instructor, Javier Mendez. Throughout his peak, Rockhold was regarded as the finest all-around fighter in MMA due to his mastery of both lethal striking and world-class wrestling. Luke Rockhold’s recent performance against Paulo Costa is a good example for those who are new to this sport. In a recent interview with Helen Yee, Mendez, who trained both Nurmagomedov and Rockhold at the American Kickboxing Academy, stated: "He's got it all. He's got the looks, he's got the charisma, the fighting style, he's got the length, the power, the desire. He's the total package. Complete total package. He's probably the Luke Rockhold of Dagestan." The trademark left high kick of both Luke Rockhold and Usman Nurmagomedov is perhaps the most striking similarity within respective fighting styles. With their left legs, two warriors have demonstrated surgical perfection, and their challengers have avoided it because they are aware of the possible repercussions. Usman Nurmagomedov might continue to dominate Bellator's lightweight division for many more years to come because of his freshness. The reigning champion, who is just 24 years old, may join the UFC in the coming years. But he might have to delay his move if UFC offers him a contract as there is ongoing top-level competition in the division which might undermine his legacy. The UFC lightweight title is currently held by his comrade Islam Makhachev and wouldn’t wish to face him for the title shot. Nurmagomedov might wait to make his move until a better opportunity presents itself.

Usman was spotted last weekend at a regional mixed martial arts tournament in Lagos, Nigeria with a hand plaster. Since that day, there has been a lot of rumor that Usman may not compete against Edwards because of a hand injury. Kamaru Usman and Leon Edwards are set to square off in their highly awaited trilogy bout at UFC 286 in Edwards' home country of the UK on March 18, 2023. In light of this, several people in the MMA world have been debating potential backup candidates that may face Leon Edwards in the event Kamaru Usman is unable to. However, Usman's manager Ali Abdelaziz has indeed posted a message on Twitter assuring fans that his client will face "Rocky" next. "Please enough with the rumors, Kamaru is fighting León next, he is good to go. We bringing this belt back to where it belongs." The UFC executive has already been aiming for an instant rematch since Edwards stunned Usman at UFC 278 in August with a sensational head kick, pulling off Knockout of the Year. Usman's 15-fight unbeaten run inside the octagon, which fell one shy of tying Anderson Silva's record of 16 straight victories in the UFC, was ended by the surprise come-from-behind victory by Edwards at UFC 278. It should be noted that Kamaru Usman has consistently struggled with hand injury issues. He had a hand injury before his rematch with Colby Covington in November 2021, and it got worse throughout the contest. Usman had hand surgery at the beginning of 2022, and then in August of that same year, he fought Edwards again. Edwards defeated him for the welterweight title. Usman is suffering from a second hand injury after that.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon Jones has stated that he intends to reclaim his title in 2023. Jones decided to give up his light heavyweight championship in 2020 after a contentious unanimous decision victory over Dominick Reyes at UFC 247. With noteworthy victories over Daniel Cormier, Alexander Gustafsson, and Lyoto Machida, "Bones" has established himself as one of the most dominant UFC champions of all time. He has successfully defended his light heavyweight title a record eleven times. Jones wrote on his Twitter “#Champion2023” Prior to his break, Jones was regarded as the best fighter in the sport pound for pound, but he has since fallen in the rankings. But he recently said on Twitter that he wanted to win another world championship and retake the top spot in the P4P rankings. Jones is expected to make a heavyweight comeback in the UFC, aiming for a superfight against hard-hitting knockout artist and reigning champion Francis Ngannou.

Conor McGregor has stated that he will "slice" his next opponent as he prepares to return to the UFC this year. The superstar hasn't competed since losing to Dustin Poirier in July 2021 and injuring his leg, but he's started a lengthy phase of recovery to get ready for his planned comeback this year. Throughout his UFC hiatus, he has been flaunting a muscular physique and posting updates on his recuperation process on social media. McGregor has promised to perform at his peak once more and has even offered to give his fans the "biggest comeback ever." In a tweet, the 34-year-old has asked potential rivals to form an orderly queue, tweeting: “I’m going to slice through someone on return. Trust that. And I don’t care who. Line up.” Michael Chandler and Jorge Masvidal are two potential opponents who have already indicated their desire to be McGregor's first opponent when he is fit to compete. After gaining weight since his last cut to 155 pounds for his fights with Poirier, McGregor has clearly said that he will return at 170 pounds.

The wonder kid, Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez will face Cristian Gonzalez for the vacant WBO flyweight title on April 8th in his hometown, San Antonio. Rodriguez will return to his favourite 112 weight after fighting at super flyweight in his last three bouts. The Bam didn’t disappoint during his time at super flyweight as he won the WBC World Super Flyweight strap. Rodriguez’s fight at 112 will be his first at this weight in over a year. But the San Antonio native will have a more formidable challenge this time around in the form of the Mexican prodigy, Gonzalez. In his last fight, Rodriguez outsmarted Israel Gonzalez at T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas back in September 2022. The 22-year-old southpaw gave no breathing space to Gonzalez who seemed clueless during the whole bout. The fight is still good four months away from us as the promoters are hoping to get another great fight on the card. But as of now, the Bam-Gonzalez fight promises to be an absolute thriller and boxing fans would not want to miss this one.

UFC bantamweight Cory Sandhagen is eyeing a fight against the no.1 contender Sean O’Malley once he gets past Marlon Vera this February. Sandhagen got back to winning ways after a tumultuous few months in the octagon. Sandhagen fought only once in 2022 but when he did, he made sure it wasn’t just an ordinary outing as he crushed the rising prospect from China, Yadong Song. Now the Colorado native has bigger plans on his mind. The 30-year-old will be facing Marlon Vera in February which will determine the possible next no.1 contender in the division. Sandhagen has come close to the gold quite a few times in the past but never was able to complete the task. But now he believes that this is his time to prove his haters wrong and get what belongs to him. But first, he needs to get past Vera who himself is in red hot form and is a genuine title contender. Sandhagen knows he will have to be at his absolute best if he wants to get past Vera. But once he does this, he has another opponent hanging over his mind. “Last time I checked, O’Malley doesn’t have a contract yet,” Sandhagen said. “So, I think I go out and do really well against ‘Chito,’ I could see me and Sean fighting right afterwards, depending on what happens between Sterling and Cejudo. But that’s the fight that I’ll be asking for.” said Sandhagen while talking to MiddleEasy. The Vera-Sandhagen fight has the potential to be the fight of the year. The winner of that fight could be in line to challenge for the title next year.