While praising one of the current boxing champions, Conor McGregor couldn't resist taking a jab at a past champion. Claressa Shields, who currently has the two-division undisputed title, responded to a tweet in which she was being compared to the greatest Mayweather by a fan. The Irishman praised and encouraged Shields by saying, "You've much more venom that [sic] Floyd," before going on to make his usual tirade about how he would beat Mayweather if they fought again. “I beat Floyd if we rematch,” McGregor wrote on Twitter. “Untold truth was it was me who carried him the early rounds playing pitty patty. Every single shot I threw early landed. From body to head I was playing ping pong. I come out full force, and today, I end Floyd.” The legendary fight between McGregor and Mayweather in August 2017 placed the UFC superstar against one of the greatest boxers of all time and served as the last professional bout of Mayweather's long career. Early on in the fight, it was close, but Mayweather pulled away as the rounds went on, eventually winning by TKO in the tenth round. Mayweather was later quoted as saying, “You know I carried McGregor. You know I made it look good for y’all.” That victory brought Mayweather's professional record to 50-0, but both boxers emerged victorious since the bout was one of the most popular pay-per-views ever and each received projected nine-figure salaries. Since then, Mayweather has only taken part in exhibition fights; his most recent triumph came in September of last year against Mikuru Asakura, a RIZIN star. Since injuring his leg during a trilogy fight with Dustin Poirier in July 2021, McGregor has not competed. Following a prolonged absence from the UFC due to several ailments, McGregor appears destined to make a comeback soon, with the Irishman aiming for the welterweight division. The Notorious has a lot of options, but only time will tell who will be the fortunate one to receive an enormous payout.

Deontay Wilder, who defeated Robert Helenius in the first round in New York on Saturday, cried during the post-fight press conference. The 36-year-old feels he has the ability to dominate the sport after winning decisively in his first fight since Tyson Fury twice stopped him, the latest time in the 11th round last October. Although Wilder and Helenius were friends and had sparred together in the past, the American appeared to be affected by the nature of his triumph as he talked about the risks associated with boxing. Prichard Colon, who is currently being cared for by his family after sustaining a life-altering brain injury as a result of a fight in 2015, was the subject of an emotional speech by Wilder. "Look at (Prichard) Colon. Prichard Colon. This man, not gonna have no kids (starts to cry). They don't understand, they don't **** understand what we go through man. And I don't even know him like that. But I'll always be an advocate for us because I think it's a great honour. This man will never know what it feels like to be somebody's father. But he may never be somebody's father man. This man will never have a natural child. Or the ability to live again because he got in the ring to support his family." Wilder went on to add: 'I could say so much about it [knocking Helenius out], man. That's why you can't play this, this is serious. We don't know if Robert is going to be the same after this. I just did a job. 'I'm great at what I do but I don't mean to take people away from the lifestyle they're living. I'm just trying to support my family as well.' Colon was an impressive super welterweight boxer who had won his opening 16 professional fights. However, he sustained a life altering injury during his bout against Terrel Williams on the undercard of the Lamont Peterson and Feliz Diaz fight in 2015. Colon was knocked down for the first time in his professional career during the fight and complained of feeling dizzy throughout. However, he continued to fight until being disqualified when his corner wrongfully removed his gloves. Shortly after his fight with Williams, Colon complained of dizziness and began vomiting in his dressing room, according to multiple reports. Colon was immediately put under the care of emergency medical technicians and rushed to hospital. Colon was subsequently diagnosed with brain bleeding and was then put into a coma for 221 days. Unfortunately, the 30-year-old boxer has remained in a vegetative state since April 2017. Thankfully, Helenius took to Instagram shortly after his fight with Wilder to tell fans he was 'all good' after going to the hospital for a check up. The 38-year-old Finnish boxer shared a picture of himself with sitting on a hospital bed with his fist up. He wrote an accompanying caption which read: 'A big thanks for all the love and support. I'm all good after a check up at the hospital. Stay humble in both victory or defeat'.

Prior to the impending lightweight championship fight at UFC 280 on Saturday, Charles Oliveira has been recognized as the 155-pound champion by Islam Makhachev's manager Ali Abdelaziz. The Dominance MMA manager provided his thoughts on the much anticipated title contest in an interview with Canal Encarada. Despite having had his title stripped before his most recent bout, Abdelaziz claimed that Makhachev would compete for the championship in Abu Dhabi as a challenger. "Charles Oliveira is the UFC lightweight champion. We are the contender, we just go there to try to challenge the champion to take something very very heavy from him." Oliveira has recently had an amazing streak. With 11 victories under his belt, the Brazilian is outstanding. But he vacated the belt after failing to make weight for his UFC 274 match against Justin Gaethje. Although he is no longer the official champion of the lightweight division, many in the MMA world still view him as such. Oliveira's title fight against Makhachev at UFC 280 will earn him pay-per-view points, as UFC president Dana White also declared earlier this year. Despite having a UFC record for most finishes and submissions, Oliveira is the underdog in the odds for his forthcoming championship match. The odds have probably been impacted by Makhachev's apparent invincibility, which is similar to that of his teammate-turned-coach Khabib Nurmagomedov before his retirement. Although Oliveira and Makhachev are both without a doubt the top lightweights on the UFC roster, they differ from one another in terms of the calibre of opponents they have faced. Makhachev recently defeated Bobby Green and Dan Hooker. Former interim champions Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier, as well as former Bellator titleholder Michael Chandler, were all defeated by Oliveira in his most recent three contests.

At UFC 278 Edwards defeated Kamaru Usman, the No. 1 fighter pound-for-pound, to win the welterweight title. Edwards anticipates that a trilogy fight will follow at a stadium event in the United Kingdom. But there is one fight that makes more sense. Masvidal, who sucker attacked him backstage at a UFC event in London in 2019, is the opponent he most desires to face but he is aware that the UFC will find it difficult to market "Gamebred" given his current three-fight losing streak. In an interview with Sky Sports, The Champion made it clear that: “If Masvidal goes out and gets a big win, then that’s a fight that I want. I even said it: I’ll give him the (title shot) before that and my coach was like, ‘Nah, he doesn’t deserve it.’ But I was acting out of emotions. So whoever comes, No. 1 contenders or money fights, for me, it doesn’t matter. I believe that I am the best.” Leon Edwards has made a few requirements of Jorge Masvidal in response to the mixed martial arts veteran before he can be given a chance to compete for his welterweight title. For a while, "Rocky" tried to get in a fight with the Miami native, but he was consistently passed over in favor of other competitors. The British fighter now has the advantage after capturing the 170 lb. title. Although he would adore the opportunity to seek vengeance on the 37-year-old for the knockout blow which left a cut under his eye three years ago, he will set the parameters of the bout. Masvidal has made it crystal clear that only big fights are of interest to him. Despite having lost his last three fights, "Gamebred" believes he has enough enthusiasm to challenge "Rocky" for the 170-pound strap. Edwards learned that Masvidal had dared him to "step up to the plate" and offer him a shot at the UFC Welterweight Championship. Edwards responded by using social media. Masvidal hopes to enter the ring again soon. "Gamebred" has been talking about possible fights with Leon Edwards, Gilbert Burns, and Conor McGregor. The American Top Team representative has only fought three times in the last three years, and even though he continues to be one of the UFC's best-known fighters, he must keep fighting to avoid falling lower down the rankings. The dispute was never resolved, but now might be the ideal opportunity to take advantage of the rivalry and combine the two strikes to resolve it. The plot between the two combatants has a title attached, which makes things much more fascinating. Additionally, both competitors are nearing the pinnacles of their popularity. Even though everything appears to have come together just so, the UFC may decide to put Kamaru Usman back in the running for the title and give him the chance to recapture the position he had for three years.

Deontay Wilder will be a huge issue in the heavyweight division if he has his enormous right hand. At the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn, New York, on Saturday night, Wilder unleashed the most destructive force in boxing, which resulted in a thrilling knockout of Robert Helenius with three seconds remaining of the first round. Given that Wilder had just suffered his second straight knockout loss to Tyson Fury, the victory was all the sweeter. "The Bronze Bomber" caught his former sparring partner as he was coming in with a right hand that landed flush to the face and dropped "The Nordic Nightmare" flat on his back for an instant knockout after Wilder and Helenius had spent the opening few seconds trying to figure one other out. With the victory, Wilder raises his record to 43-2-1 with 42 KOs. For most of the round, he used his advantage of almost 40 pounds to push Wilder back, and he had him in the corner when Wilder unleashed the right hand that put an end to the Finnish fighter's dreams of advancing to a title shot. “Robert has the heart of a champion, and I knew what he was capable of,” Wilder said. “I didn’t take him lightly at all. I know that he really wanted this. When you fight Deontay Wilder, you have to have you’re A-plus-plus game. … I set him up. I allowed him to reach and when he reached, I attacked. It was a great fight.” One of Wilder's previous sparring partners from Finland, Helenius (31-4, 20 KOs), suffered his third professional knockout loss. First, in their fight in Helsinki, Finland, in April 2016, Johann Duhaupas of France submitted Helenius in the sixth round. In the eighth round, American Gerald Washington defeated Helenius in July 2019 at The Armory in Minneapolis. Helenius overcame the previously unbeaten Adam Kownacki in back-to-back matches to recover from what initially appeared to be a career-ending setback to Washington. After demonstrating once more why his power makes him one of the sport's must-see attractions, Wilder might win the heavyweight title in a jiffy. He may attempt to compete with Oleksandr Usyk, who now holds the other three heavyweight titles in addition to the one Fury stole from Wilder. Wilder held a piece of the heavyweight title for five years. The names of former champions Andy Ruiz Jr. and Anthony Joshua will also be highlighted. "I have been hearing rumors about Usyk, but he's not here, is he?" he added. "When guys see these knockouts, they turn the corner away from me. So, I'm down for whatever, whether it's Andy Ruiz or Usyk, let's bring it on. "Deontay is back and the excitement in the heavyweight division is back." Later, Deontay Wilder bursts into tears when he discussed the dangers of boxing in his post-fight interview. Prichard Colon, who is currently being cared for by his family after sustaining a life-altering brain injury as a result of a fight in 2015, was the subject of an emotional speech by Wilder. "Look at (Prichard) Colon. Prichard Colon. This man, not gonna have no kids (starts to cry). They don't understand, they don't **** understand what we go through man. And I don't even know him like that. But I'll always be an advocate for us because I think it's a great honor. This man will never know what it feels like to be somebody's father. But he may never be somebody's father man. This man will never have a natural child. Or the ability to live again because he got in the ring to support his family."

In a rematch, American Devin Haney upset Australian George Kambosos with a devastating right hand to retain his title as the undisputed lightweight world champion. Devin Haney wasn't looking for this fight. Even yet, he was forced to accept it when he fought George Kambosos Jr. on Saturday from Melbourne, Australia, for the IBF, WBA (super), WBC, and WBO championships. The only reason this fight took place is that Kambosos' loss of the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles in the first fight triggered a rematch clause. The highly regarded 23-year-old successfully defended his WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO belts by unanimous decision, with one judge scoring the contest 119-109 in his favor and the other two both scoring it 118-110. Kambosos appeared and adopted various stances to mislead Haney. Haney needed two rounds to learn the time and rhythm of Kambosos. For the final 10 rounds, Haney reiterated what he had done previously. He battled primarily by squatting in the middle of the ring, launching strong shots one after the other while sitting on his fists. The attack stopped Kambosos, who appeared baffled and had a backup plan after Haney neutralized the first one, causing him to lose to "The Dream" for the second time in a row. Haney has a lot of choices. He might increase his weight to 140 or hold steady at 135 and wait for contests with Shakur Stevenson, Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, or Vasiliy Lomachenko. “We’re taking on all-comers,” Haney said in his post-fight interview. “No matter who it is, we want to fight the best fighters in the world. I believe I’m the best fighter in the world. Whoever it is next, bring ‘em on." The American is only the seventh boxer to simultaneously hold all four championships from the top sanctioning organization, the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO. He accomplished the task and became the first undisputed lightweight champion since Pernell Whitaker in 1990 and the first in the four-belt era that started in 2004 when he defeated Kambosos unanimously in June. He once more employed his incredible speed, instinct, and unrelenting left jab, but this time he also applied powerful right-hand strikes that left the Australian in a state of bloody chaos. "I knew he would be looking for the jab, so I wanted to show other tools in my arsenal," said the San Francisco-born fighter after pummeling Kambosos, who did well to still be there after 12 rounds. "My dad (trainer Bill Haney) wanted me to hook more, but I feel the right hand is what won me the fight. "He's a warrior, I take my hat off to George Kambosos," With the win, Haney's incredible record improved to 29-0 with 15 KOs while Kambosos, who is now 21-2, suffered only his second loss. The Australian said he could retire if he lost the bout, and it now seems unlikely that he will be given another chance at the world title. After the bout, he put an end to any retirement discussion. "He's a great fighter. He gave me a boxing lesson the first time but I came here and gave it my all. It is what it is," he said. "It's not the end, I'll be back," added Kambosos. "I feel that this was a much better fight than the first fight."

Follow the latest developments from UFC Vegas 62, which is taking place at a more exclusive APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event of the evening features a top-ten women's flyweight clash between Alexa Grasso, ranked #5, and Viviane Araujo, ranked #6. Longtime UFC fighter Cub Swanson will square off against rising bantamweight Jonathan Martinez in the co-main event. The preliminary matches start at 4:00pm ET/1:00p PT, while the main programme is scheduled to start at 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT. All of these events may be watched live on ESPN+. Main card: Alexa Grasso vs. Viviane Araujo: (W) Flyweight Jonathan Martinez vs. Cub Swanson: Bantamweight Askar Askarov vs. Brandon Royval: Flyweight Dusko Todorovic vs. Jordan Wright: Middleweight Misha Cirkunov vs. Alonzo Menifield: Light Heavyweight Prelims: Mana Martinez vs. Brandon Davis: Bantamweight Raphael Assuncao vs. Victor Henry: Bantamweight Nick Maximov vs. Jacob Malkoun: Middleweight Joanderson Brito vs. Lucas Alexander: Featherweight Piera Rodriguez vs. Sam Hughes: Strawweight C.J. Vergara vs. Tatsuro Taira: Flyweight Pete Rodriguez vs. Mike Jackson: Welterweight

Even though Charles Oliveira is the underdog against Islam Makhachev, he is more motivated than ever to win back the lightweight title at UFC 280. The Brazilian lost his title earlier this year after failing to make weight before defeating Justin Gaethje via first-round submission at UFC 274; he was the first UFC champion to lose a belt due to weight ineligibility. When Oliveira competes against Khabib Nurmagomedov protege Makhachev in the UFC 280 main event on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, he will be looking to reclaim what he believes was taken from him by the Arizona Athletic Commission. Oliveira intends to "shock the world yet again" by winning the title a second time. “I’m going to shock the world yet again… Well, opinions are subjective and some people believe that I would be a potential winner, he would be a potential winner,” Oliveira told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto in a recent interview (h/t Low Kick MMA). “But I’m gonna show that my history, my background, the number of fights I’ve had, my contenders, these will come to show on that very night. In this sense, I’ll shock the world because people will change their opinion about this.” On October 22, in the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Oliveira vs. Makhachev, the main event of UFC 280, will take place.

In the KSW 75 main event, the underdog Damian Stasiak pushed the favourite Robert Ruchala to the limit but ultimately fell short of pulling the upset. In the main event on Friday in Nowy Sacz, Poland, featherweights Ruchala (8-0) and Stasiak (13-9) squared off for three rounds. But in the end, it was the judges who decided who did the better job, and Ruchala received scores of 28-29, 29-28, and 29-28. At the age of 24, Ruchala entered KSW 75 with a perfect record that includes three victories. Stasiak, a 32-year-old combat veteran who participated in six battles, gave the young person a test right away. On the feet, Stasiak and Ruchala exchanged effective blows, and their mat grappling exchanges were enjoyable. However, in a fast-paced competition, his conditioning began to deteriorate, and Ruchala was able to put in some late work to perhaps influence the judges. With his victory, Ruchala improved his KSW record to 5-0. He then set his sights on a matchup with Salahdine Parnasse, the current 145-pound titleholder. “(That was a) classic fight,” Ruchala said in his post-fight interview. “He had excellent fitness full of energy and beams. … How about a chance (for a title) with my sixth victory in a row?” Robert Ruchala def. Damian Stasiak via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Daniel Omielanczuk def. Michal Martinek via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 28-29) Luis henrique da Silva def. Tomasz Narkun via knockout (front kick) – Round 2, 0:28 Adam Soldaev def. Oleksii Polishchuk via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) Madalin Pirvulescu def. Adam Tomasik via TKO (punches) – Round 1 Yann Liasse vs. Adrian Gralak declared a no-contest (accidental eye poke) – Round 1, 2:38 Kamil Szkaradek def. David Martinik via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) Adrianna Kreft def. Petra Castkova via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

On Saturday, Brandon Royval no longer faces Askar Askarov at UFC Vegas 62. Royval said on Friday that his bout with Askarov had been called off after learning that his opponent wouldn't be able to make weight. “Woke up at 127…before I started the weight cut, I heard my opponents not going to make weight,” wrote Royval on Twitter. “They turned down a catchweight, so it looks like the fight is off. Heartbroken but thank you [Tyler Minton Nutrition] for another easy weight cut. We stay professional on our end.” Askarov has not yet addressed such allegations. Royval wanted to make it three wins in a row. With back-to-back victories over Rogério Bontorin and Matt Schnell at UFC Vegas 46 and UFC 274, respectively, "Raw Dawg" got back on the winning side of the ledger earlier this year. Askarov suffered his first professional defeat in his most recent Octagon match. The "Bullet" was defeated by Kai Kara-France by unanimous decision at UFC Columbus in March. The main event of UFC Vegas 62 will feature a flyweight match between Viviane Arajo and Alexa Grasso. With Royval vs. Askarov postponed, there will now be 11 fights in the event. If Royval vs. Askarov is postponed, it is not yet known when.

Daniel Cormier, a former heavyweight champion of the UFC, appeared in his first professional wrestling event last weekend, and it appears that he might be open to a high-profile contest inside the squared circle in the future. UFC commentator and former two-division champion Daniel Cormier at the exclusive live WWE Extreme Rules event on Saturday made an appearance as the special guest referee for the Fight Pit contest between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle. At one point during the fight, he even got physical with Rollins, and he's up for more. In an interview with ESPN MMA, Cormier referred to his experience at Extreme Rules as "the time of my life." The UFC Hall of Famer stated that he was more apprehensive about wearing the stripes than he had ever been about entering the ring for one of his own battles. “I started forgetting the match,” Cormier said. “I was, like, ‘Oh my goodness I forgot the end.’ So, I kept having to ask questions. I was so nervous, but once I walked out there, it was so fun. “The energy of the crowd is like second to none. I fought in front of bigger crowds than I was in front of last weekend but ultimately that’s — it’s a shoot, right? — I’m going to just fight, it is going to be what it is going to be. But to remember all the points of what you’re supposed to do in the match, dude, it was amazing.” Cormier also discussed how watching WWE wrestlers up close increased his admiration for their athleticism. "The things that they do at their size, it's crazy," he said, mentioning Drew McIntyre and Karrion Kross, who participated in a Strap match earlier in the program. Now the issue is, would Cormier be willing to give those things a shot himself? Even though, Cormier would be ideal for additional WWE work. He is a genuine fighter and entertaining. The 43-year-old expressed interest in participating in a wrestling match to Associated Press reporter Dan Gelston. Before feeling ready to enter the ring, Cormier stated that he would need some time. "I’ve been retired for a couple of years, and I look like it. But I’d have to get in shape if I ever want to do something like that," Cormier said. "The door is not closed on anything right now in my life." Cormier didn’t mention Lesnar by name, but popular speculation is that he might eventually face Brock Lesnar in a WWE matchup after the two men hyped a UFC battle in 2018 but it never occurred. At UFC 226 in July 2018, Cormier and Lesnar had a memorable encounter after Cormier won the main event against Stipe Miocic to become a double champion and the first person to simultaneously hold the UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight crowns. During his post-fight interview, Cormier summoned former UFC heavyweight champion, Lesnar, inside the Octagon, where they engaged in a brief push-and-pull exchange. Since Cormier has always been a fan of wrestling, entering the ring would be a dream come true for him. After Extreme Rules, he has no further WWE commitments. The UFC analyst said there is a narrow window for him to physically compete, though he is open to more. “They were talking to me about doing future things in the WWE and I go, ‘I’ll do things, but I got to get in shape first,’” Cormier said. “Like, give your boy some time to get some of this baggage of this luggage.”

Nowadays, it seems like everyone is after a piece of Jake Paul because facing him in an exhibition boxing match means having a huge payday. Uriah Hall, who recently left the UFC, will face three-time NFL Pro Bowl running back Le'Veon Bell on October 29 which will be both men's first professional boxing contest. The fight between the YouTube sensation Jake Paul and former MMA champion Anderson Silva will serve as the event's main attraction. The main event will take place in Phoenix's Footprint Center. Hall surprisingly triggered Silva's UFC retirement after defeating him in the fourth round of their main event match at UFC Fight Night 181 just two years earlier. Both guys are now participating in a boxing match under the same card, and Hall is interested in Silva's upcoming opponent for the foreseeable future. In a pre-fight press conference on Thursday, Hall was questioned about his decision to compete in professional boxing again after only three months of retirement from MMA. He stated: “Fight Jake Paul,” Hall responded. “… I’m a competitor, man. This is a different stage. I’ve boxed before. Actually, a long time ago I did some amateur boxing. I said, ‘Listen, pique my interest to do something like this.’ My coach did, so I was like, alright, I’ll do it. I’m a competitor.” After losing to Andre Muniz by a unanimous decision at UFC 276 in MMA, Hall announced his retirement from the sport. With 19 fights in the UFC and his second consecutive defeat, he decided to retire. But when he got the chance to fight Bell, who in September defeated another ex-NFL running back Adrian Peterson in an amateur match, his competitive spirit erupted. If Paul defeats Bell, Hall cites a recent online conversation and a challenge against a fighter who is popular in the boxing world as the reasons why Paul is on his radar. “It’s exciting,” Hall said. “We had some online exchange a long time ago and I just want to show him what a real fight is. I mean, it’s boxing. I feel personally I can beat any boxer in the world. All I gotta do is kick ’em. That’s a real fight. But I’ve been in boxing gyms before where I’ve tried to learn stuff, a long time ago before I tamed my ego. Although Jake Paul gets highly criticized for not facing a professional boxer, he remains in demand due to the big paycheck factor. But The Problem Child has sharpened his abilities and enters the ring as a favorite. Hall isn't exactly willing to make his payment for the fight public, but it doesn't seem like he has any issues with the money he will be paid for it. There has been much discussion over the years concerning the imbalance in pay between top boxers and the biggest champions in a promotion like the UFC. Jake Paul has strongly opposed fighter compensation in the UFC and has frequently engaged in debates with Dana White, the organization's president, about the issue. Hall expressed when asked about the pay in boxing: “You don’t have to go too much into details but I know people that are making [$10,000 to show, $10,000 to win], which is ridiculous. Cause you’re going out there and fighting and you’re putting your brain cells on the line and f****** ring card girls are making $70,000, which is utterly f****** ridiculous. So yeah, there’s some s*** that’s just not going down but compared to this it’s OK. You know your worth as you get older in your career, I think, especially when you put a lot on the line for it and some people feel like they deserve more. At one point, I felt like I deserved more and I had to fight for that.”