Author: Dylan Bowker

Magomed Ankalaev has admitted that Ali Abdelaziz composes the tweets on the UFC light heavyweight champion’s X account but everything is done in a collaborative sense. This has become part of the narrative leading into Ankalaev’s light heavyweight title rematch with the man he claimed the crown from Alex Pereira. Leading into their UFC 320 main event clash on October 4th, Pereira has accused Ankalaev of not running his social media account.

The former two division titleholder intimated that the Russian champion was a bit of a shrinking violet when ‘Poatan’ confronted him about some of the online trash talk that Pereira claims actually came from Ali Abdelaziz. During a recent interview with Mike Heck of MMA Fighting, Magomed Ankalaev addressed some of these sentiments as Ankalaev said,

“You know, I don’t know what he’s referring to because I am constantly on in communication with my manager Ali. We always talk about things. If somebody’s throwing a challenge out or somebody says something in my direction, we discuss it.”

“We hash it out and we figure out what we have to write and then he puts it into a tweet. Never has he ever written anything without my consent. We’re constantly in communication.”

“So there’s not one tweet, not one writing that came out that I wasn’t aware of that was done behind my back. We always do stuff together.”

Magomed Ankalaev’s manager and why he draws the ire of Alex Pereira

Magomed Ankalaev’s managher Ali Abdelaziz courts controversy frequently and it doesn’t seem like the Brazilian standout is a fan of his behaviour. This was something that the former Glory Kickboxing and UFC champion touched on while appearing on The Ariel Helwani Show, as Pereira stated [via Bloody Elbow],

“Honestly, I don’t know Ali’s story. I don’t know his background. But we know that he seems to be a guy that likes to be in the media. Even now, we start talking about Ankalaev and then his name came out.”

“The way that he carries himself — I don’t know about his past, but he carries himself like he was a super MMA champion that retired and now is a super manager but still wants to be relevant and stay in the media.”

“He seems to be a guy that was used to fame, stopped fighting, but now keeps trying to show up, using his fighters. Everybody sees that.”

Knockout CP Freshmart will test skill with Carlos Canizales in Thailand during the final quarter of 2025. Double C enters the ring as the WBC light flyweight champion and takes on a former standout titleholder at minimumweight in Knockout CP Freshmart with the intriguing contest set to go down on December 4th in Bangkok. A lot of people see Canizales as the preeminent fighter at 108 pounds today.

Conversely for CP Freshmart, government name Thammanoon Niyomtrong, he is looking to rebuild as he is now on the heels of authoring the longest running title reign in the history of championship campaigns at 105 pounds. Freshmart held the WBA light flyweight title since ascending to that throne in 2014 and went on a decade long run of defending that gold strap.

This impressive run came to a crashing halt in a November 2024 title unification clash with Oscar Collazo that saw Knockout CP Freshmart take the first loss of his professional boxing career. The 35-year-old has since bounced back somewhat and put together a winning streak but this fight defintiely represents a marked jump up in quality of sweet science opposition for CP Freshmart.

Knockout CP Freshmart vs. Carlos Canizales overview continued

Canizales will be stepping into enemy territory here as the defending champion against a prolific Thai fighter who will certainly be the partisan favorite when these two do battle inside the ring. The fight’s booking coincides with the WBC’s 63rd annual convention which runs from November 30th to Decmeber 5th in Bangkok.

The 32-year-old titleholder out of Caracas, Venezuela, looks to establish a bit of consistency here as Canizales has alternated between victories and defeats over his last four boxing bouts. Carlos Canizales captured the belt by way of an emphatic fifth-round knockout in August. This was during a sequel clash versus Panya Pradabsri. Freshmart looks to keep Canizales in that mixed results category as the former aims to cement himself as a two division titleholder here in this prizefight which is adjacent to the holiday season.

Alex Pereira is letting the verbal volleys fly at Magomed Ankalaev before the fistic fireworks are set off this weekend. Pereira and Ankalaev will run it back in a rematch for light heavyweight gold which transpires at UFC 320 on October 4th. Speaking to assembled media at an open workout event in Las vegas prior to his sequel clash with the dominant Russian, with video footage provided by MMA Junkie, ‘Poatan’ touched on several subjects related to the personal rivlary that has emerged between himself and Ankalaev all through 2025.

Speaking about how he perceived that Ankalev was avoiding him and even intimating that the reigning 205 pound champ was not the one generating the trash talk in question, as Pereira [through the aid of an interpretor] said,

“100% he hid when he arrived here. I think this proves that it’s not him who writes things, because people are putting responsibility on him. And then, when he gets here, he thinks: ‘Damn, I wasn’t the one who said that, right? Now I’m going to stay here, I’m alone.’ And then whoever spoke is somewhere else, maybe, right? So the guy is here alone, feels alone… I don’t believe it’s fear, but maybe he didn’t know my reaction and said: ‘I’m going to hide to avoid something.’ Maybe, but that he hid, that’s 100%.”

Alex Pereira and the backstory on why he made these claims about Magomed Ankalaev

Alex Pereira did not make these comments apropos of nothing as Magomed Ankalaev had previously made some claims about ‘Poatan’ lying. The reigning UFC light heavyweight champion described Pereira as not being truthful regarding a confrontation that recently happened between the two at the UFC’s Performance Institute.

Giving an overview of the whole situation and trying to indicate a stoic detachment from any kind of rivalry with his opponent on Saturday night, Pereira stated [via MMA Junkie],

“I don’t know why he’s saying that because that’s 100 percent what happened. That just goes to show you it’s not him writing online. It’s not coming from him. What happens is somebody else is somewhere else writing for him, and then he comes here and sees me. Maybe he thought I don’t want to face him right now, and I’m alone. But that’s 100 percent what happened.”

“I try to avoid conflicts with my opponents. I even try to be friendly with them afterward. You’ve seen this before. I’ve talked about training with past opponents. I don’t really know what it is. He used to say a lot, that I was running away from him, that I didn’t want to fight him. That’s never happened. We all know the UFC didn’t want to promote that fight. That’s never what it was. I have no problem with him. I always try to be friendly and avoid conflict.”

Pele is a well regarded figure to longtime fans of mixed martial arts and Rory MacDonald got to experience that direct ferocity with the Brazilian combatant as a young fighter on the come up in Canada. This was touched on by the former UFC welterweight title challenger recently during a conversation with Rampage Jackson on the ex-UFC light heavyweight champion’s show, Jaxxon Podcast.

Pele, also known by his government name Jose Landi-Jons, is known for iconic fights against names like former UFC light heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell in International Vale Tudo Championship as well as Canada’s first ever UFC titleholder, former UFC welterweight champ Carlos Newton inside the Pride FC ring.

Landi-Jons has also authored hugely impressive wins over the likes of UFC’s inaugural welterweight champion Pat Miletich, UFC welterweight legend Matt Hughes, as well as former Bellator MMA middleweight kingpin Alexander Shlemenko to name but a few.

Speaking of his training experiences years back with the decorated MMA veteran of close to fifty pro mixed martial arts bouts, MacDonald said,

“Yeah, I trained with Pele. He almost killed me when I was a kid. No, he sparred hard. He brought it. It was like he was back out west in British Columbia. I think he moved out there for a little while.”

When asked by Rampage Jackson if Pele was a nice guy as many have imparted to him through the years, MacDonald stated,

“He’s awesome. Yeah, super happy like fun guy. But then when you put on the gloves, you’ve got to be ready [laughs].”

Rory MacDonald contemplates return from retirement for White House card against a familiar foe

Rory MacDonald has been retired for a little while now but an opportunity on next year’s UFC White House card in a third fight with Robbie Lawler would entice him to don the gloves on. This was also referenced by the Canadian combatant on the same appearance for the Jaxxon Podcast.

Speaking to what his intrigue level would be in competing on that unique card set for next Summer and who he would ideally like to tangle with in that hypothetical return to the octagon, MacDonald stated [via MMA Junkie],

“That would be tempting, yeah, for sure. If I had the right opponent. I don’t know, though, if I’d be welcomed back or not. I don’t know where I stand… I’d probably [fight] if Robbie [Lawler] was up for it.”

Rashad Evans is interwoven into the history of the UFC’s light heavyweight title and weighed in on the upcoming battle for the crown between Alex Pereira and Magomed Ankalaev. Pereira vs. Ankalaev 2 takes place on Saturday, October 4th in the UFC 320 main event and Evans recently gave his thoughts on the bout during an appearance on ‘The Bohnfire’ with Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie.

Their first fight took place in March at UFC 313 and for this sequel clash later on in the calendar year, ‘Suga’ Rashad Evans can see Pereira making some big adjustments after dropping the first Ankalaev fight by way of a unanimous decision.

When offering an overview of this meanignful matchup for the 205 pound crown he once held, Evans said [via MMA Junkie],

“This is a big fight for him because if he doesn’t win this fight, then his next step, he’s probably going to have to leave light heavyweight and go up to heavyweight. That would probably be the smartest move for him. I’m not saying that he can’t beat Ankalaev. But two in a row with him, it would be a tough one to go forward. Especially at the age he’s at right now. You don’t want to give anybody their eulogy or anything like that when they are a great performer, but at the same time, if he doesn’t win this fight, it’s like, do we plan on doing?”

Rashad Evans sees the Pereira vs. Ankalaev series evening up at UFC 320

Getting into the specifics of who he sees getting their hand raised when the dust settles this weekend, Evans stated [via MMA Junkie],

“I’m going to go with Alex Pereira. I feel he’s going to make the adjustments. I’ve got a lot of faith in his team. I think [Glover] Teixeira and Plinio [Cruz] are very good at making the adjustments that they need to. Alex, when I seen him last, he seems to be really locked in to doing what he needs to do in camp without the distractions and really just making sure he gets the training partners he needs to get. Fight from that place that he knows if he fights from that, he can win.”

BKB Bare Knuckle Boxing made a big impact in its New York debut which took place on Saturday, September 27th. BKB 46 Empire State Brawl transpired at the Seneca Allegany Resort & Casino in Salamanca, New York and one of the promotion’s pound for pound ebst fgithers showed out in the headliner.

In the main event of the night, BKB Cruiserweight champion Cub Hawkins showed out in what was the super middleweight debut for the standout fighter. The former BKB Police Gazette diamond light heavyweight champion looks to carve out a path for gold in a third weight class. Hawkins improves his ledger in gloveless combat to 8-1 as he scored a third-round TKO win against Brett Williams.

Jamal Woods would notch his first victory in the Trigon as he dispatched Dylan Rush via a third-round technical knockout.

Ex-UFC vet Juan Adams had an electric super heavyweight showdown with Richard Carmack. Adams would ultimately outpace Carmack and the first-round knockout ended up being bestowed the distinction of being the evening’s Fight of the Night.

In another first round finish, Maurice Morris secured a TKO in the opening round as he had a dominant showing against Alexei Kiser at BKB 46.

BKB 46: Ronson makes big impression in promotional debut, Minasyan and Abdulgaziev earn first round stoppages

Serob Minasyan would get dropped early in the fight but turned things around to win with a first-round knockout over James Bodnar with Minasyan now affixing his gaze toward the BKB Middleweight title which is held by LT Nelson. Ihor Blazhenko bested Gio Rosales by way of a unanimous decision in what was his debut and the former noticeably outboxed the latter over five rounds.

Top pound for pound Canadian MMA fighter Jesse Ronson took out established BKB vet Ryan Jett with a second-round TKO and now has aims to become Canada’s first champion in bare knuckle boxing outside of a grassroots Canadian circuit for gloveless combat. Said Abdulgaziev had his debut in the Mighty Trigon at BKB 46 and authored a statement win that aims to put the BKB Cruiserweight division on notice. That first-round TKO versus Shane Fichter is one step toward that path with Cub Hawkins at the end.

BKB promotes their next card on October 18th as Leeds, England will be greeted to a stacked card at Planet Ice Arena. Former 2-division world boxing champion Paulie Malignaggi battles former BKB champ and former BKFC title challenger Tyler Goodjohn. In the co-main event, Dan Podmore defends his Bridgerweight title in a champ vs. champ fight against the highly decorated Marko Martinjak, who aims to be a reigning champion concurrently across two divisions.

Undefeated middleweight combatant Dante Kirkman who boasts a record of 5-0 with 2 stoppages is preparing to make a quick return to action. He will do so as he enters the ring in a bout slated for six-rounds in a fight where the opponent has yet to be announced. The contest will transpire at The Hangar in Costa Mesa, California. Promoter Roy Englebrecht’s will oversee the card set for October 23rd for the Fight Club OC series.

Kirkman notably graduated from Stanford University earlier on in 2025 is now fully streamlining his attentions to his pro boxing career. Speaking to his keenness to put on a great performance for Southern California fans as Dante Kirkman said,

“I’m grateful to be back in the ring so soon after my last fight. Staying active is one of the most important things for a young fighter like myself. Every time I step into the ring, I gain more experience, more confidence, and I sharpen my craft.”

“I’m ready to show the progress I’ve made since my last fight and continue proving why I belong among boxing’s top prospects.”

Dante Kirkman knows “the sky’s the limit” in his boxing career

Fighting in Southern California for the first time, Dante Kirkman is excited to bolster his fanbase with an emphatic win, as Kirkman stated,

“This is my first time fighting in Southern California, and it’s something I’m looking forward too. Fight Club OC has a great reputation, and I know the fans here love boxing and bring great energy. I want to give them a performance that excites them and makes them remember my name. To be part of this stage is an honor, and I’m ready to bring the fire to Costa Mesa.”

Building on his boxing career comes with acknowledging the support from his team, as Kirkman quipped,

“No fighter can make it on their own—it takes a team that believes in you, pushes you, and guides you in the right direction. I’m fortunate to have the right people in my corner, and together we’re building my career step by step. My job is to stay disciplined, stay hungry, and keep giving everything I have every time I fight. With an outstanding team behind me, I know the sky’s the limit.”

Kirkman’s next bout under the Fight Club OC keeps advancing him within the sweet science where is known as one of boxing’s most promising middleweights with a unqiue confluence of intelligence and athletic capability.

Jesse Ronson is one of the great fight north’s most well travelled competitors and has a hunger for gold in bare knuckle now. The Canadian combatant takes on Ryan Jett at BKB 46: Empire State Brawl on September 27th in Jesse Ronson’s promotional debut.

Clashing with a combatant in Jett who has fought some champion caliber fighters and champions outright like Sam Liera, Cub Hawkins, and Martin Reffell to name a few excites Jesse Ronson. When touching on if this kind of fight can serve those broader ambitions of getting to contend for a bare knuckle title sooner rather than later, Jesse Ronson said,

“Yes, 100%. So you look at Ryan Jett, he’s four and seven or five and seven in MMA, right? Not a very good MMA record. He’s four and five in bare knuckle boxing. Not a very good record, but he lost to [Sam] Liera twice, the [former] 165 lb champ twice. He lost to, I think you said [Cub] Hawkins or whatever, who is a champion in my weight class, they actually fought for the title and he lost to him. Like out of his five losses, I think three or four of them are to actual champions or former champions in BYB [now BKB].”

“So it’s like I go out there on September 27th and I make a statement. I finish Ryan Jett in the first round making it eight wins in a row. Eight first round finishes across MMA, bare knuckle MMA, [bare knuckle] boxing, whatever. It would be hard pressed not to give me an immediate title shot in December. They need new guys. They need fresh blood. A Canadian that’s never won a title before or even I think the only; I don’t know if any Canadians have ever fought for a bare knuckle title other than Jade Masson-Wong.”

“She fought for the BKFC title, but still to get out there and do that, like it’s just huge. And Canada, like I got more support for bare knuckle boxing [laughs] than I ever did for all my UFC fights. Like people are like, “Holy s**t bare knuckle, that’s gangster as hell, dude.” Like people are; like random people are giving me like cash donations. Like, dude, that’s just gangster. Like, take this. And I was like, “Do you want me to; you don’t want a picture? You want a shout out?” They’re like, “Nah, dude. Whatever can help.” He’s like, “I just want to watch that shit.” That’s never happened to me for MMA or UFC or anything like that.”

“Even when I beat Nicolas Dalby, you know, people loved it. You know, I got like 500 likes, but it’s still like I wasn’t getting the support and messages and people coming together for me like they are now for bare knuckle boxing. It’s ridiculous. So, yeah, put a smackdown on Ryan Jett, who is no joke. You know, he’s a seasoned veteran. Even though he’s only got nine fights, he’s a veteran, but he fights dirty. I f***in love it. He’s a dirty fighter. He’s safe. He is tough.”

“He’s hard to finish. I think he’s only been finished one time. So, they’re not making it easy for me. And I just want to go out there and demolish this guy. So I can, you know, give me the f***in strap and add to my collection over here because I don’t know if you’ve seen the BYB [BKB] belts. It’s the original belt from like 1880. And it’s like a sash. It’s not; You can’t even call it a belt. It’s a sash and it’s got like; Oh, it’s very unique. I’ve never seen anything like it. And I want it hanging on my wall.”

Jesse Ronson has a “nice empty space” for future BKB Police Gazette diamond belt

When talking about the BKB Police Gazette diamond belt which has the deepest lineage of any combat sports title around and how incredible it would be for him to someday add that strap to his crowded mantle, Jesse Ronson stated,

“Yeah, there’s no room over there and I’m not about to buy a new one. But it would be perfect to just hang right across the wall… I have my UFC jersey here, but there’s this nice empty space that I can put it right there [laughs]. Anytime I sit at my desk, I just look up. You’re a world f***in champion, man. Let’s go.”

Callum Walsh is riding high in the boxing world and wants to be the face of the emerging promotion helmed by Dana White and Turki Alalshikh. This was expressed during a media day appearance where he fielded questions from on-site reporters, as captured by MMA Junkie video.

In the pre-fight build up to his recent fight on the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford main card that ended up being broadcast to tens of millions of people on Netflix, Callum Walsh said,

“I would love to be the face of TKO boxing. I would love to be the man that Dana and Tom and everyone sends out to fight anybody, you know, that’s what it’s about for me. I don’t want to be hyped up as 30-0 and never fought anyone. I want to be the guy that they’re like, ‘Right, we’re looking for a fight. Callum will fight him.’ You know what I mean?”

“Send him out. He’ll fight. He’ll put on a show. Everyone will be happy. Fans will show up to the fight because they know I’m going to show up and fight. That’s the thing for me. Just be entertaining and give people their money’s worth.”

Callum Walsh disappointed with latest performance, eyes one more fight in 2025

Callum Walsh emerged victorious in the recent fight he had, which was referenced in a cursory way above, but left with a bit of a sour taste in his mouth. Walsh bested Fernando Vargas Jr. by way of unanimous decision and came out of the ring with a 15-0 professional ledger as a pugilist. Speaking about the Vargas Jr. win at the post-fight press conference, Walsh stated [via Ring Magazine],

“It was an unbelievable experience but I do feel a bit disappointed because I wanted to be better. At the end of the day I beat an undefeated fighter, so I’m happy … What an honor. People forget that I am still 24 years old. I am still learning, growing. I gained a lot of experience. I felt no pressure walking out.”

“When I got in the ring, after the first round, I didn’t feel my best. I felt sluggish, slow. After that I put a lot of pressure on myself to perform. It was frustrating because I know how good I can be, how much experience I have, and what I can do.”

The native of Ireland addressed a potential next step for him in his career as Walsh quipped [via Ring Magazine],

“Turki [Alalshikh] asked me if I want to fight in November. I said no problem, let me know. We’ll see who they put in front of me. I’m a simple man. I just show up and fight whoever they want me to fight.”

Jack Della Maddalena thinks his looming title challenger will learn from the mistakes made by the man JDM captured gold from. Maddalena aims to make his first successful welterweight title defense against Islam Makhachev at UFC 322. The native of Australia captured the strap from Belal Muhammad at UFC 315 in May.

Speaking to local media ahead of his looming title defense, with video footage provided by Submission Radio, JDM addressed several subjects as he aims to make his all important first title defense while trying to thwart Makhachev’s attempt at entering the rarefied air of two division titleholders throughout UFC history.

Touching on how he analyzes as well as contrasts what Muhammad and Makhachev bring ton the table as adversaries, Maddalena said [via MMA Junkie],

“They’re different fighters, different challenges. Obviously, there’s some similarities within the grappling style, but I definitely look at Islam as a completely different challenge – more of a finishing ability, more powerful on the feet, so different challenge, and I’m excited for it. It’s going to start on the feet, and we’ll go from there.”

“I think he’s going to try and mix it up. I think he’ll probably try getting on wrestling early, I’d imagine. Looking back at the Belal fight, he probably sees that Belal’s mistake was maybe not getting on the wrestling early. Yeah, expecting the first round to be getting into some grappling exchanges.”

Jack Della Maddalena touches on his dream outcome at Madison Square Garden

Jack Della Maddalena did tout the finishing ability of Islam Makhachev but looks to put the Dagestan standout on the wrong end of a fight ending inside the distance this November. As the 29-year-old articulated his aims to end this one inside the distance against the former UFC lightweight champion, Maddalena stated [via MMA Junkie],

“I’m going to go for it. Obviously, that would be the best-case scenario: Get the finish. I can see it happening. I can see blowing the roof off MSG, taking out the pound-for-pound No. 1 with no doubts. A finish would be the dream.”

An Oktagon MMA standout who has drawn comparisons to both Brock Lesnar and Paddy Pimblett is seemingly engaging in a bit of a public feud with the powerhouse European MMA organization. The combatant in question is Frederic Vosgröne and while he got a victory in the Oktagon MMA cage over the weekend, his future with the promotion seems a bit up in the air. At Oktagon 76, Vosgröne would defeat Fabio Moraes with the September 20th victory in Frankfurt, Germany transpiring in the first round.

The hulking competitor improved to 5-0 there and since his promotional debut in April, Vosgröne has become one of the promotion’s more viral stars with his social media videos picking up a lot of attention. Unfortunately some attention was drawn to Frederic Vosgröne’s antics at the post-fight press conference where he said some inflammatory things about the higher ups at Oktagon MMA.

Oktagon MMA released an official statement on the matter which can be seen in full in the included link here.

Frederic Vosgröne responds to the Oktagon MMA statement

Frederic Vosgröne has since fireed back a retort to the company by way of his personal Instagram story, as Vosgröne stated [via Bloody Elbow],

“If you feel disrespected by me than we should just part ways. I have many organizations that are much bigger wanting me to fight. So Ondrej Novotny [OKTAGON co-founder & owner], if you feel like you can’t treat me right, than just cancel my contract. But obviously you won’t do it and use it as leverage to pressure me.”

The future of the popular unbeaten fighter is somewhat in question although at the end of Oktagon MMA‘s statement on this matter, the promotion mentioned how the hulking combatant has already agreed to a subsequent fight in Cologne. Vosgröne has expressed a willingness to honor that bout agreement, one which OMMA stated was agreed upon and confirmed multiple times by his management already.

Carl Froch continues to lean into the public war of words with Darren Till and also touched on another ex-UFC fighter now fighting in the sweet science. During an interview with Football Blog, Froch kept up the banter that he has been engaging in with the former UFC welterweight title challenger.

‘The Cobra’ mentioned that if the money is right, he would consider fighting again and seemed keen to return against the reigning Misfits Boxing titleholder. When teasing a potential comeback to the ring and working in shots at the current MFB bridgerweight champion, Froch said,

“There’s an opportunity to get in there and make some money in a fight that I think’s gonna be quite an easy fight. I’ve started hitting the bag and having a workout and started running a little bit just to see how I feel. And I feel f*king great. I think it’s easy money, and if the money’s enough, then I’d consider it. Darren [Till] talks a lot s**t. He’s proper gobs**te.”

Carl Froch on Molly McCann in boxing: “I doubt she’ll do anything”

Commenting on another Scouser who crossed over from the UFC cage to the boxing ring, Carl Froch also gave his thoughts on the path ahead for Molly McCann who left behind MMA and donned the big gloves.

While she did have a successful debut in the boxing ring recently, Froch seems unsure about the upward mobility that Molly McCann can have in terms of ascending the ranks in the boxing world. Touching on how he foresees McCann’s forward path playing out after her TKO of Kate Radomska on September 13th in the final round of their fight, Froch stated,

“As a UFC fighter and not having the experience in boxing, it’s going to be difficult. And there’s not many that come from UFC that transcend into boxing very well. Even the top UFC fighters don’t really make good professional boxers, so I doubt she’ll [Molly McCann will] do anything, especially at 35. But it’s wide open and there’s not many female boxers at the top of the game. But if you look at a world champion in her weight division, she’s probably going to struggle.”

One of the more infamous judges through the annals of UFC history has recently thrown a bit of shade at another TKO helmed property. This came from Dave Meltzer who is widely known for his work in the professional wrestling media space and his lengthy tenure overseeing The Wrestling Observer newsletter. The slight dig came during a re-tweet of a Ring Magazine post which was highlighting boxing’s first ever million dollar live gate. The tweet from X account @ringmagazine reads as follows,

“Amazing photo of undisputed heavyweight king Jack Dempsey and light-heavyweight champion Georges Carpentier, readying themselves before the opening bell for their hugely anticipated clash at Boyle’s Thirty Acres in New Jersey in 1921. In one of the biggest fights of all-time, almost 90,000 fans generated the first ever million dollar gate and then watched as “The Manassa Mauler” methodically broke down the Frenchman and won by knockout in round four.”

Retweeting the post and working in a bit of a dig to WWE, Meltzer said,

“Are there any boxing promotions who claim history started in 1984 and all the fights were in smoky bars?”

This is in reference to WWE’s revisionist history regarding how Vince McMahon brought pro wrestling to unseen heights and that the popularity of professional wrestling was negligable prior to McMahon Jr. taking the reigns of the company in ’84.

Are there any boxing promotions who claim history started in 1984 and all the fights were in smoky bars? https://t.co/gZ4DxouAiS

— Dave Meltzer (@davemeltzerWON) September 25, 2025

The connectivity of Dave Meltzer to the UFC in the promotion’s nascent days

Dave Meltzer is one of the longest tenured MMA journalists out there and he was one of only two credentialed reporters that covered the first UFC card in November 1993. It was at UFC 18 though that Meltzer would act as one of the apointed cageside judges as mentioned earlier. The stalwart professional wrestling media member dealt out some verdicts throughout the card that were roundly agreed to but there was one particularly controversial scorecard from that event where Meltzer’s call had many scratching their heads.

This took place in the contest between Mark Coleman and Pedro Rizzo. The vast majority of the observers, including the live fans and UFC broadcast team for the show, felt like ‘The Hammer’ had done enough to defeat ‘The Rock’. But alas, two of the three appointed judges did not share that broader opinion. Meltzer, along with fellow assigned official Eddie Goldman, inexplicably gave the fight to Pedro Rizzo which saw Rizzo emerge with a split decision victory over Coleman.

This was also a high stakes clash that served as the semi-finals for a UFC heavyweight title tournament that was eventually won outright by Bas Rutten.

Kai Asakura will be making the move up to 135 pounds after consecutive setbacks in the octagon at flyweight. The former UFC flyweight title challenger will be leaving 125 pounds behind for now and this was something which Asakura mentioned on his personal YouTube channel. Touching upon his future plans as a contracted competitor with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, Asakura said [via Yahoo Sports],

“I’m going to move up a weight class, so I’m going to have to prepare properly and get my body in shape again. It might be next year or so, but I’ll definitely win my next fight. It’s not because someone told me to, but because I’ve always done things based on my own instincts. I want to win.”

🚨 Kai Asakura has announced that he will be moving up to bantamweight

(via @kai_1031_) pic.twitter.com/7Hy2aYuiHe

— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) September 25, 2025

Kai Asakura and his path in the MMA world so far

Kai Asakura will be making a switch in a sense but he will be returning to a weight category that he is more than familiar with. Asakura rose to prominence in Rizin as a 2021 RFF bantamweight grand prix finalist while also cementing himself as the Rizin Fighting Federation bantamweight champion twice.

His first foray into the UFC marked Asakura’s return to flyweight for the first time since the first quarter of 2017. Asakura famously had the unique opportunity to receive a title shot in his debut effort with the company. Kai Asakura competed against Alexandre Pantoja at UFC 310 last December. Pantoja would secure a rear naked choke in the first half of the second round to retain his belt and set back Asakura at 0-1 in the UFC.

Asakura would also fall short in his sophomore effort with the UFC and lost to a fellow former UFC flyweight title challenger. The Japanese combatant was again submitted in the second round, this time in the waning seconds of the final minute as he tapped to a guillotine choke against Tim Elliott at UFC 319 in August.

Jake Paul vs Tank Davis is set for November and the card keeps filling out as we enrocach closer. Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix have announced that the WBA super lightweight world champ Gary Russell versus the WBA’s #1 contender, undefeated Andy Hiraokain out of Japan. This will be a 12-round men’s 140 pound championship fight. 

Also in a massive preliminary card headliner for the Jake Paul vs Tank Davis card, unified super bantamweight world champion Ellie Scotney will be the youngest UK boxer ever to ficompete for undisputed world championship status whether male or female. That will be in a ten-round women’s championship clash against Mexican combatant, WBA world champion Mayelli Flores in a contracted contest set for 122 pounds.

Along with Scotney versus Flores, MVP’s Costa Rican star Yokasta Valle will defend the WBC strawweight world title in a clash with Yadira Bustillos. That will be a ten-round women’s 105 pound championship clash. Also on the card, MVP’s top contender Avious Griffin will face Cesar Francis in an eight round bout at 147lbs.

Gary Antuanne Russell, the youngest of the fighting Russell brothers from Capitol Heights, Maryland, has carved his own path in boxing while drawing from the legacy of his family. Nicknamed “The Last,” the 29-year-old reigning WBA super lightweight world champion grew up under the tutelage of his father, Gary Sr. and alongside his brothers, including former WBC champion Gary Russell Jr. The generational legacy of the Russell family will be seen globally via Netflix as part of Jake Paul vs Tank Davis.

As an amateur, he won National Golden Gloves titles before representing the United States at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Russell then transitioned to the pro ranks, building his reputation with an aggressive southpaw style and a string of first-round stoppages. Russell has earned notable wins over Viktor Postol, Rances Barthelemy, and Kent Cruz, while rebounding from a narrow split-decision loss to Alberto Puello in 2024.

In March 2025, he dominated Jose Valenzuela to capture the WBA 140lb world title with a performance that underlined his potential to become the most accomplished of the Russell dynasty. Offering up his thoughts on participating in an event like Jake Paul vs Tank Davis, Gary Russell said,

“I’m excited to be on an event of this magnitude and put the Russell family legacy on display live on Netflix. Hiraoka is my mandatory challenger and a strong fighter. We will prepare as we always do and handle  business. I will be king of division for a long time and defending my title will be the first step towards it!”

Andy Hiraoka is an undefeated super lightweight contender from Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan heading into the Jake Paul vs Tank Davis card. The 29-year-old Hiraoka began boxing as a teenager under the guidance of his father, an American military veteran, and turned professional in December 2013 at just 17 years old. He quickly climbed Japan’s ranks, winning the Japanese national and WBO Asia Pacific super lightweight titles.

Hiraoka gained international recognition with his U.S. debut in 2019, where he secured a TKO win over Rogelio Casarez. Since then, he has retained his unblemished record with a nearly 80% stoppage rate, establishing himself as one of Japan’s brightest hopes for world championship glory and a serious force in the global super lightweight division. He is currently the #1 WBA contender at 140lbs.

“Becoming world champion has been my mission since day one, and on Friday, November 14, live on Netflix, I will make that dream a reality,” said Andy Hiraoka. “Gary Russell is a great champion, but I am coming to Miami to win his belt and become Japan’s next world champion.”

MVP’s unified super bantamweight world champion Ellie Scotney will become the youngest UK boxer in history, male or female, to fight for the undisputed crown on Friday, November 14. The Catford, England native made her pro boxing debut in 2020. In her seventh pro fight, Scotney dethroned former 122lb champion Cherneka Johnson by UD to become the new IBF world champion.

Scotney successfully defended her IBF belt against Laura Griffa in September 2023 before unifying the division and adding the WBO and Ring Magazine titles to her collection in a UD win over then-undefeated 18-0 champion Segolene Lefebvre. The 27-year-old most recently faced the longest-standing division champion, former WBC titlist Yamileth Mercado on the Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano 3 all-women’s card live on Netflix, winning by UD and adding the WBC belt to her unified collection.

Scotney is ranked Boxrec’s #9, ESPN’s #10, and Ring Magazine’s #10 pound-for-pound boxer, as well as ESPN’s #1 super bantamweight in the world. Aiming to show out at the Jake Paul vs Tank Davis event, Ellie Scotney said,

“Belt by belt, I’ve earned this the hard way. Undisputed has always been the goal, and now thanks to MVP we’re on the final and most important step. On Friday November 14th I’ll make history as Britain’s next Undisputed World Champion.”

Mayelli Flores is the reigning WBA super bantamweight world champion from Mexico City, Mexico. Standing at 4’11”, Flores turned professional in 2014 and has built a reputation for high pressure and punch volume inside the ring.

After an early career highlighted a narrow world title challenge against Yulihan Luna, Flores defeated Nazarena Romero by split decision in Kissimmee, Florida, to capture the WBA 122lb crown in May 2025.

Known for her toughness, stamina, and willingness to trade in the pocket, the 33-year-old Flores represents Mexico with pride on the Jake Paul vs Tank Davis card as she continues her rise among the sport’s elite.

Jake Paul vs Tank Davis card gets beefed up with recent bout announcements

“I would like to thank God, MVP and my team for this incredible opportunity. When I was offered the fight against Ellie Scotney, without hesitation I said yes,” said Mayelli Flores. “I will be ready for a war. Ellie Scotney is a great and tough fighter, but I am up for the challenge. I know the importance of this fight—a win over Scotney will put me in the history books as Mexico’s first undisputed female fighter, and I am ready to make history. I dedicate this fight to my family and all the boxing fans that will be watching on Netflix.”

Yokasta Valle is a three-division world champion boxer born in Nicaragua and raised in Costa Rica. Growing up with limited resources and countless challenges in San Jose, Yokasta learned early on that nothing is given, and everything is earned. In a sport historically dominated by men, she carved her own path and fought to open doors for women in boxing. The bright lights of Netflix offers up a big spotlight on her arduous journey leading into Jake Paul vs Tank Davis.

She won her first world title in 2016 and has gone on to conquer six world titles across three weight divisions, establishing herself as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. She currently has held the WBC minimumweight title at 105lbs since November 2024. Valle has also championed equal pay in women’s boxing, fighting for and achieving the same purse conditions as male boxers.

Outside the ring, the 32-year-old is an entrepreneur, boxing promoter, and social role model. In 2023, she was recognized by the United Nations as their Costa Rica Champion for the example she set in the fight for women’s and migrants’ rights. Valle is currently BoxRec’s #5, Ring Magazine’s #8, and ESPN’s #9-ranked pound-for-pound boxer in the world heading into Jake Paul vs Tank Davis. 

“This will be my first WBC world title defense, and doing it on MVP’s debut card with Jake Paul makes it even more special,” said Yokasta Valle. “I’ve worked my whole life for these moments, and I know what it takes to stay at the top. My opponent Yadira Bustillos is tough and hungry, but I’ve never backed down from a challenge.”

“I fight with discipline, with heart, and with the pride of Costa Rica on my shoulders. The landscape of women’s boxing is opening up, and there are many great possible opponents ahead, but before any of that, I need to win this fight convincingly. On fight night, the world will see why I’m not just a champion—I’m here to inspire and to keep breaking barriers for women in boxing.”

Yadira Bustillos, from Las Vegas, Nevada, is of Mexican descent with roots in Durango. The Jake Paul vs Tank Davis undercard combatant was introduced to boxing through her uncle and brother before beginning training under coach Gil Martinez. What started as curiosity quickly became passion, as Bustillos pushed herself to keep up with male sparring partners and prove her toughness in the gym.

Her amateur career was highlighted by accolades including back-to-back Roy Jones Jr. National Invitational titles, Nevada Golden Gloves gold, and a third-place finish at the 2019 Olympic qualifiers, where she was ranked #6 nationally. She made her pro debut in 2021 and contended for the WBC 105lb interim world title in just her eighth pro fight. Competing across the 105, 108, and 112lb divisions, Bustillos aims to become undisputed champion across multiple weight classes.

Touching on this hgih stakes fight on the Jake Paul vs Tank Davis undercard, Yadira Bustillos stated,

“It’s an honor and a dream come true to fight for this title. The WBC belt represents the peak of the sport, and I respect my opponent, but I’m ready for this. I’m not here to compete. I’m here to conquer!”

MVP’s Avious Griffin has quickly emerged as a force in the 147lb division. With a staggering 94% stoppage rate, the Las Vegas-based fighter from Chattanooga, Tennessee was introduced to boxing at age eight by his father, Alvin and the sport became both powerful passion and bond between them. Just weeks before Griffin’s pro debut in 2016, Alvin passed away unexpectedly from a brain hemorrhage as Griffin frantically rushed his dad to the hospital—a devastating loss that he continues to honor through his career.

The following year brought another life-altering setback: a wrongful murder conviction that led to 11 months of incarceration before his exoneration. These hardships forged Griffin’s “TTD” (To The Death) mentality—an ethos that powers his ring performances and his commitment to breaking generational cycles of poverty, while advocating for mental health and addiction recovery.

He trains under Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, widely recognized for guiding Terence Crawford’s championship rise, Esau Diéguez, and renowned S&C coach Larry Wade. The elite team continues to refine him ahead of the Jake Paul vs Tank Davis event and have helped transform Griffin into one of the sport’s most dangerous and disciplined rising contenders. Leading into Jake Paul vs Tank Davis, Avious Griffin said,

“Thanks to MVP, the best promotional company in the business, we’re back on stage Friday, November 14. “See y’all soon.. it’s the kid that did.”

Rising contender Cesar Francis fights out of West New York, New Jersey. Born in Panama City, Panama, the 35-year-old rising contender made his pro debut in 2017 and has contested for multiple regional titles to date, including the vacant WBO NABO super lightweight title in 2022 and the vacant WBO Latino super lightweight title in 2023. Francis most recently continued his rise in the division with a second round TKO of Wayne Boudreaux in September 2025.

Tapping into his mindset ahead of this prizefight on the Jake Paul vs Tank Davis event, Cesar Francis quipped,

“This is a fight I’m excited to win. I know I’m levels above this guy, and I’m going to show it and show why I can fight for a welterweight title in the next 12 months.”

One of the most iconic UFC title fights of all time transpired today and a former UFC veteran has weighed in on that bout. ‘Filthy’ Tom Lawlor touched upon the significance of the light heavyweight championship clash between then-defending champion Frank Shamrock and hungry title challenger Tito Ortiz.

It was a monumental matchup that further galvanized the rock solid legacy of Shamrock who emerged victorious. But it also informed Ortiz’s future trajectory in a positive fashion as the setback lit a fire under ‘The Huntington Beach Bad Boy’ that eventually led him to UFC gold. Shamrock would outpace Ortiz en route to a fourth round TKO finish at UFC 22.

Describing the historical significance of the bout while also touching on the quality of fighting especially for the era it took place in, Lawlor said,

“This was such a fantastic high level fight for the time (1999!). One that solidified Frank Shamrock as an all time great and gave Tito the motivation to come back stronger and become the UFC’s biggest star at the time. Watch this highlight. Watch the entire fight.”

This was such a fantastic high level fight for the time (1999!). One that solidified Frank Shamrock as an all time great and gave Tito the motivation to come back stronger and become the UFC’s biggest star at the time.

Watch this highlight

Watch the entire fight https://t.co/ooL24Wsrl1

— “Filthy” Tom Lawlor (@FilthyTomLawlor) September 24, 2025

The UFC roads for Shamrock and Ortiz since that fight

This was quite the seismic contest in the history of the UFC with both participants taking noticeably different paths since their fight.

For Ortiz, as Lawlor mentioned, he would go on to become one of the biggest stars in the promotion’s history. Ortiz would capture the title that Shamrock vacated by leaving the company when Ortiz bested Wanderlei Silva at UFC 25 to claim the crown. Ortiz would go on to notch five successful title defenses before dropping the crown to Randy Couture at UFC 44.

Conversely for Shamrock, the legendary combatant would never re-enter the octagon again. Shamrock would briefly retire from the sport but would return in late-2000 to beat Elvis Sinosic under the K-1 banner. Shamrock would go on to compete for organizations like Strikeforce, WEC, and Elite XC thereafter. Shamrock’s most recent competitive effort came in a grappling contest against Kazushi Sakuraba under the Rizin banner in 2017.

Real American Beer has launched Hulkamania Forever, which is a 16 ounce limited-edition beer that was created in partnership with WWE. RAB aims to celebrate the legacy of prolific WWE star Hulk Hogan. The internatioanl reveal of said can took place on Saturday night as part of WWE Wrestlepalooza which transpired in Indianapolis.

Live on-air toasts as well as the Fan Zone takeover inside the arena marked the official start of a comprehensive campaign in the worlds of retail, digital, and broadcast networks.

The Hulkamania Forever beer will fill out shelves as of early October and is available at select relate locations for a limited time before the pro wrestling-centric sipper sells out. In relation to this RAB release, co-founder of Real American Beer, Chad Bronstein said,

“We’re proud to partner with WWE to create a true tribute to the legendary Hulk Hogan. This campaign brings together two iconic American brands, a collector-tier release, and a national megaphone — it’s a powerful moment for our fans, our partners, and our future.”

As part of the WWE and RAB collaboraiton, there is now the launch of the Hulkamania Sweepstakes. The winner would receive two tickets to Saturday Night’s Main Event which emanates from Salt Lake City on November 1st. The sweepstakes will be open until October 10th at TheRealAmerican.com, which is where individuals can sign up for key updates and timely alerts.

“WWE has one of the most powerful brands in the world”, says RAB CEO

Also of note, CEO of Real American Beer, Terri Francis stated,

“WWE has one of the most powerful brands in the world right now, and we’re thrilled to be working together on Hulkamania Forever. This LTO release delivers exactly what retailers want: high demand, built-in fan energy, and a commercial engine to drive velocity at shelf.”

Real American Beer is having it’s second product launch with Hulkamania Forever. Further large reveals are being teased for the future in ceelebration of Hulk Hogan’s legendary career in professional wrestling.

Ian Machado Garry did not mince words when talking about a particular ex-UFC champion and thinks that not only will he lose his upcoming bout against Carlos Prates but that we won’t see that UK combatant again following that November bout. Leon Edwards is the combatant in question and he is the one who will be taking on Prates at Madison Square Garden in the coming months.

These thoughts toward ‘Rocky’ Edwards were expressed in an interview with Games Hub and in previewing that massive welterweight matchup set for UFC 322, Machado Garry said,

“I feel like Leon Edwards is on his way out and has been on his way out. But I don’t think he has a team strong enough or vocal enough to say what needs to be said. I feel like he has a bunch of yes men behind him. Mentally, he’s weak. I feel like his love is gone from the game and there wasn’t much of a fighter in there in the first place. I think he’s gonna get knocked out, put unconscious, and we’re never gonna see Leon Edwards again.”

Ian Machado Garry eyes middleweight move someday, focuses on 12 month plan for welterweight gold and dominating 170 pounds

While Leon Edwards and Carlos Prates are relevant divisional peers to Ian Machado Garry right now, that won’t be the case forever apparently. In discussing his future goals at 185 pounds, Ian Machado Garry stated,

“I absolutely want to move up to Middleweight at some point. I don’t believe it’ll be anytime soon. I feel like it’s been a long time since you’ve seen anybody dominate a division. Like proper, complete domination. I want to be that guy. I want to dominate 170 first. So I will absolutely, at some point in time, move up to middleweight. And I’ve been shouting and saying this for so long, I would love to fight Khamzat Chimaev.”

When touching on his timeline over the next year as far as his blueprint for domineering over welterweight before pursuing those referenced middleweight aims, Machado Garry quipped,

“Within the next 12 months, I want to guarantee myself as the next in line for the world title. I want to win that world title and I want to prove to myself and to the world that I’m the best welterweight on the planet. And there is going to be no doubt that my name is in that conversation for the greatest fighter of all time.”

Ronda Rousey evidently has a reknewed spark for mixed martial arts as evidenced by recent training footage and Cris Cyborg is throwing her name in the proverbial hat for return opponents if ‘Rowdy’ does in fact return to the sport. The former UFC and Strikeforce champion put the kibosh on a return at next year’s UFC White House card but Rousey did mention in conversation with The Lapsed Fan Podcast to ‘never say never’ regarding a competitive return to shoot fighting.

Over the weekend, the Olympic judo medalist shared training footage with Rousey looking sharp especially in the context of giving birth to her second child only a couple of months ago. Cris Cyborg retweeted a link from MMA Fighting regarding Rousey’s latest training footage and in her retweet indicated a desire for the long awaited dream fight between the two. This was evidenced by a post on X that has been embedded below.

#CyborgXRousey https://t.co/obtdfJek2H

— CrisCy₿org.Com (@criscyborg) September 22, 2025

There has been bad blood for years between Cris Cyborg and Ronda Rousey but their paths were never directly aligned for a contracted fight against one another.

Ronda Rousey’s message that corresponded with her recent training post

Ronda Rousey also captioned the Instagram post with her recent MMA training footage and outlining her broader journey over the last few years with the IG post reading as followed,

“From eight weeks after having a baby and eight years of stepping away from MMA to eight months postpartum and finding my love for it again. The first clip is my first session working with [coach AJ Matthews]. I was super self-conscious, embarrassed of how much I regressed, and honestly trying my very best not to pee my pants throwing punches so soon after having baby Pā’ū.”

“Second clip was yesterday, I’ve never laughed or smiled so much on the mat as I do these days. The last six months have been an absolute blast, feels like I have so much left to grow, and without the weight of the world on my shoulders nothing is holding me back.”

Rousey is closing in on almost a decade of dormancy as her last pair of fights saw her get finished inside the distance by Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.