Jake Paul may be friends with Ryan Garcia, but even “Problem Child” is having a hard time believing the boxer’s recent failed drug test was a “setup.”
In case you missed it, Garcia popped e…
Jake Paul may be friends with Ryan Garcia, but even “Problem Child” is having a hard time believing the boxer’s recent failed drug test was a “setup.”
In case you missed it, Garcia popped earlier this week for a performance-enhancing drug dating back to his fight against Devin Haney last month. Garcia was a massive underdog in that fight as Haney is widely regarded as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport, but “King Ry” ended up shocking the world of boxing and delivered multiple knockdowns en route to a decision win.
Everything was looking up for the controversial and presumably unstable Garcia until a failed drug test was revealed earlier this week. Now the verdict is out as to whether or not Garcia cheated against Haney. The young boxing superstar claims he’s innocent and is being setup by Team Haney after his win, but some around the combat community aren’t buying it.
Paul, who has a good relationship with Garcia, recently jumped on a video call with the boxing superstar and grilled him about his failed drug test. Garcia remains adamant that his failed test was staged and that he’s been trying to rush along a secondary test to prove his innocence. Paul seems like he wants to believe Garcia, but told him it would be “f—ked up” if he really did cheat.
“If you did do it, that’s really f—ked up and I’m gonna be pissed off at you,” said Paul (shown in the above video player. “That’s f—ked up.”
What do you think? Who are you believing at this point?
Sound off!
Stick with Mania for any new developments regarding Garcia’s drug test
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight talents Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg will go to war TONIGHT (Sat., May 4, 2024) inside Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for UFC 3…
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Flyweight talents Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg will go to war TONIGHT (Sat., May 4, 2024) inside Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for UFC 301.
Pantoja is on the hunt for the second defense of his Flyweight crown, but he’s run into a problem: he’s defeated up most of the top contenders. Pantoja’s record versus the current Flyweight Top 10 is ridiculous, as he’s beaten most of them at some point and holds multiple wins over Brandon Moreno and Brandon Royval. Consequently, UFC was forced to look far down the rankings for a challenger, and the best option that came up was Erceg. The Australian still seems to be more of a prospect than bonafide contender, but at 3-0 in the Octagon, he’s getting a huge opportunity.
Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:
Pantoja might be the best backpacker in the sport right now, and he pairs that asset with … a brick chin and penchant for throwing leather? It’s an odd combo, certainly, but Pantoja brawls his way into submissions and strong positions better than just about anyone else.
In this match up, Pantoja is probably eyeing Erceg’s competitive decision win over Alessandro Costa. In the second round specifically, Costa found a lot of success really bullying Erceg, forcing the Australian into uncomfortable positions and gaining top control as a result.
Pantoja can do the same. Both prongs of his attack — heavy punches and grappling offense — have to be respected by Erceg, which should open up lands and takedowns alike. Furthermore, Pantoja has the physicality to make Erceg’s life difficult, particularly on short-notice.
If Pantoja is at his mauling best, Erceg is in for a difficult evening.
How Erceg Wins
Erceg is a well-rounded young talent. The 28-year-old challenger has won a majority of his fights via submission, but he’s also proven himself to have crisp boxing with good power in his shots.
Striking would appear to be his best chance at victory. Historically, Erceg puts together his combinations more cleanly than Pantoja, and he’s shown a good ability to manage distance too. He could still get clubbed by a big Pantoja swing, but that’s still a better risk to take than scrambling with the jiu-jitsu ace.
Pace is also going to play a major factor in any potential upset. Fatiguing is a huge liability in combat sports, particularly at Flyweight where fighters are expected to throw dozens of strikes per minute. Pantoja has been able to succeed anyway because he’s a gamer and can wrestle while gassed, but Erceg should be actively working to fatigue the champion. In short, that means the Australian’s volume should be higher than ever, and he should be aiming to cause attritional damage to the body and legs.
Pantoja Vs. Erceg Prediction
It’s a strange match up but should be a good fight.
The knock against Pantoja is that he’s 34 years old and does slow down in the second half of five-round fights. Even so, he’s managed to win late rounds against cardio monsters like Moreno and Royval. Erceg has shown strong conditioning in the past, but he’s not one to push the pace quite like those two men, so it’s hard to see Pantoja crumbling in this match up after succeeding in the others.
Equally important is that Erceg hasn’t been given a full camp to prepare for Pantoja and his snake-like back takes. Pantoja always finds his way to the back at some point, and I find it unlikely that Erceg is able to escape with any kind of quickness — meaning Pantoja can manufacture rests when he needs them.
Erceg has a puncher’s chance, but that’s a bad bet at 125 pounds.
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 301 fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the remaining undercard balance on ESPN2/ESPN+at 8 p.m. ET, before the PPV main card start time at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV.
To check out the latest and greatest UFC 301: “Pantoja vs. Erceg” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive events archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 301 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.
Two Mexican boxing superstars go head-to-head on Cinco de Mayo weekend! Tonight (Sat. May 4, 2024), live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, we’ve got the undispute…
Two Mexican boxing superstars go head-to-head on Cinco de Mayo weekend!
Tonight (Sat. May 4, 2024), live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, we’ve got the undisputed super middleweight championship on the line as champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KO) takes on undefeated Jamie Munguia (43-0, 34 KO). This fight is the culmination of four world titles on the line tonight, starting at 8 p.m. ET.
The leadup to this fight hasn’t been very full of controversial moments, that is until “F***ing **ssy ***hole” promoter Oscar de la Hoya said a few things and Canelo went nuclear on him. De la Hoya now plans to sue for defamation, because of course he is. The fighters themselves have been mostly respectful towards each other, but there’s a decent chance that Alvarez channels this anger towards the DLH proxy in Munguia and looks to make a statement.
168 lbs. Canelo Alvarez vs. Jaime Munguia 147 lbs. Mario Barrios vs. Fabian Maidana 126 lbs. Brandon Figueroa vs. Jessie Magdaleno 147 lbs. Eimantas Stanionis vs. Gabriel Maestre
CANELO VS. MUNGUIA LIVE PLAY-BY-PLAY:
Canelo Alvarez vs. Jamie Munguia, undisputed super middleweight championship:
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Mario Barrios vs. Fabian Maidana, WBC interim welterweight championship:
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Brandon Figueroa vs. Jessie Magdaleno, WBC interim featherweight championship:
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Eimantas Stanionis vs. Gabriel Maestre, WBA “regular” welterweight championship:
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To check out the latest and greatest boxing news and notes be sure to hit up our archive here.
The UFC returns to Brazil with a UFC 301 card headlined by Alexandre Pantoja taking on Steve Erceg at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The card might pale in…
The UFC returns to Brazil with a UFC 301 card headlined by Alexandre Pantoja taking on Steve Erceg at Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The card might pale in…
Canelo vs. Munguia odds: Undefeated Mexican sensation Jaime Munguía will try to turn the combat sports world on its head by upsetting super middleweight titleholder Saul “Canelo” …
Canelo vs. Munguia odds: Undefeated Mexican sensation Jaime Munguía will try to turn the combat sports world on its head by upsetting super middleweight titleholder Saul “Canelo” Alvarez atop the DAZN boxing pay-per-view (PPV) cardTONIGHT (Sat., May 4, 2024) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“It’s a great opportunity for me to make a name for myself and start a great legacy,” Munguia said on PBC Gloves Off. “Well, obviously not just any fighter gets here, in the position I’m in. Canelo is a good a fighter, he’s a very complete fighter and I think he’s dangerous for anyone — just like I’m dangerous for anyone.”
Dangerous enough to score a bookie-busting upset?
DraftKings has a laundry list of odds, specials, and prop bets for tonight’s “sweet science” showdown, with a selection of those betting lines listed below.
Prop Bets Canelo Alvarez by Decision or Technical Decision: -105 Canelo Alvarez by KO/TKO/DQ: +165 Draw: +2000 Jaime Munguia by Decision or Technical Decision: +700 Jaime Munguia by KO/TKO/DQ: +950
Specials Either Fighter to be Knocked Down in Rounds 1-6: +190 Munguia to be Knocked Down in Rounds 1-3 or Rounds 10-12: +275 Munguia to be Knocked Down and Alvarez to Win By Decision: +320 Munguia to be Knocked Down 2+ Times: +450 Munguia to be Knocked Down in the 1st Minute of any Round: +450 Either Fighter to be Knocked Down in Rounds 1-3: +600 Alvarez to be Knocked Down in Rounds 1-3 or Rounds 10-12: +800 Munguia to be Knocked Down 2+ Times and Alvarez To Win By Decision: +1000 3 or more Knockdowns in the Fight: +1200 Munguia to be Knocked Down in Rounds 1-3 and Alvarez to Win in Rounds 4-6: +1400 Alvarez to be Knocked Down and Munguia to Win By Decision: +1400
For the entire Canelo vs. Munguia fight card and DAZN PPV lineup click here.
“This is an amazing moment and I’m really excited to show everyone what I can do,” Munguia said at the final press conference (watch it here). “Fighting on his undercard was one thing, but now I’m ready to step up to my moment. Outside the ring, Canelo has all my respect. But inside the ring, that respect goes out the window.”
It’s time for UFC 301 and the pay-per-view (PPV) main fight card. Check out all the action as Alexandre Pantoja meets Steve Erceg in Rio.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heads to the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the UFC 301 mixed martial arts (MMA) event TONIGHT (Sat., May 4, 2024), and streaming LIVE on ESPN+ PPV. UFC 301 is headlined by Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg for Pantoja’s Flyweight title. The pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event has former Featherweight champion, Jose Aldo, return to UFC’s Bantamweight division to face Jonathan Martinez. UFC 301’s PPV main card also includes Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino, Michel Pereira vs. Ihor Potieria and Paul Craig vs. Caio Borralho.
UFC VEGAS 301 START TIME AND DATE
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 301 fight card below, starting with the ESPN+ early “Prelims” undercard bouts at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the Late “Prelims”on ESPNN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET. UFC 301’s PPV main card starts at 10 p.m ET on ESPN+ PPV. Bet on all the UFC 301 action with our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook right here.
Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Pantoja vs. Erceg.” Without further delay, see below for the updated UFC 301 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action).
125 lbs.: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg 135 lbs.: Jonathan Martinez vs. Jose Aldo 205 lbs.: Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino 185 lbs.: Michel Pereira vs. Ihor Potieria 185 lbs.: Paul Craig vs. Caio Borralho
155 lbs.: Joaquim Silva vs. Drakkar Klose 155 lbs.: Mauricio Ruffy vs. Jamie Mullarkey 125 lbs.: Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite 155 lbs.: Ismael Bonfim vs. Vinc Pichel 125 lbs.: Alessandro Costa vs. Kevin Borjas
UFC 301 PPV Main Card PLAY-BY-PLAY
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It’s time for UFC 301 and the pay-per-view (PPV) main fight card. Check out all the action as Alexandre Pantoja meets Steve Erceg in Rio.
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heads to the Farmasi Arena in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, for the UFC 301 mixed martial arts (MMA) event TONIGHT (Sat., May 4, 2024), and streaming LIVE on ESPN+ PPV. UFC 301 is headlined by Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg for Pantoja’s Flyweight title. The pay-per-view (PPV) co-main event has former Featherweight champion, Jose Aldo, return to UFC’s Bantamweight division to face Jonathan Martinez. UFC 301’s PPV main card also includes Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino, Michel Pereira vs. Ihor Potieria and Paul Craig vs. Caio Borralho.
UFC VEGAS 301 START TIME AND DATE
MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 301 fight card below, starting with the ESPN+ early “Prelims” undercard bouts at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the Late “Prelims”on ESPNN/ESPN+ at 8 p.m. ET. UFC 301’s PPV main card starts at 10 p.m ET on ESPN+ PPV. Bet on all the UFC 301 action with our friends at DraftKings Sportsbook right here.
Keep in mind that we will also be the spot for the latest news, recaps, and post-fight analysis following “Pantoja vs. Erceg.” Without further delay, see below for the updated UFC 301 results. (Note: This will go from the bottom up; therefore, scroll toward the bottom for the latest detailed round-by-round action).
125 lbs.: Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg 135 lbs.: Jonathan Martinez vs. Jose Aldo 205 lbs.: Anthony Smith vs. Vitor Petrino 185 lbs.: Michel Pereira vs. Ihor Potieria 185 lbs.: Paul Craig vs. Caio Borralho
155 lbs.: Joaquim Silva vs. Drakkar Klose 155 lbs.: Mauricio Ruffy vs. Jamie Mullarkey 125 lbs.: Dione Barbosa vs. Ernesta Kareckaite 155 lbs.: Ismael Bonfim vs. Vinc Pichel 125 lbs.: Alessandro Costa vs. Kevin Borjas
UFC 301 PPV Main Card PLAY-BY-PLAY
To checkout the latest and greatest UFC 301: “Pantoja vs. Erceg” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive events archive right here. For the updated and finalized UFC 301 fight card and ESPN+ lineup click here.