Tag: boxing

Rashad Evans & Rampage Jackson Eye Boxing Match In 2025

Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson are seemingly set to reignite their storied rivalry — this time under the bright lights of the squared circle. The two former UFC light heavyweight champions first collided at UFC 114 in May 2010 following their fiery stint as opposition coaches on Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). […]

Rashad Evans and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson are seemingly set to reignite their storied rivalry — this time under the bright lights of the squared circle.

The two former UFC light heavyweight champions first collided at UFC 114 in May 2010 following their fiery stint as opposition coaches on Season 10 of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF). That night, “Suga” emerged victorious, earning a dominant unanimous decision.

Whispers of a boxing showdown between Evans and Jackson began swirling months ago, with ONE Championship even showing interest in bringing the fight to life. Although those plans never materialized, the tides have shifted. Now, 15 years after their first clash, the former rivals are closer than ever to stepping into the ring for a long-awaited rematch.

During a recent interview with MMA Fighting, “Suga” revealed that he has already kicked off his training camp for the prospective bout, tentatively slated for February 2025, likely in Florida. The New Yorker also expressed his enthusiasm about rekindling his rivalry with “Rampage.”

“Boxing is something I’m a huge fan of and there’s nothing better than getting another chance to fight Rampage,” Evans said. “Rampage is in pretty good shape right now. He was getting ready for Shannon ‘The Cannon’ [Briggs] so he’s in pretty good shape. I want to get a chance to do it again with it.”

Evans emphasized that while the bad blood between him and Jackson is a thing of the past, their upcoming boxing showdown promises to be fiercely competitive — albeit with a friendly edge.

“With this fight, it’s fun because there’s not that anger-animosity, but at the same time, it’s still competitive. It’s still competitive like if he sees me looking a certain kind of way [he’ll say] ‘Hey, I see you getting ready, you’re looking pretty good’ and I’ll see him hitting the mitts or something like that and I’m like okay, he’s getting ready. It’s still the friendly competition and as the fight gets closer, all the sh*t talking’s going to come back. So it’s going to be fun.”

Evans has made only one return to competition since leaving the UFC in June 2018, claiming a commanding unanimous decision victory over Gabriel Checco at an Eagle FC event in January 2022.

Meanwhile, “Rampage” has remained inactive since December 2019, when he endured a tough loss to Fedor Emelianenko at Bellator 237.

Francis Ngannou, Ryan Garcia and More Stars Call Out Jake Paul After Mike Tyson Win

Jake Paul is the hottest commodity in all of combat sports, and multiple stars are vying for the opportunity to do business with the YouTuber. After Paul…

Jake Paul is the hottest commodity in all of combat sports, and multiple stars are vying for the opportunity to do business with the YouTuber. After Paul…

Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson Sets $18M Gate Record, Shatters Streaming Benchmarks

The high profile Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson clash has set new benchmarks, even as it faced relentless scrutiny from critics. Last Friday, “The Problem Child” squared off against the legendary heavyweight boxer in an eight-round showdown at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The event proved to be a staggering success, boasting a record-breaking gate […]

The high profile Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson clash has set new benchmarks, even as it faced relentless scrutiny from critics.

Last Friday, “The Problem Child” squared off against the legendary heavyweight boxer in an eight-round showdown at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The event proved to be a staggering success, boasting a record-breaking gate and reportedly becoming the most-watched combat sports spectacle of 2024.

The main event, where Paul secured a unanimous decision victory over the 58-year-old Tyson, paired with a historic co-main event that saw Katie Taylor narrowly defeat Amanda Serrano in a contentious split decision, now holds the record for the largest revenue-generating fight night outside Las Vegas in U.S. history.

As per Most Valuable Promotions, over 72,300 fans packed the arena for the Paul vs. Tyson showdown, generating a staggering $18,117,072 in total revenue. This impressive feat secured its place as the ninth-highest combat sports gate of all time and set a new benchmark as the highest-grossing event at AT&T Stadium.

On Tuesday, Netflix announced that the Paul vs. Tyson showdown attracted over 108 million viewers on the streaming platform, despite encountering significant technical disruptions. Meanwhile, the co-main event became the most-watched professional women’s sports event in U.S. history, with an average minute audience of 47 million and an estimated 74 million live viewers worldwide.

The main event reached a peak of 65 million simultaneous streams, setting a new record for the most-streamed sports event worldwide, with 38 million of those streams coming from the U.S. alone.

The YouTuber-turned-boxer repeatedly emphasized the immense draw of his showdown with the return of “Iron Mike,” especially after Netflix came on board as the exclusive streaming partner for the event.

Breaking away from the traditional pay-per-view model, the fight card was made available to Netflix subscribers at no additional cost.

VIDEO: John Fury Goes Back & Forth With Darren Till, Sparks Near-Brawl At Misfits Boxing Press Conference

By now, it’s crystal clear — John Fury and public events are a recipe for chaos every time. On Tuesday, Fury Sr. joined his son, Tommy Fury, and former UFC star Darren Till on stage at the kickoff press conference for their Misfits Boxing showdown, scheduled for January 2025 in Manchester. The atmosphere at the […]

By now, it’s crystal clear — John Fury and public events are a recipe for chaos every time.

On Tuesday, Fury Sr. joined his son, Tommy Fury, and former UFC star Darren Till on stage at the kickoff press conference for their Misfits Boxing showdown, scheduled for January 2025 in Manchester.

The atmosphere at the presser intensified when “The Gorilla” fired a barb at John’s other son, Tyson Fury, mocking his first career loss to Oleksandr Usyk in their undisputed heavyweight title bout this past May.

Fury Sr. didn’t take the jab lightly and, consumed by rage, flung a bottle of water at Till, triggering a chaotic, melee-like scene. Security quickly intervened to disperse the escalating tension while Till aggressively pushed forward to confront the Furys.

Fury and Till are set to face off in an eight-round heavyweight showdown, headlining Misfits Boxing 20 on Jan. 18 at the Co-op Live arena in Manchester, England.

“TNT” is coming off a dominant unanimous decision victory over social media sensation KSI at the MF & DAZN: X Series 10 event in October 2023, which came on the heels of his narrow split decision win against Jake Paul. Fury remains undefeated, boasting a perfect 10-0 professional record, with four of those victories coming by knockout.

Meanwhile, “The Gorilla” made his squared circle debut at Social Knockouts 3 in July, facing off in a chaotic bout against Mohammad Mutie that escalated into a takedown and an all-out brawl inside the ring.

After Manny Pacquiao Match, Rukiya Anpo Will Next Face Ryan Garcia in RIZIN

Manny Pacquiao Match, Rukiya Anpo Will Next Face Ryan GarciaRyan Garcia will take part in an exhibition match on December 30 in Tokyo. He’ll face Rukiya Anpo who…

Manny Pacquiao Match, Rukiya Anpo Will Next Face Ryan Garcia

Ryan Garcia will take part in an exhibition match on December 30 in Tokyo. He’ll face Rukiya Anpo who is a former K-1 kickboxing champion at RIZIN’s New Year’s Eve event hosted in Tokyo, Japan. The fight will be at 153 pounds and last for eight rounds, with each round being two minutes long.

Rukiya Anpo vs. Ryan Garcia

Japan’s Rukiya Anpo is an experienced kickboxer who started in martial arts with Kyokushin Karate when he was just a child and would eventually earn national titles in the sport. As a professional kickboxer, Anpo would become a world champion in K-1 and was a fan favorite due to his impressive high kick knockouts.

Manny Pacquiao gets battered against Rukiya Anpo - Super Rizin 3 Highlights

Earlier this year, Rukiya Anpo had an exhibition boxing match against the legendary Manny Pacquiao in RIZIN. The Japanese athlete had a size advantage and won the vast majority of this match but it was scored a draw as per the exhibition rules. On New Year’s Eve, the kickboxer will next face Ryan Garcia.

Rukiya Anpo Ryan Garcia

Ryan Garcia is unable to compete in official matches as he is suspended. This happened after he tested positive for a banned substance earlier this year, right before his fight against Devin Haney. That fight ended in controversy—Garcia initially won but later had the result overturned. Garcia is a controversial fighter known for spreading hate speech online. Prior to that, he was a promising young boxer with an 85% knockout win rate and a mean left hook.

“I’m looking forward to knocking Anpo out for trying to knock out the legend Manny Pacquiao,” Ryan Garcia explained, “Manny is past his prime, and for him to try to knock him out rubbed me the wrong way. I will knock him out and teach [Anpo] a lesson of respect.”

‘Don’t Be Silly’ Francis Ngannou Laughs at Jake Paul Fight Rumors

Francis Ngannou Laughs at Jake Paul Fight RumorsHeavyweight king Francis Ngannou was picked as a potential future opponent for Jake Paul in the boxing ring. But…

Francis Ngannou Laughs at Jake Paul Fight Rumors

Heavyweight king Francis Ngannou was picked as a potential future opponent for Jake Paul in the boxing ring. But in a recent interview, the boxer and MMA fighter Ngannou laughed off the proposition.

Francis Ngannou Laughs at Jake Paul Fight Rumors

Cameroon’s Francis Ngannou is the current PFL MMA heavyweight champion having captured the crown by way of first-round knockout., Additionally, he was the former UFC heavyweight champion who never lost this title and was highly feared for his knockout power in the cage. ‘The Predator‘ has also faced top-ranked boxing royalty such as Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury in blockbuster matches.

‘The Problem Child’ Jake Paul was a YouTube celebrity who switched to a career in professional boxing which was boosted by his social status. Along the way, he has defeated former UFC fighters such as Anderson Silva, Nate Diaz, and Tyron Woodley.

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TOPSHOT – US retired pro-boxer Mike Tyson (L) and US YouTuber/boxer Jake Paul (R) fight during the heavyweight boxing bout at The Pavilion at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, November 15, 2024. (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY / AFP) / ALTERNATE CROP (Photo by TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP via Getty Images)

Most recently, Jake Paul defeated the 58-year-old boxing legend ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson in a Netflix boxing event. Tyson and Ngannou are friends and have trained alongside one another. After Tyson lost to Paul, Ngannou said he was going to slap ‘The Problem Child’ the next time he is with him.

Francis Ngannou PFL
Photo by Tim Wheaton

However, in a recent TMZ interview, Francis Ngannou finds that a potential boxing match against Jake Paul is a silly idea. He said:

“Don’t Be Silly. Come on, like, respect me a little bit. [Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson] was entertaining, whether you like it or not. There was a curiosity to see Mike Tyson at this age; can he stand? Can he, can he? And they did entertain.“

It seems more likely that Ngannou will next be facing former heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder or step back into the smart cage with the PFL. Boxing or MMA are both on the table for the heavyweight king.

Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira
Photo by Tim Wheaton