Tag: Welterweight

Top Welterweights Engage In All-Out Twitter War Of Accusations

The welterweight division is an absolute shark tank these days, with numerous worthy contenders angling for a shot at Tyron Woodley’s belt. Three of those welterweight contenders went to war on Twitter on Wednesday after an inflammatory tweet from Kamaru Usman’s manager, with Usman exchanging barbs with Darren Till and Jorge Masvidal. Check out their […]

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The welterweight division is an absolute shark tank these days, with numerous worthy contenders angling for a shot at Tyron Woodley’s belt.

Three of those welterweight contenders went to war on Twitter on Wednesday after an inflammatory tweet from Kamaru Usman’s manager, with Usman exchanging barbs with Darren Till and Jorge Masvidal.

Check out their war of words for yourself!

Usman and Till went back and forth for a while before Masvidal jumped into the fray upon seeing Ali’s tweet suggesting “Gamebread” had turned down a fight with Usman. Naturally, he didn’t hold back in classic Masvidal fashion.

Masvidal’s manager, Ibrahim Kawa, weighed in on the matter too, claiming that Masvidal was never offered Usman, despite Ali’s tweet.

With Usman undefeated in seven UFC appearances, the Nigerian-American has had trouble finding an opponent as of late. Till too has had issues getting a fight; the Englishman is currently slated to headline UFC Liverpool in May, however he does not have an opponent yet.

Do you agree with Usman’s manager that other fighters are ducking “The Nigerian Nightmare”? Who came out on top of this Twitter battle?

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Floyd Mayweather Jr, Conor McGregor Rematch Talks Reportedly Ongoing

According to renowned boxing journalist Gareth A Davies, negotiations are ongoing for a rematch between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, with the fight taking place inside the octagon, rather than the boxing ring.
Rumou…

According to renowned boxing journalist Gareth A Davies, negotiations are ongoing for a rematch between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and UFC lightweight champion Conor McGregor, with the fight taking place inside the octagon, rather than the boxing ring.

Rumours of an MMA bout between the two have been swirling for some time, and Davies told TalkSport‘s Jim White his sources say the negotiations are taking place:

“My soundings are that there are a lot of talks going on in the background, there are a lot of talks around people with Mayweather.

“There are a lot of talks about him potentially having an MMA fight with Conor McGregor.

“Conor McGregor had no chance in a boxing match with Floyd Mayweather.

‘People will tune in to see Mayweather get stopped by Conor McGregor and it won’t affect his boxing record.

“I think it’s going to happen and I think it will be a three, four, five hundred million dollar fight again.”

Mayweather has previously denied rumours he was considering fighting in MMA, per MMA Weekly, but he has also hinted at the move―most recently via social media:

McGregor has made it clear he wants the rematch to happen, via TMZ Sports.

The two met inside a boxing ring in August 2017, with Mayweather extending his perfect record to 50-0 via a stoppage in the 10th round. McGregor, who had never boxed as a professional before, put together a remarkably good performance for an inexperienced boxer, and his positive showing immediately led to rumours of a rematch.

The Notorious hasn’t fought in the UFC since 2016, when he won the lightweight title off Eddie Alvarez at UFC 205. MMA fans are eagerly anticipating his next move, as there are several high-profile challengers in the lightweight division, including interim champion Tony Ferguson and his next opponent, Khabib Nurmagomedov.

Mayweather came out of retirement to face McGregor and immediately retired again after their bout. Given his age―he’s 40 years old―and the fact he owns Mayweather Promotions, one of the most lucrative promotion firms in the sport, most pundits don’t believe he’ll take the risk of switching to MMA, where he would face one of the most skilled fighters in the UFC.

UFC legend Michael Bisping spoke on his Believe You Me podcast (via the Mirror‘s Martin Domin) to express his doubts regarding Mayweather’s potential move to MMA:

“I honestly can’t see Floyd Mayweather fighting mixed martial arts and certainly [not] in the UFC. If he does fight in the UFC it’s going to be against Conor McGregor.

“Conor McGregor in an MMA fight will f–king destroy Floyd Mayweather like he’s never seen.

“It takes so long to learn—so long to put the pieces of the puzzle together, so long to learn the grappling the transitions from the striking to the grappling.”

Davies disagrees, however, citing the enormous payday potentially on offer. If the two could smash MMA’s pay-per-view records to the point of several hundred million dollars, it would certainly provide a huge incentive.  

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

UFC Lightweight Forced To Move Up After Missing Weight

Michel Prazeres will likely fight for the last time at lightweight tomorrow. Prazeres tipped the scales at 161 pounds for his fight with Desmond Green on Saturday night’s UFC card in Belem, Brazil. The commission says Prazeres will have to compete at welterweight going forward, which Prazeres himself agreed with while speaking to the press […]

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Michel Prazeres will likely fight for the last time at lightweight tomorrow.

Prazeres tipped the scales at 161 pounds for his fight with Desmond Green on Saturday night’s UFC card in Belem, Brazil.

The commission says Prazeres will have to compete at welterweight going forward, which Prazeres himself agreed with while speaking to the press following Friday’s weigh-ins  (via MMA Fighting):

“I had already talked to my team about it during this weight cut. My body is feeling the weight cuts, and I’d rather fight at welterweight and take care of my health and put on a better fight for the fans because sometimes I don’t perform as I could in the fights.

”It was an issue in pretty much all of my fights. I’ll be stronger at welterweight. I’m short, but I can surprise with other things.”

Prazeres, who’s notched an impressive five-fight win streak, will go toe-to-toe with Greene, who’s coming off of a loss to Rustam Khabilov in September. However, Prazeres remains adamant that he has plenty to gain from beating his opponent:

“Every fighter that wants to get to the belt has to fight someone from the top, but Desmond Green is a great fighter,”Coming off a loss or not, he’s a dangerous test for me. If you look at his record, he’s a tough fighter and I respect him a lot, but I’m going there to stop him.

”He has a good boxing, a good cardio. He’s tough,” Prazeres continued. “But I think my game kills his. My striking is better than his, and if I take him down it will be complicated for him. Wherever he makes a mistake, I’ll finish the fight.”

The new rule states a fighter can’t cut more than 10 percent of their natural body weight, which will inevitably force many fighters to move up a weight class. Friday’s missed weight is one of several, each time missing by three pounds or more.

With Prazeres being one of those fighters, how would he do at welterweight? Prezeres actually debuted in the UFC as a welterweight in a losing effort to Paulo Thiago back in 2013.

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Mayweather vs. McGregor: Early-Week Comments from Money and Notorious

Trash talk lines the path to a showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor.
What, expect something else? 
Money and Notorious, respectively, couldn’t resist the urge to step into the ring, not only because fans kept asking for it and …

Trash talk lines the path to a showdown between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor.

What, expect something else? 

Money and Notorious, respectively, couldn’t resist the urge to step into the ring, not only because fans kept asking for it and the untold dollar signs attached to such a bout, but because of the verbal shade thrown at one another until things went final. 

What comes out of both men’s mouths is about as predictable as what will happen after the two touch gloves on Saturday night on Showtime. The full main card, outlined below, starts at 9 p.m. ET: 

  • Floyd Mayweather Jr. (USA, 49-0) vs. Conor McGregor (IRE, debut), light middleweight
  • Gervonta Davis (USA, 18-0) vs. Francisco Fonseca (CRC, 19-0-1), IBF super featherweight title
  • Nathan Cleverly (GBR, 30-3) vs. Badou Jack (SWE, 21-1-2), WBA (regular) light heavyweight title
  • Andrew Tabiti (USA, 14-0) vs. Steve Cunningham (USA, 29-8-1), USBA cruiserweight title

On an initial pass, all the pressure seems to sit on Mayweather’s shoulders. He’s the guy with all the experience in this arena, after all, the guy hoping to likely fade into retirement at 50-0 and the one Las Vegas oddsmakers like at a -400 clip, according to Joe Osborne of OddsShark.

This doesn’t make the comments coming from Money any less aggressive than usual, but it hasn’t seemed to make McGregor a little less vocal than usual. 

Take, for instance, this gem, via UFC: 

Notorious has never lacked for confidence, obviously. When talking with the media about glove rulings by the Nevada State Athletic Commission because both men use different-sized gloves in their respective sports, McGregor couldn’t help but throw some cocky shade in there as well.

“We are prepared for every possible outcome,” McGregor said, according to ESPN.com’s Dan Rafael. “Part of me wants to show some skill and dismantle him that way, [but] I’m ready to put him away in the first 10 seconds.”

So goes the beauty of this bout, right? Not only is McGregor coming over from a different sport, variables such as the ounce sizes of the gloves explain why the odds don’t swing crazily heavy in Mayweather’s favor. 

As for Money himself, he’s well aware one of the hottest topics surrounding the bout is whether his opponent will stick to the rules of boxing or get loose with his approach. After watching McGregor’s sparring sessions, Mayweather noted his observations with Adam Silverstein of CBSSports.com:

“I see a lot of rabbit punches behind the head, grappling, wrestling, illegal shots. But the ref will be fair on both sides; I want him to be even. I want us to have a good solid fight.”

It’s a more grounded Mayweather than fans are perhaps used to seeing. The fact he’s willing to put one of boxing’s most prestigious records on the line for a fight like this is either brazenly silly in search of a big payday or the confidence of a legend wanting to add to his legacy, depending on who answers the question.

Mayweather seems to fall heavily in the latter camp, as captured by CBS News:  

The somewhat reserved Mayweather is a good example of the unknown element surrounding this entire blockbuster ordeal, where only heavy financial numbers and countless sets of eyeballs on the bout register as sure things. 

In the ring, it’s unknown how McGregor will look from a boxing-only standpoint, let alone against an all-time legend. And with Mayweather, it’s a big unknown where his game is at. He’s been on point every time he’s come back to the ring so far, but he is 40 years old while seeking out win No. 50. 

The same unknowns apply outside of the ring. As we have seen on the wild buildup to the spectacle, what either man will say at random is one of the biggest draws to the bout itself.  

On the continued march to one of the year’s biggest events, keep a close eye on what both men have to say—if the fight itself isn’t one of the most memorable details, the banter certainly will be. 

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Mayweather vs. McGregor Predictions: Early Scorecard Projections for Superfight

On Saturday, August 26, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor will meet at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, in perhaps the biggest crossover in professional fighting history.
UFC lightweight champion McGregor will make his boxing debut and at…

On Saturday, August 26, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor will meet at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, in perhaps the biggest crossover in professional fighting history.

UFC lightweight champion McGregor will make his boxing debut and attempt to become the first man to beat 11-time boxing world champion Mayweather, who has come out of retirement to put his 49-0 record on the line.

Despite the Irishman’s lack of experience in regards to the sweet science, the American would have you believe it is he who is the underdog ahead of the clash.

Speaking to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Mayweather believes McGregor’s youth and reach make him the favourite for their bout:

The Notorious, 29, is 11 years Money’s junior, and while he rarely appeared at risk of losing his unbeaten record during the latter years of his career, his powers did wane somewhat.

His last knockout victory came against Vicor Ortiz in 2011, and that was just his second since 2005.

Mayweather said, “I’m not what I used to be,” adding: “I’m older. I’m not the same fighter I was two years ago. I’m not the same fighter I was five years ago. I lost a step.”

The 40-year-old also pledged to be more aggressive than usual and step out of his comfort zone: “This can’t be a defensive fight. I have to go to him. I owe the public because of the [Manny] Pacquiao fight. They weren’t pleased with that. They’re gonna be pleased with this fight here.”

Sports broadcaster Colin Cowherd doesn’t buy it, however:

Indeed, for all of McGregor’s talent in the Octagon, that doesn’t necessarily translate into the boxing ring, so it’s in the interest of both fighters to sell it as a close contest.

Mayweather’s defensive skills are legendary, though, so it does seem unlikely he’d abandon the platform his 49-0 record was built on or that McGregor can overcome it given his lack of boxing pedigree.

MMA writer Patrick Wyman believes the distance between them to be significant in terms of ability:

The Notorious has a great deal of power on his side, and he’s capable of absorbing strikes, but at most he only has a puncher’s chance of knocking out Mayweather, even if Money follows through on his pledge to come out swinging.

If the fight goes the distance—which seems likely given Mayweather’s struggles to knock out his opponents in recent years—the American’s superior boxing ability should shine through to a decision win.

Scorecard prediction: Mayweather wins via unanimous decision, 117-111, 118-110, 118-110

Read more MMA news on BleacherReport.com

Floyd Mayweather, Conor McGregor Glove Requests to Be Voted on by NSAC

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor have reportedly submitted requests to the Nevada State Athletic Commission requesting to wear eight-ounce gloves for their Aug. 26 boxing match at T-Mobile Arena. 
According to ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto, the …

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor have reportedly submitted requests to the Nevada State Athletic Commission requesting to wear eight-ounce gloves for their Aug. 26 boxing match at T-Mobile Arena. 

According to ESPN.com’s Brett Okamoto, the move to eight-ounce gloves, if approved, would represent a shift from NSAC rules that require fighters weighing in above 147 pounds to duke it out with 10-ounce mitts. 

McGregor and Mayweather will reportedly appear in front of NSAC commissioners Aug. 16 to make their pitches in favor of the move to eight-ounce gloves. 

“The commission will hear both camps’ reasoning as to why it should deviate from its regulations during a scheduled meeting on Aug. 16,” NSAC executive director Bob Bennett said, per Okamoto. “Our chairman Anthony Marnell will then lead a conversation with the other commission members and they will vote on it that day.”

Mayweather previously stated he would be content to fight with eight-ounce gloves. He also went so far as to tell McGregor during their press tour he’d enter the ring donning four-ounce gloves that UFC fighters typically wear, according to Showtime Boxing‘s Mauro Ranallo. 

But as Okamoto noted, the NSAC will have to determine the fighters won’t be at greater risk of injury in order to approve a last-minute change to lighter gloves. 

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