Author: mmafighting
Anthony Joshua wants a piece of Francis Ngannou next. That’s according to Joshua’s promoter, Matchroom Sport’s Eddie Hearn, who admitted Monday on The MMA Hour that Ngannou’s stunning performance against Tyson Fury has turned boxing’s heavyweight division on its head. With Fury now likely fighting Oleksandr Usyk in a title unification bout sometime in early 2024, Hearn believes Ngannou vs. Joshua is not only the obvious fight to make next, but is also a genuine blockbuster matchup. “It’s difficult to say [Ngannou is] not a world-class fighter, because I feel like he just beat Tyson Fury,” Hearn said. “But I…
Charles Oliveira has little time for his doubters. The Brazilian’s eyes have been firmly set on regaining the lightweight title since losing a vacant championship bout against Islam Makhachev at UFC 280. They were scheduled to rematch in the main event of UFC 294, but featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski stepped in after Oliveira was forced to withdraw due to a cut just 12 days’ before fight night. There was much consternation over the cut that prompted Oliveira to bow out, including discussion over why he and his team attempted to address the problem themselves instead of immediately alerting the UFC.…
Francis Ngannou’s combat sports career took another incredible turn on Saturday when he arguably beat the lineal heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury in a 10-round boxing match in Saudi Arabia — even dropping Fury in the third round. Despite not getting the victory on the cards, Ngannou is the fight’s big winner in other ways. On an all-new edition of Heck of a Morning, MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck reacts to Ngannou’s performance against Fury, how Ngannou the boxer is far more intriguing than Ngannou the MMA fighter, and how the only MMA opponent that makes any sense is the fight…
Francis Ngannou stood his ground when it came time to renegotiate with the UFC on a new contract, which eventually led to his exit from the promotion while still reigning as heavyweight champion. The gamble paid off when Ngannou not only inked a lucrative multi-fight deal to continue his MMA career in the PFL but he also booked his dream match for his professional boxing debut against Tyson Fury this past weekend. Not only did Ngannou land the fight he wanted but he nearly beat Fury after scoring a knockdown in the third round before ultimately losing a razor-close split…
Matt Brown wasn’t alone in picking Tyson Fury to dominate Francis Ngannou in their fight this past Saturday night, but the veteran UFC welterweight was definitely shocked at the result. Despite competing in his first professional boxing match, Ngannou put on a brilliant performance while scoring the only knockdown in the fight before ultimately losing a controversial split decision. Meanwhile, Fury was effectively embarrassed after he entered the fight as a 14-to-1 favorite with most boxing pundits predicting that he would toy with the less experienced Ngannou and eventually put him away inside 10 rounds. Instead, Fury looked timid and…
Few things infuriate MMA fans more than a fight being scored incorrectly, though the term “robbery” tends to be thrown around carelessly and is often steeped in bias. With Robbery Review, we take a look back at controversial fights and determine whether the judges were rightly criticized for their decision – or if pundits need to examine their own knee-jerk reactions. Francis Ngannou might be the best heavyweight boxer in the world. I watched it. I just typed it. And I still don’t believe it. This past Saturday, Ngannou put on an inspiring (really, pick your superlative of choice, I’m…
MMA vs. boxing crossover contests may become all the rage as 2024 draws near. Francis Ngannou captivated the combat sports world in his professional boxing debut this past Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. The former UFC heavyweight king entered against one of the division’s all-time greatest boxers and did far better than anyone expected, losing a split-decision in the 10-round affair. Before Ngannou made his step into the boxing ring, the sport had already begun growing in the spectacle aspect with names like Nate Diaz and Anderson Silva crossing over. After becoming a UFC champion in August with a second-round…
Lightweights will take center stage at UFC Austin when Beneil Dariush clashes with Arman Tsarukyan in the main event while Dan Hooker takes on Bobby Green in the co-main event on Dec. 2 at the Moody Center. UFC CEO Dana White made the announcement about the fights late Monday night while also confirming that both the main and co-main events will take place over five rounds. Dariush makes his return to action after his eight fight win streak was snapped in his last outing against Charles Oliveira in May. The 34-year-old contender now attempts to get back on track after…
Francis Ngannou believes he’ll decide his next step this week after a near-upset of heavyweight boxing champ Tyson Fury. At the moment, Ngannou’s potential future includes an offer from Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi royal adviser who shepherded his fight with Fury into existence. Alalshikh appeared before Ngannou Monday on The MMA Hour to reveal a yet-undisclosed bid to retain the heavyweight after his split-decision loss to Fury. Also on the list of possibilities is a possible MMA fight with former heavyweight boxing champ Deontay Wilder, who earlier this year welcomed a trip to the cage and, according to the former…
The Mixed Martial Arts Hour is back in your life! Below is a rundown of Wednesday’s show, which begins at 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT / 6 p.m. UK time. 1 p.m. ET: We recap the crazy weekend in combat sports. 2 p.m.: Francis Ngannou returns after his incredible performance against Tyson Fury. 2:45 p.m.: Eddie Hearn reflects on Fury vs. Ngannou and the wild weekend in boxing. 3:15 p.m.: Dan Hardy weighs in on the Fury vs. Ngannou debate. 3:45 p.m.: PFL founder Donn Davis talks the big fight and what’s next for Ngannou in PFL. 4:15…