Boxer Claressa Shields is preparing for a world title heavyweight bout against Danielle Perkins on Feb. 2, but she’s happy to discuss fighting someone else.
Jake Paul.
“I don’t know if it’s something that can happen, but I know that I can whip Jake Paul’s (expletive) and people who are against that are just sexist and they don’t know boxing,” Shields, the most decorated female boxer in history, told USA TODAY Sports. “It’s very strange to me that they think that a YouTuber can beat a woman boxer who has two Olympic gold medals, (multiple) world titles and fought as a heavyweight. …
“He does not have the experience. They talk about power. You can have power, but you got to have the skills to land a punch.’’
A representative for Paul did not immediately respond to requests for comment made by voicemail and text message.
Shields, 29, is 15-0 as a pro with three knockouts. She is 5-foot-8 and is expected to weigh in at about 175 pounds for her second consecutive heavyweight bout.
Paul, 27, is 11-1 with seven knockouts and has fought mostly as a cruiserweight, which has a 200-pound maximum at weigh-in. He is coming off a victory over Mike Tyson by unanimous decision – which did not impress Shields.
“Jake Paul showed that he has not gotten better with his skills,” she said. “He needs to train harder and better. And honestly, I think the girl that I’m getting ready to fight against, Danielle Perkins, can beat Jake Paul, too.”
Shields’ beef with Paul appears to stem in part from Paul having picked Savannah Marshall to beat Shields in 2022. The only defeat of Shields’ career came against Marshall as an amateur in 2012 at the world championships.
Shields avenged the loss by beating Marshall by unanimous decision.
“(Paul) tried to apologize and all that other type of stuff after he picked Savannah to beat me in a fight,” Shields said. “But (expletive) that apology. Fight me.”
Former UFC title challenger Darren Till has a new opponent for Misfits X Series 20 main event bout in Manchester.
[autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] has a date, place and opponent for his first fight of 2025.
The former UFC welterweight title challenger takes on [autotag]Anthony Taylor[/autotag] on Jan. 18 at Misfits X Series 20 Co-op Live in Manchester, England. The bout will serve as the main event of the card. Wade Plemons vs. Masai Warrior, a four-round heavyweight matchup, will co-headline the card.
The promotion announced the news on Sunday afternoon.
Till and Taylor collide in an eight-round heavyweight boxing match. Till was originally scheduled to fight Tommy Fury. However, Fury withdrew from the matchup due to Till’s threats that he was going to kick him during their boxing match, which of course it’s illegal.
Till made his boxing debut in an exhibition bout in July and won by TKO in Round 2. Upon the bout’s conclusion, a brawl was sparked in the ring when opponent Mohammad Mutie and team took exception to a short fight-ending shot to the back of the head. Till was still named the victor.
That exhibition bout against Mutie stands as Till’s first and only fight since his UFC release in late 2022.
How seriously should fight fans take UFC star Conor McGregor’s claim that he’s in agreement to fight Logan Paul in a boxing exhibition?
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Sometimes all it takes is one [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] social media post to set the combat sports world into a tizzy, as was the case Tuesday when the UFC’s biggest star shared that he has agreed to an exhibition boxing match against [autotag]Logan Paul[/autotag].
What? That certainly came out of nowhere.
At least part of the motivation for McGregor’s middle-of-the-night (in the U.S.) X post was to quell rumors of a UFC fight against featherweight champion Ilia Topuria. McGregor’s post also suggested that India’s extremely wealthy Ambani Family will organize the event.
The rumors of a bout with topurio are false. I am in preliminary agreements with the Ambani family to face Logan Paul in a boxing exhibition in India.
I have agreed.
I will then seek my return to the Octagon.
How serious should fight fans take McGregor’s claim? Here’s what we know.
Did Dana White tease McGregor vs. Paul?
This past Saturday after UFC on ESPN 63, Dana White spoke with reporters and was asked about the UFC’s plans for 2025 coming off another successful year. And in the process of a long-winded answer, the UFC boss teased something big and suggested it would come as a surprise.
“I’ve got something in the works right now. I’ll drive you f*ckers crazy, all you guys will be running around,” White told reporters, including MMA Junkie. “I’ve got something in the works that you will never f*cking see coming for 2025, that literally started to come together last night.”
A person with knowledge of the situation confirmed to MMA Junkie that White was pitched on the idea of a fight between McGregor and Paul last Friday, although it’s unclear who took part in that meeting.
Why McGregor vs. Paul could be legit
While a potential fight between McGregor and Paul does seem out of left field, it could make sense given their affiliations.
With McGregor under contract with UFC and Paul tied to WWE, that puts both men under the TKO umbrella. It stands to reason that if TKO executives want to put on a crossover event headlined by McGregor vs. Paul, the fight could certainly come to fruition.
Also working in the fight’s favor is the fact that Paul already is one of the UFC’s business partners through his Prime energy drink.
Jake Paul weighs in on possible McGregor fight vs. his brother
While White has been in a years-long war of words with Logan’s brother, Jake Paul, over fighter pay, he’s had nothing but praise for Logan, calling him “f*cking brilliant” in 2023.
Jake, who has repeatedly called out McGregor during his meteoric rise from YouTuber to professional boxer, weighed in on the possibility that McGregor would fight his brother on X, claiming that McGregor’s team has been “desperately trying” to negotiate with Most Valuable Promotions.
Now it all makes sense why Conor Mcgregor & his management team have been desperately trying to get MVP to negotiate for a fight between us.
As we told them them privately & I’m now saying it publicly…the only way we’re willing to explore me vs Conor in a pro boxing / mma fight…
Who is the Ambani Family and why would they be involved?
Mukesh Ambani, patriarch of the Ambani Family, is an Indian businessman and one of the richest people in the world with an estimated net worth of $121 billion, according to Business Insider earlier this year. His company, Reliance Industries, conducts business in a multitude of sectors – including energy, natural gas, telecommunications, and more.
Given Ambani doesn’t have any history of promoting or investing in combat sports, it’s unclear why he would back McGregor vs. Paul. His company, however, does have ties to the entertainment industry – and a McGregor vs. Paul event would surely draw mainstream interest similar to, if not beyond, this past November’s Netflix event headlined by Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson.
Logan Paul’s first reaction
With all the buzz permeating Tuesday’s news cycle, Paul finally reacted (sort of) to a potential fight with McGregor on his Instagram Story, adding the big eyes emoji to a graphic that included McGregor’s original tweet.
(Logan Paul’s Instagram Story)
Conor McGregor shares fight “announcement”
On Sunday, Dec. 29, McGregor and The MacLife shared a collaborative post on Instagram announcing the fight against Paul as “set.” The post did not include a date for the fight, yet stated it would take place at Mumbai’s Wankhede stadium.
The full post read:
Conor McGregor and Logan Paul are to feature as part of a historic “Visit India” tourism campaign as the pair clash in Mumbai’s iconic Wankhede Stadium.
The two will be well rewarded for their efforts, with McGregor set to walkaway with $250 million, making the fight one of the most financially rewarding in history.
The event will be funded by the Ambani family dynasty, the richest in India.
Check out these images of actor Ryan Destiny and boxing and PFL standout Claressa Shields.
Check out these images of actor Ryan Destiny and boxing and PFL standout [autotag]Claressa Shields[/autotag]. Destiny plays Shields in “The Fire Inside,” a biopic about Shields’ life and career.
Frank Warren has changed his tune on the decision result of the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury rematch.
[autotag]Frank Warren[/autotag] is changing his tune on the judging of the [autotag]Oleksandr Usyk[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] heavyweight championship rematch.
Warren, promoter of Fury, made headlines following Saturday’s rematch between Usyk and Fury in Saudi Arabia due to his bold post-fight claims. Warren said that the British star had been “robbed” in his decision loss to Usyk. Now, a few days later, Warren still stands by who he saw winning that night in Riyadh, but admits it was much closer than he initially thought.
“I thought it was a closer fight on TV than what I’ve seen there, but I still think Tyson just won it,” Warren told Seconds Out. “Not nicked it, I think it was a close fight, and that’s how I scored it.
“I don’t change my mind about the judge’s scorecards, which was my beef. I wasn’t moaning about the result of the fight, I was moaning about the way they scored it. I don’t see how one judge didn’t give Tyson a single round for the last seven rounds, that is impossible. I watched that back, and I’ve been around a long time, and I’ve seen it and I don’t know how he got it. Usyk didn’t win the last seven rounds of that fight, that’s for sure.”
Usyk, who had beaten Fury in a split decision back in May, lost once again to the Ukranian, but this time by unanimous decision, which read 116-112 across all judges’ scorecards.
Warren thinks no matter what happens, Fury and Usyk will always be competitive, with the decision being able to sway either way.
“These two are always going to have a close fight,” Warren said. “The last one was a close fight. That’s their style. That’s how their styles are. I remember years ago when Ken Norton and (Muhammad) Ali. You watch that fight, and you know, it was what it was. Tyson and Usyk are magnificent fighters, they’re brilliant heavyweights, they will always have a good fight. There’s no doubt about that.”
Michael Bisping believes Tyson Fury has nothing left to prove after his second straight loss to Oleksandr Usyk.
UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Michael Bisping[/autotag] believes [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] has nothing left to prove after his second straight loss to [autotag]Oleksandr Usyk[/autotag].
Usyk retained his WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles when he defeated Fury by unanimous decision this past Saturday in Saudi Arabia. For Bisping, Usyk won in much more definitive fashion after winning his first meeting against Fury by split decision seven months ago.
“Usyk, of course, was the better boxer,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “He was the more efficient boxer, he was landing more, missing less. Fury, of course, landed some good shots. He was ripping to the body with beautiful uppercuts, missed the uppercuts to the chin of Usyk just by millimeters. Some of those shots that Fury was throwing, if they had landed, he might have knocked him out in the final rounds. … There was certainly nothing bad about Tyson Fury.
“He pushed the pace, he went 12 rounds, he didn’t get overly tired. Of course, after 12 rounds of boxing you’re going to be fatigued, but he wasn’t blowing out of his eyes. He was in tremendous condition, and he took the shots really well. His punch resistance is still there. This isn’t Tyson Fury on the downslide. This was Tyson Fury just being beat fair and square by the best boxer of his generation.”
All three judges had it 116-112 in favor of Usyk, with the AI judge scoring it 118-112 for Usyk. Bisping is glad to see the judges get it right.
“He just beat Tyson Fury once again via decision,” Bisping said. “Once again, he clipped Tyson Fury, wobbled Tyson Fury, had him hurt on a few occasions, but it wasn’t like Round 9 of the first fight. It wasn’t as bad as that. It wasn’t as dramatic as that.
“But I tell you what: The judges, for once in boxing, they got it right. All the experts had Oleksandr Usyk winning 116-112. So, Usyk, 8 rounds to 4. And that’s not one judge, not two judges, but all three judges. Even the Artificial Intelligence judge had it that way.”
Bisping says Fury should retire, enjoy his life
While Bisping acknowledges that Anthony Joshua is out there as a potential next opponent for Fury, he’d like to see “The Gypsy King” hang up his gloves.
“Now he’s lost two in a row,” Bisping said. “Will that be the end of Tyson Fury? Will he retire? Certainly he’s got nothing to prove. He should be very, very proud of himself. He’s made a ridiculous amount of money. He’s extremely wealthy, he’s been the heavyweight champion of the world, one of the biggest names in British heavyweight boxing.
“So, he can walk off into the sunset, and if we never see him fight again, thank you, Tyson Fury, for all of the entertainment, because it was always entertaining. In the ring, after the ring, at the press conferences, at the weigh-ins, there’s always a show from Tyson Fury. … I would love to see Tyson Fury go off into retirement, enjoy himself, be proud of himself, and enjoy the money and wealth that he’s amassed and go and live a long, happy, healthy life.”
Jake Paul said his Netflix fight with Mike Tyson would draw 90,000 spectators, but record show it didn’t even come close.
Fewer than 60,000 tickets were sold for the fight between [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] and [autotag]Mike Tyson[/autotag] last month at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, according to documents obtained by USA TODAY Sports.
About 6,500 tickets were given away, according to the documents, as the heavyweight bout livestreamed Nov. 15 by Netflix fell short of hopes for ticket sales.
On multiple occasions Paul said the fight would draw 90,000 spectators to AT&T Stadium. That would have required the sale of 10,000 standing-room-only seats at the 80,000-seat venue, home of the Dallas Cowboys. But only 59,666 tickets were sold and another 6,437 were given away for a total of 66,103 tickets distributed, according to a tax report submitted by the fight promoter, Holden Boxing LLC.
Holden Boxing worked for Most Valuable Promotions (MVP), which was co-founded by Paul, and partnered with Netflix on the fight. Nexflix reported the fight was the most-streamed sporting event ever and that concurrent streams peaked at 65 million.
Mike Tyson (black gloves) fights Jake Paul (silver gloves) at AT&T Stadium. (Kevin Jairaj, Imagn Images)
The ticket sales generated $18.1 million, more than any other U.S. boxing event outside of Nevada, according to MVP.
The total proceeds subject to state taxes was $22 million − which included $3.6 million for tickets given away.
For a combative sports event, Texas taxes the amount for gross receipts on ticket sales at a 3-percent rate, which resulted in a tax bill of about $650,000, according to the tax report.
Watch Oleksandr Usyk defeat Tyson Fury in their championship rematch in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
You can now watch the full fight between [autotag]Oleksandr Usyk[/autotag] and [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] for free.
Check out the entire massive championship rematch in the video above, courtesy of Turki Alalshikh.
Usyk and Fury fought this past Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and they went all 12 rounds. In the end, Usyk defeated Fury by unanimous decision with 116-112 on all three judges’ scorecards to retain his WBC, WBA and WBO heavyweight titles, along with his undefeated status.
This was the second meeting between Usyk and Fury as they had previously fought to a split decision that favored the Ukrainian fighter earlier this year.
[lawrence-related id=2794657,2794494,2794485]
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for Usyk vs. Fury 2.
Francis Ngannou doesn’t entirely agree with the scorecards of Oleksandr Usyk vs. Tyson Fury 2.
[autotag]Francis Ngannou[/autotag] doesn’t entirely agree with the scorecards of [autotag]Oleksandr Usyk[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tyson Fury[/autotag] 2.
Usyk retained his WBC, WBA and WBO world heavyweight titles when he defeated Fury by unanimous decision Saturday in Saudi Arabia. Usyk defeated Fury a second time after winning a split-decision in their first meeting seven months ago.
Ngannou is OK with Usyk getting his hand raised, but not as definitively as the scorecards reflected.
“The fight was pretty close. I would have scored the fight closer than that,” Ngannou said in an interview with Pro Boxing Fans. “Maybe Usyk could have still won. I mean, at the end of the fight, I wasn’t sure that anybody was a winner because anybody could have been a winner. From my scorecard, it was closer than that.”
All three judges scored it 116-112 for Usyk, but the AI scorecard had it 118-112 for Usyk, which Ngannou heavily disagrees with.
“No, no – AI might be intelligent, but AI doesn’t understand the sport properly,” Ngannou said. “It’s a man sport, it’s not a machine sport. I think AI, regardless of everything, is still a machine that operates automatically and scores based on some (things it can’t see). I don’t think AI has all the specific or the data to score a boxing match.”
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is a saying that’s a real thing. So is this: “People are idiots.”
“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder” is a saying that’s a real thing.
Quite simply, what you find appealing, I might not. It used to be a little easier to understand, but then internet trolls came around.
But there’s another saying that’s a real thing, too: People are idiots.
And in that vein, actor Sydney Sweeney, one of Hollywood’s most definite “it” stars of the moment the past few years, has shared some of those idiots’ takes on her recent boxing training to play Hall of Famer Christy Martin.
Sweeney by most metrics – keeping that saying in the lead in mind – has entered the upper echelon of stardom in the entertainment world and is a regular fixture in advertisements and on social media. But she posted a video on Instagram showing some of the comments she’s gotten while training to play Martin, and suffice it to say … yeah: People are idiots.
We compiled the comments below since they flash through Sweeney’s video in a hurry.
Martin went 49-7-3 with 31 knockouts and in 2020 was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. The as-yet untiled biopic is being directed by David Michod, an Australian who directed the highly regarded 20120 Oscar-nominated “Animal Kingdom.”
Michod co-wrote the script for the Martin drama and is a producer, along with Sweeney, who stars with Ben Foster, Merritt Wever and Ethan Embry, among others.
The film is planned for a 2025 release and will come on the heels of “The Fire Inside,” a biopic about Claressa Shields out now that is garnering excellent reviews.
