Jake Paul will face former UFC champion Tyron Woodley on Aug. 28.
Jake Paul has his next opponent.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer will face former UFC fighter Tyron Woodley on Aug. 28, his first bout since signing a multi-fight deal with Showtime, according to multiple reports. The fight will be contested at 190 pounds. No site was announced.
Paul (3-0) is coming off a first-round knockout over retired MMA star Ben Askren in April.
“I have a list of people I plan on shutting up with my fists,” Paul said in a formal statement. “And as I enter my fourth pro fight, I am excited to knock the first one off the list by challenging myself against a five-time UFC champion known for his knockout power. Tyron’s a seasoned striker who has fought the best in the world. I certainly respect his career, but I will be sending Tyron into a permanent siesta on August 28.
“Maybe this time [UFC President] Dana White will actually be a man and put his money on his former champion instead of trying to undermine my success like a jealous ex. Influencer vs MMA: Let’s get it on. It’s showtime.”
Woodley (19-7-1 MMA, 9-6-1 UFC) is ranked No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie welterweight rankings.
The former UFC champion recently ended his tenure in MMA’s biggest promotion following an eight-year run. “The Chosen One” closed out his octagon career on a four-fight skid, ceding his title to current champ Kamaru Usman before also suffering setbacks against current top contenders Gilbert Burns, Colby Covington and Vicente Luque.
Woodley had challenged Paul in an interview with TMZ.
“Come and get this smoke for real,” Woodley said. “I’m in, and I can actually find him. People that keep talking about fighting him, they’re not even in position to fight him. I can actually fight him.”
Jake Paul will face former UFC champion Tyron Woodley on Aug. 28.
Jake Paul has his next opponent.
The YouTuber-turned-boxer will face former UFC fighter Tyron Woodley on Aug. 28, his first bout since signing a multi-fight deal with Showtime, according to multiple reports. The fight will be contested at 190 pounds. No site was announced.
Paul (3-0) is coming off a first-round knockout over retired MMA star Ben Askren in April.
“I have a list of people I plan on shutting up with my fists,” Paul said in a formal statement. “And as I enter my fourth pro fight, I am excited to knock the first one off the list by challenging myself against a five-time UFC champion known for his knockout power. Tyron’s a seasoned striker who has fought the best in the world. I certainly respect his career, but I will be sending Tyron into a permanent siesta on August 28.
“Maybe this time [UFC President] Dana White will actually be a man and put his money on his former champion instead of trying to undermine my success like a jealous ex. Influencer vs MMA: Let’s get it on. It’s showtime.”
Woodley (19-7-1 MMA, 9-6-1 UFC) is ranked No. 11 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie welterweight rankings.
The former UFC champion recently ended his tenure in MMA’s biggest promotion following an eight-year run. “The Chosen One” closed out his octagon career on a four-fight skid, ceding his title to current champ Kamaru Usman before also suffering setbacks against current top contenders Gilbert Burns, Colby Covington and Vicente Luque.
Woodley had challenged Paul in an interview with TMZ.
“Come and get this smoke for real,” Woodley said. “I’m in, and I can actually find him. People that keep talking about fighting him, they’re not even in position to fight him. I can actually fight him.”
Brandon Figueroa isn’t the most talented fighter in the world. He isn’t particularly quick or athletic. And while he has solid skills honed over two thirds of his life, no one would confuse him with Vasiliy Lomachenko.
The new 122-pound titleholder is where he is because of hard work, innate toughness and determination, blue-collar qualities that make him a nightmare for any opponent and a favorite of fans.
Luis Nery learned that the hard way on Saturday, when the Mexican got off to a strong start only to wilt under Figueroa’s relentless pressure and have his night ended by a vicious left to the ribs at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.
Nery was the better boxer, Figueroa the better fighter for the reasons stated above.
“My corner told me to pressure him and that he wouldn’t last. That’s exactly what happened,” Figueroa said.
A friend described Figueroa (22-0-1, 17 KOs) as a smaller version of Antonio Margarito, the physically imposing and seemingly indestructible welterweight from the 2000s. I liked that comparison. Margarito, at his best, was something to behold.
Of course, Margarito eventually fell to better all-around fighters. Is that on the horizon for Figueroa?
The victory over Nery set up a junior featherweight title-unification showdown with Stephen Fulton, a gifted, polished boxer who dominated in his most-recent fight an opponent with a similar style to that of Figueroa, Angelo Leo.
The oddsmakers will make Fulton a significant favorite. Nery was favored too, though. And we saw what happened. Figueroa isn’t the fighter Fulton is but he’s special in his own way.
[lawrence-related id=20310]
***
BAD
Is Luis Nery (left) too small for the 122-pound division? Esther Lin / Showtime
Nery (31-1, 24 KOs) was a force of nature at 118 pounds, a good, athletic boxer with crushing power. Hence his record of 29-0 (24 KOs) before he moved up to 122. He’s 1-1 since, a lackluster decision over Aaron Alameda to win his title and the fight on Saturday.
The obvious conclusion is that Nery is naturally too small to handle elite junior featherweights, an argument that might have some merit.
“Like I said, Nery is a 118-pounder. He needs to say down there,” Fulton said after the fight Saturday.
However, that’s not fair to Figueroa because it minimizes his victory. As we’ve seen in the past, natural 122-pounders have had trouble with his size, strength and pressure. For God’s sake, he went toe-to-toe in a 2019 draw with Julio Ceja, who came in 4½ pounds over the limit.
The point is that Nery might’ve simply tangled with the wrong guy in his transition to a new weight.
Another possibility: Nery wasn’t quite as good as many thought even though he created a stir in his exciting run at 118 pounds. He had ability and punching power but he was always hittable. Maybe such an outcome was inevitable.
Of course, we’ll learn a lot about Nery going forward. We’ll see whether he decides to go back down to 118 pounds, which seems unlikely because he evidently had to work hard to make 122.
More important, we’ll see how resilient he is emotionally. That was a brutal loss in the end, one that could be difficult to overcome. Remember: He reportedly had never tasted defeat either as an amateur or a professional. This is new to him.
His response to the setback could be how he’s remembered as a fighter.
***
WORSE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLtTdNIoSL0
The scoring in the Xavier Martinez-Juan Carlos Burgos 130-pound fight on the Figueroa-Nery card might’ve been accurate but it certainly doesn’t tell the complete story.
Burgos, a 33-year-old from Mexico who has faced a number of big-name opponents, showed up for his fight on the Figueroa-Nery card in prime shape and determined to show that he remains a fighter to be reckoned with.
He largely succeeded, pushing Martinez to his limits by leaving every single ounce of himself in the ring in a tremendous back-and-forth brawl. Burgos couldn’t have fought harder than he did.
The scores? All three judges had it 99-91 for Martinez, nine rounds to one.
Martinez deserved the victory. I scored it 97-93 in his favor, seven rounds to three. The talented all-around fighter from Sacramento, Calif., landed the cleaner, harder punches to win the fight and take another step toward his first shot at a title.
However, I fear that people will see the 99-91 scores and think that the fight wasn’t competitive, which would be a shame given Burgos’ effort. The spectators at the arena knew better. They booed Martinez afterward, not because he had his hand raised but because Burgos didn’t get enough credit from the judges.
I feel the same way about Burgos’ recent results: He’s 1-3 in his last four fights, with losses to Devin Haney, Hector Tanajara and now Martinez. It would be easy to write him off, especially at his age.
He doesn’t deserve that. He demonstrated in inspiring fashion on Saturday that he has a lot more to give.
[lawrence-related id=20304]
***
RABBIT PUNCHES
If only Daniel Roman had more pop in his punches. The former junior featherweight titleholder gave a strong performance against Ricardo Espinoza on the Figueroa-Nery card, withstanding constant pressure to pick apart the capable Mexican and win a wide decision. Roman (29-3-1, 10 KOs) clearly demonstrated that he remains a wonderful boxer and one of the best 122-pounders in the world. He deserves the opportunity to fight for another title he covets. … Light heavyweight contender Joshua Buatsi (14-0, 12 KOs) scored a brutal knockout on Saturday in Manchester, England. The 28-year-old Ghana-born Londoner landed a jarring overhand right to the chin of Daniel Dos Santos (15-1, 8 KOs) and followed with another quick right as the Frenchman was going down to end the fight instantaneously in the fourth round. Buatsi, who is trained by Virgil Hunter, appears to be a legitimate threat to any 175-pounder. He has ability, seems to have a high ring IQ and he clearly can punch. … News item: Triller co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh said that UFC President Dana White nixed a planned exhibition between Oscar De La Hoya and former MMA star Georges St-Pierre, who remains under contract to UFC even though he hasn’t fought in years. I get it … and I don’t. White doesn’t want Triller or anyone to have a free run at his fighters. At the same time, White allowed Ben Askren to fight Jake Paul. Why not let De La Hoya and St-Pierre make some money? And perhaps White could take a percentage of the pot. I have a feeling it has something to do with White’s dislike for De La Hoya. The boxer-turned-promoter probably will get the last laugh, though. He’ll find someone of note to fight and still make a boat-load of cash.
Brandon Figueroa isn’t the most talented fighter in the world. He isn’t particularly quick or athletic. And while he has solid skills honed over two thirds of his life, no one would confuse him with Vasiliy Lomachenko.
The new 122-pound titleholder is where he is because of hard work, innate toughness and determination, blue-collar qualities that make him a nightmare for any opponent and a favorite of fans.
Luis Nery learned that the hard way on Saturday, when the Mexican got off to a strong start only to wilt under Figueroa’s relentless pressure and have his night ended by a vicious left to the ribs at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif.
Nery was the better boxer, Figueroa the better fighter for the reasons stated above.
“My corner told me to pressure him and that he wouldn’t last. That’s exactly what happened,” Figueroa said.
A friend described Figueroa (22-0-1, 17 KOs) as a smaller version of Antonio Margarito, the physically imposing and seemingly indestructible welterweight from the 2000s. I liked that comparison. Margarito, at his best, was something to behold.
Of course, Margarito eventually fell to better all-around fighters. Is that on the horizon for Figueroa?
The victory over Nery set up a junior featherweight title-unification showdown with Stephen Fulton, a gifted, polished boxer who dominated in his most-recent fight an opponent with a similar style to that of Figueroa, Angelo Leo.
The oddsmakers will make Fulton a significant favorite. Nery was favored too, though. And we saw what happened. Figueroa isn’t the fighter Fulton is but he’s special in his own way.
[lawrence-related id=20310]
***
BAD
Is Luis Nery (left) too small for the 122-pound division? Esther Lin / Showtime
Nery (31-1, 24 KOs) was a force of nature at 118 pounds, a good, athletic boxer with crushing power. Hence his record of 29-0 (24 KOs) before he moved up to 122. He’s 1-1 since, a lackluster decision over Aaron Alameda to win his title and the fight on Saturday.
The obvious conclusion is that Nery is naturally too small to handle elite junior featherweights, an argument that might have some merit.
“Like I said, Nery is a 118-pounder. He needs to say down there,” Fulton said after the fight Saturday.
However, that’s not fair to Figueroa because it minimizes his victory. As we’ve seen in the past, natural 122-pounders have had trouble with his size, strength and pressure. For God’s sake, he went toe-to-toe in a 2019 draw with Julio Ceja, who came in 4½ pounds over the limit.
The point is that Nery might’ve simply tangled with the wrong guy in his transition to a new weight.
Another possibility: Nery wasn’t quite as good as many thought even though he created a stir in his exciting run at 118 pounds. He had ability and punching power but he was always hittable. Maybe such an outcome was inevitable.
Of course, we’ll learn a lot about Nery going forward. We’ll see whether he decides to go back down to 118 pounds, which seems unlikely because he evidently had to work hard to make 122.
More important, we’ll see how resilient he is emotionally. That was a brutal loss in the end, one that could be difficult to overcome. Remember: He reportedly had never tasted defeat either as an amateur or a professional. This is new to him.
His response to the setback could be how he’s remembered as a fighter.
***
WORSE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLtTdNIoSL0
The scoring in the Xavier Martinez-Juan Carlos Burgos 130-pound fight on the Figueroa-Nery card might’ve been accurate but it certainly doesn’t tell the complete story.
Burgos, a 33-year-old from Mexico who has faced a number of big-name opponents, showed up for his fight on the Figueroa-Nery card in prime shape and determined to show that he remains a fighter to be reckoned with.
He largely succeeded, pushing Martinez to his limits by leaving every single ounce of himself in the ring in a tremendous back-and-forth brawl. Burgos couldn’t have fought harder than he did.
The scores? All three judges had it 99-91 for Martinez, nine rounds to one.
Martinez deserved the victory. I scored it 97-93 in his favor, seven rounds to three. The talented all-around fighter from Sacramento, Calif., landed the cleaner, harder punches to win the fight and take another step toward his first shot at a title.
However, I fear that people will see the 99-91 scores and think that the fight wasn’t competitive, which would be a shame given Burgos’ effort. The spectators at the arena knew better. They booed Martinez afterward, not because he had his hand raised but because Burgos didn’t get enough credit from the judges.
I feel the same way about Burgos’ recent results: He’s 1-3 in his last four fights, with losses to Devin Haney, Hector Tanajara and now Martinez. It would be easy to write him off, especially at his age.
He doesn’t deserve that. He demonstrated in inspiring fashion on Saturday that he has a lot more to give.
[lawrence-related id=20304]
***
RABBIT PUNCHES
If only Daniel Roman had more pop in his punches. The former junior featherweight titleholder gave a strong performance against Ricardo Espinoza on the Figueroa-Nery card, withstanding constant pressure to pick apart the capable Mexican and win a wide decision. Roman (29-3-1, 10 KOs) clearly demonstrated that he remains a wonderful boxer and one of the best 122-pounders in the world. He deserves the opportunity to fight for another title he covets. … Light heavyweight contender Joshua Buatsi (14-0, 12 KOs) scored a brutal knockout on Saturday in Manchester, England. The 28-year-old Ghana-born Londoner landed a jarring overhand right to the chin of Daniel Dos Santos (15-1, 8 KOs) and followed with another quick right as the Frenchman was going down to end the fight instantaneously in the fourth round. Buatsi, who is trained by Virgil Hunter, appears to be a legitimate threat to any 175-pounder. He has ability, seems to have a high ring IQ and he clearly can punch. … News item: Triller co-founder Ryan Kavanaugh said that UFC President Dana White nixed a planned exhibition between Oscar De La Hoya and former MMA star Georges St-Pierre, who remains under contract to UFC even though he hasn’t fought in years. I get it … and I don’t. White doesn’t want Triller or anyone to have a free run at his fighters. At the same time, White allowed Ben Askren to fight Jake Paul. Why not let De La Hoya and St-Pierre make some money? And perhaps White could take a percentage of the pot. I have a feeling it has something to do with White’s dislike for De La Hoya. The boxer-turned-promoter probably will get the last laugh, though. He’ll find someone of note to fight and still make a boat-load of cash.
Triller Fight Club officials are giving fans who pirated Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren one last chance to pay for the event before facing legal repercussions.
Did you watch an illegal stream of April’s [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ben Askren[/autotag] boxing match? If so, Triller Fight Club officials are giving you one last chance to pay for the card.
This past week, the upstart promotion announced it had filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California “against certain parties who participated in the unlawful sale, distribution, and/or viewing of the April 17, 2021 pay-per-view event known as ‘Triller Fight Club: Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren.'”
“VPNs all have to comply and turn over the actual IP addresses of each person who stole the fight in discovery,” Triller head of piracy Matt St. Claire told Reuters.com. “We will be able to identify each and every person, VPN or not, as each stream has a unique fingerprint embedded in the content.”
Triller Fight Club officials said that under U.S. copyright law, anyone found to have pirated the pay-per-view could be liable for up to $150,000 in fines, penalties and damages, and that the organization plans on seeking the maximum damages available in each case.
However, the company is first offering an opportunity for clemency for any individuals “who unlawfully viewed or displayed the event but were not otherwise involved in its illegal sale or distribution” by paying original price of $49.99 before June 1. Those interested in taking advantage of the “one-time settlement and release for their unlawful acts” can pay at Fite.tv.
“We are taking this position because it is outright theft,” St. Claire said. “It is no different than walking into a store and stealing a video game off the shelf.”
Brash YouTuber Paul scored a first-round TKO win over former Bellator and ONE champ Askren in the featured bout of the pay-per-view card, which took place at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
St. Claire said that in addition to individual viewers, Triller will also be pursuing damages from more than a dozen websites who pirated and rebroadcast the event on their platforms.
“In the case of the offending sites, it’s worse because they also then resold it to many people, illegally profiting from work they do not own,” St. Claire said.
Video: Oscar De La Hoya explains his bizarre commentary during the Jake Paul-Ben Askren Show.
One thing that stood out during the Jake Paul-Ben Askren broadcast was the behavior of guest commentator Oscar De La Hoya.
The Hall of Fame boxer and head of Golden Boy Promotions didn’t seem to be himself during repartee with the other commentators, which generated all kinds of speculation
In this episode of The DAZN Boxing Show, commentators Akin Reyes and Barak Bess asked De La Hoya to explain what happened. He answered the question and got into a number of other topics.
Video: Oscar De La Hoya explains his bizarre commentary during the Jake Paul-Ben Askren Show.
One thing that stood out during the Jake Paul-Ben Askren broadcast was the behavior of guest commentator Oscar De La Hoya.
The Hall of Fame boxer and head of Golden Boy Promotions didn’t seem to be himself during repartee with the other commentators, which generated all kinds of speculation
In this episode of The DAZN Boxing Show, commentators Akin Reyes and Barak Bess asked De La Hoya to explain what happened. He answered the question and got into a number of other topics.
On Saturday, sports fans (or just people who wanted to see Jake Paul get punched) were treated to an abomination of a boxing match between the controversial YouTuber and retired UFC fighter Ben Askren.
Davidson was hired as a host for the Triller Fight Club PPV, and he used that gig as an opportunity to roast Paul. It turned out that Paul didn’t appreciate that a comedian would dare to make fun of him. (WARNING: Lots of strong language)
CALL OUT: Pete Davidson called out by Jake Paul and his family. Jake's dad says "Can I fight that piece of sh*t?" Jake says it was his idea to have Pete host the event. Logan adds that Pete wants to host Jake's other boxing matches. Jake responds "F*ck that guy." pic.twitter.com/Nq6jy3rqsq
Paul, in his podcast, cursed out Pete Davidson and seemed genuinely upset that the SNL personality basically got paid by Paul to make fun of Paul. The entourage of Yes Men on the podcast agreed with Paul, but really, you gotta credit Davidson because he was easily the best part of the whole PPV.
Pete Davidson reporting from the Jake Paul vs Ben Askren stream has me WEAK 😂💀 pic.twitter.com/fXtxw1zO19
Honestly, Paul’s anger just makes Davidson’s performance even better. The dude took Jake Paul’s money and went on to call him a terrible person. That’s a Hall of Fame move.
Now that it’s over, what – if any – lessons did the “Spinning Back Clique” panel take away from Jake Paul’s TKO of Ben Askren?
Well, it happened. [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] did what he said he would and finished [autotag]Ben Askren[/autotag] in the first round of their Triller Fight Club boxing match this past Saturday after months of trash talk leading up to the fight.
However it makes you feel inside, there’s no question this was the most talked about fight in combat sports this past week, and it was every bit the spectacle we anticipated. This event was chaos from start to finish.
[lawrence-related id=604678,604601]
What was one lesson learned from this fight, whether it be about Askren, Paul or the sport itself – what was one thing you walked away learning from this fight? Our “Spinning Back Clique” panel of “Gorgeous” George Garcia, Brian “Goze” Garcia, Danny Segura, and host John Morgan weighed in.
You can watch their discussion in the video above or this week’s full episode below.
Ben Askren wishes he had listened to his cornermen as his fight unfolded with Jake Paul.
It appears [autotag]Ben Askren[/autotag] is taking his loss to [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] in stride.
For starters, the former Bellator and ONE Championship titleholder said he stayed off social media Sunday to avoid the plethora of negative noise in response to his first-round TKO loss to the YouTube star in the headliner of the Triller Fight Club event. Askren’s attitude, however, isn’t necessarily an indication that he doesn’t care.
The 36-year-old Askren, who came out of retirement and off hip replacement surgery to fight Paul, is definitely upset at himself. And he wants people to know that he didn’t take his boxing debut lightly.
“I’m disappointed. … I saw people don’t think I took it seriously, and here’s the thing: When I took the fight, I said No. 1 for the money, No. 2 I think this could be a good time,” Askren said Monday on the “Louder with Crowder” podcast. “I used to box with my friends in high school just for fun. And I trained hard for 11 weeks. I didn’t miss a practice, and it just didn’t go my way”
The thing that really seems to bother Askren is the thought that the finish could’ve been avoided if he had listened to the advice from cornermen Tyron Woodley and Mike Rhodes as the fight unfolded.
“We knew he had a good overhand right, and I’m a dumbass, and I didn’t block it,” Askren said. “My defense was a little too loose. I heard my coaches, both Tyron and ‘Biggie,’ were saying stop reacting to his fakes, and I didn’t, and I paid the price.”
Askren still stands by his decision to fight in the first place.
“I think one of the things that really separates me from a lot of people is, like, I could’ve very easily sat on my couch and said I don’t want to do that because there’s a potential I’ll be embarrassed,” Askren said. “That would be the only reason I wouldn’t have done it. There’s no other valid reason, and I said I’m gonna do it, so f*ck it, (I did it).”
