Floyd Mayweather Jr. is looking to fight twice in 2020, according to TMZ Sports. One versus a pro boxer and the other an MMA fighter.
Say it isn’t so.
In a span of 72 hours, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has gone from telling the world that he’s permanently retired to putting up an Instagram post teasing at a possible ring return in 2020.
And now, according to TMZ, Mayweather is currently mulling two fights for 2020, “one against a pro boxer and another against a UFC star.”
Mayweather made a fortune for facing UFC’s Conor McGregor under boxing rules, which obviously is an incentive to pursue another crossover fight with an MMA fighter.
On Thursday, Mayweather was spotted courtside at Staples Center next to Dana White at a L.A. Clippers-Boston Celtics game. Shortly thereafter, Mayweather posted a picture of the two sitting next to each other on Instagram, with the caption, “@danawhite and I working together to bring the world another spectacular event in 2020.
According to TMZ, Mayweather prefers to face a UFC fighter who has standout striking skills, which may rule out a fight with current UFC lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov, whose strength is grappling.
As for facing a boxer, one natural option is Manny Pacquiao, who has been actively campaigning for a rematch against Mayweather since their 2015 box office extravaganza. Pacquiao is coming off a vintage win over Keith Thurman in July. Recently, Pacquiao appeared in an Instagram skit with Chinese billionaire Jack Ma in an attempt to lure Mayweather into a fight
Lance Pugmire of The Athletic informed Pacquiao of Mayweather’s comments. Pacquiao’s response: “Hahahaha really? I don’t know of his plan. But I’m just here still active and willing to fight anybody in the welterweight division.”
TMZ’s source claims that Mayweather is looking to fight in May and September,
The UFC recently held its 500th live event, and the organization is marking the occasion with a list of 500 unforgettable moments.
UFC 244 marked the promotion’s 500th live event, and the organization is marking the occasion with “an internally curated list of 500 Unforgettable Moments from UFC history.”
Scheduled to be released in seven installments, UFC Fight Pass 500 Moments shines a spotlight on some of the most memorable highlights – and lowlights – from the UFC’s 26-year run, both in and out of the cage.
UFC Fight Pass officials have committed to sharing video of a few of those key moments with MMA Junkie, as well. This time, we bring you one of the most memorable nights in MMA history, UFC 194 on July 11, 2015 in Las Vegas.
The MGM Grand Garden Arena was already abuzz after Robbie Lawler finished Rory MacDonald to retain the welterweight title in a bout name-checked by many as the greatest in UFC history.
Then came the walkout for the main event, when a heavily Irish crowd was treated to legendary singer Sinead O’Connor’s live performance for [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s walkout. He then went out and finished [autotag]Chad Mendes[/autotag] in the second round to claim the interim featherweight belt.
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You can watch some behind-the-scenes footage in the video above. And check out a few more memorable moments below:
#402 | UFC Fight Night: Florian vs Lauzon | April 2, 2008
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
Floyd Mayweather announced on his Instagram account that he’s making a return in 2020.
Floyd Mayweather just can’t bear to be out of the news.
The “Money” man recently told Reuters that he’s finished as a boxer, although he’s open to participating in more exhibitions.
On Thursday, the 42-year-old announced this on his Instagram account: “Coming out of retirement in 2020.” And on the preceding post, he said this: “@danawhite and I working together again to bring the world another spectacular event in 2020.”
Of course, that could mean a lot of things. Maybe he’s talking about one of those exhibitions, although that wouldn’t be coming out of retirement. Maybe he plans to face another MMA fighter, who, like Conor McGregor, would stand no chance of beating him. Maybe he’s planning to box again. Manny Pacquiao?
The timing is weird given that Mayweather is one of the promoters of the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz card Saturday in Las Vegas. Why would he want to take attention away from that?
Conor McGregor vs. Rafael dos Anjos, Nate Diaz vs. Dustin Poirer, Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson, and more make the list.
There have been numerous highly anticipated UFC matchups that have fallen through over the years because of unfortunate circumstances, and they easily could’ve produced fireworks.
From championship fights, to rivalries, to intriguing stylistic pairings, here are 10 of the best scheduled matchups that never ended up happening.
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Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson
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While it appears that another [autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tony Ferguson[/autotag] fight booking is imminent at the time of this writing, let’s just hope the fifth time is the charm.
These two were scheduled to fight on four other occasions, but a series of unfortunate circumstances and injuries has resulted in it never happening. The first booking was during The Ultimate Fighter Finale card on Dec. 11, 2015, when Nurmagomedov was forced out due to injury and replaced by Edson Barboza. Ferguson submitted Barboza in the second round via D’Arce choke, earning both “Performance” and “Fight of the Night” bonuses.
They were then scheduled to fight at UFC on FOX 19 on April 16, 2016, but this time it was Ferguson who pulled out. Ferguson was replaced by newcomer Darrell Horcher, whom Nurmagomedov battered before earning a second-round TKO win.
Then, an interim lightweight championship fight was scheduled to take place at UFC 209 on March 4, 2017, but the fight was canceled due to Nurmagomedov falling ill from a bad weight cut.
Finally, the two were set to meet a fourth time. At UFC 223 in April 2018, Nurmagomedov and then-interim champ Ferguson were going to fight for the undisputed lightweight title. But in a freak accident, Ferguson tripped over a wire and blew out his knee. Max Holloway stepped in briefly, but the New York State Athletic Commission deemed Holloway unfit to compete due to a severe weight cut. Al Iaquinta, who was scheduled to face Paul Felder on the same night, stepped in for the massive opportunity but was dominated by Nurmagomedov in a five-round battle.
Nurmagomedov finally realized his dream of becoming the UFC lightweight champ, and here’s hoping the fight with Ferguson will finally come to fruition in early 2020 as expected.
[autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] just made a proper donation.
In celebration of the first anniversary of the launch of his whiskey brand, Proper No. Twelve, McGregor, who initially said for every case sold his company would donate $5 to first responders, was happy to announce that he’s already hit the $1 million dollar mark.
McGregor took to Instagram to write a heart-felt message thanking his fans and his team for his business success, as well as affirming that in the new year, his team will be donating $1 million to first responder organizations as promised.
Proper No. Twelve has already launched in eight different countries around the world, as McGregor continues to expand his business. With the announcement of a UFC return seemingly imminent, all signs are pointing to a fight with Donald Cerrone on Jan. 18, but nothing has been made official.
The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.
Conor McGregor hasn’t won a fight in three years, and our latest rankings are about what’s hot now, not then.
If [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] fought a fraction as often as he tweeted about potential fights, and then went out and won those fights, he’d be atop the pound-for-pound rankings list.
And make no mistake, when when MMA’s prodigal son does make his return to the octagon, it will still be a very big deal.
But in the meantime, the rankings move on. You wouldn’t put USC football No. 1 in the polls this year based on what they did in the Reggie Bush Era. Likewise, McGregor’s accomplishments in winning the UFC featherweight and lightweight championships in 2015 and 2016 are increasingly irrelevant when putting together rankings lists as we head into the 2019 holiday season.
McGregor has not won a fight since he beat Eddie Alvarez for the lightweight belt in November 2016. His only MMA fight since was a loss to Khabib Nurmagomedov in October 2018.
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UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, who is No. 9 in this week’s USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie pound-for-pound rankings, had not even made his UFC debut the last time McGregor won a fight.
McGregor is no longer on the pound-for-pound list. He’s no longer in the featherweight rankings. Lightweight? Well, he’s still listed there, but he’s no longer on the short list of title contenders.
We’ve got “The Notorious” in at No. 12 at 155 pounds this week. Maybe he’ll announce a fight soon and have the opportunity to prove he should still be listed with the likes of Nurmagomedov, Tony Ferguson, and Justin Gaethje. But for now, he’s right on the edge of becoming yesterday’s news.
To find out where last week’s winners and losers — like UFC on ESPN+ 22 main eventers [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] and [autotag]Ronaldo Souza[/autotag] — shake out in the week’s rankings, click on the drop-down menu above.
Charles Oliveira, Francisco Trinaldo and Randy Brown were among those with specific names in mind for their next fight after UFC Sao Paulo.
Earning wins in the UFC is certainly no easy task, but what comes next is often even more important: the post-fight callout.
So after Saturday’s UFC on ESPN+ 22 event in Sao Paulo, who took advantage of their time on the mic? See below for this week’s Callout Collection – and just how realistic each one is.
* * * * *
First up, let’s take a look at the night’s prelim winners.
Randy Brown
Wants to fight: [autotag]Michael Chiesa[/autotag]
Michael Chiesa
The callout: “I got somebody I want to talk to: Michael Chiesa, I’ve always wanted a fight with you, my brother, and I don’t want to have to talk about your momma in order to get this fight, so let’s make it happen, my brother.”
The reality: To be honest, I really don’t hate the idea of this fight, and I like the way [autotag]Randy Brown[/autotag] (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) approached the request. It was respectful, but it had a little humor in it, as well, bringing up the infamous Chiesa-Kevin Lee press conference exchange ahead of their 2017 clash. The two rangy fighters would likely provide an entertaining contest, and Brown’s obviously improved submission skills mean that he’s becoming a more well-rounded challenge.
If I’m being honest, though, I can’t see where Chiesa (16-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) agrees to this. Yes, the former lightweight is relatively new in the welterweight division, but he came in with wins over true legendary names in Carlos Condit and Diego Sanchez. Sure, you can argue that neither of those men are at their peak right now, but you can’t deny the starpower they carry. For that reason, I see Chiesa looking for an opponent with a number next to his name, and I’m guessing the UFC will oblige.
The callout: “I would like to face Edson Barboza next. He is the best muay Thai athlete in Brazil. I think it would be a great match.”
The reality: For years, it seemed Brazilian fighters not only weren’t all that interested in facing their countrymen but actually went out of their way to avoid clashing, regardless of the circumstances. But Saturday’s card had a number of Brazil vs. Brazil matchups, and those days seem to be changing, a welcome development. Now, you’ve got a Brazilian folk hero in [autotag]Francisco Trinaldo[/autotag] (24-7 MMA, 14-6 UFC) outwardly asking for a fight with another standout from his home nation in Barboza (20-6 MMA, 14-6 UFC).
In truth, Barboza isn’t really one to be calling the shots right ow. He faces only the absolute best fighters in the division, but he’s at 1-4 in his past five appearances and is going to have to take whatever is offered. That might be good news for Trinaldo, who has had mixed results in his UFC run but in seven years has had only brief exposure to the top-tier talents at 155 pounds.
Both guys probably see this as a winnable fight, and I can’t see more pressing needs for either of them. Let’s tee it up for that rumored Brasilia event in March.
Wants to fight: [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] or [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag]
Conor McGregor and Paul Felder
The callout: “I’ve been here for 10 years. I always say I want a ranked opponent. I’ll call it by the name: Conor McGregor, come on, or else Paul Felder, the last one to beat me. Come on. I’ll meet you again.”
The reality: [autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag](28-8 MMA, 16-8 UFC) has been in the UFC for more than nine years, and we’ve watched him grow up in front of us, in both the physical sense and as a fighter, in general. Along the way, he’s turned in some incredibly memorable performances – well, memorable except for the fact that he has always taken the “whatever is next” approach to his career. Now, at 30, Oliveira is finally speaking out.
In truth, he deserves it. Finally admitting he’s not a featherweight, Oliveira has embraced his move to 155 pounds is now riding a six-fight winning streak – a run that includes five “Performance of the Night” awards. That’s incredibly impressive.
The McGregor call-out, well, that’s a little disappointing, but it’s understandable. McGregor is still a huge name, and I’m sure to a submission ace like Oliveira, the Irishman looks like an easy paycheck. But let’s be honest. It ain’t happening.
Felder? Well, “The Irish Dragon” was the last man to beat Oliveira, and I’m sure he’d appreciate a shot at revenge. Of course, Felder is in the midst of a 5-1 run right now, as well, with the lone loss in that span coming in a welterweight fight, and he’s hoping for a No. 1 contender fight – or something close to it – as he manages the final stages of his in-cage career before jumping full-time into the broadcast booth.
For those reasons, I don’t know that I see either of these coming together. The good news for Oliveira, though, is the top of the division is all unbooked right now. Islam Makachev isn’t a big name, but his reputation is strong among fighters. Or perhaps Kevin Lee?
At UFC on ESPN+ 22, Charles Oliveira stole the show with his performance inside the cage – and on the microphone.
[autotag]Charles Oliveira[/autotag] stole the show with his performance inside the cage – and on the microphone – Saturday at UFC on ESPN+ 22,
The Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt Oliveira (28-8 MMA, 16-8 UFC) smoked Jared Gordon (15-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC) with an uppercut to earn a quick TKO victory. After a string of 23 professional fights and nine years without winning by knockout, Oliveira has picked up back-to-back finishes by strikes.
“I came to the UFC to make history,” Oliveira said. “I never asked for bonuses inside the octagon. I always focused on winning. This week everyone came to me asking if it would be a knockout or a finish. I said it didn’t matter; I just wanted to win. My coach even told me that I should not seek the knockout. It would happen naturally.”
After he danced and celebrated his win, the second order of business was for Oliveira to call out his next opponent. Two names came to mind: a lightweight clash with former dual champion [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] or a rematch with [autotag]Paul Felder[/autotag].
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After the fight, Oliveira explained the challenges and why McGregor and Felder’s names were on the tip of his tongue when Michael Bisping put the microphone in front of him.
“I never called out opponents. I have always accepted all the fights,” Oliveira said. “But I think now it’s time. That is the reason I called out Conor McGregor and Paul Felder, who is the last guy that beat me.
“I want to prove that I am part of the group of the best athletes in this division. I’m not injured. I am 100 percent. I will be at the gym on Monday.”
Whether it be Felder, McGregor, or someone else, Oliveira will be seeking his seventh straight stoppage victory when he returns to the cage. The Brazilian has not lost since his first meeting with Felder at UFC 218 in December 2017. Felder won by second-round TKO.
Khabib Nurmagomedov said he doesn’t get a joy out of hurting his opponents, except when he beat Conor McGregor.
[autotag]Khabib Nurmagomedov[/autotag] typically mauls people in the cage, but he says he doesn’t necessarily get a joy out of it.
Well, there’s one exception, and the answer is pretty obvious: It’s none other than [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag].
“In the last couple of years, I’ve gone out there and won, and it doesn’t bring me any real joy to be honest, well, with the exception of one fight, let’s say,” Nurmagomedov told RT Sport. “In that fight, I beat that guy with pleasure, I’ll tell you.”
Nurmagomedov (28-0 MMA, 12-0 UFC) submitted McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) via fourth-round submission at UFC 229 to retain his UFC lightweight title in a battle that got very ugly in the lead-up. The usually calm and tame Nurmagomedov let his emotions get the best of him after the fight, and he jumped over the cage and attacked McGregor’s corner.
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It wasn’t typical for behavior for Nurmagomedov, who is typically more composed, even while pounding on his opponents while talking to their corner, and even UFC president Dana White. We’ve seen the UFC champ in fights such as his legendary clash with Michael Johnson, where Nurmagomedov was demanding that his opponent tap out and end the one-sided beating.
“I had fights in my career where I understood that I could hurt my opponent more, but I’d talk to him, tell him to give up so that I don’t beat him too hard,” Nurmagomedov said. “For example, if I had a painful hold where I could break something, I wouldn’t tighten it all the way. I’d just fix it so that the opponent would tap out because I have no aim to hurt anyone in this sport. Yes, we compete in a very brutal contact sport, but it’s never my goal to inflict a lot of pain on my opponent.”
“If I understand that I’m winning, I don’t aim to hurt someone bad. Well, except for one fight.”
Owen Roddy discusses Conor McGregor’s return, a potential Donald Cerrone fight and gives his thoughts on “BMF” title winner Jorge Masvidal.
BAHRAIN – The band will indeed be back together for [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag]’s return.
Amidst rumors of a potential rift between McGregor and his longtime coaches, Owen Roddy confirmed that he and John Kavanagh will certainly be in McGregor’s corner for his next fight.
McGregor (21-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) recently announced that he will be making his return on Jan. 18, but no official date or opponent have been confirmed by the promotion. UFC president Dana White did, however, say that the targeted opponent for McGregor’s return fight would be [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag], and that’s a matchup that Roddy would very much like to see.
“If it is ‘Cowboy,’ it would be an exciting fight, yeah,” Roddy said. “I said this a couple of months ago: ‘Cowboy’ and Conor is a great fight for the fans. Two guys that are exciting strikers – although ‘Cowboy’ is phenomenal on the ground, as well, but I think if it was a fight between them, it would be a striking battle, and I think it would be one for the fans, so if it is that, it’ll be an exciting one.”
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And with McGregor’s recent mapped out plan of a Jan. 18 fight, followed by the winner of the “BMF” title fight and then a rematch with Nurmagomedov, Roddy says McGregor is in good spirits, ready to make his return.
“I know he’s working very hard,” Roddy said. “There’s no official date set yet, but Conor’s been training very hard, as you can see. He’s in good nick. If you’re looking at any of the pictures, he’s in phenomenal shape, he’s ready to go. I’m sure everybody’s excited to see him back.”
In his last outing, McGregor failed to recapture his lightweight title and was submitted by Nurmagomedov in the fourth round of their October 2018 matchup at UFC 229. Numragomedov was able to impose his will, as he has done with all his past opponents, nullifying McGregor’s striking. The bad blood continued to boil over after the fight as a brawl ensued, suggesting that the chapter on that rivalry may not be completely closed.
McGregor chalked it up due to being too defensive minded, and while Roddy agrees to a certain extent, he believes that McGregor just wasn’t himself in the fight.
“Potentially, yeah, it was a tricky fight, and take nothing away from Khabib, he came in with a great gameplan,” Roddy said. “He got off, and he executed. but I just don’t think Conor was anywhere near the best of his ability. He wasn’t as good as he can be, and Conor on a night, at 100 percent, can beat anybody in the world.”
Meanwhile, the concept of the “BMF” belt has amassed mixed reviews, but Roddy admits he’s a fan of the idea. And with McGregor saying he’d fight the winner of the “BMF” title fight earlier this month at UFC 244, Roddy believes a potential fight with Jorge Masvidal would be another fan-favorite matchup.
“I thought it was brilliant; great marketing from the UFC,” Roddy said. “Obviously it was Nate (Diaz) that kind of brought it into an existence, but yeah, I love it. I love the idea, it’s a lovely belt, and Masvidal last week, he put on an amazing display and he’s rightfully the ‘BMF’ at the moment, but yeah, that would be a cool one down the line.”
“Yeah, most definitely, who wouldn’t want to see that fight? It would be a cracking fight.”
But for now, Roddy just wants to see McGregor back, shortly after “The Notorious” celebrated the three-year anniversary of his historic double champ feat at UFC 205, one of the many iconic moments in his career.
“I just want to see Conor back in,” Roddy said. “I think everybody just wants to see Conor back in the UFC, bring back that spectacle that is his fights. Nobody does it like Conor, and for me, I just want to see him back in there. Whatever happens after that, who knows?”
