Tokyo Olympics 2021

UFC Welterweight

Which former MMA champion is Jake Paul fighting on April 17, 2021?

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Jake Paul is all set to trade blows with former MMA champion, Ben Askren on April 17, 2021. The former UFC fighter will face Jake Paul in an 8-round boxing match under the Triller Fight Club banner. According to Triller co-founder Ryan Kavanagh, the bout will be contested with 10-ounce gloves in a 20-by-20 ring.

This will be Jake Paul’s first bout against someone with an actual background in combat sports. Ben Askren is a former two-time NCAA wrestling champion, a two-time Dan Hodge Trophy winner, a 2008 Olympian, and a former Bellator and One Championship Welterweight Champion.

While Askren started his career with a perfect 19-0 record, he is perhaps best remembered for getting knocked out by Jorge Masvidal in 5 seconds. Askren retired from the sport last year after needing hip replacement surgery, which he successfully underwent in August.

His last outing in the UFC was a submission loss to Damian Maia. Though ‘Funky’ has a lot of combat experience to his credit, the bout against Jake Paul will mark his professional boxing debut.

Jake Paul, on the other hand, made his professional debut last year against fellow YouTuber AnEsonGib. Paul won the bout in the first round via TKO. He followed that up with a second-round knockout of former NBA player Nate Robinson in his next outing.

Jake Paul is taking Masvidal’s help

Jake Paul has reportedly shifted to Miami as South Florida has a variety of fighters to offer who can help him prepare for Ben Askren. One of the fighters Paul is paying heed to is Jorge Masvidal whose 5-second KO of Ben Askren holds the UFC record for the quickest knockout. According to Jake Paul, Masvidal is guiding him on how to knock Ben Asren out even faster. Speaking to MMA Junkie, Paul told Mike Bohn:

“(Masvidal) said, ‘Look, Ben is going to try to hang onto you and wrestle you and clinch you and try to wear you out. We were just working on clinch drills and fighting on the inside, and he was trying to show me how to knock out Ben faster than he did. So, we’ll see what happens. I might go running at Ben right in the first two seconds to try to break (Masvidal’s record). But Masvidal is great. He’s very supporting. He’s always been my homie and supported me, and that goes both ways. I’m excited to see if I can knock out Ben faster than Masvidal.”

Published 15 Mar 2021, 18:23 IST


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“We can meet again down the line” – Leon Edwards isn’t ruling out fighting Khamzat Chimaev in the future

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Leon Edwards did not rule out the possibility of fighting Khamzat Chimaev in the future. Rocky was initially supposed to fight the Swedish star at UFC Vegas 21 during this weekend.

The Welterweight bout between the rising star and Leon Edwards was rescheduled three times after both fighters tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of the fight.

Speaking to RT Sport, ‘Rocky’ said he would be open to face Chimaev in the future if the conditions for the fight suited him at the moment.

“I’m looking towards the title shot. This is my main aim: to be a world champion. Khamzat [Chimaev] has only had three fights in the UFC with guys not even in the top-10 in the UFC, you know what I mean. So, my aim is to be a world champion. So, I’m looking towards the belt, not Khamzat. If he works his way up, he’s young, you know what I mean. If he works his way up, surely we can meet again down the line,” Leon Edwards said.

Rocky also offered a piece of advice to the 26-year-old Swedish-Russian mixed martial artist, who is still suffering from the long-lasting effects of COVID-19.

“Khamzat, rest up. [After] recovering, hopefully, one day, we can meet down the road,” said Leon Edwards.

UFC booked Belal Muhammad to fight Rocky after the third attempt for the fight failed to materialize. Chimaev is still struggling to recover his form because of lingering symptoms of COVID-19.

Leon Edwards empathizes with Khamzat Chimaev

UFC Fight Night: Whittaker v Till Weigh-in
UFC Fight Night: Whittaker v Till Weigh-in

The first time their bout was postponed in 2020 was due to Leon Edwards having tested positive to COVID-19. The British fighter reportedly lost almost 12 pounds while infected.

Because of that, Rocky understands the difficulties Khamzat Chimaev is facing at the moment. The UFC Welterweight sensation contracted the virus last December.

Chimaev made a shocking announcement recently, stating that he would be retiring from MMA due to the severe after effects of COVID-19 on his body.

In the same interview with RT Sport, Leon Edwards minimized past controversies with the young fighter and wished him a speedy recovery.

“At the end of the day, there’s life after fighting, right? And he’s a young man, and I wish him nothing but good health and to recover. Fighting is fighting, but when you’re going through problems like that, it’s different. It’s personal, right? You’ve got a family and other stuff. So, I wish him well, and that’s it, really,” said Leon Edwards.

Published 13 Mar 2021, 06:37 IST


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3 potential opponents Gilbert Burns could face in his next UFC outing

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Gilbert Burns’ six-fight unbeaten run came to an abrupt end at the hands of former teammate and reigning welterweight champion Kamaru Usman at UFC 258. Burns lost to the Nigerian nightmare via third-round TKO after a strong start to the fight. Now that Durinho’s dream of becoming UFC champion has been postponed, if not shattered, let’s take a look at three potential opponents that make the most sense for his next outing in the UFC octagon.

1. The winner of Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad

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Enter caption

The winner of Leon Edwards vs Belal Muhammad and Gilbert Burns has something very important to offer each other. Despite having scored many victories, both Muhammad and Edwards have never fought a big name and lack the necessary exposure required to promote a potential fight with champion Kamaru Usman. Gilbert Burns is coming off a loss in his last fight and the chances of other top contenders accepting a fight with him are less in the current scenario. If Kamaru Usman’s long medical suspension withstands, fighting the winner of Edwards vs Muhammad can be a great way for Gilbert Burns to stay active without necessarily having to face up-and-coming fighters that are ranked well below him. Leon Edwards and Belal Muhammad are scheduled to fight on March 13, 2021.

2. Vicente Luque if he defeats Tyron Woodley

Vicente Luque is currently ranked at No. 10 in welterweight division
Vicente Luque is currently ranked at No. 10 in welterweight division

A difficult loss in high-profile fights can affect a fighter’s confidence in unprecedented ways. Taking fights against top-ranked fighters to make another title can result in negative outcomes. Chris Weidman’s losing skid after the Luke Rockhold loss is a testimony to this fact. A step down in the competition allows a fighter to regain the confidence to build himself back up. Fighting Vicente Luque, who will still be outside the top five with a potential win over Tyron Woodley, will do just that for Gilbert Burns. The fight favors Burns stylistically, as Burns has a formidable grappling background that threatens a predominantly striking arsenal of Luque. Vicente Luque is scheduled to fight Tyron Woodley at UFC 260 PPV event on March 27, 2021.

3. Colby Covington

Colby Covington does not have an opponent
Colby Covington does not have an opponent

Colby Covington could be the shortest path to another title shot for Gilbert Burns. Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal intend to fight each other next. No.1 ranked contender Colby Covington has already refused to fight Leon Edwards. If the UFC moves ahead with Usman vs Masvidal, it could potentially be late 2021 or early 2022 before another welterweight title fight gets booked. Colby Covington and Gilbert Burns are ranked next to each other in the division and waiting for an extended period of time without a fight is not feasible for Covington. Both fighters stand to gain from the matchup as a win over each other will quickly warrant another title shot, more so for Covington, who had a close fight with Kamaru Usman in 2019.

Published 19 Feb 2021, 05:52 IST

Jake Paul vs. Ben Askren: The best meme reactions to their fight announcement

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The internet went crazy with Jake Paul’s announcement that he will be fighting former UFC welterweight Ben Askren in a boxing match on April 17.

Reactions to the fight started to pop up everywhere, with combat sports fans making their predictions. While one side is sure that Jake Paul will prove that he should be taken seriously, the other half scoffs at the idea that the YouTuber could beat a professional fighter.

Here are some of the best reactions to Jake Paul versus Ben Askren on Twitter:

At the same time that Askren believes that this is the easiest money he will get in his life for a fight, Jake Paul initiated his trash-talking. The YouTuber mocked the former ONE and Bellator welterweight champion for the knockout he suffered against Jorge Masvidal.

“I know Jake Paul is enjoying pretending he is a fighter,” Askren said. “I think on April 17, he is going to have a rude awakening to what being a fighter is really like. Jake has led a privileged life and doesn’t really know what the meaning of being a fighter is. I’m going to put his dreams to an end.”

Jake Paul replied with a threatening promise:

“I started boxing two years ago, and I’m still going to knock his ass out faster than Masvidal… The world complained because I knocked out a basketball player and not a real fighter,” recalled Jake Paul about his win over Nate Robinson. “So now I’m giving the people what they want by taking on a ‘real fighter.’ After Ben Askren is added to my knockout meme collection, what can anybody say?”

The venue and location for the boxing match are yet to be announced. The contract’s value is still undisclosed, but Askren said that “is more money than he ever got for any other fight.”

Why is Jake Paul fighting Ben Askren?

The YouTube and former Disney Channel celebrity, Jake Paul, started his boxing career in 2019. He attracted combat sports fans’ attention after beating fellow-YouTuber AnEsonGib and retired NBA star, Nate Robinson.

After the violent knockout against Robinson, Jake Paul started to make call-outs to MMA fighters such as Dillon Danis, Michael Bisping, Conor McGregor, and Ben Askren.

Jake Paul entered into a nasty feud with Danis, but despite the efforts put into it by Jake Paul for a fight to happen with the Bellator welterweight, Danis never accepted the offer.

However, Askren seems to think that Jake Paul is a farce. The former UFC fighter believes that he can defeat the YouTuber without much effort. Do you think the same? Sound off in the comments.

Published 27 Jan 2021, 05:56 IST

“He’s not interested in that fight”- Dana White admits that Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. George St-Pierre won’t happen

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During the broadcast of UFC Fight Island 7, Dana White made it clear that Khabib Nurmagomedov will wait until UFC 257 to decide his future in the world of mixed martial arts.

The reigning UFC lightweight champion is seemingly determined to stick around in the 155-lbs division. As per the UFC president himself, a potential fight between The Eagle and George St-Pierre is officially off.

Dana White claims that Khabib Nuramgomdov won’t be fighting GSP after all

While speaking to the media, Dana White was asked if George St-Pierre was ever brought up during White’s meeting with Khabib Nurmagomedov. The UFC President revealed that GSP’s name never came up and there is no interest in that fight from either party.

“No, GSP never came up. He’s not interested in that fight. From what I hear today, after that, neither is GSP. That’s over”

While he was still an active competitor in the UFC, several reports suggested the idea of a potential dream showdown between Khabib and GSP. The Canadian legend last competed in the UFC a long time ago when he won the UFC middleweight championship in 2017 from Michael Bisping. But, was eventually forced to vacate the title, and announced his retirement from the sport, due to injury issues.

By the looks of it, likely, GSP won’t be returning to the world of combat sports after all, and the dream fight with Khabib Nurmagomedov isn’t occurring under any circumstances.

What to expect from Khabib Nurmagomedov next?

Khabib Nurmagomedov will wait and see how the UFC 257 pay-per-view plays out on January 23rd. The event will be headlined by his arch-rival Conor McGregor, who faces Dustin Poirier and the co-main event features Dan Hooker against Michael Chandler.

The condition for Khabib to return is his competitors securing an impressive win that forces the reigning champion to come back to the UFC. Khabib has already beaten both McGregor and Poirier in the past. However, The Eagle could be open to a rematch against either man. A second showdown with The Notorious One will be one of the biggest fights in UFC history.

Published 17 Jan 2021, 06:35 IST