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Some of the strongest men in the world, including Brian Shaw, Eddie Hall, Martyn Ford, and Mitchell Hooper, were scheduled to compete in a four-man mixed martial arts (MMA) tournament back on Feb. 17 at Lusail Stadium in Qatar.

The event fell apart a few weeks before fight night, robbing all four combatants of “life-changing money.”

“I just wasted six months of my life for nothing,” Hall said on the Shaw Strength Podcast. “You know, turned down hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of work. It’s affected your business, it’s affected your YouTube. It’s just had this massive knock on effect. It probably lost me… we’re talking six figures, easy. Well, well in the six figures. Probably closer to seven [figures].”

Hall also reveals he got stiffed by promoters for his Thor Bjornsson boxing match.

“We were given contracts and there was no reason to think this was a hoax or a scam or anything,” Hall continued. “It seemed really legit. So, me and you dedicated six months of our lives to that purpose, and that came to a head in the end of January. I’ve carried on with fight training because I really enjoy it and I’ve been talking to other promoters, so there might be some fights coming up soon.”

I hear the Iranian Hulk is still available.

Hall, 36, appears to have taken out his frustrations on a pair of hapless influencers during the World Freak Fight League 1 event earlier this month in Blackburn (highlights here). As for Shaw, now 42, it appears he’s out of the fight game for the foreseeable future.

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Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight strikers Alexander Volkov vs. Sergei Pavlovich will collide this weekend (Sat., June 22, 2024) at UFC Saudi Arabia inside Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

Recent teammates will throw down here, but there’s actually no bad blood. Instead, this showdown between Volkov and Pavlovich was simply announced before it was signed, and then the pressure to compete was on. We’ll see how and if that specific wrinkle affects the fight, but the match up itself makes sense.

Pavlovich enters the contest having most recently lot his interim title match up versus Tom Aspinall. Prior to that knockout loss (watch highlights), he was destroying opponents left and right. Meanwhile, Volkov has won three in a row via stoppage, earning an opportunity to fight back into the title mix.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Volkov Vs. Pavlovich Betting Odds

• Alexander Volkov victory: +195
• Alexander Volkov via TKO/KO/DQ: +350
• Alexander Volkov via submission: +1400
• Alexander Volkov via decision: +650
• Sergei Pavlovich victory: -238
• Sergei Pavlovich via TKO/KO/DQ: -145
• Sergei Pavlovich via submission: -1600
• Sergei Pavlovich via decision: -600
• Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

How Volkov Wins

Volkov is one of Heavyweight’s better kickboxers. A long-range striker with a background in multiple styles of Karate, Volkov likes to pick opponents apart with stabbing front kicks before moving in to end the fight with his hands. He’s not known as a massive hitter relative to his peers, but 28 victories via stoppage is nothing to scoff at.

In this bout, Volkov has to be (reasonably) aggressive. He’s not going to keep Pavlovich off him by hanging on his back foot, kicking, and circling off from exchanges. Pavlovich is too big, mean, and powerful for that, and the actual end result will be that Volkov gets clipped while trying to lean away from an exchange.

Like it or not, Volkov’s best odds involve braving the fire. He doesn’t want to brawl with Pavlovich — a terrible idea by any measure — but Volkov cannot be timid. He has to throw his own hard, threatening punches down the middle and force Pavlovich’s respect. If he can stand his ground a bit and earn Pavlovich’s respect, his combination and kicking advantages should come into play.

Volkov has only been knocked out twice in 47 Heavyweight fights. He has to trust in his own durability and power, even in the face of a bruiser like Pavlovich.

How Pavlovich Wins

Pavlovich is a tank. The Russian boxer doesn’t have a particularly deep game that we’ve ever seen, but he can whip shockingly powerful punches at his opponent in quick succession. He also has a Greco-Roman wrestling background, which hasn’t come into play in several years now.

Pressuring the rangy kicker is pretty much always the best bet, even if Pavlovich didn’t have the cheat code that is an 84 inch reach. An immediate bull rush could work but isn’t necessary, not when Volkov is historically a bit slow on his feet. Lesser strikers like Marcin Tybura have managed to close the distance and crack him on occasion, but Pavlovich hits much, much harder.

In short, a bit of tactical pressure and ring craft likely score Pavlovich the pocket, which is exactly where he wants to be. When he explodes from the pocket, opponents rarely get back up.

Volkov Vs. Pavlovich Prediction

It’s hard to back Volkov when “Drago” himself admitted that sparring sessions with Pavlovich rarely went well.

Now, Volkov has a chance. He hits plenty hard and is tough as nails. Pavlovich is not a defensive mastermind or particularly durable slugger. If Volkov cracks him with a right down the middle or trips him to the floor, the veteran could produce a sudden finish himself.

The simplest outcome seems most likely though: Pavlovich unloads an ungodly powerful combination in Volkov’s general direction, something lands, and Volkov hits the floor within the first couple minutes.

Prediction: Pavlovich via knockout (-145)

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Saudi Arabia fight card right here, starting with the ESPN/ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance (on ABC/ESPN+) at 3 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Saudi Arabia: “Whittaker vs. Aliskerov” news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive right here.

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Nobody outside of his immediate circle knows exactly what is going wrong for Khamzat Chimaev. Just days ago, the top-ranked Middleweight prospect was forced to withdraw at the last second from his planned main event — and likely title eliminator — versus Robert Whittaker at UFC Saudi Arabia. He was ultimately replaced by Ikram Aliskerov, and pictures quickly circulated of “Borz” in the hospital.

The particularly unfortunate part is that this isn’t Chimaev’s first health problem. The Chechen wrestling ace suffered a nasty bout of COVID-19 in 2020, and his illness was so severe that he considered retirement. In the four years since, he’s fought just four times and seen several fights and multiple scheduled main events cancelled.

Initially, Chimaev’s withdrawal from UFC Saudi Arabia was contributed to food poisoning. Top Middleweight prospect Bo Nickal attributed it to partying too much, though that rumor has been denied outright. Whatever the case, a member of Khamzat Chimaev’s training camp, Tam Khan, has issued his own statement alleging that it’s a more serious health issue than food poisoning.

“All these fake rumours about [Khamzat Chimaev] pulling out due to food poisoning is absolutely bullshit,” Khan wrote on X. “I was part of the camp & behind the scenes. As a brother I won’t share his dark times but trust me when I say, he was very sick & hospitalised. The guy’s a beast & to see him so bad wasn’t a good time for us all.

“Praying for his recovery & comeback. Unfortunately God had other plans & nobody could’ve anticipated or foreseen this. The last weeks were tough & he tried every solution but last week got so bad that it was impossible to fight. InshaAllah he’ll be back, but for now, rest & recovery is needed.”

The last time we saw Chimaev in the Octagon was opposite short-notice replacement Kamaru Usman, and “Borz” remained undefeated via close decision. He should be closing in on a title shot that’s been talked about since 2022, but these consistent delays and health issues have significantly slowed the 30 year old’s rise.

It remains to be seen when he’ll be back in action.

Insomnia

Ian Garry doesn’t see too much special about Michael Page.

The endless weight cutting could severely impact Ikram Aliskerov’s performance if he’s not careful. Large cuts are timed specifically to the weigh-in date for a reason!

Tim Sylvia is competing in slap fights at 48 years of age. Surely, this will end well.

If Chael Sonnen said it, then it must be true!

The science behind Mike Davis’ injury, as well as Drew Dober’s classy reaction to it.

Robert Whittaker is probably the most badass video game nerd on the planet.

Slips, rips, and KO clips

Heavy punches in the pocket:

This is a very quick transition to the back and under the neck.

I’ve said it before, but there’s no such thing as too many power kicks into the open side.

Random Land

Trippy little graphic trickery.

Midnight Music: Soul, 1969

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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Jake Paul is officially double-booked.

Despite the pushback from the July 20, 2024, fight date in Arlington, Texas, “The Problem Child” will still box Mike Tyson. It just won’t be until November 15, 2024, providing Paul with time to keep busy against Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) star, Mike Perry, on the original date.

For Perry, the match will be his first with gloves since he was a part of Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) Welterweight roster in April 2021. “Platinum” has been flawless in the BKFC ring in five fights post-UFC, and now, he anticipates showing Paul his toughest test to date.

“I know Mike Tyson says everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face but I like getting punched in my face,” Perry said on The MMA Hour alongside Paul. “So my plan is coming together nicely.”

“That’s because you’re a f—king idiot,” Paul responded. “What makes me good at fighting is I don’t like getting punched in the face and I practice not to. That’s what I’m going to teach you in the sport of boxing, you little b—ch.

“This is not bare-knuckle,” he continued. “Not a bunch of old MMA fighters just running around punching each other bare-knuckle like some f—king hooligans. I’ll show you a real sport.”

Paul, 27, has gotten back on a winning streak after he suffered his first career defeat to Tommy Fury in February 2023 (watch highlights). The Cleveland, Ohio native has won his last three, starting with Nate Diaz via unanimous decision in August 2023 (watch highlights). After that, he added two first round knockouts to his highlight reel against Andre August (watch highlights) and Ryan Bourland (watch highlights), providing him all the confidence he needs for this first of two upcoming matches.

“I’m on a tear,” Paul said. “I’m not slowing down for anybody. If people want to delay fights, I’ve got to get my experience in the ring. I love fighting. I love going under the bright lights and I love putting on shows for the fans and I will become champion but to do that, I need experience. Mike Tyson is an absolute killer and I do want to face another absolute killer.

“Don’t get it wrong, I think Mike Perry’s funny and stuff, it’s entertaining but he is a savage and I do respect him as a fighter … hopefully, Mike Perry can last and give me a good eight rounds but we’ll see what happens,” he concluded. “I don’t think he has what it takes to last that long.”

However, Perry hasn’t at all been impressed by his next opponent. In his own right, he’s found the most success in his entire career, defeating the likes of two former UFC champions, Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez, while also getting by veterans, Michael “Venom” Page and Thiago Alves.

“You’ve been fighting these cab drivers and these f—king fat pieces of s—t,” Perry said. “You think that you’re going to do anything to a real f—king man like me, you lost your mind. If you punch me in my face, I will smile and hit you back multiple times.

“He’s tricked the world into thinking he’s fantastic,” he concluded. “I’ve been doing this s—t a long time and I took the hard long road. I’m looking to show everybody what a real fighter is.”

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Because Magomed Ankalaeft the title picture, amirite!?!

Anthony Smith loves talking about Alex Pereira.

That continues to annoy “stupid” UFC fans who only read sensational headlines (like this one). But that won’t stop “Lionheart” from shooting his shot with a victory over Carlos Ulberg as part of the UFC 303 pay-per-view (PPV) event on June 29 in Las Vegas.

“I’m not really thinking about that,” Smith told Michael Bisping, before thinking about it. “I’m just worried about Carlos Ulberg. He’s a tall task. He’s really good at what he does. He’s young, he’s hungry, he’s got a big opportunity in front of him, and I got to remember that when these guys fight me, I’m their world title fight, and they’re trying to make a name off me and I gotta make sure that doesn’t happen. If I cut a promo on Alex Pereira right afterward, that [title shot] lines up.”

Pereira also competes at UFC 303 and like Smith, will be stepping up on short notice (thanks to this debacle). “Poatan” defends the light heavyweight title opposite former champion Jiri Prochazka in the five-round headliner (and UFC 295 rematch).

Just another day at the office for the “fairly normal dude.”

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YouTube boxer Jake Paul will slug it out with former UFC welterweight Mike Perry atop the DAZN pay-per-view (PPV) fight card scheduled for Sat., July 20, 2024 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, a boxing spectacle that also features unified featherweight champion Amanda Serrano taking on Stevie Morgan in the co-main event.

Paul opened as the -240 betting favorite against +190 for Perry, according to BetOnline.ag. Probably because “The Problem Child” is 9-1 as a pro boxer with six knockouts, whereas “Platinum” was knocked out in his one and only boxing match back in 2015. Expect plenty of movement with that line as we get closer to fight night.

“This guy is a f*cking lunatic,” Paul said on YouTube. “He’s undefeated in bare knuckle, which is probably the craziest sport in the world. Not to mention, this fight has been brewing for years. I think this fight is going to have some amazing press conference moments and really entertaining stuff that comes from it, but it is a major risk. I’m literally potentially sacrificing the biggest moment of my career, the biggest payday of my career if I lose to Mike Perry. But for some reason, these are the positions that I like to put myself in.”

Paul, 27, was originally scheduled to box former WBC heavyweight champion Mike Tyson on July 20 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas; however, the “Iron” pugilist was forced to postpone due to illness. Their Netflix showdown was eventually rebooked for November, though a loss against Perry could throw a wrench into Paul’s plans.

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Salahdine Parnasse is living his best life as a staple of Konfrontacja Sztuk Walki (KSW).

KSW’s Lightweight and Featherweight champion has been about as valuable of an asset as the promotion could ask for. Parnasse, 26, is one of the best fighters outside of Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), continually trying to make history as evidenced by his recent attempt at grabbing the Welterweight title in December 2023.

Unfortunately for Parnasse (20-2), he fell short against that division’s champion, Adrian Bartosiński, via a unanimous decision. He’s since rebounded with a stellar title defense of his Lightweight crown when he scored a first round head kick knockout of Valeriu Mircea this past April 2024. To make things sweeter, Parnasse also extended his deal with KSW after a rather disappointing bid from UFC, according to his coach and manager, Stéphane Chaufourier.

“The seesaw is huge,” Chaufourier told RMC Sport. “You should know that I won’t give figures but we had very, very good proposals. We earn two and a half times what we used to earn. So it’s just huge. It’s largely in the six figures, yes, of course. The UFC was between 20 and 30 times less.”

The future can get even brighter for the French Moroccan, who has plenty more he can achieve after the great experience he’s gained in a short span. Parnasse next looks forward to KSW’s collaborative efforts with RIZIN Fighting Federation. Therefore, a possible champion vs. champion clash against RIZIN Featherweight champion, Chihiro Suzuki, is of interest.

Ultimately, Parnasse just wants to keep taking on the best he can be offered, and make good money in the process.

“I want to fight the best, that’s normal, so I’ll end up facing the best fighters,” Parnasse said. “I’ve never chosen a fight in my life, I’ve always fought to make a living. Basically, I worked as a plumber at the town hall of Aubervilliers, and at the same time, I played sports. I continue in this way except that now I don’t have to continue working and I also do this sport to support myself.

“It’s my personal life,” he continued. “It’s a combat sport, it’s a difficult sport and I was still working at the town hall three years ago when I was trying to find stability. Now if I go back to the UFC, I’ll have to work again (laughs) so… But it’s the truth, it’s a truth. Whereas now I can live fully from my sport and I’m very happy, very happy like that. I’m ready to face any opponent I’m offered.”

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Welcome to Midnight Mania!

Mike Davis is an exciting Lightweight prospect.

“Beast Boy” has won his last four fights, stopping two opponents and dominating the other two. His only loss came via short-notice debut to Gilbert Burns, and he holds an impressive 82% finish rate overall. Why then hasn’t Davis advanced up the ladder or built any serious momentum?

Largely, it’s been activity. Five fights in six years on the UFC roster is not an impressive rate. Davis admitted as much and aimed to fight more often, which resulted in a more high-profile Lightweight booking versus fellow action fighter Drew Dober at UFC Denver on July 13, 2024.

Sadly, that opportunity has fallen apart. In the video above, Davis shares how he torn his bicep training wrestling. It looks fairly innocuous as Davis aims to scramble to his feet, but the loud crunch sound is a clear indication otherwise.

“Journal entry: June 16, 2024,” Davis followed up. “This kills me man … Completely tore my bicep during my sparring rounds on Tuesday. June 11th. Resulting in 3.5in retraction in my bicep.

Yes, I need surgery. They have to reattach the tendon by drilling it back into the bone.”

Likely, it will be at least a couple months before Davis is able to get back to martial arts training. Here’s hoping he recovers quickly, and that UFC is able to locate a replacement opponent for Dober.

Insomnia

Just a pair of buds a few days removed from trying to murder each other.

Javid Basharat gets a big step up in name value and competition versus Chris Gutierrez.

Is some extra fame in the USA worth a 1/20th or so fight purse? Apparently not.

Stephen Thompson’s ability to maintain his balance while blinded is seriously impressive.

I’ve heard this theory many times. What happens if Khamzat were to actually win a belt? One defense per year (health pending)? Seems like an issue.

Jailton Almeida is the only reasonable option for Ciryl Gane.

Do we see Alexandre Pantoja vs. Steve Erceg again at some point?

Slips, rips, and KO clips

It’s good to see Kyle Daukaus picking up wins — finishes, specifically — after the rough ending to his UFC career. I expect he’ll be back!

An 11-second one punch KO at women’s Bantamweight feels like a surefire way to secure a UFC contract.

Just yesterday, I was talking to a team mate, and we agreed: we’d rather get our arms snapped than lower extremities shredded via calf slice or banana split.

Random Land

Vital timing.

Midnight Music: Innervisions is an all-timer.

Sleep well Maniacs! More martial arts madness is always on the way.

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When will it stop???

On Monday (June. 17, 2024), the start of UFC Saudi Arabia fight week, Sedriques Dumas announced on his social media that his fight with Denis Tiuliulin is canceled.

“Sorry to my fans and teams. The fight has been postponed because of VA and flight reasons. Stay tuned. We should have a soon date available soon. Hope we can ride it back,” Dumas wrote.

Dumas took to his Instagram an hour later to write a cryptic message.

“After everything I have done and everything else, I feel like a f—king bozo,” Dumas wrote on his Instagram story. “I stuck my neck out and did a lot for people and at the end of the day I get looked at like shit. Somethings happen in mysterious as a way just to show how things and people are. I can’t believe this shit.”

With Dumas vs. Tiuliulin being off, that is the seventh canceled fight.

Dumas (9-2) is coming off a controversial first-round stoppage at UFC Atlantic City, in which he was eye-poked by Nursulton Ruziboev (watch it).

Tiuliulin (11-9) is riding a three-fight losing streak and is currently 1-4 inside UFC.

Here is the current UFC Saudi Arabia lineup:

185 lbs.: Robert Whittaker vs. Ikram Aliskerov

265 lbs.: Sergei Pavlovich vs. Alexander Volkov

170 lbs.: Kelvin Gastelum vs. Daniel Rodriguez

205 lbs.: Johnny Walker vs. Volkan Oezdemir

205 lbs.: Shara Magomedov vs. Joilton Lutterbach

155 lbs.: Nasrat Haqparast vs. Jared Gordon

170 lbs.: Rinat Fakhretdinov vs. Nicolas Dalby

135 lbs.: Kyung Ho Kang vs. Muin Gafurov

205 lbs.: Magomed Gadzhiyasulov vs. Brendson Ribeiro

145lbs:. Muhammad Naimov vs. Felipe Lima

135 lbs.: Xiao Long vs. Chang Ho Lee

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“Poatan” is sharing his UFC 303 preparations on his Instagram page, which include the “Embedded” camera crew.

UFC 303 headliner Alex Pereira has some work to do.

The reigning UFC light heavyweight champion is currently walking around at 227 pounds, which puts him 22 pounds over the championship weight limit of 205. That should come as no surprise considering Pereira, who turns 37 in just a few weeks, was on a loosey-goosey promotional tour in Australia when UFC CBO Hunter Campbell rang the Bat phone.

How this behemoth ever made the middleweight limit remains a mystery.

Pereira (10-2) will defend his 205-pound strap on June 29 in Las Vegas when he collides with former division titleholder Jiri Prochazka atop the UFC 303 pay-per-view (PPV) fight card, a rematch from their UFC 295 showdown that “Poatan” won by technical knockout — though detractors were not impressed with how referee Marc Goddard handled the stoppage.

UFC 303 will either remove all doubt, or set up a potential trilogy.

The original headliner featured the long awaited grudge match between former two-division champion Conor McGregor and ex-Bellator kingpin Michael Chandler, a welterweight clash that was recently postponed when “Notorious” was felled by injury. When and where that bout will be rescheduled remains to be seen.

For the current UFC 303 fight card and PPV lineup click here.

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