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The Beverly Hills Hotel on Tuesday hosted a press conference to promotion the May 4 bout between undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Miunguia.

Following the news conference, Alvarez and Miunguia faced off.  Check out the video below.  

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Former two-division UFC champion Conor McGregor has been promoting the “Road House” remake that was released earlier this month.  “Notorious” stars in the film along side Jake Gyllenhaal.

The film role and promotional obligations pushed McGregor’s octagon return back to, at least, the end of the year.  While starring in the movie was a great opportunity for McGregor, he doesn’t plan on doing any more films in the future.  

“There is no movies more for me,” McGregor said in an interview with TalkSport MMA.  Instead, the Irishman is ready to focus on his fighting career.  

“I have two fights left on my UFC contract.  We’re still in the first quarter of 2024.  I’ve got this workload on me right now because I’ve got the promotion of the movie.  I’ve got St. Patrick’s festivities with the alcohol,” McGregor explained.  

“After that, it’s a closed door.  So I get to go in and close the door and map my plan. And then gym-home, gym-home, gym-home. And I hope we get some clarity with a date, and I can push towards it. I’m sure we will get something in by the year end. That’s what I’m hoping,” McGregor continued.  

McGregor’s return has been long awaited.  UFC CEO Dana White originally predicted that McGregor would be back in action in the summer of 2022.  The timetable for McGregor to fight again kept getting pushed back, but McGregor is willing to fight as early as this summer during International Fight Week. 

“I would like that.  I would love that,” McGregor said.   “That would be great for me – June 29th and then the Sphere.  And then what? What happens then? I don’t know. And I wonder do they know? There’s been no talk about like anything. So I wonder what next.”

Related: Sean Strickland: ‘I still struggle with mental health’

With two bouts remaining on his current UFC contract, fighting in June and in September would fulfill his contractual obligations to the fight promotion.  

McGregor is expected to face Michael Chandler in his return, but he’s eyeing a fourth fight with Dustin Poirier and a trilogy with Nate Diaz as well.  

“It’s good to see Poirier get that win.  That makes this the quadrilogy.  We’ll say the real trilogy, the finish of it, to put an end to it, to put a finish to it.  That is a huge bout right now,” McGregor said.

“Obviously, I’ve got the Diaz trilogy.  That’s what I had said for the Sphere,” McGregor continued.  “There was cold water put on (Diaz at the Sphere) publicly off the bat, and I wasn’t happy with that. I need discussion or conversation because if I lose interest – and I’m not getting anything back – I just drift off, my man. So I hope I can get something in and get dialed in.”

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Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is probably the most outspoken fighter on the fight promotion’s roster.  He’s definitely the most controversial.  

Strickland regularly shares his political opinions and worldview during interviews, at press conferences, and on social media.  He openly talks about violent urges, and some of the things he’s said have been cringeworthy.  According to Strickland, the UFC wants him to ‘shut up.’  

“I don’t really talk to UFC much.  All the UFC tells me to do is shut up,” Strickland told The Schmo. 

Strickland lost the 185-pound title at UFC 297 in January to current titleholder Dricus Du Plessis via split decision.  Strickland firmly believes he won the fight and wants an immediate rematch.   

“Let me tell you something about the UFC. I deserve that rematch, and if they don’t give me that rematch, they’re just not one of us. If they don’t give me that rematch, understand it’s for one reason and one reason alone: they want me to shut the f**k up. We all know what will happen.  We’ll find out,” Strickland said.  “I never cared about the belt.  I still don’t.  You didn’t f**king win.  Dana thought I (won).  The world thought I won.”

“I won. Dana said I won, Rogan said I won, we all know I won,” he continued. “I went to Canada and I fought in front of the commies and they shafted me. Dricus wants it, I want it. Win your title like a man, my friend. You know you got a gift from God. Let’s run this sh*t back.  Settle it like men. That’s all I’m trying to say. Settle it like a man.”  

Strickland is convinced that big money sponsors are keeping the rematch from taking place.    

“The thing about the UFC is Dana is the definition of free speech.  He supports it to such a degree. But UFC is financed by, you got Bud Light, all these massive corporations that even though Dana might be like, ‘Hey, I let Sean say what he wants,’ there’s a lot of very wealthy people telling him to shut me up. And not just shut me up, shut you guys up. Because you have to understand everything I say is things you say. Everything I say is what UFC fans say. So when they reprimand me, understand they reprimand you guys,” Strickland said.

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Former UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland struggles with mental health.  In a social media post on Monday, Strickland gave a glimpse into his daily struggles.  

“Sometimes I win, sometimes I lose,” he posted on social media accompanied with a video.  “All week I’ve been f**ked up, dude.”

““I’ve been on the Twitter saying crazy sh*t, just f**king spiraling. I woke up and I told my girl, I was like, ‘Babe, I feel like I’m a danger to people. Like I don’t feel like I should be out in the world.’ And I think that – I have everything. I’m rich, I’m famous, I have everything I ever f**king wanted and I am still mentally unwell. I get in these mindsets to where like I want to burn everything down in the world. Like, I want to have nothing, so I can just f**king lose it and just take out everything on people.

“I think that you guys, in a weird way, are like my family. Like I’ve shared some sh*t with you guys, and you guys have shared some sh*t with me. I feel more connected with my fans than I think most people feel just because we’ve gone through a lot together. I have everything I want, and I still struggle with mental health. My memory is so short that, like, when I go out into this week, I think to myself, like once I get past it, I think to myself, like, ‘Oh, man. That was a really rough time in my life.’ But then when I really think about it, this happens multiple times a month, every month.”

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In a followup post, Strickland explained his thought processes and how he ‘locks away’ the negative voice.   

“There is always this little voice in me that says ‘Burn it all down, everything.’ Then I remind myself ‘You have a girlfriend, a mortgage. Just stop, it’s gonna be fine just relax move forward, lock it away’ Lmao I swear the daily struggle,” he wrote.

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Paddy Pimblett has silenced many critics and is now back in the spotlight after he put on a dominant display against the legendary Tony Ferguson last time out.

‘The Baddy’ received a barrage of backlash from fans who claimed that his performance against Jared Gordon proves the scouser wasn’t on par with the division’s elite. Despite the criticism, Pimblett bounced back with a one-sided decision victory—arguably the most notable of his career—over the aforementioned Tony Ferguson.

During a recent video on his YouTube channel, Paddy Pimblett responded to recent fight rumors and gave a timeline for his eventual comeback.

“Laura’s going to have the babies in about 6 weeks, a busy couple of months ahead,” Pimblett said regarding his personal life. “Then we’ll get a fight sorted.”

“I saw something the other day on Twitter. I’m meant to be fighting Renato Moicano on UFC 301. No, no. The kids will be about two weeks old, something like that. I’m not fighting that soon. I won’t be fighting until like June [or] July.”

Pimblett doubled back on his rumored fight against Renato Moicano, stating his interest in locking horns with the Brazilian upon his return.

“We’ll see when I do end up fighting but that is who I want next. Renato Moicano, ‘Money’ Moicano. You owe me money, lad. I’m coming for you, you little sausage.”

Check out what Paddy Pimblett had to say about Moicano below.

Related: Paddy Pimblett gets heated about feud with Ilia Topuria and Terrance McKinney

Is Paddy Pimblett vs. Renato Moicano next?

Amid his rise to stardom, Paddy Pimblett has been targeted by numerous killers in the lightweight division. 

While their feud is beginning to intensify, this wasn’t the first time Pimblett and Moicano have exchanged words. Following his win over Drew Dober, the South American got into a confrontation on social media.

Although all signs seem to be pointing toward the two facing off next, this may not be the case. Renato Moicano is currently scheduled to compete on the UFC 300 card against the towering powerhouse, Jalin Turner.

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In a wild turn of events, Mike Tyson has announced his return to boxing later this year. Fans are ecstatic to see him back in action, though many have a problem with the 57-year-old stepping in against the much younger Jake Paul.

Jake may have bitten off more than he can chew with his next matchup. Despite his age, Mike Tyson is widely regarded as one of the most dangerous boxers of his generation and still seemingly carries the devastating knockout power that he showed so often on the world stage.

Mike Tyson looks as scary as ever in a recent training footage video released to his social media. The 16-second clip shows Tyson working the body and implementing his coveted head movement. Check the video below.

‘It’s day 1…the fun has just begun’ pic.twitter.com/RUbzX1Coba

— Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) March 14, 2024

While he may look like his old self in the brief video, Chael Sonnen isn’t buying it. The former UFC athlete was quick to make his thoughts known about Tyson’s footage in a post on X.

“In the future, if you’re ever going to spend five seconds hitting mitts, as a way of making the audience believe you’re doing a training session, make sure you splash water on your face and T-shirt first.”

Not regarding Sonnen’s comments, Mike Tyson has continued to release footage of his progression in training as the fight draws closer with each passing day.

The boxing legend’s mobility and speed look much sharper of late and he seems to be taking the challenge from Jake Paul incredibly seriously. Watch it below.

In the future, if you’re ever going to spend five seconds hitting mitts, as a way of making the audience believe you’re doing a training session, make sure you splash water on your face and T-shirt first. https://t.co/5MZ11RjshH

— Chael Sonnen (@ChaelSonnen) March 14, 2024

Related: Chuck Liddell on Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson: ‘When Tyson hits him, it’s over’

‘The Problem Child’ has been almost flawless in his opponent choices dating back to his debut in the sport. Excluding his defeat to Tommy Fury, Jake Paul has made a splash in the squared circle, besting some high-profile fighters just four years into his boxing journey.

Despite holding wins over Nate Diaz, Tyson Woodley, and Anderson Silva, if Jake manages to get his hands against Mike Tyson raised on July 20, it would undoubtedly be the biggest victory of his career.

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Aljamain Sterling is excited to see what he can accomplish in the featherweight division.  The former bantamweight champion makes his 145-pound debut at UFC 300 on April 13 against eighth-ranked Calvin Kattar.  

To make the weight and compete as a bantamweight, Sterling had to adhere to a strict diet and lose muscle.  Now that he’s not cutting down to 135 pounds, “Funk Master” believes he’ll perform better up a division.

“I’ve just been trying to get faster, trying to get stronger, more explosive.  I’m not necessarily trying to put on size because I’ve already got the size comparison to all these other featherweights already,” Sterling said on his YouTube channel.  

“I didn’t realize I was relatively the same size as all these other guys, and I’m a lot leaner,” Sterling continued.  “Some of them carry a little bit more weight, so they look bigger but for the most part we’re walking around about about the same amount of weight.”  

“My body is just not meant to be at 135 pounds,” he added.  “So I’m excited to see what I can do at this weight now.”  

Sterling’s five previous matches were five-round championship bouts.  His UFC 300 contest against Kattar will be three rounds.  Sterling thinks that plays in his favor.  

“It feels crazy training for a three-round fight compared to a five-rounder,” Sterling said.  “I’m not doing that much less.  I’m still getting some quality, high grappling rounds.”

“15 minutes versus 25 is night and day,” Sterling continued.  “People think like, ‘Oh, it’s just ten more minutes.’  Ten more minutes is like an eternity when you’re in that octagon.  I’m blessed.  I’m fortunate.  I can push the pace for 15 and still enjoy my life a little bit.  Still train hard but not have to kill myself.  It’s the wear and tear of the 25-minute training camp that beats you up.  Going up a weight class makes it a little bit easier on my body as well.  Ten extra pounds and two less rounds.  All and all – good stuff – I’m excited for the future.”

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Heading into UFC 251 in July 2020 in Abu Dhabi, Amanda Ribas was riding a four-fight winning streak.  She faced Paige VanZant, who was coming off a submission win over Rachael Ostovich in her previous outing.  

Midway through the opening round, Ribas submitted VanZant via armbar.  It was VanZant’s final octagon appearance.    

Amanda Ribas vs. Paige VanZant Full Fight Video

Ribas headlines this weekend’s UFC Vegas 89 event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas against former two-time strawweight champion Rose Namajunas. 

Namajunas (11-6) is coming off back-to-back losses for the first time in a decade.  She made her divisional debut in her previous bout, losing to Manon Fiorotrot by unanimous decision.  More accustom to the weight class, Namajunas expects to pick up her first flyweight win on Saturday.

Ribas (13-4) is coming off a stunning TKO win over Luana Pinheiro in her last fight in November.  Ranked eighth in the division, Ribas plans to take out a former champion.   

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Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall really wants to fight champion Jon Jones in a title unification match.  On Saturday, Aspinall took matters into his own hands.  

He and Jones were scheduled to appear at Arnold’s Sports Festival UK in Birmingham, England and Aspinall made it a priority to track down Jones for a photo and a conversation.  

“I’m hearing that Jon Jones is going to be there,” Aspinall said as he arrived at the venue.  “Me and Jon will be having words.  Respectful on my part at least but we’ll see.”  

Aspinall released a video showing his encounter with Jones.  “I would love to have the honor one day,” Aspinall said.  ““Maybe one day,” Jones responded.  

Jones is expected to face former two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic when he returns from injury.  He tore a pectoral tendon while preparing to fight Miocic at UFC 295.  “It’s healing.  Slowing but surely,” Jones said about his recovery in the video. 

“I just asked if he’d give me the opportunity one days,” Aspinall said after meeting Jones.  “He said he’s healing up good so we’ll see.  We’ll see what he does.”    

Aspinall does not have a fight booked.  He’s expected to be back in action in July when the fight promotion hosts an event in the United Kingdom.  

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UFC Vegas 88 took place on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas and was headlined by a heavyweight bout between Top 10 ranked Tai Tuivasa and Marcin Tybura.  

Tuivasa entered the octagon on Saturday ranked ninth and in desperate need of a win. On a three-fight losing streak, the knockout artist hoped to right the ship against Tybura. 

Tybura was coming off a loss to interim champion Tom Aspinall in his last fight but had won seven of his last nine matches.  He was ranked tenth in the division and looking to move up the ladder.

The two touched gloves and Tybura pressed forward but came up shot.  Tuivasa clinched and delivered elbows.  A cut opened up on Tybura’s had.  Tuivasa landed a leg kick.  Tybura fired back with a head kick that was blocked.  Tybura pressed forward with punches and looked to get the fight to the ground.  Tybura put Tuivasa on his back and delivered right hands.  Tybura took Tuivasa’s back midway through the round.  

Tybura delivered heavy punches while Tuivasa was on his knees.  Tuivasa rolled to his side but Tybura stayed on his back.  He continued to land shots.  Tybura locked on a rear-naked choke.  Tuivasa didn’t really defend it.  He went out.  Tybura choked out Tuivasa.  

The official time of the submission finish was 4:08 of the first round.  

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