Tyson Fury and Francis Ngannou | Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Tyson Fury only sees more big fights on the horizon.
“The Gypsy King” is scheduled to kick off his 2024 campaign on May 18 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, when he takes on WBA, WBO, and IBF heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk in one of the most highly anticipated fights of the year. The bout was rescheduled from Feb. 17 due to Fury suffering a cut in training.
Not only does Fury, currently the WBC heavyweight titleholder, plan to beat Usyk and claim undisputed champion status, he expects to face Usyk again in an immediate rematch. He stated his plans for the two-fight series in an Instagram video in which he also predicted a future bout with fellow British star Anthony Joshua and a rematch with former UFC champion and current PFL fighter Francis Ngannou.
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“I keep hearing talk of people saying that I should retire or I’m going to retire soon or whatever,” Fury said in the clip. “I ain’t retiring anywhere. I’ve got two fights with Usyk, for the undisputed, twice. Then I’m going to fight ‘AJ’ at least once, maybe twice if there’s a rematch if he wants one after the first battering I give him.
“And then I’m going to fight Ngannou again and that’s just a start, so there’s five fights for you to whet your appetite with. I ain’t going nowhere. No. Where. Thirty-five year old in the prime of my life and I’m ready to smash…”
Fury and Ngannou fought to a split decision this past October in what was Ngannou’s pro boxing debut. Ngannou authored the most stunning moment of the fight when he knocked Fury down in the third round, but Fury held on to narrowly take the win on the scorecards. The loss did nothing to hinder Ngannou’s momentum as he next fights Joshua on March 8 in Riyadh, with the winner possibly moving on to a matchup with either Fury or Usyk.
When Fury steps into the ring with Usyk, it will mark the 36th pro bout of his career. Fury and Usyk are both undefeated, with Fury at 34-0-1 (24 KOs) and Usyk at 21-0 (14 KOs).
Alexander Volkanovski | Photo by Mark Metcalfe/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Alexander Volkanovski wasn’t his usual self ahead of his second fight with Islam Makhachev.
The UFC featherweight champion couldn’t have predicted that a rematch with the promotion’s lightweight champion would be in the cards for UFC 297, but Volkanovski was called upon on 11 days’ notice to save this past October’s main event when a Charles Oliveira injury forced the Brazilian to withdraw from the Makhachev fight.
Volkanovski went on to lose in the first round after being knocked out by a dramatic head kick, raising questions as to whether the short notice had a deleterious effect on his performance. During an appearance on Israel Adesanya’s YouTube channel, Volkanovski admitted that before UFC matchmakers called, he had deviated considerably from his usual training regimen.
“It was like a little kick up the ass for me,” Volkanovski said of the loss. “I wasn’t disciplined. I’m known for being disciplined, professional all year around, 24/7, and I just wasn’t that time. So I was really disappointed. I was more upset with who I was in previous months leading into that.
“To be honest, it made it a little bit easier because it snapped me out of it. I was drinking every day for three or four weeks, honestly, I don’t even know. That’s unheard of for me. Like, every day. I’ve never, ever done that. But I was just like, I wasn’t training too much, obviously surgery, and just trying to help around the house. I’m like, ‘May as well have a couple of drinks, they’re going down good.’ So it was going down too good. So every day I went to Cairns with the fam and come back and even then I was like, ‘This has got to stop.’ I ended up saying that the day before I got the call.”
Volkanovski clarified that he wasn’t out partying or misbehaving and that his drinking primarily took place at home. Still, it wasn’t the same routine he’d followed in the past that had shaped him into the UFC champion that, outside of his losses to Makhachev, has been nearly unbeatable for the past decade.
One major concern for Volkanovski was that he ballooned up to nearly 185 pounds, a sign that he wasn’t physically at his sharpest. Wanting to force himself back into proper shape and avenge his UFC 284 loss to Makhachev, Volkanovski jumped on the short-notice opportunity.
“I’ve never been that heavy. Even when I was trying to bulk for Islam the first fight, I never got that heavy,” Volkanovski said. “I was far out, so was like, I’m going to try and eat good. It was like I had a day head start to snap out of it and then I got the phone call the next day for the fight. I’m like, ‘What? I better check my weight.’ I already lost a few kilos — obviously, a lot of it was just water, which was crazy — so I’m like, ‘Let’s do it. I need to snap out of this little rut that I’m in. This is exciting, this is a challenge, this is something that I need right now, let’s do it.’”
Volkanovski still has no regrets over accepting the fight under such adverse circumstances, nor is he embarrassed to share the details of his struggles surrounding the fight. “The Great” continues to support the idea that men need to be more open about mental health issues, a topic he has discussed in the past.
Next, Volkanovski defends his featherweight title against the undefeated Ilia Topuria in the main event of UFC 298 on Feb. 17. The bout occurs just four months after his devastating knockout loss to Makhachev, and while that remains a tough outcome to swallow, it won’t deter him from taking risks in the future.
“It’s always going to hurt, losing’s not fun,” Volkanovski said. “I’m never scared of getting hurt or anything, I’m scared of losing. Even though I love challenging myself, even if it’s 11 days’ notice and put myself in a position where the chances of losing are much higher, I’m still going to do that. That’s just who I am, even with that fear of losing. But that’s just who I am and that’s what made me the guy I am, the champion I am. I’m always challenging myself, challenging myself in the gym every day, and I’m always finding ways to challenge myself and [the Makhachev rematch] was one of them.
“I will always take short-notice. A lot of people got upset with the decision I made to do a short-notice. I’m not. It’s not the decision, it’s just the timing off of it. Any other time in my career, I’m not saying I win, I just know I’m in a better position. That’s all I can say. He caught me and that’s that. I just wish I could pull the trigger and make it more of a fight, and I just didn’t.”
This weekend (Sat., Feb. 10, 2024), Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) remains inside the UFC Apex (alas) in Las Vegas, Nevada for UFC Vegas 86. This upcoming card is identical in nature to last week’s event, which was … bad! It’s the usual suspects: a mediocre main event (why more Middleweights?!?), an intriguing and fun co-main, and then a whole bunch of names that haven’t yet earned the recognition of a Wikipedia page.
On the plus side, there are at least a handful of well-liked veterans snuck through the card. Let’s dig into all the main card fights leading up to the main- and co-main events:
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Middleweight: Robert Bryczek vs. Ihor Potieria
Best Win for Bryczek? Samuel Krištofič For Potieria? Mauricio Rua Current Streak: Bryczek debuts having won his five fights, while Potieria has lost two straight X-Factor: Potieria is stepping up on very short notice AND making his Middleweight debut How these two match up: One way or another, it probably won’t last long.
Bryczek has a bit of hype behind him. The Polish veteran has a good deal of experience and did not sign through Contenders Series, making him a rarity in this day and age. More importantly, he’s an aggressive combination puncher with good power in his shots, as well as a jiu-jitsu black belt to back him up.
Potieria is chaos in the cage. He’s all about his offensive and can definitely deal damage, having stopped 16 opponents via strikes or submission. Unfortunately, his wildness puts him in the fire too, and he’s been stopped in four of his defeats.
I like the 185-pound move for Potieria, who looked like the smaller man by a significant margin. I cannot say I like it as much with one week of preparation, however, and particularly not against a smart and experienced fighter. Bryczek will find the opportunity in his opponents attacks to land heavy counters or even takedowns, and it likely won’t take long for the punishment to add up.
After a couple delays, the Polish fighter makes a successful debut.
Prediction: Bryczek via knockout
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Middleweight: Brad Tavares vs. Gregory Rodrigues
Best Win for Tavares? Thales Leites For Rodrigues? Chidi Njokuani Current Streak: Both men won their last bout X-Factor: Can Tavares’ chin hold up to Rodrigues’ power? How these two match up: This feels like a kickboxing battle.
Tavares is now a 14-year UFC veteran, a longtime Middleweight stalwart who presents some interesting challenges. The Hawaiian has some of the division’s best takedown defense, and he pairs that asset with a nasty calf kicking game that can quickly debilitate his opposition.
Rodrigues has proved himself one of the most exciting fighters in the sport in the last few years. “Robocop” has serious power in his hands and is always down for a brawl, but he also showed off his ground skills last time out, effortlessly mounting and finishing his opponent inside a round.
This is a tough one. Tavares is probably the cleaner striker on paper, but he’s considerably less durable, and I haven’t see Rodrigues fail to get to his opponent at some point. The Brazilian’s jiu-jitsu edge is a wash, however, because taking down Tavares is fairly impossible.
The question is whether or not Tavares can break down the lead leg before Rodrigues starts to connect. I’m expecting some early success from Tavares, but that tide will turn when Rodrigues toughs it out and starts connecting anyway.
Prediction: Rodrigues via decision
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Lightweight: Michael Johnson vs. Darrius Flowers
Best Win for Johnson? Dustin Poirier For Flowers? Amiran Gogoladze Current Streak: Both men lost their last bout X-Factor: Flowers is cutting to Lightweight for the first time How these two match up: This one should be fun for however long it lasts.
“The Menace” is the most famously unpredictable fighter in MMA. This is a man who defeated Tony Ferguson and Dustin Poirier in the midst of excellent runs, but he also got submitted by a straight footlock by Thiago Moises. He’s lost a lot of fights suddenly after looking sharp early, and he’s also flattened many excellent fighters.
Even this deep in his career, Johnson is seriously quick and has major power.
Flowers is a relative newcomer, a 5’9” powerhouse who has fought as high as 185 lbs. He likes to close distance (obviously) and fire big hooks in combinations. He’s also fairly tricky to take down, though I doubt that skill comes into play here.
There are three paths this fight can likely go. On one hand, Johnson is the sharper range technician and knows how to punish his opponent’s offense violently. He knocked out Poirier on the counter, after all. At the same time, Johnson is coming off a brutal knockout loss at 37 years of age, so a younger and hungry up-and-comer just sparking him is distinctly possible.
Finally, the third, MJ specific option: Johnson picks his foe apart for a round or two, then gets slept.
Despite two of the three options going against him, I still like Johnson here. His speed, timing, and power remain in spades, and Flowers gives his opponents a lot to work with during his blitzes forward. Flowers is going to charge at Johnson, and I expect the veteran times his entrances with a nasty left hand at some point.
Prediction: Johnson via knockout
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Middleweight: Rodolfo Vieira vs. Armen Petrosyan
Best Win for Vieira? Cody Brundage For Petrosyan? Gregory Rodrigues Current Streak: Vieira rebounded last time out, while Petrosyan has won two in a row X-Factor: Both are still fairly inexperienced in MMA How these two match up: This is yet another Middleweight fight, but it’s also a fun style clash that feels likely to produce a finish.
Vieira got stomped by Anthony Hernandez in the 2021 upset of the year, but he took the right lessons away. Since then, he’s shown improved stand up and conditioning, though his ability to set up shots still leaves something to be desired. Fortunately, if he does get his man down, Vieira might be the best grappler on the roster.
As for Petrosyan, he’s very obviously a great kickboxer. He moves well, hits hard, and can strike from all distances. His takedown defense failed him badly against Caio Borralho in his sole UFC loss, however, and most other opponents who have tried to drag him down have succeeded.
This is always going to be one of those fights where the prediction is going to make you look like a genius or moron. If Vieira drags his foe to the floor, he pummels and strangles him in short fashion. If not, Petrosyan picks him apart and likely scores the knockout. It all hinges on the takedown!
I’m going to guess Vieira gets it. His blast double is no joke, and his overall physicality seems like it’ll be a problem for Petrosyan. “Superman” has historically done well to scramble to his feet, but that’s a tall task opposite “The Black Belt Hunter.”
Former interim lightweight title challenger, Kevin Lee has already laid out a host of names to welcome him back to the Octagon after confirming the snapping of his retirement from active competition – with the ex-UFC championship chaser suggesting a rematch fight with former rival, Tony Ferguson.
Lee, a former interim lightweight title challenger – who featured against Ferguson in a triangle choke submission loss back in 2017 in the pair’s championship battle, confirmed his plans to finish his fighting career back in the summer of last year.
However, less than a year later, the Michigan native confirmed this week how a conversation with his mother sparked his decision to make a retirement u-turn – and chase a comeback fight under the UFC banner once more.
Making his return at a UFC Vegas 76 card back in July of last year, Lee, who has dealt with a slew of recurring knee injuries in the latter tenure of his career, suffered a catastrophic guillotine choke submission loss to Rinat Fakhretdinov in just 55 seconds.
Kevin Lee welcomes Tony Ferguson rematch in UFC return
And off the back of his announcement of a comeback to active competition earlier this week, Lee suggested future fights in his return against the likes of the above-mentioned, Ferguson, lightweight staple, Michael Chandler, or even former two-division champion, Conor McGregor.
“There’s a couple great fights [for a comeback],” Kevin Lee told Middleeasy during a recent interview. “Tony Ferguson, maybe the winner or loser of Conor (McGregor) or (Michael) Chandler.”
“I’m honestly not focused too much on opponents right now,” Kevin Lee continued. “I think I have a long road ahead of me as far as getting healthy [goes]. Two getting into shape, and three, singing a contract. Then maybe we can look at location, and then talk about opponents. So, it’s far down the road for me to be thinking about opponents.”
Over the course of his stint in the Octagon collectively, Lee has turned in notable wins over the likes of Efrain Escudero, Jake Matthews, Michael Chiesa, Edson Barboza, and most recently, a hellacious high-kick KO win over then-surging wrestling ace, Gregor Gillespie.
Would you like to see Kevin Lee fight Tony Ferguson in hisreturn to the UFC?
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