Deontay Wilder is open to a big crossover fight with Francis Ngannou, but he needs to learn more about what the PFL is thinking.

PFL co-founder Donn Davis has expressed interest in booking a “mixed rules” bout between the two heavyweight knockout artists following Ngannou’s valiant effort against Tyson Fury in an October boxing match. While Wilder is interested, he claims he has no idea what the bout would entail.

“I’d have to hear more about these mixed rules,” Wilder told Lucky Block (h/t DAZN). “I wouldn’t mind fighting in the [cage] and stuff, but I’d have to understand how the mixed rules are distributed. What do they mean [by] mixed rules? What can and can’t we do?

“But I know for sure, [if we did] one fight in boxing and then one MMA fight, the rules are what they are.”

Wilder has also shared the ring with Fury, engaging in a memorable three-fight rivalry that saw the two heavyweights battle to a draw, and then two Fury wins. Wilder is currently slated to face Joseph Parker on Dec. 23 in Saudi Arabia, while Ngannou’s next fight — and which combat sport Ngannou will take part in — remains up in the air.

Ngannou welcoming Wilder to an MMA cage would certainly be intriguing to the combat fan base, but there’s still work that needs to be done.

“We’ve got rules in boxing, we’ve got rules in mixed martial arts, but when you are mixing both together, now you have to come up with your own rules and it can get kind of frustrating or confusing,” Wilder said. “But it could be something that’s new, and I’m all about change. I’d need to hear it, both parties would need to hear it, and go from there.”

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Jake Paul added another big win to his resume via a first-round destruction of Andre August on December 15.

After making a name for himself against a series of past-their-prime MMA stars, ‘The Problem Child’ is looking to legitimize himself in the world of boxing by taking on experienced pugilists. Paul kicked off his new campaign against August, a fighter with 10 career wins with five coming by way of knockout.

From the get-go, Paul appeared to be in complete control of the contest, using his jab and footwork to keep August just out of range. That forced his opponent to duck in from long distances in an attempt to attack the body of the social media star. Picking up on the tactic quickly, Paul unleashed an uppercut at just the right time, catching August on the button and flatlining him with less than a minute to go in the opening round.

It was an exciting end to an overall solid night of fights. However, in a recent report from The Sports Daily‘s Garett Kerman, one particular fight on the card is being investigated by U.S. Integrity.

Kerman’s report claims that there was suspicious betting activity on the bout between Yoenis Tellez vs. Livan Navarro, which went down just before the evening’s co-main event. He goes on to reveal that there was an “influx of six-figure wagers” on the fight going over five and a half rounds, despite Tellez never fighting past the fourth round in his undefeated career.

Tellez dropped Navarro in the third round but he was not able to score a finish until securing a TKO in the 10th round.

“It’s been believed that one of the bettors (on the over 5.5 rounds prop bet) was a part of the corner team” for either Tellez or Navarro, Kerman claims. U.S. Integrity, a technology-driven sports wagering monitoring company, was reportedly notified of the fight and is now conducting an investigation.

Jake Paul, nor anyone associated with him, is suspected of any wrongdoing regarding the matter.

h/t BloodyElbow.com

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Colby Covington has made a living off of being controversial and making wild statements, so his latest comments shouldn’t come as a surprise to the MMA world.

Competing in his third undisputed title bout, the proud American was overwhelmed by his opponent who put on a brilliant display of distance management and striking. Managing to avoid many of the grappling exchanges and getting his way on the feet, Leon Edwards rightfully walked away with his championship reign still intact.

While the vast majority of viewers, alongside all three of the judges, scored it for the champion, Colby Covington refuted the decision. The NCAA Division I standout is convinced that his support for Donald Trump cost him the result and he sat down with Jesse Watters to air his thoughts on the matter.

“I do believe that you know,” said Covington when referring to his support for Trump may have cost him the fight. “I think they stack the deck against us because they don’t want we the people to have control of this country again.”

“That’s what Trump stands for. He stands for democracy, he stands for freedom. So, they’re going to do everything they can to keep us down, you know. From shadow banning us online, even if we’re saying the truth, you know. They’re going to make us censored, they’re not going to let other people see that, you know.”

“If it’s in a judging position in a fight or any type of athletic sporting event, they’re going to stack the deck against us. It’s a sad time in our country but we the people, we need to rise up. We can’t let this keep us down.”

Doubling down on his support for Donald Trump, Covington weighed in on the forthcoming US election.

“For me, the most important issue is just a free and fair election, man. We’ve seen the dirty tricks the Dems have tried to pull. I mean, they made a fake pandemic so they could commit fraud at the ballots. And then they opened up our borders wide open so illegal immigrants could come in and they could use them to vote for Biden.”

“But none of this is working. I mean, they’ve weaponized the justice system like a third-world dictatorship, but Trump’s still leading and this is just, the people are waking up. The people of the masses are seeing that this is the death of America and Trump’s the only one that’s standing in the way of the swamping.”

“He loves America more than anything again, so in 2024, we’re going to need to stand behind him more than ever before. And anybody that doesn’t believe that they’re taking him off the ballot, if they don’t condemn that, then they stay in for the end of this democracy.”

Related: Colby Covington attacked by legendary coach for recent unacceptable behavior

Colby Covington later explained how an injury early into his bout against Leon Edwards forced him to fight differently and ideally, he wants an immediate rematch.

“I want a rematch. I deserve it, you know. I think I broke my foot in the first 30 seconds in the fight kicking on his elbow so I want a rematch with this guy. I’m going to come back stronger. I’m just like the American people, you know, we never give up.”

“You can knock us down but we just learn. We don’t lose, we only learn. We come back stronger and that’s what’s going to happen in 2024. We’re going to take back control of this country, we’re going to make America great again, and we’re going to restore democracy in America.”

Colby Covington is on Fox News claiming the judges gave Leon Edwards the win because he’s a Trump supporter 😅 pic.twitter.com/o7qy5XTgEY

— Happy Punch (@HappyPunch) December 21, 2023

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UFC

Jake Paul is accustomed to headlining cards but he’ll step into a co-main event for his next fight while shining a spotlight on Amanda Serrano in the headliner.

On Thursday, Paul announced plans to book his next fight on March 2 with a card scheduled in San Juan, Puerto Rico, with Serrano facing German featherweight Nina Meinke in the main event. The card will air live on DAZN in the United States.

“Fighting for the first time at home in Puerto Rico alongside one of the greatest fighters ever, Amanda Serrano, promises to be the event of a lifetime,” Paul said in a press release. “I’m honored to be the co-main event on Amanda’s homecoming card, and I could not be more excited to bring this historic event to Puerto Rico as I continue my path to becoming a world champion.”

Paul’s return will happen just three months after the YouTuber-turned-boxer demolished Andre August in the first round in December. That put Paul’s professional record at 8-1 overall including five wins by knockout.

While he’s typically been the main event on all of his cards past his second professional fight, Paul takes a co-main event role to give Serrano the chance to shine in her home country after last competing there back in 2021.

Serrano sports an impressive 46-2-1 record during her career and she recently announced plans to only work with sanctioning bodies that will allow her to compete in three-minute rounds just like the men in boxing. Women’s boxing matches are typically only two-minute rounds.

She ultimately relinquished her WBC title after the organization refused to implement three-minute rounds for her fights moving forward.

While Serrano already has her opponent booked, there’s no word on who Paul will face just yet but he’s expected to make that announcement in the coming weeks. Paul has recently turned his focus on facing boxers with a more traditional résumé versus many of his early fights, which mainly came against MMA stars like Nate Diaz and Anderson Silva.

The upcoming card on March 2 also serves as the night when 17-year-old Javon “Wanna” Walton makes his debut after signing with Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. Walton is best known for his role as Ashtray in the hit HBO series Euphoria but he’s been a boxing prodigy since he was a child.

Now Walton makes his debut while sharing the spotlight with Paul and Serrano.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

With the conclusion of UFC 296, the UFC’s 2023 campaign is over, and that means it’s almost time to hand out some hardware as the MMA Fighting year-end awards are just around the corner. The panel will preview the 2023 awards following a quick look back at UFC 296, Colby Covington’s head scratching performance against Leon Edwards, and more.

This week, the panel of MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck, Alexander K. Lee, and E. Casey Leydon preview the MMA Fighting 2023 year-end awards and reveal their top-five nominees for Fighter of the Year and discuss where Sean Strickland fits in after his unbelievable year, along with Fight of the Year, Knockout of the Year, Submission of the Year, and Rookie of the Year. They’ll also discuss if there are any snubs, why their list came to be, if 2023 was the craziest year in the history of the sport, and much more.

Watch the show live at 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT in the video above.

If you missed the show live, you can still watch above, or listen to the podcast version, which can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your pods.

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The feud continues
| BJPenn.com

Matt Riddle is looking to make a return to MMA competition and he’s open to all possibilities, including a return to the UFC.

Matt Riddle is looking to make a return to mixed martial arts nearly ten years after he left the sport for pro wrestling.

Riddle was a promising prospect coming out of The Ultimate Fighter 7, but his fight career was derailed by fight night drug failures for marijuana that saw two of his wins overturned to No Contests. He then got into a spat with UFC president Dana White resulting in his release from the promotion.

After one more win outside the UFC, Riddle would pivot to pro wrestling and claw his way up from the indies all the way to the WWE. But controversy continues to dog him, and he parted ways with WWE in September. Now he’s in talks with several MMA promotions about booking a real fight.

“There’s been a lot of talk. I’ve been talking to a couple of promotions,” Riddle said at the World MMA Awards (via Fansided). “I don’t want to get into it until it’s official, but I think in 2024 there’s a very big possibility that I get back in the ring or cage pretty soon.”

“Maybe this is a bad theory or bad idea, but I feel like you’ve got to get beat up to leave, you know?” Riddle explained. “I feel like I left the UFC on a four-fight win streak, then won another fight in Titan FC. I just kind of left and went to pro wrestling. I did good, and am still doing it. Pro wrestling is awesome, but I still want to get beat up. I want to have my exit.”

“We’ll see. Maybe somebody beats me up. Maybe I keep winning. Who knows?”

Rumor has it that Riddle was put forward as a potential first MMA fight for Jake Paul in the PFL. The risk to reward ratio wasn’t quite right for “The Problem Child,” and now Matt is entertaining all possible options … including a return to the UFC.

“I never say never,” Riddle said. “If the opportunity is right. I don’t really hold a grudge. I mean, I talk a lot of s—. Sorry, I talk a lot of trash. That’s about it. If there’s business to be had, I’ll get business done.”

Things went pretty nuclear between White and Riddle back in 2013 when Riddle was ousted from the UFC. It went beyond just some back-and-forth verbal sparring in the press after Matt dared to criticize UFC pay. In 2019 Riddle would accuse White of trying to ruin his life and career. All water under the bridge now, though.

“For me, there’s no fence that really needs mending,” he said. “He had his decision. I had mine. He went his way. I went my way. I had great success and so has he. For me, there’s no problem. It’s just a matter of if he’d want me to work for him and pay me again. He doesn’t have to.”

With the benefit of hindsight (and the need for a job in a monopsony environment), Riddle now sees positives in how his feud with White played out.

“I have to thank Dana, because if he were to just fire me and not say anything, nobody probably would’ve known about me,” Riddle said. “Putting me on blast and doing that, I think a lot of people could relate with me. They probably had their parents or their boss talk to them like that. I think that’s kind of where that ‘bro’ character kind of started.”

“I think every good journey needs a good story of ups and downs, just like a good pro wrestling match.”

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Tony Ferguson can’t seem to get back in the win column.

The one-time interim UFC lightweight champion and winner of The Ultimate Fighter 13 tied a promotional record at UFC 296 this past Saturday against Paddy Pimblett. Unfortunately for Ferguson, it wasn’t one he hoped to tie as he now sits alongside B.J. Penn with the longest losing streak in UFC history at seven.

Pimblett defeated Ferguson via a comfortable unanimous decision that extended the Englishman’s winning streak to seven. Several losses before this most recent one built speculation that it could be time for “El Cucuy” to call it a career. That conversation only continues now after another lopsided defeat and UFC commentator Daniel Cormier remains in that camp despite Ferguson’s continued reluctance to retire.

“Tony Ferguson would seem to be done,” Cormier said on DC & RC. “Call it what it is.”

“I believe that Tony Ferguson should retire. I really try to limit trying to show a man the door because nobody knows when someone’s done until they know that they’re done. Only Tony knows when it’s time, but it seems as though he’s the only one left that isn’t sure. Everybody else feels pretty certain that that time has come for Tony Ferguson.”

Ferguson was nearly put away in round one of his clash with Pimblett. The Liverpool native caught the once-ultra-durable contender with a flurry of punches and poured it on late on the ground. Ultimately, Ferguson survived but succumbed to Pimblett’s offensive wrestling abilities in the final two frames.

The aid of ex-Navy SEAL David Goggins was acquired by Ferguson for his camp, which showed to not have an effect. In the immediate wake of the loss, Goggins expressed how it may have been the end for the legendary lightweight, according to Cormier.

“Many didn’t even expect Tony Ferguson to go 15 minutes, so hat’s off to Tony for doing that,” Cormier said on his YouTube channel. “But David Goggins, who cornered him, came up to us at the end of the fight and said, ‘Tony may retire after this.’ And I said, ‘Well, is he?’

“He goes, ‘I don’t know.’ But we gave our opinions and said, ‘Maybe it is time for Tony to retire.’ While his heart and his mind are still telling him to go, I don’t necessarily know if his timing is still where it needs to be because for a short period of time in those fights, you see the old Tony Ferguson. But as time goes on, he isn’t the same guy.”

TOP STORIES

Odd. Leon Edwards coach prefers Gilbert Burns fight next: ‘Brings more to the table than Belal’ Muhammad

Boundary. Chael Sonnen: Colby Covington crossed the line, but UFC shouldn’t police speech

Placement. MMA Divisional Rankings, December 2023: Does Colby Covington deserve spot after dismal UFC 296 performance?

Onward. Tony Ferguson insists he’s not retiring in social media statement

Betting. Leon Edwards trumps Belal Muhammad, dead even with Shavkat Rakhmonov for opening odds

VIDEO STEW

The MMA Hour.

UFC Fighters We Want To See In 2024.

RIZIN Confessions 138.

Class in session.

MORNING MUSIC

SOCIAL MEDIA BOUILLABAISSE

Tenacious.

Ouff.

New regime.

Cleansed.

Poor Pacheco.

Even with one arm, the man is a menace.

FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENTS

Matthew Semelsberger (11-6) vs. Preston Parsons (10-4); UFC Vegas 84, Jan. 13

Albert Duraev (16-5) vs. Robert Bryczek (17-5); UFC Vegas 86, Feb. 10

FINAL THOUGHTS

What more can be said about Ferguson at this point? Win or lose, it’s a sad state of affairs. Coming to grips with the reality of being done is one that only that specific athlete can fathom, however. Just got to sit back and hope for the best from here on out.

Thanks for reading!

EXIT POLL

If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @DrakeRiggs_ on Twitter and let him know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Instagram and like us on Facebook.

MMA Fighting – All Posts

Off the back of his hellacious first round KO win over the highly-touted, Bryce Mitchell at UFC 296 over the course of last weekend, former interim featherweight champion, Josh Emmett has staked his claim for a title-eliminator clash with former titleholder, Max Holloway next.

Emmett, the current number six ranked lightweight contender, turned in a shocking victory at UFC 296 last Saturday night in Las Vegas, landing a thunderous opening round KO win over the above-mentioned Ultimate Fighter alum, Mitchell in the pair’s main card opener.

The victory snapped a two-fight losing run for Pheonix veteran, Emmett had been on the wrong side of a decision loss to incoming title chaser, Ilia Topuria earlier this summer, which following a February triangle choke submission loss to Yair Rodríguez in the pair’s interim title fight at UFC 284. 

For Holloway, the Hawaiian fan-favorite is currently riding a two-fight winning run – most recently landing a devastating third round KO win over veteran former title challenger Chan Sung Jung at UFC Singapore earlier this summer.

Prior to that, Holloway halted the run of British featherweight, Arnold Allen in a main event clash at UFC Kansas City back in April, and still holds the number one rank in the official featherweight rankings.

Josh Emmett welcomes fight with Max Holloway next

Weighing up his immediate fighting future off the back of his impressive knockout win over Mitchell, Emmett suggested a title-eliminator fight with former champion, Holloway in a return to action.

“He (Max Holloway) is the number one contender,” Josh Emmett told MMA Fighting of a fight with Max Holloway. “He’s cleared out pretty much everyone in the division and fought everyone in the featherweight division but myself.”

“It would be an honor to fight him,” Josh Emmett explained. 

Who wins in a potential fight: Max Holloway or Josh Emmett?

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