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The landscape in combat sports has changed in recently years.  There have been mixed martial artist accept professional boxing matches before; former UFC welterweight contender Chris Lytle for instance, or the inaugural UFC lightweight champion Jens Pulver.  It was rare then, but several former UFC fighters have made the transition from the cage to the ring since Conor McGregor famously crossed over to take on Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2017.

In 2020, influencer Jake Paul made his professional boxing debut and he’d bring a different business model to the sport.  In his third professional boxing match, Paul took on former UFC welterweight Ben Askren.  He stopped Askren in under two minutes.  Paul went on to face former UFC welterweight champion Tyron Woodley in back-to-back bouts.  Paul won both matches and knocked Woodley out in the rematch.  

Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva was Paul’s next opponent and the influencer-turned-boxer defeated Silva by unanimous decision.  The Jake Paul era changed the game and opened the door for more former mixed martial artists to make the leap.  After losing to Tommy Fury, Paul then took on The Ultimate Fighter 5 winner Nate Diaz.

The landscape changed so much by 2022 that former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou fought out his UFC contract to pave the way for boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua.  UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley believes the UFC is ‘missing out’ by not putting on boxing matches between UFC fighters.  

After all, Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal fought for the inaugural “BMF” belt at UFC 244 in November 2019.  Their rematch took place this past Saturday inside the boxing ring.  

“I feel like there’s only a few UFC fighters that can really get people that excited about boxing, but I’m like, bro, the UFC is missing out,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel.  

“There’s something about watching to MMA guys box.  That was a sick f***ing boxing match (Diaz vs. Masvidal 2).  I feel like they (UFC) should.  I would love to box certain guys,” O’Malley continued.     

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Rose Namajunas hopes for at least one more Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) title run.

UFC heads back to Denver, Colorado, and features an important Flyweight match up atop the billing as Namajunas looks to maintain her No. 6 spot in the rankings against the rising contender, Tracy Cortez, this weekend (Sat., July 13, 2024). Although the opponent isn’t who Namajunas was originally set to battle, she expects big possibilities to follow.

“I’d say I’m right in that title contention talks [with a win],” Namajunas told MMA Junkie. “God willing, I’m healthy, I’m in shape and I’m ready to go with a win and whatever opportunities they want to give me. I could see myself fighting for the belt really soon. It’s just a matter of doing my job and fighting to the best of my abilities. Anything’s possible.”

Namajunas, 32, made history as the youngest female champion in UFC history when she won the Strawweight title against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 217 in November 2017. She had a second stint with the title in 2021 when she defeated the current champion of the division, Zhang Weili, twice.

Ideally for “Thug,” she’ll be able to achieve one of her longtime goals before she hangs up the gloves. It all starts with the first hometown appearance of her 18-fight career (12-6).

“When I first started my career in the UFC, that was my vision that I had in mind. It wasn’t super solid, but I definitely wanted to become champion,” Namajunas said. “And then, somewhere in the back of my mind, I thought to become champion in two divisions, as well.

“But that was so far in the distance, I wasn’t sure if I could make that happen,” she concluded. “But now I know that I can.”

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Paul Hughes credits Conor McGregor

This past Saturday, Hughes made his PFL/Bellator debut, finishing Bobby King in the co-main event of Bellator Dublin. It was an impressive performance for the Irish prospect in front of his home country, and it was made all the more special for Hughes as his countryman Conor McGregor sat cageside for his fight. After the fight, Hughes even shouted McGregor out saying, “People talk shit, but this man changed the game and changed all of our young fighters’ lives.”

Speaking with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour on Monday, Hughes said that while he initially had other plans for his post-fight interview, McGregor’s presence brought on his impromptu speech.

“I wanted to call out Usman Nurmagomedov for the lightweight belt,” Hughes said. “[But] he got booked against Alexander Shabily at, whatever it is, end of the year. So the likelihood of them having a fight and me fighting him before the season next year just didn’t seem likely. So I just kind of held my tongue.

“Plus it just didn’t come about. The post-fight interview kind of went a different way, obviously, with McGregor showing up and having an exchange with him. So it kind of ended up going a different way in the post-fight interview.”

Hughes’s speech in support of him actually came at an interesting time for McGregor. “Notorious” was set to headline this weekend’s UFC 303 card against Michael Chandler but withdrew after breaking a toe during his training camp. The revelation that McGregor pulled out of a fight for a toe injury earned the former UFC champ-champ plenty of critics, but Hughes stands by Hughes isn’t one of them.

“It came from the heart,” Hughes said. “Dan asked me the question, ‘How does it feel having Conor McGregor here?’ I had just seen him, he came up to the cage, I was looking at him, and I just spoke from the heart. That’s the reality. I’m just speaking the truth. He did break down the mental barriers for us young lads coming up, especially coming from the island of Ireland.

“Just 10 years ago he was fighting [Diego] Brandao in the same arena, and that was the beginning of his rise and the beginning of the change of Irish MMA forever. Then 10 years later, he’s inspired me and I’m in the same arena, co-main eventing my first huge, global show. And there I am having an interaction with him cageside. It just felt right to thank him, because it was just the truth.”

If McGregor opened the door for Irish fighters, Hughes is part of the next generation of Irish fighters hoping to pick up his mantle. The 27-year-old former Cage Warriors champion is now 12-1 in his MMA career with the longterm goal of entering the PFL lightweight season next year. In the meantime, he’s going to sit back and enjoy his first win in the promotion and then see what comes next.

“I’m going to take a week here and just take it in,” Hughes said. “It’s been a crazy journey since getting out of that — even before getting out of that Cage Warriors contract… Getting that all done, getting a fight booked in the 3Arena, a show being built around me, and finally going and doing the business. So I’m going to take a week and then after that we’ll talk to PFL-Bellator and see what they would like me to do. “

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Seeing a long-anticipated grudge match with ex-champion, Conor McGregor shelved late last month, Michael Chandler appears to be welcoming all comers next – now offering to take on Nate Diaz at the Las Vegas Sphere in the main event of UFC 306.

Chandler, who currently holds the number six ranked lightweight challenger, has been sidelined for the last two years from the Octagon, dropping a third round rear-naked choke submission defeat to Dustin Poirier at Madison Square Garden back in 2022.

As for Diaz, the UFC veteran made his return to combat sports over the course of last weekend in his native California, taking on fellow promotional alum, Jorge Masvidal in a professional boxing rematch, taking home a close majority decision win over the course of 10 rounds in Anaheim. 

And remaining committed in his pursuit to take on McGregor following his exit from a UFC 303 comeback at the end of last month, Chandler claimed he was confident a grudge match with the Dubliner will happen “quicker” than critics think.

“It’s a bitter sweet weekend, but we’re having a good time, and we should hopefully be off hiatus quicker than people think,” Michael Chandler said. “I’ll tell you what, I do love to fight, but I am a very patient man. And luckily, my life is such that I have done so many things outside of just fighting that I’ve been able to sit out, be patient, still got work outside fighting. [I] stayed busy the last year and a half, and this one didn’t come to fruition.”

“We’re gonna stay patient – we’re not gonna let him (Conor McGregor) off the hook,” Michael Chandler explained. “I like to say, ‘We’re not gonna let him off the hook.’ Talks are happening between me and the UFC, I’m meeting with them tonight actually. I know Conor is gonna be ready to come back soon, ‘cause it’s just a pinky toe {injury), so we’ll see.”

Michael Chandler offers to fight Nate Diaz

However, with a bout still stuck on skids amid McGregor’s latest family vacation to Switzerland, Chandler has offered to take on Diaz in a massive showdown at Noche UFC in two months time.

“Sit down, Ron…,” Michael Chandler replied to a user on his official X account. “Better idea – me and @NateDiaz209 fight like two men while Conor sits on a yacht and watches on PPV in his slippers. #ufcnoche #riyadhseason”

Would you like to see Michael Chandler take on Nate Diaz next?

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UFC middleweight Cody Brundage recently opened up about his loss to Bo Nickal at UFC 300. He expressed remorse over not fully capitalizing on the chance to perform at his best in one of the most crucial fights of his career to date.

Brundage is poised for his comeback against Abdul Razak Alhassan on the main card of UFC Fight Night Denver, scheduled for this Saturday at the Ball Arena in Colorado.

Over the past 18 months, the South Carolina native has maintained a highly active schedule, with this weekend’s bout against Alhassan marking his sixth appearance in the Octagon since April 2023.

Brundage has had a challenging run, posting a 2-3 record during this period. His most recent outing was a second-round submission loss to Nickal at the UFC’s milestone event this past April.

The former LOC two-division champion demonstrated remarkable resilience and forced the wrestling specialist to exert extra effort, becoming the first fighter to push his opponent into the second round.

Despite being defeated, Brundage believes he was never completely outshone by Nickal. Instead, he attributes his loss to a few minute mistakes that proved costly…

Brundage Laments Lost Opportunity Against Nickal, Asserts Minor Adjustments Could Have Changed Outcome

During a recent interview with InsideFighting, Brundage pondered his defeat against Nickal and also expressed frustration at not securing a victory at UFC 300, recognizing the lost chance to shine on such a significant stage.

“I mean, it definitely was a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” Brundage said. “It was cool; it was such a great opportunity. I wish I would have cashed in on it and taken advantage of it.”

The 30-year-old went on to commend Nickal for his impressive performance, admitting that a few critical errors on his part ultimately precipitated his defeat.

“I didn’t feel outclassed when I was in the fight. I just think I got little overzealous. I didn’t keep my composure as well as I probably should have and that led to him having some success, and props to him, you know, he was able to finish the fight.

“I could have represented myself even a little bit better than I (did), but as far as the experience, it was awesome.”

Brundage made his promotional debut at UFC 266 in September 2021, where he suffered a decision loss to Nick Maximov. To date, he has struggled to leave a lasting impression in the UFC, securing only four wins out of his nine fights.

• Read More: Henry Cejudo: Bo Nickal At Least 10 Fights Away From UFC Middleweight Championship

Continue Reading Cody Brundage Reflects On Bo Nickal Defeat At UFC 300 Ahead Of Denver Return: ‘I Didn’t Feel Outclassed’ at MMA News.

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts