This Saturday, Nate Diaz and Jorge Masvidal will run it back nearly four years removed from their UFC bout — but this time, they’ll do it in the boxing ring. While there certainly seemed to, at least, have some intrigue for the bout, the fight week — from the open workouts, to the final press conference — has been underwhelming. Will the fight itself deliver the goods?
MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck and José Youngs preview Saturday’s DIaz vs. Masvidal fight, discuss the matchup, the tough fight week the card has had, the interest levels in the community, and what is at stake for both fighters. Additionally, they’ll discuss the matchup between former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis and Diaz teammate Chris Avila, other bouts that may stand out, take viewer questions, and more.
Catch the Diaz vs. Masvidal preview show above. An audio-only version of the show can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you find your favorite podcasts.
Fight fans itching for some combat sports action on July 20, but don’t want to pay fifty bucks to watch Jake Paul duke it out with Mike Perry, UFC will be hosting another APEX card on ESPN and ESPN+, headlined by Top 5 strawweights Amanda Lemos and Virna Jandiroba.
Event: UFC Vegas 94: “Lemos vs. Jandiroba” Date: Sat., July 20, 2024 Location: UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada Broadcast: ESPN/ESPN2/ESPN+ Start Time: 5 p.m. ET Preliminary Card | 8 p.m. ET Main Card
UFC Vegas 94 Main Event On ESPN/ESPN+:
125 lbs.: Amanda Lemos vs. Virna Jandiroba
UFC Vegas 94 Main Card on ESPN/ESPN+ (8 p.m. ET):
185 lbs.: Brad Tavares vs. Jun Yong Park 145 lbs.: Steve Garcia vs. Seung Woo Choi 155 lbs.: Kurt Holobaugh vs. Kaynan Kruschewsky 145 lbs.: Doo Ho Choi vs. Bill Algeo
UFC Vegas 94 ‘Prelims’ Card on ESPN2/ESPN+ (5 p.m. ET):
125 lbs.: Cody Durden vs. Bruno Silva 145 lbs.: Jeong Yeong Lee vs. Hyder Amil 135 lbs.: Brian Kelleher vs. Cody Gibson 125 lbs.: Miranda Maverick vs. Dione Barbosa 155 lbs.: Loik Radzhabov vs. Trey Ogden 135 lbs.: Luana Carolina vs. Lucie Pudilova 265 lbs.: Mohammed Usman vs. Thomas Petersen
*Fight card, bout order and number of fights remain subject to change.*
Anthony Pettis may not have a lot of time left in MMA but his combat sports career isn’t slowing down any time soon.
The former UFC lightweight champion, who faces Nate Diaz disciple Chris Avila on Saturday, has made it clear that he’s only returning to MMA for the right opportunities while putting most of his attention on his burgeoning boxing career. Pettis is expected to face former kickboxing star Cedric Doumbe later this year in the PFL but first he has his showdown with Avila, and then there’s a potential fight awaiting him against an even bigger name from the sport of boxing.
“I’m trying to stay busy boxing,” Pettis told MMA Fighting. “I’ve got this July 6 boxing fight and then I have another pretty big name that’s an opportunity in boxing as long as I go f*ck up Avila on July 6.”
“My next fight after this one, a boxer currently competing in boxing and ranked. There’s already a name in mind. I have to go be impressive and then there’s a name in mind.”
Pettis couldn’t reveal the potential opponent because he has to deal with Avila first before he can start planning on future fights.
His boxing match on Saturday as part of the card headlined by Diaz against Jorge Masvidal comes over a year after he pulled off a surprising upset against former pound-for-pound king Roy Jones Jr. in his pro debut.
Of course, Jones at 54 wasn’t the same fighter as the dynamic boxer who tore through multiple weight classes during his peak in the early 2000s but it still wasn’t a fight Pettis was expected to win. He admits that there was a certain strategy he had to employ in that fight because age aside, Jones was still a dangerous opponent with plenty of pop left in his hands.
This time around, however, Pettis doesn’t feel like he’s facing nearly the same level of risk, which is why he’s predicting an emphatic finish over Avila.
“This one, I want to knock him out,” Pettis said. “With Roy Jones, I knew I had to go out there and out point him. He’s smart. Because he just fought Mike Tyson. I wasn’t going to go and just throw a right hand and knock his ass out.
“But Avila, he’s knockoutable, if that’s a word. I feel like he gets hit a lot. He hasn’t fought a guy like me and I think he’s underestimating my boxing skills. He thinks I’m an MMA boxer.”
Since becoming a full-time boxer, Avila has been impressive with five wins in a row but Pettis expects he’ll have the chance to shine in this fight.
He’s been working tirelessly on his boxing over the past few years since his MMA career has slowed down, although he’s excited to show off how much his hands have improved when he eventually returns to the PFL for that matchup with Doumbe.
“I’ve always had a love for boxing but I could never just focus on the hands because of MMA,” Pettis explained. “My kicks were always my strength. I think when I come back to MMA, I’ll surprise everybody with how good my hands have gotten, my inside game and just shit I’ve picked up just using my hands for the last two years.”
Boxing may be his priority now but Pettis expects that he’ll still entertain offers in MMA just like when the PFL came calling with the chance to face Doumbe later this year.
If all goes well on Saturday, Pettis plans to fight Doumbe in September and then hopefully reveal the notable name he’s planning to face in boxing before 2024 comes to a close.
“I’m not done in MMA,” Pettis said. “I’ll probably do a couple more fights, a couple more years of MMA fights. I don’t think I’m going to chase a belt but the right fights, the right people, the right opponent, yes, I’m definitely still game.”
Former UFC title challenger Darren Till is set to finally make his combat sports return this weekend after taking a late-notice fight at Social Knockout 3 in Dubai.
Till was previously scheduled to make his long awaited boxing debut against Julio César Chávez Jr. on the undercard of Jake Paul’s fight with Mike Tyson. With that card being postponed until November, the fight was off, but the Brit hopes that he will still be a part of that event in some capacity when it takes place later this year.
It has taken him a long time to get back in the mix, and after having this big fight collapse, he doesn’t want to lose out on the big opportunities that could have come with getting a win on July 20.
Till is still targeting two of the biggest names that are out there for him in boxing as they’re set to meet on the originally planned date for Paul vs. Tyson.
Darren Till Talks Wanting To Face Jake Paul & Mike Perry, Predicts Their Upcoming Fight
In an interview with Fred Talks Fighting ahead of his return to competition, Till laid out his plans for the near future.
Regardless of what happens on July 20, he is hoping to face either Mike Perry or Jake Paul, and there’s no denying that both fights would be big occasions for “The Gorilla.”
“I think it’s either Jake Paul or Mike Perry at this point. Me and Mike Perry have got a lot of history. … It’s always beef, it’s always war with Mike. We always push for war, never peace.”
Till also gave his prediction for the upcoming clash between Perry and Paul that was announced shortly after the postponement of the Tyson fight.
The former UFC fighter finds it difficult to call a winner because of what both men bring to the table, but he is leaning ever so slightly toward “The Problem Child.”
“I keep 50:50 on both, some days I say Jake ‘cause I know Jake’s the bigger man, but then I don’t think you can rule Perry out. Perry’s a tough man and he’s been beating all these veterans now. like, I think it’s a 50:50. I’m gonna sway towards Jake a little bit more.”
Read More: Dan Hardy Names Opponent That ‘Makes The Most Sense’ For Jake Paul In MMA After Nate Diaz’s Rejections
Continue Reading Darren Till Predicts Jake Paul vs. Mike Perry, Provides Update On Future: ‘We Always Push For War, Never Peace!’ at MMA News.
Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has been calling out Jon Jones since winning the interim championship in November 2023. Jones has been sidelined since tearing a pectoral tendon while preparing to face former two-time titleholder Stipe Miocic at UFC 295. The two are expected to finally fight later this year.
During Jones’ absence, Aspinall was crowned the interim champion and will defend that title at UFC 304 on July 27 in Manchester, England against fourth-ranked Curtis Blaydes. A win could put Aspinall on a collision course with Jones.
Former three-time light heavyweight title challenger Alexander Gustafsson believes Aspinall will defeat Jones if a fight between the two comes to fruition. Gustafsson fought Jones twice. He lost to Jones both times but their first fight at UFC 165 may have been the toughest test of Jones’ career.
‘‘Aspinall is on fire right now and he is a very, very good heavyweight. I don’t see anyone beating Aspinall right now,” Gustafsson told Crypto Sports Betting. “I understand why Tom wants to fight Jon, it’s because Jon is the GOAT, he is the biggest UFC star right now. If Tom was to beat Jon it would be bigger than winning any UFC belt. The biggest achievement in the UFC right now is to beat Jon Jones. I understand why Aspinall is chasing the fight. I think he is ready for Jon. He’s on fire right now. If he fights Jon Jones it should be now.
“Yes, I think Tom will be too much for Jon. He has all the weapons to beat Jon. Jon hasn’t been that active, but he’s still the GOAT. You can never count this guy out, he’s so freaking good at what he does,” Gustafsson continued. “He’s handled every opponent and everybody knows how good he is, but Aspinall right now, I see him as very dangerous for Jon right now. He’s dangerous on his feet, he’s fast, he has great footwork and he’s a smart fighter. He has the tools to do good against Jon and even beat him. If they will fight, now is the time for Aspinall. He could go down as one of the best heavyweights ever.’’
Jessica Andrade announced in April she had decided to leave PRVT team and no longer work with her longtime coach Gilliard Parana. Now, she could take it one step further and file a lawsuit against the MMA veteran.
Andrade announced during an interview with UFC Fight Pass that “many thing happened” which she couldn’t reveal at the time. Parana announced the same week he was retiring as coach, stepping down as the leader of PRVT. Less than three months later, “Bate Estaca” went public on the situation again in an interview with Ag. Fight.
“There were some situations, both financially and, I think, of integrity,” Andrade said. “I thought he was something in my life and then it became something completely different. He’s always said he was like a father to me, and then I found out the things he had done to me, things that a father definitely wouldn’t do.”
Andrade did not elaborate on the more cryptic allegations, only claiming that money supposedly owed to her by Parana “isn’t with me, but with other people — and I don’t even think he has it, he’s probably thrown it to some other people.” Andrade said she will “probably” file a lawsuit against him.
MMA Fighting reached out to Parana, who declined to comment.
“I can’t say much, I have to wait for things to happen,” Andrade said. “I think he’s a bit worried because he’s been asking around a lot about me, asking what I’m saying about him. I’m not saying anything but the truth, but I think people will really understand what’s going on down the line. I’ll be able to sit down and talk to everyone about what really happened.”
According to Andrade, Parana charged the former UFC strawweight champion 30 percent of her fight purse. On top of that, she had to pay for her coaches to work in camp, which led to a bad financial situation. Andrade revealed in 2018 she sold her UFC gear to make ends meet. In 2023, she said she fought five times in one year to pay the costs of her divorce.
Andrade was still under contract with Parana when she fought and beat Marina Rodriguez at UFC 300 in April, but the coach allegedly sent her a message saying he wouldn’t ask for the 30 percent. Next, Andrade confirmed that she has agreed to face Natalia Silva on Sept. 7, a match recently reported by Ag. Fight, though the contract is yet to be signed.
“What [Parana] was able to take from me is already gone,” Andrade said. “I hope I can get it back one day, but I don’t know if he can sleep at night. I know I can, but I’m not so sure about him.”
File under: Mmafighting.com | Leave a comment »