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Quinton “Rampage” Jackson’s boxing debut is going to have to wait.

MMA Mania has confirmed with sources that the scheduled boxing match on June 8, 2024, at Rumble of Titans: Duel In the Desert in Qatar between Jackson and former Heavyweight champion, Shannon Briggs, is now off. The bout’s cancelation comes as a result of fraud concerns from the fighters regarding the event’s promoter, Quantum Sports & Media (QSM) World. It’s unknown whether or not the promoters will still try and hold an event on the discussed date.

QSM’s Founders, Hossama Dawood Khan and Suleyman Dawood Khan, along with other family members, were alleged of defrauding concerts of artists, Drake and Travis Scott, per a lawsuit by Jazba Entertainment (h/t Global Village Space) in July 2023. The allegations stated that Jazba Entertainment was persuaded by the family to invest in a Dubai concert featuring the above acts on May 28, 2021. The event was pitched with the name “Rhythm” at Dubai’s Coca-Cola Arena. Jazba’s Pervaiz Akhtar with the aid of Kenyan promoter, Rani Jamal, transferred $ 250,000 to QSM World’s Qatar account for the event. QSM World ignored Akhtar and failed to deliver the promised concert materials once the transfer was made. The Khans were also alleged to have advertised a boxing event in 2022 that never happened after acquiring support from investors.

“Hossama Dawood Khan alleged that the $ 3 million investment made by Akhtar was forfeited by Drake and Travis Scott’s management when the concert was canceled,” Global Village Space’s report read. “However, representatives of the artists denied these claims, expressing surprise and disappointment that their names were misused in fraudulent activities.”

MMA Mania has since received a brief letter of legal action sent to QSM World in July 2023 along with proof of text messages that were unresponded to by Hossama Khan, countering his claim below that no legal action is being taken. It’s believed that all has just been ignored. A report was made to the Qatar embassy in London, England but a response has yet to be received by Jazba Entertainment as of March 2024. Jazba Entertainment plans to take action with Qatar’s capital, Doha.

“Both news articles are with the intention of defamation,” Khan said in a statement to MMA Mania this past March. “Also, if we have done something wrong, why have they not gone down a legal avenue as they have said in the article? To date, no legal action has been taken against us because legally they have done a breach of contract. Anyhow, we have moved on with our legal options to take down the news articles and our team is already working on it. As said before they’re just trying to defame our name.

“When you read both news articles they don’t match up,” he concluded. “One article says one thing and the other says another thing.”

QSM World requested The News International take down or at the very least edit out the QSM name from its story on the Khans on Feb. 22, 2024. Legal action was specified as not threatened but details for the request were not specified. Sources close to the situation alleged that QSM World is not registered in Qatar and currently uses a headquarters location in Doha Tower that does not exist.

As the boxing event got closer, a pre-fight press conference in Qatar was scheduled for March 28, 2024. The press conference didn’t happen and Khan’s reasoning for why was as follows.

“Regarding the press conference, it’s rescheduled as in Ramadan we can’t have musical performance in Ramadan,” Khan told MMA Mania.

Aside from the well-documented eating and drinking limitations of Ramadan, which ended on March 29, there don’t appear to be any rules in Qatar regarding musical events or performances. Nonetheless, the press conference was not rescheduled.

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Flyweights Alex Perez and Tatsuro Taira are expected to serve as the main event for the upcoming UFC Fight Night card scheduled on June 15 at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas.

Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed the news to MMA Fighting on Monday. Marcel Dorff first reported the matchup.

After knocking out Matheus Nicolau in a recent short-notice main event, Perez originally shifted gears to re-book a fight against Tagir Ulanbekov on the June 15 card. That was the bout he was supposed to take before shifting into the April main event slot against Nicolau.

Now Perez gets another headlining opportunity against a new opponent as he faces the undefeated Taira, who is widely considered one of the best UFC prospects at 125 pounds.

The 24-year-old Japanese flyweight holds a perfect 15-0 record in his career, including five straight UFC wins. Most recently, Taira dispatched Carlos Hernandez with a second-round knockout.

This marks his first appearance of 2024 after a previous bout against Tim Elliott was scrapped in May. Taira was then shifted to a fight with Joshua Van at UFC 302, but now he’ll get the chance to headline for the first time in the UFC against a one-time title challenger in Perez.

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Mike Tyson may be 57 years old, but he still has the ability to command a room just by uttering a few terrifying words.

The man who once upon a time proclaimed “I’m going to rip his heart out” didn’t go quite that far at Monday’s kickoff press conference for his July 20 fight against Jake Paul, but the menacing tone was still there. Fairly subdued during the proceedings, Tyson admitted he actually likes Paul as a person, but none of that matters once they start throwing hands.

“I really like Jake a lot,” Tyson said at the New York press conference. “But once he’s in that ring, he has to fight like his life is depending on it. Because it will be.”

That got more than a few gasps from the audience in attendance, but Paul didn’t blink in the face of the most experienced opponent he’s fought during his young boxing career.

Now weighing more than 230 pounds as he prepares to compete as a heavyweight for the first time, Paul commended Tyson for working so hard to make this fight happen. In fact, Paul claimed it was Tyson who requested the change from an exhibition to a sanctioned, professional fight, so the result could end up on both of their pro records.

“He was game,” Paul said. “I think he’s always wanted to do this. This has been a long time coming. We’ve been calling each other out for years and we finally got to make it happen, on Netflix, the biggest platform in the world. Things just keep on getting bigger and better.

“Mike wanted this. Mike wanted it to be a pro fight. He wants the war. I respect that. I respect him for taking this fight, for stepping up, to try to put an end to me. Because that’s what all these fighters have been trying to do, is end the YouTuber — and if Mike can do that, then he’s a hero.”

Of course, Tyson addressed arguably the biggest concern heading into the Paul fight, and that comes down to his age.

In his prime, Tyson was one of the most feared and ferocious boxers in history, a champion who left a trail of broken bodies in his wake as he stormed through the heavyweight division.

That being said, Tyson’s last professional win came back in 2003, and he hasn’t held a major title since 1996. By the time he sets foot in the ring with Paul, Tyson will be just three weeks removed from celebrating his 58th birthday.

None of that seems to bother Tyson, though. He fired back at any critics who are saying he’s too old for this fight.

“I think the people that said that wish they were up here,” Tyson said. “Because no one else can do it. Who else can do this? Who else can shut the sporting world down? No one else can do it.

“You’ve got the both of us and we’re going to do this. We’re friends. There’s no doubt we’re friends. But in that ring, we’re not going to be friends. That’s just what it is.”

To further amp up his preparation, Tyson claimed he’s been listening to “funeral music” in the gym as he puts himself through a strict and meticulous training camp.

Even if he’s not the same boxer he was 30 years ago while reigning as champion, Tyson still possesses fight-ending power, and he hopes to prove that against Paul.

For his part, Paul only smiled back at his opponent and promised that he’s ready to take whatever Tyson can deliver.

“I know I will be able to [take his punches],” Paul said. “I’m a natural-born heavyweight. This is what I was born to do, to move up into this weight class, and I’m going to show Mike who has more power. Because he’s underestimating me. I think everyone else is underestimating me and I believe I hit harder.

“I know it’s going to be tough. I know I’m going to have to fight through adversity. I know I might even go to the canvas. I’m scared, don’t get me wrong, but it’s not about the fear stopping me. It’s about going into it even though I am scared, and that’s what true bravery is.”

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Ahead of their July 20 boxing match at AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Jake Paul and Mike Tyson will appear at a press conference today at the Apollo Theater in New York City.  

The bout will air live and free on Netflix and will be a professional match consisting of eight two-minute rounds with 14-ounce gloves.  It’s unclear what the expect from today’s press conference.    

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MMA: Mixed Martial Arts

Mike Perry has largely run roughshod over his competition in bare-knuckle boxing, racking up a 5-0 BKFC record that includes three straight wins by knockout.

But that also leaves him in an awkward position with no real opposition in sight.

Most recently, Perry took out UFC veteran and former BKFC champion Thiago Alves in 60 seconds flat at BKFC KnuckleMania 4. That win came after Perry also demolished ex-UFC champions Luke Rockhold and Eddie Alvarez in back-to-back fights.

As Perry’s stock in bare-knuckle fighting continues rising, his list of options for potential opponents seems to be dwindling. But BKFC president David Feldman promises something big is currently in the works.

“Really I can just tell you that I’m making a move next week, I’m going down and visiting two big-name fighters for him that I think are really, really going to blow this thing up,” Feldman said Monday on The MMA Hour. “I think we’re really close to getting this done.

“The thing is, look, I can put him in with the championship, and I want to — and if he wants to, I’m going to do that. Because I think we owe it to our champion [David Mundell] and Mike Perry to do it. But at the end of the day, I have to give him someone that people care about or the people are really invested in to watch this thing now, because he is kind of a superstar in combat sports now. I have to give him someone that people are going to talk about. I have two or three names people are certainly going to talk about.”

Feldman declined to offer specifics because deals aren’t done yet, but he promises the potential opponents have household names in combat sports.

“I can tell you they’re legends in the UFC,” Feldman said. “Legends.”

According to Feldman, the fighters he’s going after aren’t currently under UFC contact so there’s no conflict as far as getting permission to cross over into bare-knuckle boxing.

As for other options available, Perry recently teased interest in potentially returning to MMA or even taking a boxing match while waiting for the right opponent to materialize in BKFC.

One option is two-time Bellator veteran and grappling wizard Dillon Danis, who has engaged in a war of words with Perry on social media over the past couple of weeks. It’s a fight Perry said he’d happily accept, although he knows there’s no way Danis would ever fight him in bare-knuckle, which is why a return to MMA remains on the table.

Feldman doesn’t know for certain if that might actually happen, especially given Danis’ spotty record teasing fights and then disappearing before the event takes place.

“We’ll probably be associated with it if it happens,” Feldman said of Perry returning to MMA. “Who knows if it happens, but this one that we talked about — it does make sense, if it happens. If it happens, good, and we’ll help out with the promotion and then he’ll come back over [to BKFC].

“But I don’t know if it’s going to happen or not. The guy he’s going to fight [Danis], sometimes he signs the contract and shows up and sometimes he doesn’t. We’ll see.”

Feldman also addressed Danis possibly taking a stab at a bare-knuckle bout, although it doesn’t sound as if that’s really an option being explored right now.

“I think it could be Dillon Danis [in MMA],” Feldman said. “I would [consider him for BKFC], but his performance against Logan Paul wasn’t great, obviously, right? I think there’s a lot of hype behind it, so I would like to see if he really wants out there and he’s good friends with Conor McGregor. He’s good friends with Conor McGregor so maybe that’s something that makes sense, but I don’t know if the fans want to see it. Because I don’t think they’re confident that he’s going to go in there and bang it out with [Perry].

“In MMA, it’s different. He’s one of the best jiu-jitsu guys in the world. MMA makes a lot more sense for him. But if he’s willing to take the gloves off, and stand up and throw it down, we can definitely have a conversation about that, and we did. We did have conversations about that, it just didn’t go anywhere.”

When it comes to Perry’s return timeline, Feldman still has details to iron out before making any announcements, but he hopes a late summer or early fall return makes the most sense.

“I want to bring him back, depending on what he does with this possible MMA fight, but I want to bring him back in September,” Feldman revealed.

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