"UNACCEPTABLE" - JAKE PAUL BANS BOXING STAR DROM ALL MVP EVENTS AFTER BACKSTAGE ALTERCATION

Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions have confirmed the ban in an official statement.

Getty

Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions has banned a five-weight world champion from all events after an incident at their debut MMA event on Netflix on Saturday.

Ronda Rousey submitted Gina Carano within 15 seconds in her final ever MMA fight at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.

Mike Perry defeated Nate Diaz, while Francis Ngannou was also back in MMA action during the stacked card.

However the event was somewhat overshadowed after Claressa Shields appeared slap fellow boxer Alycia Baumgardner, who is signed to MVP.

The two rivals became embroiled in a fiery exchange, with footage showing Shields striking Baumgardner in a private backstage area as security intervened.

On Monday, MVP, the promotion Paul founded, issued a statement on the incident and confirmed that Shields will not be able to attend any events they put on until further notice.

Claressa Shields has been banned from all MVP events after slapping Alycia Baumgardner at the Ronda Rousey fight 😳

Alycia says she’s also taking legal action

MVP branded Shields' behaviour "unacceptable" but praised Baumgardner for not escalating the situation any further.

"Most Valuable Promotions is aware of the incident during MVP's Rousey vs Carano event on Saturday night involving physical contact by Claressa Shields toward Alycia Baumgardner," the MVP statement read.

MVP maintains a strict zero-tolerance policy for hostile, threatening, or aggressive behavior toward fighters, staff, media, or guests at any of our events.

"Physical altercations outside the ring or cage are unacceptable in any MVP environment.

"MVP does not condone, tolerate, or accept Claressa Shields’ behavior in that setting. And it reflects poorly on MVP and women’s sports, which we have worked tirelessly to uplift.

"Effective immediately, Claressa Shields is banned from all MVP events until further notice.

“There is a time and a place for fighter tension and banter. But to physically attack a fellow athlete while there as a guest inside a private VIP area is unacceptable.

“MVP would like to thank venue security for their swift response in addressing and de-escalating the situation and appreciate Alycia Baumgardner not retaliating and further amplifying the situation.

"We remain committed to maintaining a safe, respectful and professional environment for all participants and attendees at our events and will continue to enforce these standards without exception."

Alycia Baumgardner also put out her own statement on the matter. Image: Getty

Shields, a two-time Olympic gold medalist and the only female boxer in history to have held all four major world titles, is undefeated with a record of 18-0.

She and Baumgardner have never fought despite previous negotiations but Shields has accused her of using performance-enhancing drugs and slammed her performances in the ring.

They also had an April 2024 altercation when Shields smacked Baumgardner's hand and they were involved in an intense verbal confrontation.

Claressa Shields could face legal action for incident

Baumgardner has also responded to the controversy with a lengthy statement where she accused the self-proclaimed 'GWOAT' of "physical assault without provocation" and said the situation will be "handled legally and professionally".

The undisputed junior lightweight champion also provided a character assassination of Shields, who she said "continues to embarrass women's sports" with her conduct.

"When your purpose is to elevate, there will always be people who attempt to pull you down to the level from which they operate," she wrote on X.

"The situation that occurred on Saturday was unprovoked and entirely consistent with the individual involved. While attending Most Valuable Promotions' inaugural MMA event as a guest, I was physically assaulted without provocation. This behavior follows a continued pattern from someone who has publicly celebrated other fighters' brain injuries, initiated one-sided altercations at press conferences, and consistently displayed hostility toward other women. That conduct is unacceptable and should not be tolerated in any professional sport.

"This behavior reflects a repeated pattern of hostility, chaos, and attention-seeking conduct that continues to embarrass women's sports.

"This situation has been and will continue to be handled legally and professionally.

"My focus remains far beyond individuals who lack discipline, professionalism, and self-control — inside or outside the ring.

"I have spent my career representing myself, my family, and the sport of boxing with class, integrity, and respect. I will continue to do so.

"I want to congratulate Most Valuable Promotions and Netflix on an event that continues to raise the ceiling for women's combat sports, and I look forward to continuing to be a positive force in the evolution of the sport."

- Josh Lawless

JAKE PAUL CALLED OUT BY FORMER JOSHUA AND FURY OPPONENT: "I NEED TO HANDLE HIM"

Jake Paul has been targeted for a showdown with a former rival of Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury as he prepares to make his return to action.

‘The Problem Child’ has been inactive since he suffered a brutal sixth round stoppage defeat to two-time unified heavyweight champion Joshua at the Kaseya Center in Miami back in December.

Paul recently underwent successful surgery after ‘AJ’ broke the American’s jaw in two places after landing a thunderous right hand to close the show on their controversial heavyweight bout on December 19.

The 29-year-old from Cleveland is expected to make his return to the ring before the end of the year however and has been targeted for a potential showdown with former UFC world heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who has suffered defeats to both Fury and Joshua during his own boxing career.

Speaking to Sky Sports Boxing, Ngannou admitted that he would be open to facing Paul in the future as he vows to ‘handle’ the former Youtube sensation should their paths cross in the future.

“Well, at first I wasn’t so excited. I wasn’t looking into that, but I think at some point I need to handle him, you know? I think I need to handle him. I think I can kick his ass if I might say so, if I’m allowed to say so.”

Ngannou is yet to step foot back in a boxing ring since he suffered a second round stoppage defeat to Joshua at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia back in March of 2024.

The 39-year-old Cameroonian is in line to make his MMA return this month when he faces Brazil’s Philipe Lins in a five-round bout on the undercard of Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano on Saturday May 16.

- Kailem Lowe

FRANCIS NGANNOU MAKES UFC RETURN SINCE RELEASE AMID POTENTIAL U-TURN ON COMEBACK

Francis Ngannou made a first appearance at a UFC event since leaving the promotion - to support friend Kamaru Usman.

Ngannou left the UFC in 2023 and was stripped of his heavyweight title, as he failed to agree a new deal with Dana White's promotion.

Ngannou returned to the UFC stage to support friend Kamaru UsmanCredit: Getty

The Cameroon star didn't leave on entirely good terms and has barely batted an eye at the UFC since signing with rivals PFL.

But his coach Eric Nicksick recently hinted that he would be open to a comeback to the roster, despite previously suggesting he would never return.

Jon Jones issued a call-out to Ngannou and hinted that the fight could get made, but Dana White didn't budge on a new signature of his former champion.

Although now relations appear to have improved again, with Ngannou attending the UFC Atlanta weigh-ins.

It was the 38-year-old's first arrival at any UFC event since 2023.

He even came up on stage as friend and former UFC champion Usman took to the scales to weigh in for his huge showdown with Joaquin Buckley.

Ngannou received a rousing reception from fans, as his status as a hugely popular fighter has clearly been retained.

And it sent the MMA fraternity into a frenzy, with many demanding he faces either Jones or Tom Aspinall.

But his coach Nicksick believes right now he would likely struggle to exit his deal with the PFL.

On his debut at his new home, Ngannou became the heavyweight champion beating Renan Ferreira last year.

Ngannou received a warm welcome up on stageCredit: Getty

But he has yet to fight since, and has even teased a return to boxing after two outings against Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury.

A more likely option than a UFC comeback could be a two-fight deal with Deontay Wilder.

And the 'Bronze Bomber' insists talks are still ongoing.

‘Yeah, I'd love to fight Ngannou. It’s a lot of things going on," he said.

"I think that fight is still stirring up. We’re still talking about it. Certain things have been laid out.

We do one fight boxing and one fight MMA, fair is fair. We’re just trying to figure out how we want the segment to go with me and Ngannou. I’m definitely interested; he is as well.

Ngannou last fought in the UFC in his win over Cyril Gane in 2022Credit: Getty

"I guess it’s just a matter of time, time is always the matter, and then when you execute that you always get a place and a date, and then you can start the promotion.

"I think that’s something that’s looking to be created, something that is looking to be done.

"People are going to look forward to that, I’m going to look forward to that. Stay tuned."

- Ben Davies

UFC AND BOXING SUPERSTAR FRANCIS NGANNOU 'INVIOLVED IN FATAL MOTORCYCLE CRASH WITH A 17-YEAR-OLD IN CAMEROON '

Ex-UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou was 'involved in fatal accident' 

Woman died despite his efforts to save her, according to reports in Cameroon 

Ngannou is said to be 'devastated' and has 'paid all the medical expenses' 

Former UFC champion Francis Ngannou has allegedly 'been involved in a fatal motorbike accident in Cameroon'.

Ngannou has not yet responded publicly after news emerged of his involvement

Ngannou, 38, was riding the motorcycle when he 'was in a collision with a 17-year-old girl' in the Omnisports district of Yaounde, according to Camer.be, Lebledparle and ActuCameroun, three publications in the country. 

While the exact circumstances of the crash remain unknown, it is reported that she suffered severe injuries to her arm and leg and Ngannou rushed her to hospital himself before she died at Yaounde General Hospital. 

The victim has been named by local press as Ntsama Brigitte Manuella and Ngannou is said to be 'devastated'. 

He 'paid her medical expenses' and the Cameroonian authorities will now investigate the tragic crash, that occurred over Easter weekend.

Mail Sport have contacted Ngannou's representatives for comment. Fight sport sources say he has been unreachable for a number of days.

Francis Ngannou, pictured here on a motorbike a month ago, is reported to have been involved in a fatal accident involving the death of a 17-year-old girl in Cameroon

The story was first reported by Cameroon-Online and there were conflicting accounts, with one claiming Ngannou was in a vehicle that struck the victim on a motorbike and another stating she was a pedestrian and he was riding the bike at the time. 

Ngannou posted a selection of photos of himself on a motorbike a month ago and it appeared to be an off-road vehicle out in the Cameroonian countryside but it is not known whether the same bike was in the fatal crash. 

It is a somber and tragic update in what has already been a horrendous couple of years for the MMA star-turned boxer. 

The 38-year-old is said to have driven the girl to hospital where she died of her injuries

Last April it was announced that his 15-month-old son, Kobe, died suddenly. 

During an appearance on Joe Rogan’s podcast, Ngannou detailed the medical emergency that led to his son’s death.

He said: 'Kobe had some malformation on his brain, which is something that we didn’t know. 

'He passed out twice. The first time was in Cameroon, we took him to the hospital. They didn’t find anything. The second time was in [Saudi Arabia], we took him to the hospital. They ran a lot of exams, they didn’t do anything. They did the EEG, they didn’t do the [CAT] scan or MRI, because according to them, their conclusion was that he had a swollen lung. That is what was pressing his chest and stopping him from breathing and it created that thing.

The former UFC star is said to be (devastated) by the tragedy and authorities are investigating

'After all those exams, they gave him some medicine, that he’s going to be OK. Nothing to worry about. Because at first, they even thought about asthma. They gave, like, a ventilator, and then afterward, after some research they took it out. It [made me] confident.'

He then left Cameroon to travel to Dubai for a training camp. 

Ngannou fought Tyson Fury after leaving the UFC but has returned to MMA

Ngannou added: 'I tried to call, I wanted to talk to him and I was on the bike. I called his mom and his mom didn’t pick up the phone. I’m like, "After I’m done, I’m going to go take my shower, lay in bed and call him." Thirty minutes after, I was on the leg machine, my phone rang and it was my little brother.

'He said, "Bro, things are not going well here.’ I’m like, "What is it?" [He said,] "Kobe, he passed out, he’s not breathing, we are at the hospital, they kicked me out from the room." I’m like, "What’s happening?" 

’As we are talking, he’s also trying to get information, so I lost him for like three or four minutes.”

Ngannou's son Kobe, pictured here with his father last year, died at the age of 15-months

He called back and overheard the nurse telling his brother that Kobe had died.  

'[She said,] "Well, he’s gone." Just like that. He’s gone,' Ngannou said. 'What do you mean he’s gone? How come he’s gone? This kid was 15 months [old], he was bigger than 15 months. He was growing. He was the most joyful, happy kid around. What do you mean he’s gone? Gone where? That was it.'

Ngannou last fought in October last year, knocking out Renan Ferreira to win the PFL heavyweight title on his return to MMA. 

He had transitioned to boxing after leaving the UFC as a free agent, losing to both Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua in high-profile bouts in Saudi Arabia.  

- Mail online Sport

PFL OWNERS OFFER GOOD MONEY TO FIGHT NGANNOU

 

NGANNOU: UFC'S WHITE STANDING IN WAY OF MEGAFIGHT WITH JONES

Francis Ngannou is tired of listening to UFC CEO Dana White and wants to set the record straight.

Ngannou, 38, successfully returned to MMA after a two-year detour in boxing -- and the death of his 15-month-old son -- by defeating PFL heavyweight champion Renan Ferreira in the main event of PFL Super Fights in Abu Dhabi.

While most of the MMA world celebrated Ngannou's return, White took aim at his former champion at a news conference ahead of UFC 308 by saying that he considered cutting Ngannou before he became champion and that "The Predator" actively ducked a fight with current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

Ngannou reacted to White on Sirius XM Fight Nation's MMA Today.

"I think Dana's trying to make things up to buy good faith in the position he has lost," Ngannou said on Friday. "Dana has lost in this situation... and he cannot stand it. Bro, I won everything: I left. It's been almost two years, and the guy is still out there, he can't live without hounding me. Regardless of everything that happened, I'm not about him.

"The guy can't stand me. I don't know what his problem is. He can make everything up. That is his problem. I think he needs to make peace with himself because this situation is kind of weird."

White suggested that Ngannou would have made more money had he decided to stay with the UFC rather than sign with the PFL. Ngannou left the UFC in January 2023 and signed with the PFL in May 2023. While being signed with the PFL, he had the freedom to pursue opportunities outside the promotion and took on then-undefeated WBC heavyweight champion Tyson Fury in boxing followed by a massive fight with former unified champion Anthony Joshua. Although he lost both, Ngannou reportedly made $20 million for both fights and raised his profile before heading back to MMA last weekend.

White shrugged off Ngannou's success away from the UFC and suggested he would have made more money if he stayed.

"Francis left because he knew that if he fought Jon Jones and didn't win, it would hurt his chances of making the money that he wanted to make," White said. "But realistically, his deal was bigger here. His deal was bigger here if he stayed in the UFC. They can deny it all they want, why the f--- would I lie? Why do I care? It doesn't matter to me one way or the other... he would have made more money if he stayed in the UFC.""

Jon Jones, right, and Francis Ngannou exchange pleasantries at a PFL event in June of 2023. Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images

For Ngannou, there is more to the story, including money that he says the UFC still owes him.

"Which money is he talking about? The money that he owes me?," Ngannou said. "Remember, all of this ended with [them] saying, 'Oh, we'll backpay you from the money that we owe you for the Stipe [Miocic] and Ciryl Gane fight,' all of that. They never backpaid me. Now I have made more money than I have ever made in the UFC -- I would say twice the money that I could have ever made in my entire UFC career if I had continued in the UFC.

"Either way, if I had made less money, if I'm not making enough money that I could've made in the UFC, that's my problem. Why is he so pissed about me not making that much money? Like, c'mon man, live your life."

As for the Jon Jones fight, Ngannou is still very much interested in it and believes that Jones would like the fight as well. Jones is set to face former heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic on Nov. 16. Should Jones win, Ngannou would welcome a cross-promotion fight, which would be one of the largest in MMA history. Whether it could happen is another question.

"The only guy standing in the way of that fight is Dana White," Ngannou said. "I want the Jon Jones fight. I'm down for the fight. Jones is down for the fight. But this is a new narrative. I was down for a Jon Jones fight three years ago and I am down for it now."

One person who could bring the fight to fruition is the Chairman of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh and his Riyadh Season events. Riyadh Season was a title sponsor for Noche UFC and Alalshikh was instrumental in financing Ngannou's fights with Fury and Joshua. If anybody has the pull to make it happen, it would be Alalshikh.

While Ngannou holds on to a sliver of optimism that a fight with Jones could materialize, it would require White to check his ego at the door.

"For that to happen, Dana has to let this beef go," Ngannou said. "He has to let it go."

- Andreas Hale, ESPN

ANTHONY JOSHUA-DANIEL DUBOIS: WHAT THE NUMBERS TELL US ABOUT THE FIGHT

Anthony Joshua, left, takes on IBF heavyweight champion Daniel Dubois on Saturday at Wembley Stadium in London. Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing

Anthony Joshua is looking to become a three-time heavyweight world champion when he faces IBF titleholder Daniel Dubois on Saturday at London's Wembley Stadium (DAZN PPV, 11 a.m. ET).

Joshua (28-3, 25 KOs) has revived his career after back-to-back decision losses to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 and 2022. Since then, he's 4-0 with three KOs, including a devastating second-round stoppage win over former UFC champion Francis Ngannou last March. In the 5:38 the fight lasted, Joshua was very effective, throwing just nine power punches, landing five and sending Ngannou to the canvas three times.

"On the route to the championship, you should always stay focused," said Joshua after the fight.

Now, he has an opportunity to regain a heavyweight title for the first time in more than three years against a younger version of himself in Dubois, who has also revived his career after a ninth-round TKO loss to Usyk in August 2023.

Dubois (21-2, 20 KOs) stopped Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller in 10 rounds back in December, then demolished perennial contender Filip Hrgovic in an eighth-round TKO win in June. Dubois started slowly in that fight but landed more than 42% of his power punches.

"I was rock bottom last year, but now I'm on top," Dubois said after the fight. "I've heard Anthony Joshua is next."

Now that Joshua-Dubois is here, let's look at the title fight by the numbers, with data from ESPN Stats & Information and CompuBox.

-425: Odds for Joshua to win the fight, per ESPN BET.

12: Joshua's number of title fights.

14: Combined number of rounds fought by Joshua in his last three fights since going 24 rounds against Oleksandr Usyk (two defeats).

4: English fighters to hold the IBF heavyweight world title (Dubois, Joshua, Lennox Lewis, Tyson Fury).

0: Previous times Joshua has faced a fellow English fighter in a world title bout.

5: Heavyweights that have enjoyed three reigns as champion (Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, Michael Moorer, Lennox Lewis, Vitali Klitschko). Joshua would join the list with a win over Dubois.

5: English fighters that have won at least 10 world title fights (Chris Eubank, Naseem Hamed, Lennox Lewis, Johnny Nelson, Nigel Benn). Joshua has nine wins in his 12 world title fights

58%: Percentage of power punches landed by Dubois in the 10th and final round to KO Jarrell "Big Baby" Miller. Dubois landed 48% of his power punches overall.

11.7: Punches landed by Joshua per round out of 37.7 thrown in his last 17 fights, below the division's average of 14.3.

25.2%: Percentage of body punches landed by Joshua in his last 17 fights. Dubois lands 22.5%. Both land at a rate lower than the heavyweight average of 29.5%.

22.4%: Percentage of punches landed on Joshua by his last 17 opponents.

7.5: Punches landed on Joshua per round by his past 17 opponents. They connected with only 4.6 power shots, fourth lowest among champions and title contenders.

15: Consecutive victories by Dubois to start his professional career before losing to Joe Joyce in November 2020.

3: Previous Joshua fights inside Wembley Stadium (3-0, 3 KO).

1,000: Lowest attendance for a heavyweight world title fight (Joshua vs. Kubrat Pulev at London's Wembley Arena on Dec. 12, 2020) -- a Guinness world record -- due to COVID-19 restrictions.

90,000: Attendance at Wembley Stadium for Joshua's 11th-round TKO victory over Wladimir Klitschko on April 29, 2017. A crowd of 96,000 is expected for Saturday's fight between Joshua and Dubois, which would set a new post-war record for a crowd at a boxing event in the United Kingdom.

30.2%: Percentage of power punches landed on Dubois by his last five opponents. Usyk landed only 23.5% of his power shots in his fight with Dubois. In comparison, Usyk landed 43% of his power punches in two fights against Joshua.

6: Previous times two English boxers have competed against one another for a heavyweight title.

89%: Joshua's KO rate (25 knockouts in 28 wins).

95%: Dubois' KO rate (20 knockouts in 21 wins).

763: Number of days between title fights for Joshua. His last title fight was on Aug. 20, 2022, against Oleksandr Usyk.

3,087: Days since Joshua won his first heavyweight world title, in a second-round KO of Charles Martin on April 9, 2016.

In their own words -- from Thursday's news conference in London

Joshua on facing Dubois: "We'll find out [what Dubois has to offer]. ...I can't say. I'm not Daniel. All I can do is focus on myself.

"I'm tough and so is he."

Joshua on how he can win the fight: "I could win in a variety of ways. I'm not depending on punch power. It takes a lot more than that to be a great fighter. I've got the fighting spirit and that's how I'll break him down, with my spirit."

Dubois on why he wanted to face Joshua: "It's a resurrection story of my career. I want the big challenges, to make a name for myself and to make history.

"I need to retain this world title. It's a great thing to have but I need to legitimize myself by winning this fight."

Dubois on sparring with Joshua in the past: "It was sparring. Now we're fighting, this is different. ...Move on.

"I'm ready to go and ready to fight. ...I'm not predicting anything."

- ESPN

DANA WHITE TAKES 'FULL RESPONSIBILITY' FOR ERASING FRANCES NGANNOU'S NAMR FRON UFC 305 PRIMOTION VIDEOS AS HE ISSUES APOLOGY

Dana White’s relationship with Francis Ngannou has always been a rocky one, and ahead of UFC 305 this past Saturday, the promotion seemingly cut Ngannou’s name out of the UFC 305 countdown video which didn’t sit well with Israel Adesanya.

At one point, the UFC donned three champions from Africa in Israel Adesanya, Kamaru Usman, and Francis Ngannou, but things went from bad to worse as Usman and Adesanya lost their titles and Ngannou left the promotion.

A few months prior to UFC 305, Adesanya and Dricus Du Plessis took part in an on-sale press conference in which Adesanya commented on the history of African champions, mentioning Ngannou.

Photo by Cooper Neill/Zuffa LLC

Dana White was unaware of the promotion cutting out Ngannou’s name

During UFC 305 fight week, the UFC posted their UFC 305 countdown video in which they used the clip of the former middleweight champion talking about the history of African champions, however, they removed Ngannou’s name from their version of the video.

‘The Last Stylebender’ made it extremely clear at the UFC 305 media day that he wasn’t happy with the promotion for erasing Ngannou’s name from the promotion, stating that ‘you can never erase Francis’ history from the UFC’.

Following another week of Dana White’s Contender Series this past Tuesday evening, the UFC boss was asked about the decision to remove ‘The Predator’s’ name from the promotion, to which he was confused about and didn’t know it had happened.

“If that’s true (that we removed his name) and that was done and it was something we produced, then somebody in the company made that decision. Listen, you know me, if I said we did it, I’d say ‘Yeah f*** him this is why we did it’, I know nothing about it, nobody ever asked me about it and this is the first we’re hearing about it,” Dana White stated at the DWCS post-fight press conference.

Dana White takes responsibility for the removal of Ngannou’s name and apologizes

Despite the initial confusion, following the press conference White and his team discussed the matter and he issued another comment on it.

“My production team are a bunch of rock stars and they are truly f*cking awesome. I make it so hard on them sometimes with some of the crazy sh*t I say and it’s tough. When you (Kevin Iole) asked me about that, I didn’t know anything about it.

“But someone was editing that and made a conscious decision, thinking that was the right thing to do, that that’s what we would have wanted, what I would have wanted. I didn’t know about it and that was nothing that ever came across my desk.

I’m in charge of everything production-related, so at the end of the day, the fact it happened falls on me 100 percent. It’s my responsibility and I accept it. Blame me for that. But that’s on me. Totally on me. I already called Israel Adesanya and apologized for it,” White admitted.

- Jamie Theodosi

TURKI ALALSHIKH RULES OUT WORKING WITH ANOTHER FIGHTER AFTER CANELO SPAT: "HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND"

Turki Alalshikh has made him name well known in the sport of boxing since his relatively recent entry.

Under the Riyadh Season banner, the 43-year-old from Saudi Arabia has helped stage such fights as Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk, Anthony Joshua-Francis Ngannou and, most recently, Terence Crawford’s successful bid at a world title in a fourth weight class against Israil Madrimov.

That Crawford card was Alalshikh’s first effort outside of Saudi, taking the show on the road to Los Angeles. One fighter who was meant to feature on the entertaining undercard was former WBO Super-Welterweight Champion, Tim Tszyu.

Tszyu was upgraded from interim to full champion last year and defended the belt successfully against Brian Mendoza. He suffered a nasty cut in his second outing as champion against Sebastian Fundora and lost on the cards.

He was set to bounce back in a big way by facing Vergil Ortiz on the Riyadh Season LA card, though doctors ruled it was too early for him to spar after the Fundora cut and it was canned.

Alalshikh was asked by Fight Hub TV if Tszyu, now fit, was in his plans for the future, but has answer was a stark no.

“I will not work with Tim Tszyu. Let him [do it] his way. He doesn’t understand.”

Tszyu is slated to return to the ring against unbeaten Russian and IBF Champion Bakhram Murtazaliev, though nothing has been made official yet.

Ortiz instead faced Serhii Bohachuk this weekend, winning the WBC Interim belt on points after a fight of the year contender. Alalshikh said the fight could have been called a draw and encouraged a rematch.

His decision on Tszyu comes just days after he entered into a public spat with unified super-middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, claiming the elite Mexican fighter no longer wants to challenge himself in the ring. In this more recent interview, he said they may work together down the line if Canelo was ‘wise.’

- Kerr Furgoson 

EX- UFC CHAMP FRANCIS NGANNOU MOURNS 15-MONTH-OLD SON'S DEATH

 Former UFC heavyweight champion and professional boxer Francis Ngannou publicly mourned the death of his 15-month-old son on Monday.

Ngannou, 37, wrote a tribute to his son, Kobe, on all of his social media platforms after the news broke in his home country of Cameroon. Ngannou is currently in Cameroon with his family, sources said.

The tribute read: "Too soon to leave but yet he's gone. My little boy, my mate, my partner Kobe was full of life and joy. Now, he's laying without life. I shouted his name over and over but he's not responding. I was my best self next to him and now I have no clue of who I am. Life is so unfair to hit us where it hurts the most. How do you deal with such a thing? How can you live with it? Please help me if you have an idea because I really don't know what to do and how to deal with this."

Ngannou has one of the most unique stories in combat sports history. He immigrated to Europe from Africa in his 20s and quickly rose to prominence in heavyweight mixed martial arts. He won the UFC championship in 2021 by knocking out arguably the greatest heavyweight of all time in Stipe Miocic and defended the belt once before fighting out of his contract and leaving the UFC in pursuit of a deal that would allow him to box professionally.

He realized his dream of competing in boxing when he fought lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury last October. Ngannou lost to Fury via split decision in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but shocked the sports world by taking Fury to the brink of defeat and knocking him down in the third round. Ngannou suffered a knockout loss to Anthony Joshua in his second boxing appearance in March.

Ngannou has an exclusive MMA deal with PFL but has not yet made his debut. He has not yet announced whether his next fight will take place in boxing or MMA.

Members of his team, as well as other fighters and promoters from around combat sports, expressed their condolences on Monday. UFC star Conor McGregor wrote, "I am so sorry to hear of your loss Francis, my prayers are with you and your family at this time."

- Reuters 

POST FIGHT PRESS CONFERENCE | ANTHONY JOSHUA VS. FRANCIS NGANNOU

 

REJUVENATED JOSHUA STILL HAS SOMETHING TO FIGHT BEFORE FURY:

Anthony Joshua knocked down Francis Ngannou three times on his way to a second-round KO victory Friday night in Saudi Arabia. Richard Pelham/Getty Images

 Following Anthony Joshua's pulverizing second-round KO victory on Friday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, a picture-perfect right hand that flattened Francis Ngannou out cold on the canvas, promoter Eddie Hearn quickly deemed Joshua the world's best heavyweight.

Yes, Joshua looks rejuvenated under the guidance of trainer Ben Davison, and compared with Tyson Fury's lackluster performance against Ngannou in October, the KO was even more impressive.

While it was one of the best highlight-reel knockouts you'll ever see -- Ngannou even needed oxygen administered after he regained his senses -- there's simply no basis to Hearn's claim.

The sport's best heavyweight will be decided May 18 in Riyadh, where Fury meets Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed championship. Fury is No. 1 in ESPN's heavyweight rankings and Usyk is No. 2. More importantly, Fury is the lineal champion and remains undefeated while Usyk already owns two clear decision wins over Joshua.

There's no shame in third place, of course, especially when the two others are all-time greats and both reside in ESPN's pound-for-pound top 10.

Regardless of who wins, Fury and Usyk are set for a rematch later this year, which means Joshua must wait for his shot to truly establish himself as the best heavyweight in the world.

"For some reason over the last five years there's always been some s--- that gets in the way of [me fighting Joshua]," Fury said. "And this time the s--- is the undisputed heavyweight championship of the world. So that's on the backburner for now. Great performance from AJ. Fantastic.

"But unfortunately, I've got bigger fish to fry in Usyk on May 18. And we have a rematch in October. So, after that, if he's still available and I'm still available, let's get it on."

No matter what happens in the meantime, Joshua's performance Friday night couldn't have played out any better.

In the lead-up, there were many observers who backed Ngannou to knock off Joshua after the way he performed against Fury. Joshua showed a shaky chin and confidence to boot following his shocking defeat to Andy Ruiz Jr. in 2019 and a pair of setbacks to Usyk.

So it was far from a foregone conclusion that Joshua would drill Ngannou in such explosive fashion. That he did builds hype for a matchup with Fury that appeared to simmer over the past few years.

But now, Joshua must wait and hope Fury comes out on top from his series of bouts with Usyk. If Fury does, a matchup with Joshua next year stands as the biggest boxing event in U.K. history and of the division's top fights, period.

"I had a s--- performance against Ngannou," Fury said. "It was no secret. I've never said any different. However, styles make fights, and I almost got it right. I predicted one round [for Joshua]. ... He lit him up with the right hand, which was perfect and knocked him out.

"That's what a boxer should have done to him. ... But if he fights me in the future after I've dealt with Usyk twice next year, then it'd be a different game."

Let's hope we find out. -- Mike Coppinger

GUTTED FRANCIS NGANNOU'S FIRST WORDS AFTER LOSS TO ANTHONY JOSHUA

FRANCIS NGANNOU'S LIFE IS A MOVIE

 

FULL CARD HIGHLIGHTS | ANTHONY JOSHUA VS. FRANCIS NGANNOU

KNOCKOUT CHAOS | ANTHONY JOSHUA VS. FRANCIS NGANNOU

 

NGANNOU WILL STRUGGLE TO DERAIL IN-FORM JOSHUA, SAUS SWEDE WALLIN

Reuters 

 Heavyweight Otto Wallin was just as shocked as the rest of the boxing world when Francis Ngannou floored Tyson Fury but the Swede says it's unlikely there will be a repeat against Anthony Joshua when the two meet in Saudi Arabia on Friday.

Former UFC heavyweight champion Ngannou lost to Fury in his first professional boxing match in Riyadh last October in what many expected would be an easy win for the giant British boxer.

However, the mixed martial artist managed to down Fury in the third round, sending shockwaves through the boxing world.

"A guy like Ngannou, who is that big and who hits that hard, always has a chance, but I'm having a hard time seeing him beating Joshua," Wallin told Reuters from his home in New York where he is back in training.

The 33-year-old Wallin, who rose to prominence by going the distance before losing a world title fight to Fury in 2019, suffered only the second loss and first KO defeat of his pro career last December as Joshua out-boxed him over five rounds.

"Since boxing against Joshua, I have a lot of respect for him," Wallin said.

The career of Joshua, 34, had hit a rocky patch as he lost his world titles to Andy Ruiz in 2019 before winning them back and then lost them again to Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 before another defeat in a rematch with the Ukrainian the next year.

Against Wallin, however, the Briton was back to his imperious best, a stinging jab and lightning left hook doing the damage before the Swede's corner called it quits after the fifth round.

"Joshua was good – big, strong, long reach, he countered well," Wallin explained.

"There were some concrete things that he did well that I don't want to talk about, I want to keep them to myself, but there's other concrete things that I need to practise and do better, and that's what I'm working on now."

FRANCIS NGANNOU WITH MIKE TYSON 🔥

 

FRANCIS NGANNOU VS. ANTHONY JOSHUA PURSE | BOXING 🔥

ANTHONY JOSHUA VS. FRANCIS NGANNOU | FACE-OFF | BOXING