OLEKSANDR USYK AGREES TO JAKE

Jake Paul and Oleksandr Usyk had an unexpected face-off following the Ukrainian’s win over Daniel Dubois.

Usyk once again became undisputed heavyweight champion by claiming a dominant fifth round knockout win over Dubois, reclaiming the IBF belt in the process and adding it to his WBC, WBA and WBO titles to cement his status as the best heavyweight on the planet.

Attention has already turned to who Usyk may take on next following the win, and despite most people expecting the likes of Tyson Fury and Joseph Parker to be linked, YouTuber-turned-boxer Paul has thrown his name into the ring.

Paul was last in action in June when he defeated former WBC middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr in a cruiserweight bout, and has also been linked to a heavyweight showdown with Anthony Joshua in recent weeks.

It seems that Paul could now be targeting a shock battle with Usyk though, after facing off with the Ukrainian and posting a message on social media outlining his one condition for the potential match-up.

“Congrats to one of the greatest heavyweights of all time Usyk on a huge win. I respect you a lot. Now we do an MMA match for the world.”

Whilst team Usyk also agree that a boxing match could ‘never’ happen, they do agree that a bout inside the Octagon would be ‘perfect’.

“Well Jake Paul, you know, when it comes to Jake Paul we’re not talking about the boxing because we would be probably put in the jail for murder … we all understand we can’t put Jake Paul and Oleksandr in the ring for boxing, there is no way, and Oleksandr will never do that, but of course because Jake Paul was a wrestler and what I heard he was a good wrestler when he was growing up, he knows how to wrestle, he knows how to fight a little bit. I think MMA would be the perfect thing to do.”

 While Paul may have become one of the biggest names in the sport, a fight with Usyk is likely not one that many fight fans would want to see next, but as has been proven in combats sports for a number of years, anything can certainly happen.

- Toby Morgan

ISRAEL ADESANYA SAYS HE WANYS REMATCH WITH SEAN STRICKLAND

Israel Adesanya has confirmed a recent claim from his coach that he intends to return to the Octagon, and has revealed that he’s specifically looking for a rematch with Sean Strickland. Adesanya lost the middleweight title to Strickland in a shocking upset back in September of 2023. That marked the start of a three-fight losing ...

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Israel Adesanya has confirmed a recent claim from his coach that he intends to return to the Octagon, and has revealed that he’s specifically looking for a rematch with Sean Strickland.

Adesanya lost the middleweight title to Strickland in a shocking upset back in September of 2023. That marked the start of a three-fight losing streak, having also gone on to be submitted by Dricus du Plessis in another title fight last year, followed by a TKO loss to Nassourdine Imavov earlier this year.

Following that it was unclear whether Adesanya would fight again, but though he admits he didn’t have the motivation to do so, he’s since rediscovered his competitive drive.

“I didn’t spar after my last fight,” Adesanya admits on his YouTube channel. “I did so well in the fight, I did so well in the camp, and I didn’t get the result that I wanted, but I was still proud of myself. I’m still proud of the way I worked. So then I didn’t spar because I just looked after my brain. Then, when I was in Miami recently watching [Volkanovski] get his belt back, then I sparred with Kamaru Usman for the first time in months. And I knew once I sparred it would be like, ‘Man, I’ve gotta fight!’

“So for me now, I told my coach already, it’s time. I just knew. And I have a feeling who I want to fight. You’ll like this one: I’ve gotta get some get back.

“Strickland. I’m going to get it back.”

Adesanya goes on to acknowledge that Strickland deserved his victory in their first clash, but intends to give a better account of himself next time.

Adesanya goes on to acknowledge that Strickland deserved his victory in their first clash, but intends to give a better account of himself next time.

“He beat me fair and square in Sydney,” Adesanya said. “5 – Nil. Just whooped my ass, badly. Again, that was one of the things that made me realize I need to slow down in my activity. I was fighting 3-4 times a year as champion. So I want to pull back now, because I’m older, I’m doing things different.

“I don’t want to make excuses, because he beat me, but I just want to show him if he beat me at my best. So this time I’m going to come at him correct.

“Everything is done since then. Because I used to get bullied a lot as a kid. So he’s an embodiment of that, in a sense, because he attacked me, the inner child. So i just want to protect him and get some get back for him.”

Like Adesanya, Strickland hasn’t had the best of times in the Octagon since they fought, as just a few months later he lost the belt to Dricus du Plessis, and while he did go on to beat Paulo Costa by split-decision after that, he’s since suffered a more convincing decision loss in a rematch with du Plessis back in February.

The No.2 ranked Strickland doesn’t currently have a fight booked, and given that it still feels like there’s unfinished business between them, a rematch with the No.4 placed Adesanya feels like it has a good chance of being greenlit.

- Ross Cole

SEAN STRICKLAND OCTAGON INTERVIEW

AMANDA NUNES OCTAGON INTERVIEW | UFC 277