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UFC president Dana White has recently warned bantamweight fighter Merab Dvalishvili against avoiding a potential fight with his friend and fellow fighter Aljamain Sterling. Dvalishvili recently competed in a one-sided five-round match versus Petr Yan. If it were a different fight, a display similar to what Dvalishvili had against Yan, earning by unanimous decision, would have the crowd screaming for him to have a championship shot, as UFC broadcast team Daniel Cormier noted. The issue is that Sterling and Dvalishvili mutually swore to never confront in the octagon. White has voiced his concerns about Dvalishvili’s reluctance to fight Sterling, stating that it would be a "really bad idea" for Dvalishvili to avoid a fight with Sterling simply because of their friendship. The potential fight between the two friends has been a topic of discussion in the UFC community for a while now, with fans eager to see the two top-ranked bantamweights go head-to-head in the Octagon. “I don’t remember who the hell I was talking to the other day about this and I was like, ‘We don’t have to deal with that bulls*** anymore,’” White said, speaking to the media at UFC APEX on Saturday night. “Back in the early days, the camps were so small you didn’t have a lot of different options, so we had a lot of these guys saying, ‘Oh, he’s my friend, he’s my friend.’ You can still be friends and want what your friend has. “It would be a really bad idea for Merab to go down that path.” Dvalishvili has recently expressed reservations in the post-fight interviews about fighting Sterling, citing their friendship, and training history as reasons for his reluctance. However, White has emphasized that in the world of professional fighting, such concerns should not be prioritized over the sport. In the past, several well-known contenders have expressed a desire to avoid having to go against colleagues to compete for the championship, with Anderson Silva declining to face Lyoto Machida and Daniel Cormier stating that he would switch divisions instead of challenging Cain Velasquez. Three welterweight contenders, Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck, and Mike Swick, used to train at American Kickboxing Academy; all three regularly declared they would not battle one another, even though Fitch and Koscheck had previously taken on Georges St-Pierre for the UFC championship. Although their friendship deteriorated, and they eventually fought for the light heavyweight championship at UFC 145, Rashad Evans and Jon Jones made history by famously refusing to fight one another after training. As Sterling is scheduled to face the returning Henry Cejudo at UFC 288 on May 6, White won't pressure Dvalishvili into accepting a title opportunity against him if he chooses not to, but his emotions on Dvalishvili choosing friendship over the championship are apparent. “Does Merab want a shot at the title, or would Merab rather have people under him jump over him and him have to take on all these different top guys when he’s not even getting the title shot when he’s next in line for it?” White asked. “That’s a personal decision that he needs to make. If that’s what he wants to do, I can tell you how that story ends. It’s not a good ending to that story. But he’s a big boy, he can figure that out on his own.”

The potential heavyweight unification bout between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury is still up in the air, according to Usyk’s promoter Alexander Krassyuk. Despite news last week that the two fighters had reached a tentative agreement to fight at Wembley Stadium on April 29, Krassyuk remains unconvinced that the fight will take place. Krassyuk believes that Fury is continuously making new demands in a tactical move to make the fight fall through. Usyk has already agreed to Fury’s demand of a 70-30 monetary split, as long as Fury donates $1 million to Usyk’s home country of Ukraine, which is currently in conflict with Russia. “As Usyk said, the greedy belly (Fury) is still hoping to find a way to pull out. We knew before and know it now,” Krassyuk told Talk Sport. “He bluffed and Usyk called his bluff. This is 100 percent. He didn’t expect Usyk to accept 70-30.” Krassyuk claims that even if Fury were to accept the current terms, he would still try to find a way out of the fight. “It’s all about nothing. He’s not prepared and scared to fight. He will try to find a way to avoid Usyk for as long as possible. We don’t trust him, we don’t believe him,” Krassyuk said. The WBA had been pushing both boxers to reach a deal, or they would have ordered Usyk to make a mandatory defense against Daniel Dubois. Despite the tentative agreement, it seems that there is still a long way to go before the fight can be confirmed.

On Saturday, May 20th, the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland will host an explosive night of women’s boxing featuring a historic homecoming clash between Katie Taylor and Chantelle Cameron. The undercard for this event will include two more exciting women’s world title fights, one of which will see Terri Harper defend her WBA Super-Welterweight World Title against former world pound-for-pound No.1 Cecilia Braekhus. Harper, the former WBC and IBO Super-Featherweight World Champion, won the WBA 154lbs World Title last year with a convincing victory over Scotland’s Hannah Rankin. Braekhus, on the other hand, is a modern pioneer of women’s boxing who held the WBC and WBA World Titles at Welterweight from 2009 to 2020, also picking up the WBO Title in 2010 and the IBF Title in 2014. Braekhus lost her titles to Jessica McCaskill in August 2020 and lost again to her in a rematch in March 2021. McCaskill is the only fighter to have beaten Braekhus as a professional. Now, Braekhus will attempt to become a two-division world champion by defeating Harper. “This fight has been a long time coming but it will be worth the wait to be on such an amazing card,” said Harper. “All eyes around the world will be watching that night and I want to show everyone who Terri Harper is.” “I’m very excited to challenge Terri Harper for the WBA 154lb. World Title on this tremendous card, my first time fighting in Ireland,” said Braekus. “I’ve spent my entire career facing the toughest challenges and this fight is another chapter.” The event’s promoter, Matchroom Sport Chairman Eddie Hearn, expressed his excitement for the fight, calling it “one of the greatest nights of boxing in Irish history.” He also promised that there is “still so much more to come” in terms of the undercard fights. “This has just got a whole lot more exciting now we are sharing a bill with what I believe has the potential to be the best and most thrilling fight female boxing can deliver in Katie Taylor vs. Chantelle Cameron," said Harper’s trainer and manager Stefy Bull. "May 20 is going to be one hell of a night.” Braekhus’s promoter, Tom Loeffler, also expressed excitement for the fight, stating, “we’re excited to work with Eddie, Matchroom, and DAZN again for Cecilia being on this tremendous show in Dublin, Ireland.” This fight between Harper and Braekhus promises to be a thrilling encounter between two of the best female boxers in the world. Fans around the world can tune in to watch the event live on DAZN.

According to the general consensus, Ryan Garcia's upcoming battle with Gervonta Davis will be the most challenging test of his six-year professional career. Garcia did, however, warn those who have overlooked his most notable victory—a seventh-round knockout of Luke Campbell two years ago—to remember that his highly anticipated matchup with Davis might end up being a simpler contest. Campbell of England is a southpaw like Davis, but at 5-foot-9, he's taller and rangier and will present different difficulties than Davis, who is 5-foot-6, these two stars meet on April 22 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “You know, Luke Campbell, you gotta understand that it causes different problems,” Garcia told a small group of reporters after a press conference Wednesday at Palladium Times Square. “He’s a taller fighter. His shots will hit me at a different range. [Davis] has to really come up and hit me. “It’s much different. It’s a much different fight. So, you never know – this one may be easier. You just don’t know. Yes, at face value he’s the tougher fighter, you know, on paper. But you just don’t know. You just don’t know.” Compared to Campbell, Davis, who is 28 years old, punches much harder. The Baltimore native has defeated 93% of his competitive opponents by knockout. (28-0, 26 KOs). Campbell, a retired Olympic gold medalist from London 2012, ended his career with a 67 percent knockout rate. (20-4, 16 KOs). At the halfway point of the second round of their fight in January 2021 at the Dallas American Airlines Center, Campbell floored Garcia with a long-range left hand. Garcia immediately stood back up, bounced back, and in the seventh round, stopped Campbell with a left hook to the body to claim the WBC interim lightweight championship. Garcia, 24, has only fought twice since defeating Campbell (23-0, 19 KOs), but with Davis on his calendar for this year, he made sure to face a southpaw in his most recent contest. The Dominican veteran Javier Fortuna (37-4-1, 26 KOs, 2 NC) was knocked out on July 16 at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles by the Victorville, California resident once in each of the fourth, fifth, and sixth rounds. Two of Garcia’s past three fights have come against left-handed opponents, including the Campbell bout. “I did that on purpose,” Garcia said, “just so I could have, you know, more of a feel for a southpaw, where the punches are coming. And, you know, everything was preparation for this big fight.”

In the world of combat sports, there is always a desire for new and exciting matchups. And now, it seems that a tag-team boxing match extravaganza could be on the horizon featuring some of the biggest names in the sport and entertainment industry. According to Happy Punch Promotion, a match that would see boxing legends Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao team up with KSI and TikTok star Salt Papi respectively is “officially in the works.” KSI, who has a massive online following, tried out the tag-team concept in early March with his Misfits Boxing banner. The move was a hit among their crossover fanbase, and now, it seems that Mayweather and Pacquiao could be added to the mix. Mayweather, who retired from professional boxing in 2017 following his victory over UFC icon Conor McGregor, has boxed in six exhibitions since then. He has faced YouTube stars Logan Paul and KSI’s younger brother, Deji. In his last exhibition fight in February, he took on Geordie Shore star Aaron Chalmers. On the other hand, Pacquiao is keen on a return to professional boxing and is in talks to face Conor Benn. The Filipino boxer has fought Mayweather in the past, in what was the most lucrative fight of all time in 2015, grossing over £500 million with 4.4 million pay-per-views sold in America. Although they have since fought in exhibition bouts, a rematch between the two legends has always been elusive. Meanwhile, Salt Papi, who is promoted and managed by Happy Punch, has a white-collar boxing record of 3-0 and expressed an interest in fighting KSI himself. The tag-team boxing match extravaganza could be an exciting event for both the boxing and entertainment industries. It is a unique concept that could attract a wider audience and offer a new way of experiencing the sport. While there are no confirmed dates or details of the match yet, it is something to keep an eye on for fans of combat sports and entertainment.

Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk have been in discussions about fighting for the heavyweight title in April; Fury advises Usyk to drop any thoughts of a rematch clause. The World Boxing Association announced on Friday night that a fight between the unbeaten duo, who currently share the four titles in the heavyweight category, had been "agreed" to. WBC champion Fury addressed WBA, WBO and IBF champion Usyk in a video posted on Twitter, saying: "I've been speaking to the lawyers and Usyk's people have been talking about rematch clauses. "Here's one to up the ante - how about there is no rematch clause for both of us? Let's up the ante completely. "Never worry about what's in the future or how many more dollars you can get after you've been defeated. Worry about the fight. "No rematch clause. Winner takes the glory, the loser goes home. How about that? Agree to that." Usyk responded by releasing a video of his own, in which he said: "Greedy Belly [Fury]. Very much, the clause comes from your side, not mine. Stop whining and ducking. "Be a man. Ink the contract or vacate the belt. I need undisputed - and not to play your stupid games." Well, this could be another stumbling block in the making of this blockbuster fight. Will the fans ever get to witness the super fight between Usyk and Fury?

Dana White, the president of the UFC and producer of Power Slap, has a straightforward reply for his critics: You don't know what the f*** you're talking about. Before this Saturday's Power Slap League finale, the outspoken, no-holds-barred White spoke with OutKick. White compared the phase of the programme at the moment to the beginning of the UFC. The Power Slap League, according to Dana White, is transforming the financial circumstances of its competitors. “You have these guys who do nothing, know nothing, have never built anything – nobody’s ever depending on them for a paycheck and you listen to them for their opinions, their attacks or whatever you want to call it that these guys are doing… and it’s been fascinating to watch,” White said. “And I believe because of all the negativity and its attempt to kill it.” “I mean we had guys writing stories about us saying that, Oh the ratings were terrible on TBS, it’ll be cancelled after Episode 2… oh, it’s definitely not making it to future Episodes,” White continued. “What the f*** do you people know about ratings? And what it means and what’s going on? According to Dana White, the Power Slap League has the potential to become into a major international event, much like the UFC. White has frequently drawn comparisons between the current stage of the slap fighting league and the early years of the UFC organisation.

After winning his debut, middleweight prospect Bo Nickal might not have to wait long before receiving his next Octagon assignment. Following the highly-touted UFC prospect's recent debut victory, another middleweight has called out Bo Nickal and says he's next in line to face him. Nicka beat Jamie Pickett at UFC 285 to ace his first UFC test. Following a successful NCAA wrestling career at Penn State, he is still unblemished in professional mixed martial arts. Nickal has high goals for his UFC career, one of which is a potential confrontation with UFC champion Khamzat Chimaev. Yet, he must climb the middleweight pecking order before he can hope to compete against the 185-pound elite. Several middleweight contenders are eager to face Nickal in the Octagon. The UFC reportedly promised one of them, a former star on The Ultimate Fighter, for a bout against Nickal later this year. The Ultimate Fighter 29 finalist Tresean Gore claimed a fight with Nickal is purportedly in the works in a recent Instagram post. "The [UFC] let me know about 4 or 5 days ago about this potential match up and I’m all in and agreed the moment the opportunity was offered to me!" Gore posted. "I’ve been waiting patiently on my return we both received each others name and that’s that! How do you guys feel about me and Bo July 10th international fight week.” “The night two legends Collide [Jon Jones] and [Stipe Miocic] how would y’all feel about us opening up that Pay per View because again I’m in!!! I respect [Bo Nickal] and the wrestling skills but this is no wrestling match!! I’m waiting for you bro LETS GOOO!!!! I will come the best I’ve ever been! Send the contract!!!"

The highly anticipated fight between Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia is set to take place on April 22, 2023, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The bout is expected to be one of the most profitable pay-per-view events in the United States during the first half of 2023, and industry insiders predict that it has the potential to surpass the numbers generated by the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather fight in May 2007. De La Hoya, whose company promotes Ryan Garcia, has compared the upcoming fight to his own bout against Mayweather, which generated approximately $136 million in revenue from 2.45 million pay-per-view buys and over $19 million in ticket sales. He predicts that Davis-Garcia could break those records and generate over 2.4 million pay-per-view buys. Some have called De La Hoya’s prediction “crazy,” but he argues that Davis and Garcia are among the best fighters in the sport, with both holding world titles and boasting significant followings on social media. He believes that the fight between the two young stars is the perfect storm for a record-breaking pay-per-view event. Mayweather’s victory over De La Hoya propelled him to superstardom, and he went on to become the highest-paid boxer in history, thanks in part to his fight against Manny Pacquiao in 2015. De La Hoya, a six-division champion and 1992 Olympic gold medalist, was the biggest non-heavyweight pay-per-view star before Mayweather came along. The Davis-Garcia fight has generated significant buzz among boxing fans and is seen as a major event in the sport. With both fighters in their prime and boasting impressive records, the bout promises to be a thrilling showdown that could go down in history as one of the sport’s most memorable moments. As the fight approaches, anticipation is building among boxing fans around the world. Only time will tell whether Davis-Garcia can live up to the hype and break the records set by De La Hoya and Mayweather in 2007. Regardless of the outcome, the fight promises to be a major moment in the sport’s history and a must-watch event for boxing fans everywhere.

Promoters for the eagerly awaited heavyweight title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury are expressing doubts that the fight will take place as scheduled on April 29. The fight, which would feature Usyk, the WBO, WBA, IBO, and IBF champion, and Fury, the WBC titlist, has been in the works for months, but negotiations appear to have unraveled after plans to stage the fight in Saudi Arabia were scuttled. Promoters then looked to Wembley Arena in London for the fight, but there are concerns that there may not be enough money to satisfy both fighters. Frank Warren of Queensberry Promotions, Fury’s promoter, expressed doubts over the weekend, and now Usyk’s promoter, Alexander Krassyuk, has echoed those sentiments. Krassyuk told iD Boxing that he anticipates the fight will not take place on April 29th, saying that the terms for the fight are too short. He also noted that there has been no indication that Fury and his team are in training, which he sees as a signal that Fury has already decided not to fight. Much has been made about the financial split for the fight, with Usyk’s side insisting on a 50/50 proposition and Fury’s American promoter, Bob Arum, saying that it would only be fair for Fury to get the “lion’s share” of the revenue. Krassyuk said his team proposed a 60/40 deal, but Fury rejected that option. Krassyuk believes that the issue of a financial split is immaterial at this point and that Fury is demanding a flat fee that proceeds from the fight at Wembley simply will not cover. Krassyuk implored Fury to take the 60/40 split, saying that even if Fury is confident in fighting Usyk, he is still asking for something impossible, which is a common tactic used when a fighter does not actually want to fight. The Usyk-Fury fight was eagerly anticipated, but it appears that the negotiations have hit a snag, and there are doubts that the fight will happen as scheduled. With both sides at an impasse, it remains to be seen whether they can come to an agreement that will allow the fight to take place.

Dan Azeez has secured his place in history by becoming the European light-heavyweight champion after stopping Thomas Faure in an epic battle that will be talked about for years to come. Azeez, who had won every belt at domestic level, stepped up to fight for the European title against Faure in his home country of France. The atmosphere was electric as the French national anthem rang out at the Zenith de Paris, and Azeez knew he was in for a hostile environment. Faure, who towered over Azeez, was throwing long jabs down at him, but the Londoner responded with jabs to the body and his powerful right hand. By the second round, Faure's nose was already bleeding freely, and Azeez was nodding to himself in his corner at the bell. The Briton continued to break the tall man down in the third round, and Faure looked weary as he tried to fight back. In the fourth round, Faure was forced to work off the ropes, but he managed to slice sudden straight shots through Azeez's guard. However, Azeez continued to land his hard right hand in the fifth round and urged Faure on when the Frenchman caught him and traded punches. Faure opened the sixth round with combinations, but a powerful right hand from Azeez wobbled him, and he was wilting under the constant pressure. However, Faure showed heart and came roaring back, using the crowd to lift him up. Azeez continued to land punishing blows in the seventh and eighth rounds, and even though Faure had his most successful round in the eighth, he was taking punch after punch to the head. In a gesture of sportsmanship, Azeez hugged Faure at the start of the final round, but the ending was vicious. Azeez's right hand smashed into Faure, leaving him out on his feet, and the referee stepped in just in time to save the stricken Frenchman. Although Faure protested the stoppage, it was the right decision, and Azeez was crowned the European light-heavyweight champion. The fight between Azeez and Faure was a tremendous display of skill, heart, and determination from both fighters, and it will be remembered as one of the greatest battles in the history of the sport. Azeez proved that he is one of the best in the world, and his victory in France will go down as one of the most memorable moments in boxing history.

In a crossroads heavyweight clash, Carlos Takam (40-7-1, 28 KOs) outworked and shocked Olympic gold medal winner Tony Yoka (11-2, 9 KOs) to win a ten round split decision. The scores were 96-94 for Takam, 96-94 for Yoka and 96-94 for Takam. Yoka was returning for the first time since suffering his first career defeat at the hands of Martin Bakole in May of last year. Takam was coming forward from the start. Yoka was able to catch him with a jab and was landing more often. Takam began to really bang away at the body in the third. Takam continued to rally with punches from both hands, especially to the body, in the fourth. At the outset of the fifth, Takam really started to pick things up. Yoka was moving and gripping a lot while throwing few punches, but Takam eased off the gas as the round went on. The area around Yoka's left eye developed a laceration. In the sixth round, Takam resumed his aggressive work style and simply barraged Yoka with body and head strikes. Simply put, Yoka was not doing enough. In the seventh, Yoka was displaying a solid jab but also allowing Takam to outwork him and land clean too many times. During the eight, Yoka was throwing at the mid-range and looking a little better. Takam was still throwing often and connecting too often. Yoka began to move around the ring and jab. In the ninth, both came out throwing. Takam was connecting with the more eye-catching punches. In the tenth and final round, Takam came out letting his hands go in close. Yoka was doing his best to fight back, but he was being outworked and oulanded