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In a rematch, American Devin Haney upset Australian George Kambosos with a devastating right hand to retain his title as the undisputed lightweight world champion. Devin Haney wasn't looking for this fight. Even yet, he was forced to accept it when he fought George Kambosos Jr. on Saturday from Melbourne, Australia, for the IBF, WBA (super), WBC, and WBO championships. The only reason this fight took place is that Kambosos' loss of the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO, and The Ring lightweight titles in the first fight triggered a rematch clause. The highly regarded 23-year-old successfully defended his WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO belts by unanimous decision, with one judge scoring the contest 119-109 in his favor and the other two both scoring it 118-110. Kambosos appeared and adopted various stances to mislead Haney. Haney needed two rounds to learn the time and rhythm of Kambosos. For the final 10 rounds, Haney reiterated what he had done previously. He battled primarily by squatting in the middle of the ring, launching strong shots one after the other while sitting on his fists. The attack stopped Kambosos, who appeared baffled and had a backup plan after Haney neutralized the first one, causing him to lose to "The Dream" for the second time in a row. Haney has a lot of choices. He might increase his weight to 140 or hold steady at 135 and wait for contests with Shakur Stevenson, Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, or Vasiliy Lomachenko. “We’re taking on all-comers,” Haney said in his post-fight interview. “No matter who it is, we want to fight the best fighters in the world. I believe I’m the best fighter in the world. Whoever it is next, bring ‘em on." The American is only the seventh boxer to simultaneously hold all four championships from the top sanctioning organization, the WBC, WBA, IBF, and WBO. He accomplished the task and became the first undisputed lightweight champion since Pernell Whitaker in 1990 and the first in the four-belt era that started in 2004 when he defeated Kambosos unanimously in June. He once more employed his incredible speed, instinct, and unrelenting left jab, but this time he also applied powerful right-hand strikes that left the Australian in a state of bloody chaos. "I knew he would be looking for the jab, so I wanted to show other tools in my arsenal," said the San Francisco-born fighter after pummeling Kambosos, who did well to still be there after 12 rounds. "My dad (trainer Bill Haney) wanted me to hook more, but I feel the right hand is what won me the fight. "He's a warrior, I take my hat off to George Kambosos," With the win, Haney's incredible record improved to 29-0 with 15 KOs while Kambosos, who is now 21-2, suffered only his second loss. The Australian said he could retire if he lost the bout, and it now seems unlikely that he will be given another chance at the world title. After the bout, he put an end to any retirement discussion. "He's a great fighter. He gave me a boxing lesson the first time but I came here and gave it my all. It is what it is," he said. "It's not the end, I'll be back," added Kambosos. "I feel that this was a much better fight than the first fight."

Follow the latest developments from UFC Vegas 62, which is taking place at a more exclusive APEX facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The main event of the evening features a top-ten women's flyweight clash between Alexa Grasso, ranked #5, and Viviane Araujo, ranked #6. Longtime UFC fighter Cub Swanson will square off against rising bantamweight Jonathan Martinez in the co-main event. The preliminary matches start at 4:00pm ET/1:00p PT, while the main programme is scheduled to start at 7:00pm ET/4:00pm PT. All of these events may be watched live on ESPN+. Main card: Alexa Grasso vs. Viviane Araujo: (W) Flyweight Jonathan Martinez vs. Cub Swanson: Bantamweight Askar Askarov vs. Brandon Royval: Flyweight Dusko Todorovic vs. Jordan Wright: Middleweight Misha Cirkunov vs. Alonzo Menifield: Light Heavyweight Prelims: Mana Martinez vs. Brandon Davis: Bantamweight Raphael Assuncao vs. Victor Henry: Bantamweight Nick Maximov vs. Jacob Malkoun: Middleweight Joanderson Brito vs. Lucas Alexander: Featherweight Piera Rodriguez vs. Sam Hughes: Strawweight C.J. Vergara vs. Tatsuro Taira: Flyweight Pete Rodriguez vs. Mike Jackson: Welterweight

Even though Charles Oliveira is the underdog against Islam Makhachev, he is more motivated than ever to win back the lightweight title at UFC 280. The Brazilian lost his title earlier this year after failing to make weight before defeating Justin Gaethje via first-round submission at UFC 274; he was the first UFC champion to lose a belt due to weight ineligibility. When Oliveira competes against Khabib Nurmagomedov protege Makhachev in the UFC 280 main event on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, he will be looking to reclaim what he believes was taken from him by the Arizona Athletic Commission. Oliveira intends to "shock the world yet again" by winning the title a second time. “I’m going to shock the world yet again… Well, opinions are subjective and some people believe that I would be a potential winner, he would be a potential winner,” Oliveira told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto in a recent interview (h/t Low Kick MMA). “But I’m gonna show that my history, my background, the number of fights I’ve had, my contenders, these will come to show on that very night. In this sense, I’ll shock the world because people will change their opinion about this.” On October 22, in the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Oliveira vs. Makhachev, the main event of UFC 280, will take place.

In the KSW 75 main event, the underdog Damian Stasiak pushed the favourite Robert Ruchala to the limit but ultimately fell short of pulling the upset. In the main event on Friday in Nowy Sacz, Poland, featherweights Ruchala (8-0) and Stasiak (13-9) squared off for three rounds. But in the end, it was the judges who decided who did the better job, and Ruchala received scores of 28-29, 29-28, and 29-28. At the age of 24, Ruchala entered KSW 75 with a perfect record that includes three victories. Stasiak, a 32-year-old combat veteran who participated in six battles, gave the young person a test right away. On the feet, Stasiak and Ruchala exchanged effective blows, and their mat grappling exchanges were enjoyable. However, in a fast-paced competition, his conditioning began to deteriorate, and Ruchala was able to put in some late work to perhaps influence the judges. With his victory, Ruchala improved his KSW record to 5-0. He then set his sights on a matchup with Salahdine Parnasse, the current 145-pound titleholder. “(That was a) classic fight,” Ruchala said in his post-fight interview. “He had excellent fitness full of energy and beams. … How about a chance (for a title) with my sixth victory in a row?” Robert Ruchala def. Damian Stasiak via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Daniel Omielanczuk def. Michal Martinek via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 28-29) Luis henrique da Silva def. Tomasz Narkun via knockout (front kick) – Round 2, 0:28 Adam Soldaev def. Oleksii Polishchuk via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) Madalin Pirvulescu def. Adam Tomasik via TKO (punches) – Round 1 Yann Liasse vs. Adrian Gralak declared a no-contest (accidental eye poke) – Round 1, 2:38 Kamil Szkaradek def. David Martinik via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27) Adrianna Kreft def. Petra Castkova via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

On Saturday, Brandon Royval no longer faces Askar Askarov at UFC Vegas 62. Royval said on Friday that his bout with Askarov had been called off after learning that his opponent wouldn't be able to make weight. “Woke up at 127…before I started the weight cut, I heard my opponents not going to make weight,” wrote Royval on Twitter. “They turned down a catchweight, so it looks like the fight is off. Heartbroken but thank you [Tyler Minton Nutrition] for another easy weight cut. We stay professional on our end.” Askarov has not yet addressed such allegations. Royval wanted to make it three wins in a row. With back-to-back victories over Rogério Bontorin and Matt Schnell at UFC Vegas 46 and UFC 274, respectively, "Raw Dawg" got back on the winning side of the ledger earlier this year. Askarov suffered his first professional defeat in his most recent Octagon match. The "Bullet" was defeated by Kai Kara-France by unanimous decision at UFC Columbus in March. The main event of UFC Vegas 62 will feature a flyweight match between Viviane Arajo and Alexa Grasso. With Royval vs. Askarov postponed, there will now be 11 fights in the event. If Royval vs. Askarov is postponed, it is not yet known when.

Daniel Cormier, a former heavyweight champion of the UFC, appeared in his first professional wrestling event last weekend, and it appears that he might be open to a high-profile contest inside the squared circle in the future. UFC commentator and former two-division champion Daniel Cormier at the exclusive live WWE Extreme Rules event on Saturday made an appearance as the special guest referee for the Fight Pit contest between Seth Rollins and Matt Riddle. At one point during the fight, he even got physical with Rollins, and he's up for more. In an interview with ESPN MMA, Cormier referred to his experience at Extreme Rules as "the time of my life." The UFC Hall of Famer stated that he was more apprehensive about wearing the stripes than he had ever been about entering the ring for one of his own battles. “I started forgetting the match,” Cormier said. “I was, like, ‘Oh my goodness I forgot the end.’ So, I kept having to ask questions. I was so nervous, but once I walked out there, it was so fun. “The energy of the crowd is like second to none. I fought in front of bigger crowds than I was in front of last weekend but ultimately that’s — it’s a shoot, right? — I’m going to just fight, it is going to be what it is going to be. But to remember all the points of what you’re supposed to do in the match, dude, it was amazing.” Cormier also discussed how watching WWE wrestlers up close increased his admiration for their athleticism. "The things that they do at their size, it's crazy," he said, mentioning Drew McIntyre and Karrion Kross, who participated in a Strap match earlier in the program. Now the issue is, would Cormier be willing to give those things a shot himself? Even though, Cormier would be ideal for additional WWE work. He is a genuine fighter and entertaining. The 43-year-old expressed interest in participating in a wrestling match to Associated Press reporter Dan Gelston. Before feeling ready to enter the ring, Cormier stated that he would need some time. "I’ve been retired for a couple of years, and I look like it. But I’d have to get in shape if I ever want to do something like that," Cormier said. "The door is not closed on anything right now in my life." Cormier didn’t mention Lesnar by name, but popular speculation is that he might eventually face Brock Lesnar in a WWE matchup after the two men hyped a UFC battle in 2018 but it never occurred. At UFC 226 in July 2018, Cormier and Lesnar had a memorable encounter after Cormier won the main event against Stipe Miocic to become a double champion and the first person to simultaneously hold the UFC heavyweight and light heavyweight crowns. During his post-fight interview, Cormier summoned former UFC heavyweight champion, Lesnar, inside the Octagon, where they engaged in a brief push-and-pull exchange. Since Cormier has always been a fan of wrestling, entering the ring would be a dream come true for him. After Extreme Rules, he has no further WWE commitments. The UFC analyst said there is a narrow window for him to physically compete, though he is open to more. “They were talking to me about doing future things in the WWE and I go, ‘I’ll do things, but I got to get in shape first,’” Cormier said. “Like, give your boy some time to get some of this baggage of this luggage.”

Nowadays, it seems like everyone is after a piece of Jake Paul because facing him in an exhibition boxing match means having a huge payday. Uriah Hall, who recently left the UFC, will face three-time NFL Pro Bowl running back Le'Veon Bell on October 29 which will be both men's first professional boxing contest. The fight between the YouTube sensation Jake Paul and former MMA champion Anderson Silva will serve as the event's main attraction. The main event will take place in Phoenix's Footprint Center. Hall surprisingly triggered Silva's UFC retirement after defeating him in the fourth round of their main event match at UFC Fight Night 181 just two years earlier. Both guys are now participating in a boxing match under the same card, and Hall is interested in Silva's upcoming opponent for the foreseeable future. In a pre-fight press conference on Thursday, Hall was questioned about his decision to compete in professional boxing again after only three months of retirement from MMA. He stated: “Fight Jake Paul,” Hall responded. “… I’m a competitor, man. This is a different stage. I’ve boxed before. Actually, a long time ago I did some amateur boxing. I said, ‘Listen, pique my interest to do something like this.’ My coach did, so I was like, alright, I’ll do it. I’m a competitor.” After losing to Andre Muniz by a unanimous decision at UFC 276 in MMA, Hall announced his retirement from the sport. With 19 fights in the UFC and his second consecutive defeat, he decided to retire. But when he got the chance to fight Bell, who in September defeated another ex-NFL running back Adrian Peterson in an amateur match, his competitive spirit erupted. If Paul defeats Bell, Hall cites a recent online conversation and a challenge against a fighter who is popular in the boxing world as the reasons why Paul is on his radar. “It’s exciting,” Hall said. “We had some online exchange a long time ago and I just want to show him what a real fight is. I mean, it’s boxing. I feel personally I can beat any boxer in the world. All I gotta do is kick ’em. That’s a real fight. But I’ve been in boxing gyms before where I’ve tried to learn stuff, a long time ago before I tamed my ego. Although Jake Paul gets highly criticized for not facing a professional boxer, he remains in demand due to the big paycheck factor. But The Problem Child has sharpened his abilities and enters the ring as a favorite. Hall isn't exactly willing to make his payment for the fight public, but it doesn't seem like he has any issues with the money he will be paid for it. There has been much discussion over the years concerning the imbalance in pay between top boxers and the biggest champions in a promotion like the UFC. Jake Paul has strongly opposed fighter compensation in the UFC and has frequently engaged in debates with Dana White, the organization's president, about the issue. Hall expressed when asked about the pay in boxing: “You don’t have to go too much into details but I know people that are making [$10,000 to show, $10,000 to win], which is ridiculous. Cause you’re going out there and fighting and you’re putting your brain cells on the line and f****** ring card girls are making $70,000, which is utterly f****** ridiculous. So yeah, there’s some s*** that’s just not going down but compared to this it’s OK. You know your worth as you get older in your career, I think, especially when you put a lot on the line for it and some people feel like they deserve more. At one point, I felt like I deserved more and I had to fight for that.”

According to Javier Mendez, Khabib Nurmagomedov will go down in history not just as a great fighter but also as a great coach. Since hanging up his gloves in October 2020, Nurmagomedov has taken on a coaching position. He will be in the corners of Islam Makhachev, Zubaira Tukhugov, and Belal Muhammad at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. However, the head of the American Kickboxing Academy, Mendez, who assisted Nurmagomedov in coaching throughout his career, claims that "The Eagle" had already been instructing boxers before he retired. “He’s been coaching forever,” Mendez said on the UFC Unfiltered podcast. “Even when he was fighting, he was coaching. He’d be sparring through these five rounds and all of a sudden he’d be sitting there with us coaching the guys. He’s been doing that forever. His father had trained him from such a young age to take the responsibility over – as a fighter, as a coach – and he’s taking over his father’s footsteps. “He’s learned from me, he’s learned from his father – mostly his father. But to me, he’s on track – in my opinion because of his age, what he’s doing, the camp I see, the fighters he has – he’s on track to being the greatest coach of all time, in my opinion. I see it. I see the writing on the wall.” When Makhachev challenges Charles Oliveira for the vacant lightweight title in the main event of UFC 280 on October 22 at Etihad Arena, Nurmagomedov will have the chance to assist in the cornering of his first world champion.

Although Islam Makhachev has been heavily taunted for being promoted and lauded by his comrade Hall of famer Khabib Nurmagomedov, but he still remains a major threat in the lightweight division. The Dagestani warrior is on a 10-fight win streak and has dominated each of his fight. Mateusz Gamrot has found Islam Makhachev as a worthy opponent when he finally gets his title shot. Gamrot (21-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) might make a significant breakthrough if he defeats Beneil Dariush on October 22 at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi. He is getting closer to being in the lightweight title picture. Oliveira lost the lightweight strap earlier this year as a result of a disastrous weight-cut attempt before to UFC 274. He'll compete against Makhachev, Khabib Nurmagomedov's protégé who wants to succeed him as the next Dagestani UFC champion and Gamrot predicts Makhachev will emerge as victorious. “This is my dream fight,” Gamrot said in an interview with MMA News. “When I train MMA, I’m thinking about I want to fight with the best guys. Islam is for sure the best in this division, I think future champ. I think my fight with Islam is gonna be the biggest fight in Europe ever.” Islam has an excellent ability to wrestle and has controlled most of his fight through it. Gamrot, a former two-division KSW champion, predicts Makhachev to win but does not expect him to finish Oliveira. “This is gonna be a great fight,” Gamrot said. “I think if Islam doesn’t make stupid mistakes in this fight, he should win. I think my pick is gonna be Islam beating Oliveira. … I think this is gonna be a decision.” Gamrot must defeat the streaking Dariush, who he concedes is a skilled grappler like himself, before he can face Makhachev as he wants. “Dariush is a tough opponent,” Gamrot said. “All-around, big, strong, high-level wrestling and jiu-jitsu. This guy is one of the best in the lightweight division. I’m super excited, but I’m super ready.” Mateusz Gamrot has quickly ascended the ladder after joining the UFC in 2020. After five UFC fights, "Gamer" is already listed No. 9 in the lightweight division and has defeated three of his opponents by knockout. Gamrot recently defeated the highly regarded Arman Tsarukyan at UFC Fight Night in June. 'Gamer' was forced to accept a unanimous decision victory after failing to secure a finish.

A potential No. 1 contender in the light heavyweight division is set. In the packed lineup for the final pay-per-view event of 2022, Blachowicz vs. Ankalaev joins the fray. On December 10, at UFC 282, Jan Blachowicz and Magomed Ankalaev will square off in a battle that may create a new No. 1 contender in the light heavyweight category. The fight between Blachowicz and Ankalaev was set up after the UFC chose to go ahead with Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira's immediate rematch. The replay is still planned for the same event but there is a possibility that it moves to January at UFC 283, In either case, Blachowicz and Ankalaev will face off in a matchup of two of the best 205-pound competitors in the globe. Blachowicz hoped that his victory against Aleksandar Rakic would earn him a crack at gold right away after he lost the UFC light heavyweight title to Teixeira in 2021. Instead, The Polish Powerhouse will be matched up with the dominant force in the division, Ankalaev, who has steadily moved up the UFC rankings and become a major threat ever since joining the company. Ankalaev has won nine straight matches since his only defeat in his MMA career to Paul Craig in his debut UFC bout four years ago. The former WFCA light heavyweight champion has defeated former title challengers Volkan Oezdemir, Thiago Santos, and Anthony Smith in some of his most recent contests. Ankalaev's title chance would most likely be secured with a victory against Blachowicz, raising the stakes for their fight at the UFC's final pay-per-view in 2022. There are also a lot of well-known athletes on the undercard. For the event, Robbie Lawler vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio and Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Chris Daukaus are two other noteworthy matches that are scheduled. Bo Nickal, a very excellent wrestler, will face Jamie Pickett in the event's UFC debut.

In the promotion's final pay-per-view event of 2022, two of the most seasoned veterans in the light heavyweight division are likely to face off. Alexander Gustafsson, a three-time UFC championship contender, is anticipated to encounter former interim title contender Ovince Saint Preux in a light heavyweight contest. Gustafsson is looking for his first victory since May 2017, when he defeated Glover Teixeira in his backyard, in Sweden, by knockout in the fifth round. Gustafsson was given a second chance to face Jon Jones for the vacant light heavyweight title at UFC 232 as a result of his victory, but Jones yet again became victorious. "The Mauler" has lost four straight fights, most recently in July in London when Nikita Krylov knocked him out in 67 seconds after moving up to the 205-pound weight class. There were numerous calls for the stalwart of the light-heavyweight division to retire after the loss. The Swede stopped talking about a comeback in the following months. He appears to have already planned a fight and has opted not to retire. In December, Gustafsson will make a comeback at UFC 282. Across the cage with Alexander Gustafsson would be Ovince Saint Preux, another former contender for the crown. 'OSP' has been a mainstay of the division for ten years, just like 'The Mauler'. His most memorable moment was in 2016 when he competed against Jon Jones for the interim gold medal but lost. The fighter from Haiti recently defeated Shogun Rua in a rematch in May. The Brazilian was brutally knocked out in the first round of their match in 2014. Eight years later, Saint Preux and Rua faced off again, and Saint Preux won by a split decision to make it 2-0 in the series. The inclusion of the light-heavyweight match only boosts UFC 282. Jiri Prochazka and Glover Teixeira's rematch for the championship is currently scheduled as the main event of the card. The Czech boxer triumphed via submission in the fifth round of their maiden bout in June. Numerous well-known athletes are included on the undercard as well. Other significant contests are scheduled for the event, including Robbie Lawler vs. Santiago Ponzinibbio and Jairzinho Rozenstruik vs. Chris Daukaus. At the event, Bo Nickal, a highly talented fighter, will make his UFC debut against Jamie Pickett.

At the end of the month, Anderson Silva, a former UFC champion, will face Jake Paul. Everyone has that puncher's chance in combat sports, and even a fighter with less experience like "The Problem Child" can pull off an unexpected victory. In a recent interview with the Nelk Boys on the Full Send podcast, Silva discussed his approach to the fight despite the prospect of losing to a former YouTuber who is now 5-0 in professional boxing. At the end of the month, Anderson Silva, a former UFC champion, will face Jake Paul. Everyone has that puncher's chance in combat sports, and even a fighter with less experience like "The Problem Child" can pull off an unexpected victory. In a recent interview with the Nelk Boys on the Full Send podcast, Silva discussed his approach to the fight despite the prospect of losing to a former YouTuber who is now 5-0 in professional boxing. The 47-year-old Silva has made it more about respecting the sport than anything else after resuming his pro boxing career in 2021. “I don’t know (if) I go knock out Jake Paul or not. But I promise I go prove my respect for boxing world. That’s my goal. I train with the GOAT Olympic game guy in boxing. That’s why I train (with) professional boxers. That’s why I do my best every day. “That’s what I need to do, prove my respect for boxing. Boxing’s very interesting because not to disrespect other sports, but in boxing, a lot of people die to make the sport huge. A lot of people lost everything to make the sport huge. “I can’t come to the sport and don’t do my best and prove my respect for boxing. It’s not about knocking out Jake Paul or knocking out other opponents. It’s just go inside and prove your respect for boxing.” Since then, Silva has gone 2-0 (and altogether, 3-1 in pro boxing), taking down Tito Ortiz and Julio Cesar Chavez, two other former UFC champions. Additionally, he wants another fight after the Jake Paul boxing contest, but with different regulations this time. “I go talk to Jake and say, ‘Let’s go do one more fight, but exhibition, kickboxing. You kick me, I can kick you. But I promise I don’t go kick you hard." Silva vs. Paul happens on October 29 in Arizona.