Latest news with #TheRumbleintheJungle
Time of India
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Jon Jones Reveals Grand Plans of Fighting Tom Aspinall at UFC White House Event
Images via UFC and Donald Trump's Instagram At the UFC Baku post-fight presser, Dana White made the shocking announcement to the world that Jon Jones has hung up his gloves for good. The UFC head honcho also announced the coronation of Tom Aspinall as the undisputed heavyweight champion after holding the interim gold for nearly 600 days. Just a day later, 'Bones' also released a message on his social media confirming his retirement. However, it seems that the promise is not going to last after President Donald Trump 's bumper announcement earlier this month, with Jones already charting a course for his Octagon return. Jon Jones Is Ready to Risk It All to Become UFC Heavyweight Champion Again At a recent event, Trump announced that the UFC will host an event on the grounds of the White House. Dana White even locked the date for the event, which is set to go down on 4th July 2026, on America's 250th birthday. And if there is someone who can main event that iconic card, then it's Jones. Two weeks after his retirement call, Jones announced that he had re-entered the drug testing pool. And now, in a chat with Joy of Everything on TikTok, the former 2-division champion made his intentions clear. 'I can't promise anyone anything, but I have a very strong feeling that I'll be on that card.' Moreover, the consensus MMA GOAT even compared his potential return to two of the biggest boxing events of all time. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like No annual fees for life UnionBank Credit Card Apply Now Undo 'I think it's going to be historic. It will be as big as the 'Thrilla in Manilla', or 'The Rumble in the Jungle', it's up there with that. Essentially, it could be bigger than that. I would want to take on whoever is holding the belt at the end of the year. ' Jones then hinted at a potential superfight with Tom Aspinall if he still has the belt by the time UFC White House comes to town. 'As of right now, the champion is Tom Aspinall, but we'll see who the champion is at the end of the year. I feel like to have an American fight for a championship that night, I would put it all on the line…right now, I'm just trying to be a good citizen.' Conor McGregor Is in Line to Make His Return at UFC White House Jon Jones might not be the only superstar headlining the UFC's historic event at the White House next year. Conor McGregor, who hasn't stepped into the Octagon since breaking his leg against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264, is eyeing a return in 2025. According to BKFC president David Feldman, McGregor personally told him that his comeback talks are real. Feldman said the Irishman is back in the USADA testing pool and working toward a UFC return. However, there's one major issue: despite McGregor's claims, he hasn't recorded a single drug test in 2025. That raises questions about the timeline of his return and whether fans will see him back in action anytime soon. Also read: Jon Jones retires from UFC with heartfelt message as fresh legal trouble shadows final exit Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
USA Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- USA Today
Jon Jones wants to fight 'whoever's holding the belt' at UFC White House event
Jon Jones says he's up for fighting at the White House against the UFC heavyweight titleholder at the end of 2025. Jones (28-1 MMA, 22-1 UFC) recently retired as champion, but promptly returned to the UFC's testing pool two weeks later, after president Donald Trump proposed the idea of hosting a UFC event at the White House on July 4, 2026, to celebrate America's 250th anniversary. "... America! Now that tickles my pickle," Jones wrote on X. Jones downplayed the interim-turned-undisputed champion Tom Aspinall as a credible opponent before announcing his intention to walk away from the sport. Perhaps coincidentally, Jones' retirement came just prior to news breaking of another legal incident, in which Jones is alleged to have fled the scene of a hit-and-run accident. With Trump and the UFC on board to create what could be an all-time spectacle of an event, Jones has shown more interest in being a part of it. "I can't promise anyone anything, but I have a very strong feeling that I will be on that card," Jones said in a Joy Of Everything Tik Tok video. "... I think it's going to be incredibly iconic. It's going to be historic. ... It will be as big as 'Thrilla in Manila,' 'The Rumble in the Jungle' – it's up there with that. Essentially, it could be bigger than that." UFC CEO Dana White has stated that the promotion is in the early stages of planning the event at the White House and intends to present the full plan to Trump soon. White has also stated his dream headliner for the event would be Jones vs. Aspinall for the heavyweight title, should Aspinall still be the titleholder at the time. Jones, 37, despite showing no interest in fighting Aspinall before, appears eager to take on anyone holding the title at the event. "I would want to take on whoever's holding the belt at the end of the year," Jones said. "As of right now, the champion is Tom Aspinall, but we'll see who's champion at the end of the year. I feel like it would be only fitting to have an American guy fight for the championship that night. I'd be willing to put it all on the line one more time."
IOL News
12-07-2025
- Entertainment
- IOL News
EXCLUSIVE: My dad's legacy lives on through the IBA, says Muhammad Ali's daughter Rasheda
Rasheda Ali and her father, the great Muhammad Ali. Picture: AFP Image: AFP RASHEDA Ali was just three years old when her daddy, Muhammad Ali, stepped into the ring for arguably the most celebrated boxing bout of all time, 'The Rumble in the Jungle' on October 30, 1974, in Kinshasa. Ali's exceptional reflexes and athleticism were all brought to life on that fateful morning in Zaire (now Democratic Republic of Congo) through his lightning footwork, superior head movement, a unique low-hand guard, and the famous "rope-a-dope" technique. Rasheda's recollection of the actual fight is limited and based more on the black-and-white film tapes she's watched countless times. And while she still swoons over the beauty he portrayed in a sport that's infamous for its brutality, the recollection of her great father lies more in the legacy that he left outside of the ring. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Ad Loading 'Yes, I think my dad has done so much while he was here on the earth. What he tried to do was, he tried to be an example of how we should treat each other. My dad was an advocate for, he was a champion, he was a peace ambassador, he was the greatest in the ring and also out,' Rasheda exclusively told Independent Media on the outskirts of the IBA's Golden Era launch in Istanbul. 'Because he really wanted people to love one another a lot more … 'Service to others' was one of my favourite quotes that he's ever made. Because the reality is, why are we all here? 'So when my dad stepped into a ring, he was also thinking of his brothers. And I think we should be hearing that a little bit more now, especially in this emotional climate, politically and physically.' Rasheda feels her dad's 'legacy lives on through the IBA', especially after IBA President President Umar Kremlev unveiled plans for the sport's 'Golden Era' with a bout arranged between America's Rob Morrow and Iran's Hasan Yousefi. 'Boxing is for peace. We are for peace," Kremlev said, with Rasheda concurring. 'Only Umar could bring two countries together and really try to promote peace and ambassadorship,' she said. 'And that's what my dad did while he was here and I think my dad's life and legacy carries on through the IBA. We can learn from my dad who really tried to bring people into the sport and he did that because he was so eloquent while he was in the ring. 'But also what he did outside the ring is what he's mainly notable for. And him being just an ambassador of peace, for him being someone who loved every single person regardless of their race, creed or color. 'Because I think that's kind of where Umar is trying to take the organization into a point where he's connecting with not just professional fighters but also amateur fighters and helping them and giving them an opportunity to not only fight but become champions within themselves.' Rasheda fondly remembers a trip to South Africa almost 20 years ago where she went to research another great patron of peace, and very good friend of her father, former State President Nelson Mandela. 'So back in 2006 I had a conference there (in Cape Town) and I brought my whole family,' she said. 'I brought my children and my husband there. And we got a chance to actually go to Robben Island, we actually toured Nelson Mandela's cell while we were there. 'Yes, we went to Robben and what we did was we were able to teach our children about what that meant and how small that cell was. And really what that meant and how Nelson suffered and really they learned a lot. I mean they learned a lot more being on that island than being in a classroom honestly.'
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
George Foreman's daughter in Minneapolis remembers her dad
The Brief George Foreman's oldest daughter, Michi, lives in Minneapolis and is mourning the loss of her father earlier this week. She remembers him as a pillar in her life, a preacher and someone with wisdom. Foreman tells Fox 9, she believes his cause of death was from all those years in the ring. MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A Minnesota woman is grieving the death of her father – legendary boxer and heavyweight champ George Foreman – after he died in Texas last week. What we know Most of us knew him from moments like The Rumble in the Jungle. But Michi Foreman who knew him as simply as "dad." "He was a big kid, he played with us like he was one of the kids and all of a sudden try to be serious," Michi Foreman tells FOX 9. What they're saying Now Michi is mourning the loss of her father, who she says lived an extraordinary life. "The last time I saw my father, the life was sort of just not there," said Foreman. She tells FOX 9 her father was more than just someone who took on Muhammad Ali. He was a pillar in her life, a preacher, and someone who often gave her wisdom. She believes his cause of death was from all those years in the ring."I told my brothers and sister, I said he's tired. And they were like, yeah, but he's still fighting. I said, sit back and let God do his work. And two hours later, he was gone," said Foreman. A daddy's girl Michi says she has known her father to be a fighter since she was little. She went to see her father fight during his comeback, but it wasn't easy. "You can't see someone you love like that get hit," said Foreman. She remembers when he became the champ once again. "Everybody was cheering for him, and he won the second time the championship of the world. Went straight down to his knees after the fight, and prayed and thanked God," said Foreman. Michi also talked about how her father was sensitive and cared about people. Whenever a celebrity was going through adversity, he'd give them a call to check on them. Dig deeper Foreman has seven daughters and five sons. All of the sons are named after him. "He was like, well, I don't want any of my sons to feel like they're less than the other one," said Foreman.
USA Today
23-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
George Foreman vowed to kill Muhammad Ali in the ring before a friendship bloomed
George Foreman vowed to kill Muhammad Ali in the ring before a friendship bloomed Show Caption Hide Caption George Foreman, former heavyweight boxing champ, dies at 76 George Foreman, the two-time heavyweight champion and Olympic gold medalist died, his family announced in a statement. Upon learning Friday night George Foreman had died at 76, Muhammad Ali's daughter Rasheda Ali-Walsh said she sent a text message to George Foreman Jr., the oldest son of the former heavyweight champion. 'Please know that we're here for you, sending much love and support,'' Rasheda Ali-Walsh told USA TODAY Sports she texted, followed by, 'Your dad is sparring with my dad in heaven.'' Probably wearing not only boxing gloves but smiles. Ali-Walsh agreed. In one of the biggest upsets in boxing history, Ali and Foreman went from bitter rivals who clashed in 'The Rumble in the Jungle'' to something altogether different. 'He and my dad became really good friends, and if I'm not mistaken, (Foreman) inspired my dad into being a pastor and a spiritual advisor,'' Ali-Walsh said. Foreman attended Ali's memorial and funeral service when Ali died in 2016. But the relationship got off to a rocky start in 1974 leading up to "The Rumble in the Jungle,'' their fight in Zaire. Foreman, then 40-0 and one of the hardest punchers in the sport, said multiple times he was going to kill Ali, a heavy underdog. Ali continuously mocked Foreman, such as when he told reporters, 'George Foreman is nothing but a big mummy. I've officially named him, 'The Mummy.' ' Ali walked like a Mummy, delighting the press but not Foreman. Then their fight sent shockwaves around the world, not the least because Ali sent Foreman crashing to the canvas with an eighth-round knockout. 'Daddy was always trying to get in his opponent's head,'' Ali-Walsh said. 'And I think he got in George's head.'' George Foreman, Muhammad Ali form friendship Three years after 'The Rumble in the Jungle,'' Foreman said, he was hit by something more powerful than Ali. He called it a religious experience that prompted him to quit boxing in 1977 at age 28. Hana Ali, one of the boxer's seven daughters, said years later her father gave her 60 hours of taped phone conversations. One of her favorites, she told USA TODAY Sports in 2014, is an hour-long talk her father had with Foreman in 1979. She said Foreman was preaching while Ali, then in his later 30s, still was fighting and, in retrospect, showing early signs of Parkinson's disease. "George Foreman begins by warning my father not to do these boxing exhibitions that are going to lead him back to the ring," Hana Ali told USA TODAY Sports in 2014, "and he doesn't want him there. He said, 'I had a dream,' and he's telling him, 'God doesn't want you in the ring. You need to stop.' My dad says, 'It's just a boxing exhibition.' And he goes, 'No, stop now because it's going to lead apparently to something else.' And then, of course, my father only follows his own mind." Yet Foreman, after a decade-long absence from boxing, returned in 1987 at age 38. In 1994, at 45, Foreman knocked out Michael Moorer, then 26, and became the oldest heavyweight champion in history. In 2014, Foreman told USA TODAY Sports that he received a congratulatory letter from his old nemesis, the one who called him a mummy. "Can you imagine that?" Foreman said. "Who would think almost 20 years later, there's Muhammad, my conqueror, congratulating me in fighting for the championship of the world and winning it." George Foreman, Muhammad Ali inspire celebration In 2012, Foreman was at Ali's 70th birthday party at the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. It was a fundraiser spurred by Ali, who suffered from Parkinson's disease. 'They always was supportive of each other in their endeavors,'' Rasheda Ali-Walsh said. In an Instagram post Friday, Hana Ali said she used to FaceTime Foreman so her father could talk with him. "They'd reminisce, share laughs, and lovingly debate who had it better—George with his sons, or Daddy with his daughters,'' Hana Ali wrote. In December, Rasheda Ali-Walsh said, she and her six sisters gathered in Houston. It was near the home of Foreman, and they were there to celebrate the 50th anniversary of 'The Rumble in the Jungle.'' The daughters of Ali celebrated with some of Foreman's children, Ali-Walsh said. 'It was like celebrating the lineage, legacy and the love between my dad and George Foreman,'' she said. 'There was, of course, the iconic fight. But just their relationship in general, how they had a deep love and respect for one another.'' At the 50th celebration, according to many of the children of both boxers gathered for a photo after which George Foreman Jr. said, "Our fathers spent so many years really talking about how much they cared for each other and loved each other. They passed that down to us. This was our first time as a group getting together for a picture and it was like we showed up to a family reunion with long-lost cousins. We didn't skip a beat." Rasheda Ali-Walsh said her father's old boxing rival-turned-friend was ailing then. "I got a chance to see George for the last time,'' she said, "and thank him for the wonderful times that he spent with my dad and for his friendship, too.''
