Latest news with #Welterweight
Yahoo
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Islam Makhachev admits improved Jack Della Maddalena is 'going to be a hard fight'
Islam Makhachev not taking UFC welterweight champion Jack Della Maddalena lightly. Standing in Makhachev's pursuit of a second UFC belt is Della Maddalena (18-2 MMA, 8-0 UFC), who outstruck Belal Muhammad to claim the welterweight title at UFC 315 last month. Makhachev (27-1 MMA, 16-1 UFC) acknowledges the Aussie has shown vast improvements in his game. Advertisement "It's going to be a hard fight. Honestly, it's going to be," Makhachev told MMA Junkie. "I saw his fight against Belal. He's good, man. When he began fighting in the UFC, he had problems with wrestling, but now he's improved because I've seen him training a lot with wrestlers and grapplers, and that's why he's champion right now. He's good everywhere. But we will see who's the best fighter in the world very soon." Makhachev was surprised to see Della Maddalena dethrone Muhammad, who he's trained with before on numerous occasions. He was also confused by Muhammad's game plan. "It was crazy," Makhachev said. "I know Belal well. I was training with him many times, and I know his skills. I was surprised how he fought. I was surprised by his fight plan. I think he did mistakes. He had the option, but he didn't use (it). He started to wrestle in the last round, maybe. "You have to wrestle from the first round if you have plan to wrestle because you can make him tired – you're not sweating. I saw: Maddalena has improved a lot because he has really good boxing, and he knows everybody is going to try to take him down, and now he has good defense." Advertisement Many viewed Makhachev as a big lightweight, but the move up to welterweight hasn't been as seamless as expected. "I will try to be big, but it's not easy," Makhachev said. "All my life, I've been cutting weight, but now when I want to be big, my weight stays in the same position. I try to lift more. We do some program and slowly, slowly we bring maybe two kilograms now. It's very hard, but I don't want to be big by eating and not training. I want to be with muscles. I want to train, do right lifting program, and bring some muscles." This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Islam Makhachev: Jack Della Maddalena is 'going to be a hard fight'
Morocco World
20-06-2025
- Sport
- Morocco World
PFL Africa Returns to Johannesburg with High-Stakes August Showdown
Rabat – The Professional Fighters League (PFL) returns to South Africa this August, staging the second PFL Africa event at Carnival City's Big Top Arena in Johannesburg. Set for Saturday, August 9, the night promises to bring together top-tier African MMA athletes in a continued quest for regional titles. After a strong launch in Cape Town, the tournament shifts to Johannesburg with Welterweight and Featherweight first-round fights. These divisions draw some of the continent's most talked-about fighters, all hoping to carve a path toward becoming PFL Africa's first champions. At the top of the card, Nigerian featherweight Patrick Ocheme (6-1) faces Guinea's Mohamed Camara (5-2-1) in a bout that carries more than just numbers. The two fighters come in with reputations built through grit, and both eye a bigger stage through this tournament. In the co-main event, Angola's Shido Boris Esperanca (9-1) returns after a dominant PFL debut to take on seasoned Gambian fighter Ibrahima Mané (14-5) in a Welterweight first-round bout. The meeting places experience and hunger in direct opposition. This year's PFL Africa season features 32 fighters from 15 nations, each bringing a distinct fighting style and personal story. While the league offers structure, the ambition on display belongs entirely to the athletes. Tickets go on sale Thursday, June 12, through TicketPro. With the energy around African MMA continuing to grow, organizers expect another full house and a crowd eager for every bell. The PFL stands out in the world of mixed martial arts for its merit-based format: win to move forward. That simplicity has allowed it to grow quickly and attract a broad international audience. For African fighters, the league opens a new door, one that leads straight to global competition, with a clear way forward. Tags: African MMAPFLPFL Africasports
The Sun
15-06-2025
- Sport
- The Sun
Kamaru Usman breaks down in tears after picking up first win in nearly four years vs Buckley at UFC Atlanta
KAMARU USMAN was moved to tears after winning his do-or-die octagon return. The former welterweight and pound-for-pound king returned to the cage for the first time in 20 months early this morning in the main event of UFC Atlanta against Jaoquin Buckley. 5 5 5 5 There were serious concerns that Usman's time at the top was a thing of the past following three straight losses to Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev. But the 38-year-old rolled back the years with a suffocating display across five rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory courtesy of 49–46, 49–46, 48–47 scorecards. An emotional Usman teared up in his post-fight interview as he said: "It's been a while. I needed to get that monkey off my back. "I know I'm still able to do this at the highest level. "Sometimes when you're going up against a young, hungry guy like that, very talented, very aggressive, you've got to pull out the skills and use your experience. "And that's what I did tonight." Usman insists victory over the surging Buckley has shown his detractors he's still very much at the top of his game. He said: 'I know it's a running joke, everybody wants to get on the internet and talk s***, 'Oh, his knees, his knees.' JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 5 "Well, shut the f*** up, I can still do what I do. "I could do that to anybody [in the welterweight division], any one of them. "But like I said, I needed to get that monkey off my back. "Early on in my career as I was rolling, once I had that monkey off my back and I knew I was rolling, I was able to open up. "And you guys saw those spectacular knockouts. I still got them in there.' Following his dominant return to the win column, Usman has set his sights on becoming a two-time king of the welterweights. He roared: 'I have been, and always will be, the f**king boogeyman."
Forbes
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Josh Taylor Vs. Ekow Essuman: Date, Time, And Fight Card Details
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - MAY 23: Josh Taylor and Ekow Essuman during the official weigh-in ahead of ... More Saturday's Welterweight bout, at the SEC Centre, on May 23, 2025, in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Mark Scates/SNS Group via Getty Images) On Saturday in Glasgow, Scotland, one of the land's greatest fighters and former champions, Josh Taylor, will take on Ekow Essuman in the main event of the Land of the Brave. Taylor, 34, is looking to make a move up to welterweight and to end a two-fight losing streak. Essuman, 36, is looking to land the biggest win of his career and potentially earn a shot at a title down the line. Here's a look at the entire card along with viewing information: Josh Taylor vs. Ekow Essuman – Full Fight Card Main Event Co-Main Event Undercard Taylor, a former world champion at junior welterweight, may be in a last-gasp situation as it pertains to world-title relevancy. He lost back-to-back unanimous decisions to Jack Catterall and Teofimo Lopez and now looks to find some success in a new weight class. While Taylor sounded focused and determined to dispel any thoughts that he might be washed, Essuman, the older—yet less accomplished—fighter, stayed mild and even-keeled throughout the presser. Essuman was told by one reporter: 'You're in the deep blue sea now with Josh Taylor here; former undisputed champion, says he's going to take you out on Saturday. What are your thoughts?' Essuman calmly responded: 'And? Like, that's the whole point of it. Like, we're supposed to do that. I don't take offence to it. It is what it is. He's in my way, I'm in his way. It is what it is.' There doesn't appear to be any bad blood between the two fighters, and the draw here is more about finding out what Taylor has left in the tank. The co-main event will see McGregor trying to take the '0' from the talented Nathaniel Collins, and we'll also see promising heavyweight KO artist Moses Itauma in what could be his toughest test to date against Mike Balogun. Be on the lookout for results and full scorecards for the co-main and main events.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Catterall stepping up a weight to face Eubank
Jack Catterall will look to return to winning ways when he takes on undefeated British welterweight rival Harlem Eubank at Manchester's AO Arena on Saturday July 5, live worldwide on DAZN, and in association with Wasserman Boxing. The Chorley fighter makes the move up to 147lbs following his razor close split decision loss to the USA's Arnold Barboza Jr in their interim WBO Super-Lightweight World Title clash in February. Brighton's Eubank is yet to taste defeat since joining the professional ranks back in 2017, and the 31-year-old stopped Belfast's Tyron McKenna in nine rounds to pick up the IBF Intercontinental Title in his hometown last time out in March. 'This is another huge domestic fight that I can really sink my teeth into,' said Catterall. 'After the disappointment of my last fight, I'm grateful to Frank Smith and Eddie Hearn for giving me the opportunity to headline again in Manchester. 'I'm eager to put on a big performance and make a statement in my first fight up at Welterweight. The Eubank name is hot at the moment but I'm ready to put the fire out in style.' 'This is a fight that's been on my radar for a long time, and I'm delighted it's finally happening,' said Eubank. 'Jack is a world-class fighter and, in my view — and many others' — a former undisputed champion. 'These are the elite-level match-ups I've been calling for, and make no mistake, I'm ready. They say timing is everything in boxing, and this summer clash couldn't have come at a better moment in my career.' Eddie Hearn, Matchroom Sport Chairman, said: 'Another huge domestic clash for Chorley's Jack Catterall as he takes on unbeaten Brighton man Harlem Eubank in his first fight up at Welterweight. 'Both men are huge names in British boxing and this is a fight that promises to deliver for the fans. Jack has proved that he belongs on the world stage, and this will be his third headliner in a row in Manchester. 'Harlem comes into this fight in red-hot form, looking to prove that he belongs on the biggest stage. We'll have news on a stacked undercard dropping soon. Catch it all live on the home of boxing, DAZN.' Kalle Sauerland, Global Head of Boxing at Wasserman, said: 'You can't beat a domestic dust-up and Catterall vs. Eubank has all the makings of a classic. 'Jack has been operating at world level for many years, but Harlem has shown with his recent performances that he now belongs on this stage. 'He is one of the biggest names in British boxing, his rise through the levels has been watched by millions of fans and on July 5, in Manchester, another chapter will be written in the famous Eubank story.' Sam Jones, manager of Catterall, said: 'I'm delighted to get this fight done, thank you to Matchroom, Frank and Eddie once again for giving Jack these opportunities. Jack is a world level fighter and after the blip in his last fight, he will make this very conclusive.' Jamie Conlan, manager of Eubank, said: 'As we have seen recently, domestic match-ups are what grips the boxing public, especially if a Eubank is involved. This is a massive fight for British boxing with world level implications. 'Jack's been to the top, fighting for unified World Titles and, in many eyes, should've won. Now, coming off his second loss, he's under pressure to prove himself. Meanwhile, Harlem's riding a wave of momentum in Brighton, having beaten two of Jack's former opponents more convincingly. This is the perfect moment for Harlem to make his mark on world boxing.' 'Fight fans love a proper, well matched domestic matchup,' said Alfie Sharman VP, DAZN. 'Jack is coming off the back of a very close loss, but has shown time and time again that he belongs at the world level. Harlem is a fantastic fighter who is ready to take his moment on the world stage. What a fight we have in store July 5. Watch it live, only on DAZN.' Tickets for Catterall vs. Eubank will be available to purchase via and priced at £40, £60, £100, £200 and £350 (Ringside).
