Latest news with #flyweight
The Independent
a day ago
- Sport
- The Independent
Record-breaking fighter cleared of intentional drug use after Yafai victory overturned
The WBC has changed the result of Francisco Rodriguez vs Galal Yafai to a no-contest and ordered a rematch. Rodriguez failed a post-fight drugs test after a record-breaking win over the Olympic gold medallist, where he landed 575 punches across 12 rounds – over 100 more than the previous flyweight record. The Mexican was subsequently found to have the cardiac stimulant, heptaminol, in his system. The WBC has placed Rodriguez on a 12-month probation rather than a full ban and has ordered the rematch because they found that the presence of the banned substance was 'accidental, unintentional, unknowing and not directed to enhance performance.' The WBC stated: 'After a thorough factual and scientific review of the adverse finding, and considering champion Rodriguez's admission of the circumstances of his non-intentional ingestion of a banned substance, and the fact that Mr Rodriguez had reported in his WBC CBP registration document the use of an over-the-counter energy booster which label included two banned substanced [sic], the WBC and champion Rodriguez agreed to enter into an adjudication agreement.' Yafai had his loss expunged and his WBC interim flyweight title returned, but this is not enough for his family, who have reacted emotionally on social media to the result of the investigation. His older brother Gamal said: 'WBC are a joke. 'A 12-month ban and a rematch… couldn't write it and what a load of conmen.' The WBC fully explained Rodriguez's punishment following the investigation and said he will be enrolled in a program with the WBC Nutrition committee. They stated: 'During his Probation Status, Mr. Rodriguez shall participate in a program to be designed and conducted by the WBC Nutrition Committee. 'The program shall aim to address the WBC's concerns about Mr. Rodriguez's health and safety in light of the circumstances of the Adverse Finding. 'At a minimum, that program shall comprise no less than once per week counselling sessions in a 30-day period (4 sessions) focusing on prevention of consumption of banned substances and at Champion Rodriguez's sole cost.' Team Rodriguez must also await a final verdict from the British Boxing Board of Control, as the fight was contested under their jurisdiction. A DAZN subscription provides access to over 185 fights a year across a range of combat sports from the world's best promoters.
Forbes
a day ago
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC Vegas 108 Fight Card Set With Late Main Event Change
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 12: Tatsuro Taira of Japan prepares to face Brandon Royval in a ... More flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) The UFC has not held a fight card at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas since late May. That changes on Saturday, when the promotion heads back to the facility for UFC Vegas 108. The August 2 UFC Fight Night card got its main event on short notice as Hyun Sung Park has agreed to replace the injured Amir Albazi against Tatsuro Taira in a flyweight scrap. UFC Vegas 108 Main Card Tatsuro Taira vs. Hyun Sung Park - Flyweight Chris Duncan vs. Mateusz Rebecki - Lightweight Elves Brener vs. Esteban Ribovics - Lightweight Nora Cornolle vs. Karol Rosa - Women's bantamweight Neil Magny vs. Elizeu Zaleski - Welterweight Danny Silva vs. Kevin Vallejos - Featherweght UFC Abu Dhabi Results: Winners And Losers Whittaker Vs. De Ridder Card UFC Vegas 108 Preliminary Card Nathan Fletcher vs. Rinya Nakamura - Bantamweight Tresean Gore vs. Rodolfo Vieira - Middleweight Nick Klein vs. Andrey Pulayev - Middleweight Felipe Bunes vs. Rafael Estevam - Flyweight Piera Rodriguez vs. Ketlen Souza - Strawweight UFC Vegas 108 Main Event: Tatsuro Taira vs. Hyun Sung Park LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - OCTOBER 12: Tatsuro Taira of Japan reacts after a flyweight fight against ... More Brandon Royval during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on October 12, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) Tatsuro Taira (16-1) rose through the UFC flyweight ranks fairly quickly. He joined the UFC in May 2022 with a record of 10-0, and after winning the Shooto flyweight title. Taira opened his UFC career with a unanimous decision win over Carlos Candelario in May 2022. He followed that with back-to-back submission wins in contests where he earned 'Performance of the Night' bonuses, defeating C.J. Vergara and Jesús Santos Aguilar. Wins over Edgar Chairez and Carlos Hernandez in 2023 followed. In June, Taira got the first true test of his UFC career when he faced Alex Perez in a main event on a UFC Fight Night card at the Apex. At the time, Taira was the No. 13 ranked fighter in the UFC's flyweight division, and Perez, who had fought Deiveson Figueiredo for the UFC 125-pound title in 2020, was ranked No. 5. The fight ended when Taira took the back of his opponent in the center of the Octagon and forced him to the mat, putting enormous pressure on Perez's knee and causing an injury that brought the fight to a halt in the second stanza. From all appearances, and judging from his comments after the victory, the move that finished the contest was a designed technique. That win put Taira at No. 5 in the UFC rankings, earning him a shot at former UFC flyweight title challenger Brandon Royval, who entered the October 2024 contest as the No. 1 ranked in the UFC's 125-pound division. Royval and Taira put on a 'Fight of the Night' bonus-winning scrap, but the more experienced Royval took home the split-decision win, handing Taira the first loss of his professional career. The 25-year-old Taira is currently the No. 6 ranked UFC flyweight. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MAY 17: HyunSung Park of South Korea reacts after a submission victory against ... More Carlos Hernandez in a flyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on May 17, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Hyun Sung Park (10-0) won Road to UFC in early 2023 with a knockout of Seung Guk Choi. He followed that with a knockout of Shannon Ross in late 2023. Park did not compete in 2024 having had fights against Andre Lima and Nyamjargal Tumendemberel cancelled. He returned to the Octagon in March, scoring a first-round submission win over Carlos Hernandez at UFC Vegas 106. I wrote of the 29-year-old at the time, 'HyunSung Park looked excellent at UFC Vegas 106, moving to 3-0 in the UFC's flyweight division. Park used effective striking to hurt Carlos Hernandez against the fence. That striking made Hernandez move to the clinch, but Park showed his overall MMA ability in scoring a takedown, which led to a back take and a rear naked choke sub at 2:26 of Round 1. The 29-year-old Park looks ready for a test in his next outing as he has picked up three finishes in three UFC outings.' He gets that test in a big way and on short notice on Saturday night. Park has only gone the distance once in his MMA career. We will have more on the UFC Vegas 108 fight card as fight night nears, including betting odds, picks, predictions and more. As well as full fight card results, reactions and highlights on fight night.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kenshiro Teraji vs. Ricardo Sandoval undercard: Complete list of fights before main event in 2025 boxing match
Kenshiro Teraji looks to continue his reign as the WBA and WBC flyweight champion when he defends his titles on July 30 against Ricardo Sandoval. The fight and card air on DAZN. Teraji (25-1) is a former light flyweight champion who moved in weight and took over the flyweight division with ease. 'The Amazing Boy' won the WBC and WBA belts in his last fight, a Fight of the Year contender against Seigo Yuri Akui. Headlining another card in Japan, Teraji attempts to hold onto gold so he can further unify the flyweight division. Ranked second in the WBC's flyweight rankings, Sandoval (26-2) is on a six-fight win streak. The American has 18 wins via knockout and is ready to provide the upset and hold gold. Other titles featuring exciting champions are on the line on the Kenshiro Teraji vs. Ricardo Sandoval undercard. Kenshiro Teraji vs. Ricardo Sandoval undercard Here's a breakdown of all the action on the Teraji vs. Sandoval card. Antonio Vargas vs. Daigo Higa Division/Weight: Bantamweight Vargas record: 19-1 Higa record: 21-3-2 Belts at stake: WBA bantamweight title The co-feature will see Antonio Vargas defending the WBA light flyweight title against Daigo Higa. A 2015 Pan American Games gold medalist, Vargas (19-1) won interim WBA gold in December. After eight straight fights in Florida, Vargas, with eleven wins via knockout, heads to Japan for the first time. MORE: Manny Pacquiao's 9 best fights: Boxing icon 'Pacman's greatest nights A former WBC flyweight champion, Higa (21-3-2) is 0-1-1 in his last two fights, both for bantamweight gold. The Okinawa-born star has 19 wins via knockout. Erick Rosa vs. Kyosuke Takami Division/Weight: Light Flyweight Rosa record: 8-0 Takami record: 9-0 Belts at stake: WBA light flyweight title Also on the card, Erick Rosa defends the WBA light flyweight title against Kyosuke Takami. Rosa (8-0) is a former WBA minimumweight champion. The 25-year-old, dubbed "Mini PacMan," won the WBA light flyweight title in his last fight. Takami (9-0) has seven wins via knockout. The Tokyo-born fighter has won local gold in Japan and looks to go 2-0 in 2025. Kenshiro Teraji vs. Ricardo Sandoval tune-in info Date: Wednesday, July 30 Start time: 5:45 a.m. ET | 2:45 a.m. PT | 10:45 a.m. BST | 7:45 p.m. AEST Main event start time (approx.): 7:30 a.m. ET | 4:30 a.m. PT | 12:30 p.m. BST | 9:30 p.m. AEST Location: Yokohama Buntai - Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan Stream: DAZN Kenshiro Teraji vs. Ricardo Sandoval will be available on DAZN. A DAZN monthly subscription is $19.99 on a 12-month contract or $24.99 month-to-month. The annual subscription is $224.99.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ABC 9
Asu Almabayev and Jose Ochoa meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ABC 9 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 2-3 UFC main cards, 2025: 70-53-1 Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa UFC on ABC 9 preview Almabayev (21-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) suffered the first loss of his UFC career in his previous outing in March, where he was finished in the third round by Manel Kape. That result snapped a 17-fight winning streak. Prior to that setback, Almabayev won his first four UFC bouts, including a debut submission of Ode Osbourne. ... Ochoa (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) enters on the heels of a second-round stoppage of Cody Durden in June. That fight marked a successful rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Lone'er Kavanagh, which was the only loss of his pro career. Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa UFC on ABC 9 expert pick, prediction Serving as a solid offering at flyweight is an impromptu fight between Asu Almabayev and Jose Ochoa. Almabayev was initially scheduled to meet an orthodox fighter in Ramazan Temirov, but will now face a southpaw in Ochoa. Although Almabayev is technically 2-0 opposite UFC-level southpaws, those stats can be deceptive when you dive into them (especially his controversial split-decision win over Zach Makovsky). It's also worth noting that Almbayev looked lost when facing Manel Kape – who primarily fought the Kazak from southpaw. Ochoa is obviously not the same fighter as Kape, but the Peruvian has an excellent striking arsenal and is still showing fight-to-fight improvements in the rest of his game given his young age. For that reason, I'll take a flier on Ochoa to further expose Almabayev's one-note game by producing a finish in Round 2. Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa UFC on ABC 9 odds Despite the oddsmakers opening the Kazakh fighter as a wide favorite, public money has been coming in on the Peruvian, listing Almabayev -117 and Ochoa -103 via FanDuel. Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa UFC on ABC 9 start time, how to watch Almabayev and Ochoa are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 12:40 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ABC and streams on ESPN+. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Abu Dhabi: Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa prediction, pick, time
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa prediction, pick, start time for UFC on ABC 9
Asu Almabayev and Jose Ochoa meet Saturday on the main card of UFC on ABC 9 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom. Last event: 2-3 UFC main cards, 2025: 70-53-1 Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa UFC on ABC 9 preview Almabayev (21-3 MMA, 4-1 UFC) suffered the first loss of his UFC career in his previous outing in March, where he was finished in the third round by Manel Kape. That result snapped a 17-fight winning streak. Prior to that setback, Almabayev won his first four UFC bouts, including a debut submission of Ode Osbourne. ... Ochoa (8-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) enters on the heels of a second-round stoppage of Cody Durden in June. That fight marked a successful rebound from a unanimous decision loss to Lone'er Kavanagh, which was the only loss of his pro career. Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa UFC on ABC 9 expert pick, prediction Serving as a solid offering at flyweight is an impromptu fight between Asu Almabayev and Jose Ochoa. Almabayev was initially scheduled to meet an orthodox fighter in Ramazan Temirov, but will now face a southpaw in Ochoa. Although Almabayev is technically 2-0 opposite UFC-level southpaws, those stats can be deceptive when you dive into them (especially his controversial split-decision win over Zach Makovsky). It's also worth noting that Almbayev looked lost when facing Manel Kape – who primarily fought the Kazak from southpaw. Ochoa is obviously not the same fighter as Kape, but the Peruvian has an excellent striking arsenal and is still showing fight-to-fight improvements in the rest of his game given his young age. For that reason, I'll take a flier on Ochoa to further expose Almabayev's one-note game by producing a finish in Round 2. Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa UFC on ABC 9 odds Despite the oddsmakers opening the Kazakh fighter as a wide favorite, public money has been coming in on the Peruvian, listing Almabayev -117 and Ochoa -103 via FanDuel. Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa UFC on ABC 9 start time, how to watch Almabayev and Ochoa are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 12:40 p.m. ET. The fight broadcasts live on ABC and streams on ESPN+. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC Abu Dhabi: Asu Almabayev vs. Jose Ochoa prediction, pick, time
