Boxing

Saturday's undisputed middleweight championship bout between Claressa Shields and Savannah Marshall at the O2 Arena in London has been postponed following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

Per ESPN's Michael Rothstein, the card has been provisionally rescheduled for Oct. 15 at the same location.

Rothstein noted the decision to postpone the fight came after consultation meetings between British government officials and the United Kingdom's regulations during a period of mourning.

The British Royal Family announced on Thursday that Elizabeth died peacefully at Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

Boxxer CEO Ben Shalom issued a statement about the decision to postpone the event:

"This is an unprecedented moment in our history and our sincere thoughts are primarily with the Royal Family and the nation at this time. Out of respect, the British Boxing Board of Control has decided to postpone Saturday’s show. A provisional date for Saturday, 15th October at The O2 is being worked on by all parties to stage this unique and historical night of celebration for women’s sport at a more appropriate time."

Shields vs. Marshall is the headlining bout on a 10-fight card featuring all female boxers. The semi-main event is for the IBF, WBC and WBO women's super-featherweight titles between Mikaela Mayer and Alycia Baumgardner.

Marshall handed Shields the only loss of her career in 2012 when both women were competing as amateurs. The Silent Assassin won a second-round bout at the AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in China.

"I don’t hate nobody, but I really do have a huge dislike for her," Shields told reporters when the bout was announced in June. "My grandmother told me not to use the word hate so I won’t use it, but I don’t like Savannah and she’s one of my biggest haters."

The main event is a bout between arguably the two best pound-for-pound boxers in the world right now. Shields and Marshall both have perfect 12-0 records in their professional careers. Marshall has won 10 of her 12 fights by knockout or TKO, including three straight in three rounds or less.

This will mark Shields' second bout in 2022. The Michigan native defeated Ema Kozin in February to retain the WBA, WBC, IBF, and The Ring middleweight titles and win the WBF middleweight championship.

Shields will be putting all five of her titles on the line, with Marshall defending the WBO middleweight crown.

Claressa Shields doesn’t waste words when she talks.

So, when she suggests double-digit title belts across three boxing weight classes might be just a prelude to her next combative phase, the succinct delivery only amplifies the menace.

She’s not rambling to hear herself talk or to sell a fight.

She simply believes what she’s saying and feels no need to add dramatics to prove it.

The 27-year-old sat down recently with Bleacher Report and was remarkably matter of fact when discussing quests only the highest of the high end can conceive, let alone pursue.

“My overall goal is to be boxing champion and PFL champion at the same time,” she said.

“After that, I don’t know if I’ll have any desire to continue to fight MMA or to go to the UFC or something like that. I don’t know.

“But I just know that’s my overall goal: PFL champion, boxing champion, same time. Good.”

Good enough for the self-professed “Greatest Woman of All Time?” Perhaps.

But for anyone who thinks it’s just that easy, here’s a tip: It’s not.

No one’s ever achieved it with a major promotion.

The only person to even approach it—Holly Holm—had hung up her full-time boxing gloves more than two years before reaching the UFC summit with a shocking upset of Ronda Rousey in 2015.

Shields wants to reign simultaneously.

And if anyone’s got the street cred to follow the trail Holm blazed, it’s her.

The Michigan native was a two-time Olympic champion before throwing a single punch for pay, and she flung a first pair of pro title belts at 168 pounds across her shoulder in 2017 after only four bouts.

Two more straps arrived 10 months later at 160 and were followed by several unifications and another dip down in weight that yielded four titles across two fights at 154 pounds in 2020 and early 2021.

In doing all that, she helped lay the foundation for a new golden age of women’s boxing.

“It’s kind of unbelievable,” she said, “but that’s why I turned pro because I knew that women’s boxing needed me to be a part of it. I’m not the only one. We have the likes of Katie Taylor, Amanda Serrano, myself, Franchon Crews, Hannah Rankin, there’s other champions. We’ve all done our part. Even Mikaela Mayer. We’ve all done our part to help build women’s boxing to where it is now.

“I just think out of everybody that I’ve taken the most risk. To go from 168 to 160 to 154, to fight the best girls that they’ve got, to fight the No. 1’s, to fight the No. 2’s and really challenge myself to lose that weight when I hadn’t fought at 150-anything since I was 15 years old. I think me doing that, me bringing trash talk back to women’s boxing, me bringing that aggression and that passion to where people understand, ‘Yeah, it’s a boxing match, but this is my life.’ That’s what sets me apart.”

But just as she seemed ready to settle in and dominate the ring, another challenge beckoned.

Shields signed a three-year contract with the Professional Fighters League—a U.S.-based mixed martial arts promotion founded in 2018 and considered a next-tier rival of the UFC—debuting with a third-round TKO of Brittney Elkin in April 2021 before a split-decision loss to Abigail Montes in October.

It was her first loss in any arena since 2012, when Savannah Marshall beat her in a pre-Olympic boxing tournament in China and provided the only blemish on an amateur record that wound up 64-1.

And Marshall, conveniently, has made her way back to Shields’ check-cashing radar.

The 31-year-old English native turned pro in 2017 and has won her first 12 fights, picking up the WBO’s middleweight title along the way and positioning herself after KOs in three straight defenses as a logical challenger to the American’s nearly undisputed claim to 160-pound supremacy.

The rivals have engaged in spirited trash talk and will meet again on Marshall’s turf—the O2 Arena in London, to be specific—with the division’s four belts (Shields’ three and Marshall’s one) up for grabs when they headline a five-bout women’s card to be shown live on ESPN+ on Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

It’s Shields’ second trip to the United Kingdom after a wide decision over Ema Kozin in Wales seven months ago, but if you think the specter of an old rival on a big stage is prompting nerves, think again.

In fact, it’s almost exactly the opposite.

“I thank God for just preparing me mentally to handle the stardom and handle the lights and handle the pressure that people say comes with it,” she said. “I don’t really feel pressure. I really enjoy boxing.

“When it’s time to fight, people try to calm me down because I’m so excited and I’m so ready and they’re like ‘Oh, calm down and relax.’ I don’t feel the pressure like ‘Oh, I’m nervous’ or ‘I’m scared.’ I don’t ever feel that. I just feel really excited all the time.”

The oddsmakers have deemed it a pick ’em proposition with both Shields and Marshall listed at -110 (bet $110 to win $100) on the moneyline, but, not surprisingly, Shields isn’t seeing it as close.

Instead, she claims her taller, longer foe will bristle at the style and pace almost from the outset, and her perceived edge in power—thanks to her 10 KOs in 12 fights, to Shields’ two—will be rendered moot.

“She may have been able to box everybody else with her hands down in that loosey-goosey style,” Shields said, “but with me I can guarantee she’ll have her hands up because we’re going to force to fight a fight that she doesn’t want to fight.

“I’ve got better skills than anybody she’s ever fought, and I’ve got better skills than the people she’s sparring with to get ready. She’s gonna be uncomfortable just being in there with me. It’s not gonna be a boxing match. It’s gonna be a fight. It’s gonna be a war. I’m coming to wage war and cause hell.

“Anybody who don’t want to be a part of that needs to stay far away.”

And assuming all goes as planned, the hell-causing show will return to MMA—PFL style—which means fights staged in a 10-sided “SmartCage" that uses biometric sensors and other technology to measure/deliver real-time performance data and analytics.

The organization also operates a format where fighters in each weight class begin an annual season with two bouts, in which points are awarded for method of victory. The top four advance to the semifinals and the final two to the finals, where the winner gets $1 million.

The PFL’s 2021 women’s lightweight champion, Kayla Harrison, is among the most well-known fighters in MMA, and ex-UFC lightweight king Anthony Pettis competed in both the 2021 and 2022 PFL seasons.

Shields said she’ll spend 2023 pursuing a PFL title before deciding what 2024 and beyond might bring.

If anything.

“Boxing is my first love. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to put that down until its time,” she said. “But I’ll say I know in order to be a PFL champion and an MMA champion you have to dedicate some time. I’m willing to dedicate the year 2023 to that and then after 2023 I don’t know if I’ll be doing MMA anymore.

“The day that another girl says that she can beat me, and I say, ‘OK’ and ‘I agree,’ that’s the day I’ll hang it up. I’m motivated by challenges. I’m motivated by storytelling. I’m motivated just by pushing myself.

“And after fighting Marshall, after beating Marshall, I’ll be going back to the PFL MMA, fighting again, doing the PFL season in 2023. I believe I can be PFL champion in 2023. I just have to have the time to put in the work and prepare. Proper preparation prevents poor performance.”

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Ryan Garcia might be calling for a bout against Gervonta Davis during a Twitter spat between the two on Saturday:

Gervonta Davis vs Ryan Garcia in December? pic.twitter.com/q8fXSMkGKU

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) September 3, 2022

The two undefeated boxers have been hinting at a potential fight for a long time, but things could be moving closer to an actual bout.

Davis improved to 27-0 after his knockout win over Roland Romero in May before indicating he would fight again at the end of the year. Garcia (23-0) confirmed in August that he is focused on a matchup against Davis, although he wants it at the 140-pound weight class.

"I'm going to fight 'Tank' Davis if he wants it at 140," he said.

Meanwhile, promoter and former boxer Oscar De La Hoya gave a message to Davis to help set up a fight.

"I'm ready to offer you a multi, multi, multi, multi million-dollar offer to fight Ryan Garcia," De La Hoya told TMZ Sports.

Davis currently holds the WBA lightweight (135 lbs.) title, while Garcia is the No. 1 contender in the division.

Gloves worn by Evander Holyfield during the infamous 1997 boxing match where Mike Tyson bit off a portion of his ear have hit the auction block.

TMZ Sports reported the unique pieces of memorabilia, which are available for bidding at Lelands, could hit a $100,000 sale price. The current high bid as of Saturday morning is $12,155.

Here's a portion of the item description:

"These crisp, red Everlast gloves were worn by The Real Deal in that landmark contest, with Everlast logo sewn on each cuff, and a screened logo in white. Each has written on the cuff logo in black marker, 'Holyfield #1.' Light but definite use shown, not surprising as the bout lasted just those three rounds. A remarkable piece of pugilistic history. Solid provenance; property from the life and career of Evander Holyfield, these were previously sold at an auction where Holyfield consigned his personal pieces."

The legendary boxers faced off for the first time in November 1996, which ended with Holyfield scoring an 11th-round knockout to capture the WBA heavyweight championship.

A rematch for the title was ordered in June 1997, but it was called after Tyson bit both of Holyfield's ears, the second time ripping off a portion of flesh.

There were rumors the pair, who reconciled in 2009 after years of bad blood following the incident, were going to fight each other again in 2021.

Holyfield said in a statement to ESPN's Ben Baby that Tyson's camp turned down a $25 million proposal, though.

"We thought this was a done deal but it quickly fell apart when Tyson's people declined all offers," Holyfield's manager, Kris Lawrence, said at the time.

Tyson fought another former star, Roy Jones Jr., in a November 2020 exhibition.

The auction for Holyfield's gloves runs through Sept. 17.

Two women reportedly filed lawsuits in Los Angeles on Wednesday saying former professional boxer George Foreman sexually abused them in the 1970s when they were minors.

TMZ Sports obtained the lawsuits that are seeking unspecified damages.

One of the women said she met Foreman through her father, who worked with the boxer, when she was approximately eight years old. She said he started "grooming" her by "taking her out for ice cream and allowing her to sit on his lap as [he] drove his car" and eventually engaged in inappropriate sexual behavior when she was 13 years old and sexual intercourse when she was 15 years old.

He was in his 20s.

The other woman said she also met Foreman through her father, who she said was the boxer's "long-time advisor."

She said she was nine years old when she met him and that approximately six years later he started to "molest and sexually abuse" her until she was 16.

While the women said Foreman "did not deny the allegations" when he was previously confronted about his actions by a friend, the boxer released a statement to TMZ Sports in July and denied the allegations.

"I adamantly and categorically deny these allegations," he said. "The pride I take in my reputation means as much to me as my sports accomplishments, and I will not be intimidated by baseless threats and lies."

Foreman said the women are attempting to "extort millions of dollars each from me and my family."

Foreman is 73 years old. The final fight of his boxing career came in 1997.

It had already been a tough night for Anthony Joshua.

The two-time ex-heavyweight champ had endured the in-ring equivalent of swatting a mosquito in a windstorm before finally breaking through and landing a series of body shots that set the tide turning.

A third reign, it seemed, was only moments away.

But the would-be rally was snuffed by a gutsy reply from incumbent Oleksandr Usyk, who dominated down the stretch to keep his cache of belts while sending Joshua to a third loss in five fights.

So, if you’re shocked that Joshua’s mood was sour in the immediate aftermath, don’t be.

The guy was entitled to be a bit pissed off.

Still, what happened once the decision was announced was surprising. Even for boxing.

Nimbly blending elements of cordial congratulation and full-on temper tantrum, the 32-year-old Englishman dialed a merely OK event up to memorable with a post-fight tirade that his countrymen received as if it had come from a petulant teen.

He threw Usyk’s championship belts and stormed from the ring after Michael Buffer read the split-decision verdict in the Ukrainian’s favor and then returned to shake hands with his foe before grabbing the microphone and launching into a bizarre ramble in front of a stone-silent Saudi crowd.

“I’m stealing this, Usyk,” Joshua said. “I’m sorry, but it’s because of the passion we put into this.

“This guy beat me tonight. Maybe I could have done better, but it shows the level of hard work I put in, so please give him a round of applause as our heavyweight champion of the world. I’m not a 12-round fighter. Look at me, I’m a new breed of heavyweights.”

He veered from rationalizing his loss to celebrating Usyk’s win to offering a well-intentioned, albeit not particularly insightful, viewpoint on the continuing upheaval in his foe’s home country.

“I was studying Ukraine and all the amazing champions who have come from your amazing country, bro,” he said. “I've never been there. But at the same time, what’s happening there is, I don’t know what’s happening there, but it’s not nice at the end of the day.”

Not exactly Kanye West with boxing gloves, but close.

Either way, it was a remarkable unraveling of a guy once pegged for global stardom.

Though nine title-fight wins across two championship reigns still place Joshua well past the sport’s flotsam and jetsam, it’s no less true that consecutive losses to a blown-up cruiserweight indicate he’s something less than the supernova some hype men claimed as the wave crested in 2017.

“This is the genuine article, a credible world heavyweight boxing champion who can charm a mainstream audience in a way not seen for a generation,” said editor Eoin Connolly, whose SportsPro magazine labeled a then-unbeaten 27-year-old the world’s most marketable athlete. “He’s proved this in the UK and now has a chance to do it around the world in the years ahead. Fans are flocking to him, brands are flocking to him, and that only looks set to continue.”

He carried the label for three fights before getting flattened by Andy Ruiz in a much-hyped U.S. debut in June 2019, defeated Ruiz in a return bout six months later and defended once more versus Kubrat Pulev before Usyk upended plans for a Tyson Fury bout with a surprise decision last September.

Avenging the loss would have rekindled the fire for an all-England showdown, but it was Usyk fielding those questions Saturday evening as Team Joshua began ducking for PR cover as soon as it left the ring.

“I can’t tell you how proud I am of Anthony Joshua,” promoter Eddie Hearn wrote on Instagram.

“I can’t tell you how much he wanted to win (Saturday). I can’t tell you how hard he tried. Don’t be deceived by a brave face or a strong frame, this man has always been under pressure and has given so much to British boxing. The emotion (Saturday) was that of a devastated man, and maybe all those years of pressure finally showed.”

That pressure will be far less extreme now that reality has set in.

Joshua maintained before the rematch he’d continue to fight no matter the result, and it’s surely within reason to suggest he remains among the world’s elite heavyweights even with the loss.

He’s beaten three of the fighters in The Ring’s latest top-10 rankings, which have him second behind Usyk with no mention of Fury, who’d relinquished the magazine’s title belt earlier this month.

A match with fellow ex-champ Deontay Wilder—whom Fury has KO’d twice—had long been talked about and would still be a windfall even as a prerequisite to another title chance with Fury or Usyk.

Or, given the sport’s perpetual cycle of sanctioning body silliness, it’s just a matter of time before at least one of the trinkets now possessed by the two unbeaten champions is vacated or stripped from its current owner, leaving Joshua within range of a third, albeit slightly devalued, championship run.

So, while Saturday’s sulk makes for bad optics this news cycle, it’s not a total loss to Jim Lampley.

“Good news is that he has made lifetime generational money,” the former HBO blow-by-blow man told Bleacher Report. “The meltdown came from how circumstances have conspired against him. But at the same time, respect for Usyk is quite apparent, and hoisting the (Ukrainian) flag was classy.

“A Fury fight would be another epic payday I do not believe he could win. But if he can make the deal, he ought to do it.”

As he trudged back to his stool, Oleksandr Usyk was on the brink.

He’d taken a volley of hard body shots from Anthony Joshua in the ninth round of their unified heavyweight title fight and looked, for all intents and purposes, as if he’d fold in the subsequent three minutes against a powerful big man bent on regaining championship status.

AJ PILES ON THE PRESSURE 😲

HUGE ONSLAUGHT #UsykJoshua2 #RageOnTheRedSea pic.twitter.com/6E12iObyXh

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 20, 2022

But then he didn’t.

In fact, not only did Usyk refuse to let a nearly year-long reign wither in the Saudi desert, he managed to compellingly turn fight-altering momentum against his foe while simultaneously setting up the biggest match of the current heavyweight era.

And as he grabbed the microphone after the fight, he knew it.

“This is already history,” Usyk said.

“Many generations are gonna watch this fight. Especially the round when somebody tried to beat me hard. By I stood up to it and I turned it around.”

Turned it around in the form of a one-sidedly violent 10th round that left Joshua a spent, rubber-legged shell with little to offer over the final six minutes before a closer-than-necessary split-decision verdict.

Usyk and Joshua were awarded matching 115-113 verdicts (seven rounds to five) on the first two scorecards read by Michael Buffer, but the reigning IBF/IBO/WBA/WBO champion got a 116-112 nod on the third to retain his jewelry and set his sights on the only belt he doesn’t own.

Tyson Fury, it’s your move.

“Yes, of course (I want Fury),” Usyk said.

“I’m sure that Tyson Fury is not retired yet. I’m convinced he wants to fight me. I want to fight him. If I’m not fighting Tyson Fury, I’m not fighting at all.”

The still-unbeaten Brit is still the WBC’s champion of record but had played coy about his future intentions since last defending his title against Dillian Whyte in April.

He’d said as recently as last week that the latest retirement decision was authentic, but he was active on social media shortly after Saturday’s fight with the throaty claim that he’d annihilate both Usyk and Joshua on the same night.

He boastfully upped the ante and all but made a return official.

THE GYPSY KING IS HERE TO STAY!!!@WBCBoxing @frankwarren_tv pic.twitter.com/DaDCfbQvPI

— TYSON FURY (@Tyson_Fury) August 20, 2022

“Get your f—king checkbook out because the Gypsy King is here to stay,” he said. “Forever.”

Given Fury's personality, it's impossible to believe a full-on unification will occur until the two men are in a ring together.

But the comprehensive nature of the Ukrainian's second win over Joshua—aside from some early rounds and the aforementioned ninth—it's just as impossible not to be titillated by the prospect of the division's top talents meeting for all the marbles.

Though shorter by three inches and lighter by more than 20 pounds, Usyk was again able to confound his less-polished foe with frenetic hand and foot movement that had the second-tier Englishman appearing more thoughtful and tentative than active and aggressive.

An essentially even first four rounds soon gave way to a middle stretch in which Usyk strafed Joshua with southpaw jabs and snapping right hands that didn't register on the concussive scale so much as they left the former titleholder less willing to work his own offense.

Joshua began finding the mark with body work in the eighth, though, and had Usyk in serious discomfort through the ninth, eliciting winces and deep breaths that seemed to foreshadow a dramatic charge that'd enable him to dominate down the stretch.

Instead, Usyk charged from his corner to start the 10th, walked through a hard right at the round's midway point and stepped on the gas in the final minute with a barrage that had Joshua reeling.

USYK ABSOLUTELY LAYS IT ON ANTHONY JOSHUA 🤯#UsykJoshua2 #RageOnTheRedSea pic.twitter.com/ol0s5oeY6G

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 20, 2022

He won the final three rounds on all three scorecards in their first fight last September and controlled the same stretch in the rematch, earning the respect of Joshua's longtime promotional ally, Eddie Hearn.

"In the ninth round I ran over. I thought we had it," he said.

"What Usyk did in the 10th, 11th and 12th was incredible and that was the difference tonight. Usyk came out like a train.

"That 10th round was the moment he decided to retain his titles. and what he did in the 10th, 11th and 12th was why he's the pound-for-pound No. 1. Championship rounds from a championship fighter."

It'll be a significantly bigger challenge, literally and figuratively, to beat Fury, who stands three inches taller than Joshua at 6'9", has a pterodactyl-like 85" reach and weighed 264.75 pounds for his last fight, more than 43 pounds heavier than Usyk's career-high 221.5.

He has 23 KOs in 32 wins and has won three straight by stoppage, but also has surprisingly nimble feet for a big man and handled the power of KO artist Deontay Wilder while going 2-0-1 against him across 30 rounds of action.

Fury-Wilder was the most recent meeting of top-shelf unbeaten title claimants.

A match between he and Usyk, though, would feel much bigger because of their shared placements on respected pound-for-pound lists and impressive lists of in-ring victims.

Fury would presumably open as a sizable betting favorite given the size advantages and prodigious skill set, but the 2012 Olympic heavyweight gold medalist will certainly have supporters, too. And Hearn is already going on record as one of them.

"AJ wasn't good enough," he said. And I'm not sure anyone can beat Oleksandr Usyk."

MMA's pound-for-pound kingpin is still not feeling the love.

Even as Kamaru Usman (20-1) prepares for his sixth consecutive title defense Saturday at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City, Utah, the welterweight champion continues to feel that some people in the fighting world aren't giving him his flowers.

You have to think that anyone who's objectively followed his career would surrender those flowers willingly. His wrestling, fight IQ, measured aggression, striking power, toughness and stamina all are time-tested capabilities, delivering a perfect 15-0 record under the UFC banner and a three-plus-year title reign. They haven't all been easy victories or flawless performances, but his dominance is inarguable.

Saturday will see Usman participate in a rematch of a 2015 deep-undercard contest with Leon Edwards (19-3 [1 NC]), which Usman won by unanimous decision.

Though a heavy underdog in this fight—he’s +295 per DraftKings as of Thursday—Edwards has a 10-fight unbeaten streak dating back to, you guessed it, his loss to Usman. Most recently, he staved off a dramatic late charge from Nate Diaz to secure the biggest win of his career.

Earlier this week, I spoke with Usman in a 1-on-1 interview. We talked about a variety of topics, including Edwards, boxing Jake Paul, his bond with two other reigning UFC champions, and, yes, that Rodney Dangerfield complex.

The original bout between you two happened almost seven years ago. Is there a sense of continuity for you, or was it so long ago that you're viewing Saturday as a completely separate entity?

Usman: It's a new fight, but there are certain things that don't change. Certain things don't leave you. So in a sense, there's a little bit of a continuation, but at the same time, I understand that I had to improve my skills, and my skills have improved, and his skills have also improved.

Edwards is a tough, smart fighter, and for me it's hard to see a path to victory for him here. But it doesn't matter what I think. How do you see it going this Saturday? Any predictions?

Usman: Oh, there's a path to victory for everybody. A fight's a fight. That's why we love this sport so much, because anything can happen.

I respect that he's a tough opponent. He's going to be coming with everything he's got. And I know he truly believes that this is his time and his destiny, to be champion.

But I'm going to put his dreams on hold.

And so my prediction is that I'll do what I do best, which is go inside that Octagon and get the win.

You have a bit of a catch phrase. You're always saying "put some respect on my name." You routinely headline pay-per-views, you're No. 1 on the UFC pound-for-pound rankings, and you're riding a streak of five consecutive title defenses.

Even with all that, do you still feel disrespected by people? And if so, why do you feel that way? Why do you think the respect isn't there?

Usman: It's always going to happen. That s--t's just how people are. They don’t want to appreciate somebody, and I think it's because it helps them feel better about not being in the position of that person.

But it's not about me being liked or not liked. It's about being respected. Each and every one of the guys I'm facing are the biggest, baddest dudes in the world. And time and time again, I'm victorious against these guys.

So that's all I'm asking: put some respect on my name! You don't have to like it, but put some respect on it.

So to be clear, the people who don't respect you are acting out of jealousy?

Usman: (long pause) I don't know what it is. I can't tell you what it is, honestly.

I don't speak for anybody else. What I do know is that I'm stepping in there, each and every time, and beating the biggest, baddest contenders in the world.

And that deserves to have some respect.

You may have gotten this question once or twice before: If Khamzat Chimaev beats Nate Diaz at UFC 279, is he the next man in line?

Usman: First of all, I'm not even thinking about Chimaev. I'm not worried about him. I'm worried about Leon Edwards. That's who I’m worried about.

So, yeah, UFC 279 is a whole different event, and it's not my event. When I get through my event, I know the media, the fans aren't gonna be shy about telling me about the next guy they think might be able to defeat me.

But I'm only thinking about Leon Edwards now. We'll deal with the rest and everything else after.

You've talked about getting into boxing, in kind of a semi-serious way. You’ve called out Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, and you've been linked to Jake Paul. How serious are you really about crossing over to boxing?

Usman: It's not 'semi-serious.' I talked about boxing because I'm one of the pound-for-pound bests, and I want to fight the other pound-for-pound best, and that's Canelo Alvarez. There's nothing 'semi' about that.

Now, Jake Paul, I don’t know why he's a part of the conversation, or from where. But that fight makes no sense to me—unless Jake Paul is willing to offer me a, you know, an amount that's equivalent to fighting Canelo.

But it's not just about the money, or fighting Jake Paul. With Alvarez, it's pound-for-pound versus pound-for-pound, and I am very serious about that.

Who would you say has been your toughest opponent in the UFC to date?

Usman: That's a really good question. My answer is different from everybody else's answer, because everyone sees what they see, and they think they know what the answer is based on what they saw. But I was actually in there. So I might have a little different answer.

Leon is definitely one of the toughest guys I've faced in there. But also Emil Meek. He was one of the toughest guys I've faced inside the Octagon as well [Editor’s note: Usman defeated Meek by unanimous decision in 2018].

You've formed a bond with Francis Ngannou and Israel Adesanya, the UFC heavyweight and middleweight champions, respectively. All three of you have deep African roots. [Editor’s note: Usman is Nigerian-American, Ngannou is Cameroonian-French and Adesanya is Nigerian-New Zealander]. How did this friendship form and what does it mean to you?

Usman: It's something that I can't explain, something a lot of people would never understand.

It's not something that you force; it just kinda happened. We've all been placed in the situation that we're in, and we all understand that. We see the responsibility of it. And understanding that is just something that is deep inside us. And I think that's what makes that bond so strong.

Ngannou threw out the idea of putting all three of you on the same card and doing it in Africa.

Usman: We would love to do that, but we're also smart enough to understand the logistics of the sport, and understanding that there's a lot that goes into it behind closed doors that most people aren't seeing. People just say, 'oh, just go out there and do an event.' There's a lot of things that need to take place for something like that to happen.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cg45JPel-BY

Last one: It's been a pretty busy summer for the UFC. Any fights or fighters jump out? Last weekend we got a surprise Fight of the Year candidate from Nate Landwehr and David Onama. Did you catch that one?

Usman: Oh, of course I caught that! There's another African brother with Onama. He was a great fighter and a great competitor. It seemed in the end he ran out of gas a little bit, but he still put on a fantastic performance.

But Nate 'The Train' is just a dog. Much respect to both of those guys. And definitely a Fight of the Year candidate.

Adrian Peterson looks ready for his first foray into the world of boxing.

The former NFL MVP posted a video on Instagram from a sparring session in which he dropped his opponent with a quick combination, capped by a hard right hand to the jaw.

Peterson captioned the video "September 10," the date of his exhibition fight against Le'Veon Bell.

Bell has been posting images of himself in training for the bout. Both of the former star running backs look to be in great physical condition as they move into combat sports.

The Peterson-Bell fight was originally scheduled for the undercard of the AnEsonGib-Austin McBroom card at Crypto.com Arena on July 30.

Social Gloves Entertainment, which is promoting the show, announced July 22 the event was being postponed because of the "unavailability" of AnEsonGib.

TMZ Sports reported AnEsonGib was not medically cleared to compete because of a head injury.

On Monday, Social Gloves Entertainment announced the rescheduling of the event for Sept. 10 at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.

Peterson, 37, played four games in the NFL last season. He split time between the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks. The seven-time Pro Bowler has not officially retired from the NFL and remains a free agent.

Bell appeared in eight games between the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2021. The Bucs released him in January. The 30-year-old announced in July he was stepping away from football this season to focus on boxing.