Boxing

Former UFC superstar Nate Diaz has a few options for his next move after becoming a free agent earlier this month, and it sounds like he already has something in mind.

Diaz told iD Boxing (h/t Amit Shukla of Thirsty For News) that he'd be interested in a boxing match against Jake Paul, who is scheduled to fight MMA legend Anderson Silva on Oct. 29:

"[Jake Paul] is for sure one of the options. He's doing big stuff. He's doing big things. He's got a big fight ahead of him. If he wins that, I'm sure people will be really impressed by it. And if Anderson [Silva] does his thing on him, that’s impressive also. Now we've got a fight on his hands. I'm looking forward to it."

Diaz is coming off a fourth-round submission victory over Tony Ferguson in the main event of UFC 279, which was the final fight on his contract. He has expressed his desire to explore his options outside of the company for quite some time:

"From 17 or 18 years old, I was starting to fight, I was boxing with my boxing coach. There were boxers all over my gym, and I was going to box initially, but MMA shows were more around my area, and they were happening, so I got stuck in MMA. I got stuck in a cage this whole time with contracts and stuff. Now everything is open for the taking. I never stopped training for a boxing fight since I started fighting. When the right opponent or right thing comes, we’re going to take it."

The 37-year-old also left the door open to returning to the UFC at some point in the future, but for now, it appears he's ready to test the waters in the world of boxing.

Canelo Alvarez is ready to move on after his decisive victory over Gennady, but not without giving credit to his longtime rival first.

"[Golvkin] a great fighter, and that's why we're here. I'm glad to share the ring with him, and I'm going to keep moving forward to keep my legacy going strong," Alvarez said Saturday during his in-ring interview following his unanimous decision win over GGG.

Alvarez won 115-113 on a pair of judge scorecards and 116-112 on the other, but the fight was never as close as those scores would indicate. Boxing's biggest star looked borderline flawless in his return to super middleweight, dictating the pace of the bout throughout to finish off his trilogy with Golovkin as the victor.

It's likely Canelo will seek a rematch against Dmitry Bivol for his next fight. Bivol shockingly defeated Alvarez in May to retain his WBA light heavyweight title in a fight that sent shockwaves throughout the sport.

A rematch would undoubtedly result in the biggest payday of Bivol's career and serve as a natural next step for Alvarez, who has accomplished everything he can at super middleweight.

Capping off their trilogy in disappointing fashion on Saturday night in Las Vegas, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez defeated Gennadiy Golovkin for the second time to retain the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight championships.

Canelo dominated the fight from the opening bell en route to a unanimous-decision win. Two judges scored the bout 115-113, and the third had it 116-112, though it didn't even seem that close.

Golovkin's performance was roundly criticized, with many observers noting it looked like he was aging before our eyes.

The bad blood between the two fighters had been boiling for years. It has led to strong trash talk from Canelo and Golovkin leading up to Saturday's bout.

"It's personal for me because he talks [about] a lot of things," Alvarez told reporters earlier this week. "I just can't wait to be in the ring."

A showdown between Canelo and Golovkin has been expected for more than two years. Both parties agreed to a deal for a trilogy fight in March 2020, but a date and location had not been determined at that point.

The first meeting between Canelo and Triple G took place in September 2017. Both superstars fought to a split-decision draw, essentially guaranteeing a rematch would be set up.

Canelo and Golovkin squared off for a second time one year later. They went 12 rounds again, but Canelo prevailed with a majority decision to win the WBA, WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles. It was the only loss of Golovkin's career before Saturday.

One reason it took 12 months to set up the second match is that Canelo tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug in March 2018.

The positive drug test seemed to ignite Golovkin's intense dislike of Canelo.

"Canelo's team are using these drugs, and everybody's trying to pretend it's not happening," Golovkin told reporters in March 2018. "This guy, he knows. This is not his first day in boxing. He proves he gets benefits from everyone, and he can get away with it. The commentators, commission, doping commission—this is a very bad business, [it's] not sport. Check him on a lie detector, and then we can find out everything."

Alvarez entered this bout coming off a loss to Dmitry Bivol in his last fight, though he had to jump to light heavyweight for his title fight with the Russian. His unanimous-decision loss was just the second defeat of his career.

The Mexican superstar got back on track and silenced his longtime rival. His career record now stands at 58-2-2 in 62 fights. Golovkin falls to 42-2-1 in his career.

Both Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin are reportedly set to receive massive paydays for the highly anticipated third fight in their trilogy.

According to Keith Idec of BoxingScene.com, Canelo will earn a purse of $45 million, while GGG will make $20 million for the bout.

Canelo and GGG fought to a draw in their first fight in 2017, and Alvarez was victorious by majority decision in the rematch one year later.

Fight No. 3 is set for Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and it represents the opportunity for Golovkin to even the score and potentially set the stage for a fourth and final clash in the future.

The first two bouts were somewhat controversial since a case could have been made for GGG to be the winner in either of them, but Canelo escaped with a win and a draw on his record, meaning his only loss at the time still came at the hands of the legendary Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Alvarez hit a speedbump en route to Canelo vs. GGG III, however, as he suffered the second loss of his career in May.

Canelo was downed by Dmitry Bivol by unanimous decision, resulting in the loss of his WBA (Super) light heavyweight title.

The Mexican superstar moved back to middleweight for Saturday's contest, though, and he will put the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO and The Ring middleweight titles on the line against Golovkin.

For Golovkin, the only blemishes on his record remain the loss and draw to Canelo, as he is a perfect 4-0 since those fights.

Most recently, the 40-year-old native of Kazakhstan took the fight to Ryōta Murata in a ninth-round technical knockout victory in April to improve his professional record to 42-1-1.

In order to recoup some of that money, DAZN is making it a pricey endeavor for boxing fans, as the fight will cost $85 to view on DAZN pay-per-view.

While that is more expensive than most fights, each of the first two meetings between Alvarez and Golovkin were highly entertaining, and Saturday's bout has a strong chance to challenge for fight of the year honors.

Saul "Canelo" Álvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin will bring their rivalry to a close when they face off for a third time in a super middleweight championship bout on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

The pair first clashed in September 2017, fighting to a split draw. In the rematch a year later, Álvarez edged out Golovkin on two of the three scorecards to earn a majority-decision win. The trilogy fight is presumably the final opportunity for the 40-year-old Golovkin to take down his bitter rival.

Álvarez, 32, is returning to super middleweight after losing to Dimitry Bivol in May in a light heavyweight championship fight. Alvarez remains the undisputed champion at super middleweight, which means four belts are up for grabs in this one.

Golovkin has fought and won four times since his second bout against Canelo. He's won three of them by stoppage, the most recent a ninth-round TKO win over Ryota Murata at middleweight in April. Saturday marks his first professional fight at super middleweight.

Álvarez vs. Golovkin Fight Info

When: Saturday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. ET (main card), 11 p.m. ET (main event)

Where: T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas

Live stream: DAZN (subscription required)

Odds: Alvarez -550 (bet $550 to win $100), Golovkin +370 (bet $100 to win $370)

Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook.

Preview, Predictions

Álvarez is a solid favorite heading into Saturday's fight. He took on a major risk by moving up to face Bivol earlier this year, but the return to 168 pounds should help him. He's still in the prime of his career and has said the recent loss has fueled his competitive fire.

“I will tell what it has done, I do feel hungrier. I feel more dangerous now. My training hasn’t changed. I still train 100 percent," Álvarez said told The Ring's Joseph Santoliquito.

There's no question Álvarez has to be at the top of his game. Golovkin may be 40 years old now, but he remains one of the most dangerous punchers in the sport. Álvarez had to withstand some hellacious blows to earn a controversial draw and narrow win in the first two meetings. He shouldn't expect anything different the third time around.

Golovkin is eager to prove that he can beat Álvarez, who many consider one of the best, if not the best, pound-for-pound fighters of his generation. Some believe Golovkin deserved to win the first fight against Alvarez, and the second bout was also fought on razor-thin margins. But the record still shows that Golovkin is 0-1-1 against Álvarez. This is his long-awaited chance to correct the narrative.

“We fought at 160, now we are fighting against each other at 168. Same ring, same rules for both of the opponents, and at the same time I feel great at 168. So there will be no excuses," Golovkin said, per the Guardian's Donald McRae.

While Golovkin has all the self-confidence in the world, it seems few are picking him to score an upset Saturday night. Bleacher Report's Lyle Fitzsimmons is going with Canelo by unanimous decision, noting Alvarez has been "more active and more impressive since their second meeting."

Bad Left Hook polled four of its writers, with three backing Alvarez and one backing Golovkin. Will Esco believes Alvarez will win by late TKO as he's "motivated enough to put on a good performance here as he looks to conclude this trilogy in clear fashion." John Hansen is backing the underdog by split decision, writing "I’ve never seen Gennadiy Golovkin lose a fight to Canelo Alvarez before. Age and oddsmakers be damned, I won’t sell the old man short this time, either."

It's true that Golovkin seems to have slowed down a bit, even if he remains a middleweight champion and has given no indication that he plans to retire. If his reflexes and snap on his punches are waning, Alvarez should be able to take advantage with his trademark counterpunches and hooks to the body.

Of course, there's plenty of pressure on Alvarez here. He's coming off a loss, has the belts to lose and is a solid favorite. He's not going to get too much credit if he beats a 40-year-old prizefighter. That's the clear expectation. If he loses, it's going to again call into question the decisions from the first two fights. Alvarez can't afford to tighten up or misread Golovkin here. It took his best stuff to get through the first two chapters of this rivalry. It's not going to be any different on Saturday.

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A marquee weekend for Saul "Canelo" Alvarez got even bigger on Friday with the announcement the boxing superstar will appear in the new installment in the Creed franchise.

Michael B. Jordan, who is starring in and directing the film, announced on Instagram that Alvarez will have a role in Creed III.

The first two movies in the series have featured appearances and cameos from several boxers, including Tony Bellew, Andre Ward, Gabriel Rosado and Jacob Duran.

It's unclear if Canelo will have a significant role in the movie, or if he will be limited to a cameo appearance. This will mark the super middleweight champion's first film role.

Jordan's announcement comes as Alvarez is preparing to defend the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight titles against Gennady Golovkin on Saturday in Las Vegas.

It's the third meeting between Canelo and Golovkin. Their first bout ended in a draw, but Alvarez got the better of Triple G in the rematch with a majority decision in September 2018.

The loss remains the only blemish on Golovkin's record thus far. Canelo is coming off a loss to Dmitry Bivol for the WBA light heavyweight championship on May 7.

Creed III is set to be released on March 3, 2023.

Pound-for-pound boxing king Canelo Alvarez was near the beginning of his career when he suffered a loss against Floyd Mayweather Jr. But if the two of them fought while they were in their respective primes, Alvarez firmly believes he would've had the edge.

"I think it's difficult to say because that's never going to happen," Alvarez told GQ Sports (h/t Michael Benson of TalkSport). "But I am sure that in my prime he would never beat me."

Alvarez was 23 years old when he faced Mayweather in a light middleweight championship superfight at a catchweight of 152 pounds. The then-36-year-old Mayweather won the fight by majority decision to unify the WBA (Super), WBC and The Ring light middleweight titles.

The bout was dominated by Mayweather, as he outlanded Alvarez 232-117. The scorecards were heavily criticized after judge CJ Ross ruled the fight a 114-114 draw. Ross retired as a boxing judge shortly after the fight.

Alvarez sounds like he is at peace with the loss, as he knows that he wasn't at his absolute best when facing arguably the greatest boxer of his generation.

"Simply, it was down to experience. If I compare that Canelo with Canelo today, they are completely different. It’d be a completely different fight now [against Mayweather]," Alvarez said last month.

After his loss to Mayweather, Alvarez didn't take a loss in his next 16 fights and is now the undisputed champion at super middleweight. He took a split-decision draw against Gennady Golovkin in 2017, but he won the rematch a year later. Most recently, Alvarez attempted to move up and claim the WBA (Super) light heavyweight, but he suffered a unanimous-decision loss to champion Dmitry Bivol for his first defeat since that Mayweather loss in 2013.

Alvarez is set to return to action Saturday in a trilogy fight against Golovkin in which his undisputed super middleweight titles will be on the line.

An undisputed welterweight championship fight between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. is being targeted for Nov. 19.

Per ESPN's Mike Coppinger, the two superstar boxers have "agreed to all material terms" for a bout in Las Vegas.

Coppinger did note the contract has not yet been signed by Crawford or Spence as their lawyers "clean up" some of the legal language in the agreement.

As part of the agreement, there is a bilateral rematch clause that the loser of the fight will have the right to exercise.

"If the rematch clause is triggered," Coppinger wrote, "the winner will earn the majority of revenue for the return bout, per sources."

Assuming the deal is finalized, it will mark the first fight of the year for Crawford. He most recently defeated Shawn Porter via 10th-round TKO to retain the WBO welterweight title in November 2021.

Spence ended his 16-month layoff in April, scoring a win over Yordenis Ugás with a TKO in the 10th round to retain the WBC and IBF welterweight titles. He also won the WBA welterweight crown.

Prior to that bout, Spence told TMZ Sports a showdown with Crawford was what he wanted to do next.

"That's the fight I feel like only makes sense because it would just be one belt left," he said. "That's the next fight I'll be campaigning for."

Spence was scheduled to fight Manny Pacquiao in August 2021, but he was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a retinal detachment/break suffered during sparring.

ESPN.com has Crawford and Spence ranked as the top two fighters in the 147-pound division. They are a combined 66-0 with 51 wins by knockout or TKO.

Spence has held the IBF welterweight championship since defeating Kell Brook in 2017.

Crawford moved up to welterweight in 2018 after competing as a light welterweight for the previous three years. He defeated Jeff Horn in his first fight as a 147-pounder to win the WBO title.