Boxing news: Floyd Mayweather Vs. Ricky Hatton Agreed?

Big fight news from the world of boxing: Floyd Mayweather Vs. Ricky Hatton has reportedly been verbally agreed.
Ricky Hatton's trainer, Billy Graham, announced a verbal agreement between representatives of Hatton and Mayweather for a December super-fight in Las Vegas. Hatton's father Ray reportedly also confirmed this weekend that he had reached a "verbal agreement" with Mayweather's camp shortly after returning from a trip to Las Vegas to watch Bernard Hopkins' victory over Winky Wright. Ricky Hatton will try to become the first man to defeat Floyd Mayweather and establish himself as the number one pound-for-pound boxer in the world.

Contracts are expected to be signed in the coming days for a fight which is set to earn Hatton around £8million, and Mayweather much more. It is expected to take place on December 8 in Las Vegas.

Floyd Mayweather announced his retirement after his win over Oscar De La Hoya in May, but appears to have been tempted back into the ring following comments by Hatton.

Hatton's representatives will sign a one-fight deal with De La Hoya's 'Golden Boy' organisation to promote the fight.

This should be a reat fight. Let's hope all these reports are accurate.

Boxing: Joe Calzaghe Promo

In light of the upcoming Calzaghe Vs Kessler fight, here's a DVD promo in honor of Joe Calzaghe.

Liddell's UFC 'comeback' bout to be at UFC 76

Anaheim's Honda Center will be the place where former Ultimate Fighting Championship light-heavyweight champion Chuck Liddell fights for the first time since losing his belt in a surprising first-round knockout loss to Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, UFC officials confirmed Tuesday.

Liddell will fight mixed martial arts veteran Keith Jardine in the main event of UFC 76, scheduled for Sept. 22.

The card will also feature another high-profile light-heavyweight bout pitting Forrest Griffin (14-4), the winner of Spike TV's reality television series "The Ultimate Fighter I," against 2005 PRIDE Fighting Championships grand prix middleweight champion Mauricio "Shogun" Rua in his UFC debut.

Rua, a Brazilian who has defeated Jackson, is fighting in the UFC Octagon for the first time since the Las Vegas-based organization purchased Japan-based PRIDE earlier this year.

UFC President Dana White has expressed frustration at the scheduling and accounting overseen by the previous PRIDE owners, and told reporters at the UFC event earlier this month in Sacramento that "these guys need to fight."

The 38-year-old Liddell, UFC's most popular fighter, was knocked out less than two minutes into the first round of his May championship defense against Irvine's Jackson at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Liddell had won seven consecutive fights by knockout, a string that included victories over Huntington Beach's Tito Ortiz and current UFC heavyweight champion Randy Couture.

Liddell was due to fight former PRIDE champion Wanderlei Silva in an anticipated showdown in Anaheim, but Silva opted not to fight, forcing the UFC to scramble for a replacement opponent in a pay-per-view card that is absent a title fight.

Like Liddell (20-4), Jardine (12-4-1) was also dismissed in the first round of his most recent fight.

On the same night Liddell lost, Jardine, 31, was a heavier 5-1 favorite against Houston Alexander, who was making his UFC debut. Alexander belted Jardine with a right uppercut and proceeded to pound him until the fight was stopped 48 seconds after it started.

A fight earlier, Jardine appeared on his way toward a title fight shot when he knocked out Griffin in the first round.

Boxing News: "I want Calzaghe" - Hopkins

More Boxing News
Bernard Hopkins has set his sights on a showdown with WBO super middleweight champion Joe Calzaghe after defeating Winky Wright in Las Vegas.
42-year-old Hopkins retained his IBO light heavyweight title by a unanimous decision at the Mandalay Bay and then threw out a challenge to 168 pounds champion Calzaghe, who meets Mikkel Kessler in Wales on November 3 to unify the division.

Hopkins (48-4-1, 32 KOs) has won his last two fights at this weight after inflicting a first defeat since December 1999 on Wright and winning a decision against Antonio Tarver in June 2006.

Judges Dave Moretti and Glenn Trowbridge scored the fight, 117-111, while judge Glenn Hamada had it 116-112 for the winner.

A headbutt by Hopkins in the third round left a significant cut over the left eye of Wright, whose wound began to bleed at a significant rate. And afterwards Wright accused his opponent of dirty tactics.

The referee briefly stopped the match and warned Hopkins as Wright was treated by the ringside doctor. Hopkins, however, insisted the incident was an accident.

Hopkins was to earn three million US dollars for this fight.

So what next? Will he move back down a weight? I don't think Calzage will move up. This should be interesting. It's good to see Hopkins still has some fight in him and is going after quality opposition.

Boxing: Fight News - Winky Wright Vs Bernard Hopkins

Winky Wright Vs Bernard Hopkins meet in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The Mandalay Bay hosts a fight between the finest boxing technicians of their generation.

Winky won the WBO light-middleweight title in 1996 and began his rise to world prominence, which culminated in victories over Shane Mosley in 2004 and Felix Trinidad in 2005.

Hopkins, seven years Wright's senior, boasted a record-breaking stint as middleweight world champion before being controversially beaten by rising star Jermain Taylor.

However, he recovered in style last year to beat former light-heavyweight world champion (and Rocky Balboa movie star) Antonio Tarver despite a jump of two weight divisions.

Wright, for so long a 154lb fighter, is making an even bigger jump to take on Hopkins at a 170lb catch-weight. This fight is the latest in a growing, welcome trend whereby top fighters shun 'alphabet' titles and opt to make meaningful fights against top opponents.

Winky is the favorite here, but this should be a great battle with the bigger man Hopkins eager to prove his legacy.

UFC News: Sherk and Franca test positive for steroids following UFC 73

UFC Lightweight Champion Sean Sherk tested positive for Nandrolone Metabolite following his bout at UFC 73. Sherk has been fined $2,500 and suspended for one year (effective as of July 7).

Sherk’s opponent that evening, Hermes Franca, was also fined $2,500 and has been suspended for one year.

Another case of the UFC getting more and more like the WWE. It's good that these guys were caught though, hopefully it will act as a lesson for others in the UFC.

It's a shame though that these guys threw away the opportunities that they had. When their bans are over, will the UFC give them another shot, or will they end up at BlowdogFight?

Record Breaking Super Fight?

Will Joe Calzaghe's unification super fight against Mikkel Kessler set a new world attendance record for an indoor boxing event?

The Millennium Stadium, in Calzaghe's home country of Wales in the UK, will host the showdown on November 3 with 70,000 tickets available, of which 17,500 have already been sold even though the fight was only confirmed last Wednesday.

Muhammad Ali's rematch against Leon Spinks holds the record with 63,500 descending on the Louisiana Superdome in 1978 to watch 'The Greatest' win the world heavyweight title for a third time.

Promoter Warren said: "Getting Joe and Mikkel together is very expensive.

"Kessler's people wanted the fight in Copenhagen but ultimately money swung it to be held over here. It's always about the money! "The record for an indoor gate in the sport is 63,500 and I think we'll have more than that at the Millennium Stadium on November 3. If that happens it will be the world's biggest indoor boxing event."

Kessler is arguably Calzaghe's greatest challenge to date with the 28-year-old WBC and WBA super-middleweight champion unbeaten in 39 fights.

But Warren believes the Dane will bring the best out of Calzaghe, whose WBO belt and unblemished record will also be on the line in Cardiff.

It's great that this fight has finally been nailed down. The worrying rumours of a novelty 'super fight' with Bernard Hopkins or Roy Jones eventually died down, and Frank Warren has managed to make the fight every boxing fan wants to see.

Unbeaten Dane Kessler may not boast the box-office draw of a Hopkins or Jones in America. But the live gate receipts and interest generated by such a commendable unification clash will produce the kudos and Kroner Calzaghe craves.

Wladimir Klitschko beat Lamon Brewster by technical knockout for the IBF heavyweight title.

Brewster did not return for the seventh round after Klitschko dominated the first half of the fight courtesy of a strong left jab which he followed up with strong rights to the head.

WBA champion Ruslan Chagaev and WBO belt-holder Sultan Ibragimov battle out a unification match in October, and Klitschko has already challenged the winner.

Ibragimov looked OK against Shannon Briggs. But this division needs another Tyson, I've said it before.

Wladimir Klitschko is now 31 and near his peak. When the subject of facing 45 year old Evander Holyfield came up, Klitschko said that he would consider facing the former four-time heavyweight champion, but would rather take on the winner of the October unification between WBA champ Rusland Chagaev and WBO titleholder Sultan Ibragimov.

Hasim Rahman is said to be the frontrunner to fight Klitschko next, but Holyfield, who holds a win over Rahman, would make a lot more financial sense and could make for a more entertaining fight.

UFC 73 Results

A good night of fights:

Main Event:
UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva vs. Nathan Marquardt
Winner: Silva defeats Marquardt via technical knockout in round one

Undercard:
205 lbs. Tito Ortiz vs. Rashad Evans
Winner: Ortiz and Evans fight to a three round DRAW!
155 lbs. Sean Sherk vs. Hermes Franca
Winner: Sherk defeats Franca via unanimous decision
Hvywt. Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira vs. Heath Herring
Winner: Nogueira defeats Herring via unanimous decision
155 lbs. Kenny Florian vs. Alvin Robinson
Winner: Florian defeats Robinson via submission (strikes) in round one
205 lbs. Stephan Bonnar vs. Mike Nickels
Winner: Bonnar defeats Nickels via submission (rear naked choke) in round one
155 lbs. Jorge Gurgel vs. Diego Saraiva
Winner: Gurgel defeats Saraiva via unanimous decision
170 lbs. Chris Lytle vs. Jason Gilliam
Winner: Lytle defeats Gilliam via submission (triangle choke) in round one
155 lbs. Frank Edgar vs. Mark Bocek
Winner: Edgar defeats Bocek via technical knockout (strikes) in round one

Thanks to UFC Mania for this.

Calzage Vs Kessler: It's On!

Frank Warren claims he has overcome "all the major obstacles" to getting Joe Calzaghe in the ring for a superfight with Mikkel Kessler at the Millennium Stadium in November.

Great news - Calzaghe has held the WBO title for 10 years while Kessler is the undefeated WBC and WBA champion.

I'm looking forward to this fight.