Fight News

UFC 89 - Bisbing Vs. Leben

2008-10-03T10:24:00.000-07:00

Bisping should knock out Leben pretty easily in this one.

I'd say in round 2.

UFC 81 Results

2008-02-07T10:12:00.000-08:00

Main Event:
Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira vs. Tim Sylvia
Winner: Antonio Rodrigo “Minotauro” Nogueira via Submission (guillotine choke)

Tim Sylvia was submitted and tapped out very quickly.

Undercard:
Heavyweight. Frank Mir vs. Brock Lesnar
Winner: Frank Mir via submission (kneebar)

Lesnar looked like a monster but his inexperience showed. He also tapped out very quickly.

185 lbs. Nate Marquardt vs. Jeremy Horn
Winner: Nate Marquardt via submission (guillotine choke)
185 lbs. Alan Belcher vs. Ricardo Almeida
Winner: Ricardo Almeida via submission (guillotine choke)
155 lbs. Tyson Griffin vs. Gleison Tibau
Winner: Tyson Griffin via unanimous decision
170 lbs. Chris Lytle vs. Kyle Bradley
Winner: Chris Lytle via technical knockout (strikes)
205lbs. Tim Boetsch vs. David Heath
Winner: Tim Boetsch via technical knockout (strikes)
185 lbs. Terry Martin vs. Marvin Eastman
Winner: Marvin Eastman via unanimous decision
155 lbs. Keita Nakamura vs. Rob Emerson
Winner: Rob Emerson via split decision

Andrew Golota Gets a Win

2008-01-24T10:43:00.000-08:00

Some boxing news on Andrew Golota:

Andrew Golota could get another world title shot following a brave points win over Mike Mollo.

The 40-year-old Polish boxer finished the fight with his left eye completely closed after dominating the middle rounds, using his superior height and 17lb weight advantage to smother an opponent 13 years his junior.

Here's a great article in Eastside boxing about the fight and about Golota's career:
Storybook Ending For Andrew Golota

Boxing News: Big February

2008-01-24T10:20:00.000-08:00

February is looking like a good month for Boxing fans:

Saturday February 16 2008 MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
166-pounds
Jermain Taylor 25 W 1 L 1 D 17 KOs vs.
Kelly Pavlik 32 W 0 L 0 D 29 KOs

It will be interesting to see if Kelly Pavlik lives up to the hype.

WBC Super Flyweight title
Cristian Mijares 33 W 3 L 2 D 14 KOs vs.
Jose Navarro 26 W 2 L 0 D 12 KOs
WBO super flyweight title
Fernando Montiel 35 W 2 L 1 D 26 KOs vs.
Martin Castillo 33 W 2 L 0 D 17 KOs
Middleweight
Ronald Hearns 17 W 0 L 0 D 13 KOs vs.
Juan Astorga 11 W 1 L 1 D 6 KOs

Saturday February 23 2008 Madison Square Garden, New York City, NY
WBC WBO WBA IBF Unification
Wladimir Klitschko 49 W 3 L 0 D 44 KOs vs.
Sultan Ibragimov 21 W 0 L 1 D 17 KOs

Clash of the heavyweights - this is what the heavyweight division need - a unification bout like this. Klitschko hasn't really been tested in a while, and Ibragimov will be a tough opponent. A lot on the line for these fighters, they will both be going for this one.

Middleweight
John Duddy 23 W 0 L 0 D 17 KOs vs.
Walid Smichet 17 W 3 L 3 D 13 KOs

Irish John Duddy is back in New York on the undercard of the Klitschko V Ibragimov fight. Still undefeated and rated number three by the WBO and WBC - as well as number six and number 11 by the WBA and IBF - Duddy (23-0, 17 KOs) is also ranked 10 in The Ring magazine. Let's hope he gets past Smichet here, and move on to great things.

UFC 80: Results

2008-01-21T12:09:00.000-08:00

Here's the results from UFC 80 “Rapid Fire”:

BJ Penn defeats Joe Stevenson via Rear Naked Choke Round 2
Fabricio Werdum defeats Gabriel Gonzaga via TKO (Strikes) Round 2
Marcus Davis defeats Jess Liaudin via TKO (Strikes) Round 1
Wilson Gouveia defeats Jason Lambert via TKO (Strikes) Round 2
Jorge Rivera defeats Kendall Grove via TKO (Strikes) Round 1
Antoni Hardonk defeats Colin Robinson via TKO (Strikes) Round 1
Paul Kelly defeats Paul Taylor via Unanimous Decision
Alessio Sakara defeats James Lee via TKO (Strikes) Round 1
Sam Stout defeats Per Eklund via Unanimous Decision

With a sensational win over Joe Stevenson at UFC 80: “Rapid Fire” this weekend to capture the vacant lightweight title, BJ Penn (12-4-1) is likely to meet up with former divsion champion, Sean Sherk (32-2-1), at UFC 85 on May 24 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Missed it? See the videos here:
UFC 80 videos
http://ufc-forums.com/ufc-videos-pictures/300-ufc-80-video.html

UFC 80: Fight News

2008-01-18T11:31:00.001-08:00

UFC 80: Rapid Fire takes place on Saturday, January 19, 2008 at the Metro Radio Arena in Newcastle, England.

The main event sees BJ Penn against Joe Stevenson.
The main event was originally scheduled for an interim lightweight championship; however, then-lightweight champion Sean Sherk was stripped of his title after the California State Athletic Commission upheld its suspension for Sherk testing positive for the anabolic steroid nandrolone. With the lightweight championship vacated, the Penn-Stevenson bout was scheduled to be for the undisputed championship.

Main card

* Lightweight championship bout: B.J. Penn vs. Joe Stevenson
* Heavyweight bout: Gabriel Gonzaga vs. Fabricio Werdum
* Welterweight bout: Marcus Davis vs. Jess Liaudin
* Light heavyweight bout: Wilson Gouveia vs. Jason Lambert
* Middleweight bout: Kendall Grove vs. Jorge Rivera

Fedor Emelianenko Vs Freak Show

2008-01-04T15:56:00.000-08:00

Pride FC Heavyweight Champion Fedor Emelianenko fought against the gigantic Korean, Hong Man Choi on New Year's eve.

UFC 79 Results

2008-01-04T15:36:00.000-08:00

Main Event:
Matt Hughes vs. Georges St. Pierre
Winner: Georges St. Pierre via submission (armbar) in round two.

Great fight here - GSP dominated Hughes from the start.

Undercard:
Chuck Liddell vs. Wanderlei Silva
Winner: Chuck Liddell via unanimous decision

Liddell and Silva stood up and threw hay makers all night (apart from 2 takedowns by Liddell). Liddell grinded out a win in the end.

205 lbs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou vs. Lyoto Machida
Winner: Lyoto Machida via Arm Triangle Choke Round 2
155 lbs. Rich Clementi vs. Melvin Guillard
Winner: Rich Clementi via Rear Naked Choke Round 1
155 lbs. Manny Gamburyan vs. Nate Mohr
Winner: Manny Gamburyan via submission (heal hook) in round one
185 lbs. Dean Lister vs. Jordan Radev
Winner: Dean Lister via unanimous decision
170 lbs. Roan Carneiro vs. Tony DeSouza
Winner: Roan Carneiro via technical knockout (strikes) in round two
Hvywt. Eddie Sanchez vs. Soa Palalei
Winner: Eddie Sanchez via TKO (Strikes) Round 3
155 lbs. Doug Evans vs. Mark Bocek
Winner: Mark Bocek via unanimous decision

UFC 79: “Nemesis”

2007-12-18T15:36:00.000-08:00

There’s just one UFC event remaining on the schedule for 2007 - UFC 79.

UFC 79: “Nemesis” is set for the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, on December 29. The New Year’s Eve weekend event is loaded with 10 bouts, including an amazing line up featured during the the pay-per-view (PPV) portion of the main card.

Here’s the fight card:

Main event:

Matt Hughes (41-5) vs. Georges St. Pierre (14-2) for the interim UFC Welterweight Championship

Main card (televised):

205 lbs.: Chuck Liddell (20-5) vs. Wanderlei Silva (31-7-1)
205 lbs.: Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou (4-1) vs. Lyoto Machida (11-0)
155 lbs.: Rich Clementi (28-12-1) vs. Melvin Guillard (20-6-2)
Hvywt.: Eddie Sanchez (7-1) vs. Soa Palalei (8-1)

Under card (may not be broadcast):

205 lbs.: James Irvin (12-4) vs. Luis Cane (7-0)
155 lbs.: Manny Gamburyan (5-2) vs. Nate Mohr (8-4)
185 lbs.: Dean Lister (9-5) vs. Jordan Radev (11-2)
170 lbs.: Roan Carneiro (11-6) vs. Tony DeSouza (10-3)
155 lbs.: Doug Evans (5-1) vs. Mark Bocek (4-1)

Hatton Beaten by Mayweather

2007-12-11T11:44:00.000-08:00

Ricky Hatton's cocky bid to take the WBC welterweight title from Floyd Mayweather ended when he was knocked out in the 10th round in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Mayweather beat Hatton to the canvas via the ring post with a left hook and after Hatton climbed to his feet, the champion finished the job with another huge left hand.

Ricky Hatton attempted to outhustle Mayweather from the start but his tactics never worked and the American held a huge points advantage by the time the fight was stopped.

Hatton just wasn't good enough, and Mayweather remains undefeated.

There is talk of Hatton fighting De La Hoya in London next year, but for now Hatton will have to sit back and think about this, his first, defeat.

Fight Talk Podcast

2007-11-15T14:58:00.000-08:00

I was talking to my buddy Damon D, who does a radio show over at BetUS. He runs a fight podcast which is pretty informative in all things MMA. Check it out. This week he has Luke Thomas from BloodyElbow.com drop by to talk UFC News and Odds, as well as give some predictions for this weekend's EliteXC card featuring Nick Diaz and Kimbo Slice.

You can find it at Fight Talk.

UFC 78 Fight Card:

2007-11-09T15:05:00.000-08:00

UFC 78 Fight Card:

Main Event:
Michael "The Count"Bisping VS."Sugar" Rashad Evans

Undercard:

Main card (televised)
Thiago Silva Vs. Houston Alexander
Joe Doerksen Vs. Ed Herman
Ryo Chonan Vs. Karo Parisyan

Undercard (may not be broadcast):
Frank Edgar Vs. Spencer Fisher
Chris Lytle Vs. Thiago Alves
Jason Reinhardt Vs. Joe Lauzon
Luke Caudillo Vs. Marcus Aurelio
Akihiro Gono Vs. Tamdan McCrory

There are some good fight odds on BetUS and a good fight related podcast.

Calzaghe Beats Kessler

2007-11-09T14:53:00.000-08:00

Joe Calzaghe carved out a points win over previously-unbeaten Dane Mikkel Kessler in their much hyped fight.

Calzaghe showed great versatility after working out his upright opponent during five tough opening rounds to record his 21st WBO title defence and add Kessler's WBA and WBC belts to his collection.

Kessler had come to the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff with a 39-fight unbeaten record, intending to prove to the 50,000 Calzaghe fans in attendance this was his night, instead, it was Calzaghe who turned on the style in the later rounds, moving to his left and working behind a stiff jab to negate the Dane's relatively one-dimensional approach and win in style.

Kessler had shaded much of the early action behind his crisp left jab, and enjoyed success from a trademark jolting right hand in the fourth round as the Welshman continued to try to work out his opponent.

But peppering Kessler with jabs of his own whilst circling out of range of his right hand, Calzaghe turned the tide and flung home hurtful hooks from both wings in a strong round eight.

Kessler was still enjoying some success as late as the ninth, but Calzaghe stayed on his toes, and in the end, it was a vindication of Calzaghe's status as an all-time great.

Now Calzaghe is trying to get a fight in the US against Bernard Hopkins. We shall see what happens.

Joe Calzaghe Vs. Mikkel Kessler

2007-10-29T17:30:00.000-07:00

This weekend:

Joe Calzaghe Vs. Mikkel Kessler

Saturday, November 3, 2007. At Cardiff, Wales (HBO 9pm EST)

12 rounds, Ring/WBO/WBC/WBA super middleweight unification

Ricky Hatton Vs. Floyd Mayweather

2007-10-29T14:23:00.000-07:00

Some boxing fight news now:

Not really news, but anyway...

It's getting closer to December 8, and one of the biggest boxing bouts of the year:
Ginger-haired poster boy Ricky Hatton Vs. Floyd Mayweather.

Should be a cracker.

UFCmania now MMAmania

2007-10-29T14:16:00.000-07:00

It's mania...one of the top UFC blogs on the interweb right now - UFCmania.com have changed their URL to http://www.mmamania.com

I wonder if fat head Dana White and the legal big wigs over at the UFC have been putting pressure on them? They said on the site that it was 'preventative'.

"MMAmania.com — not UFCmania.com — is the new destination for all of our readers and fellow mixed martial arts fans. This change is more of a preventative measure and will in no way shape or form effect our coverage, format or brand."

Good luck to them, I hope it wont effect their rankings too much. It's a great source of news and info. Check them out and support them if you can by giving them a link...just like I did.

I won't be changing the name of this blog any time soon.

UFC 77: “Hostile Territory”

2007-10-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

UFC 77: “Hostile Territory” is set for tomorrow Saturday night on October 20 from the U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. The pay-per-view (PPV) event airs at 10 p.m. ET.

Main Event:

UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva Vs. former 185-pound title holder Rich Franklin.

Undercard:

Main card (televised)
Hvywt.: Tim Sylvia (23-3) vs. Brandon Vera (8-0)
205 lbs.: Stephan Bonnar (10-4) vs. Eric Schafer (7-2-2)
185 lbs.: Kalib Starnes (8-1-1) vs. Alan Belcher (10-3)

Undercard (may not be broadcast):
185 lbs.: Jason MacDonald (19-8) vs. Yushin Okami (20-4)
155 lbs.: Jorge Gurgel (11-2) vs. Alvin Robinson (8-2)
170 lbs.: Josh Burkman (8-4) vs. Forrest Petz (13-4)
185 lbs.: Ryan Jensen (11-2) vs. Demian Maia (5-0)
155 lbs.: Jason Black (21-3-1) vs. Matt Grice (8-1)

UFC 76 Results

2007-09-24T16:32:00.000-07:00

UFC 76 - KNOCKOUT produced yet another main event underdog winner when ''The Dean of Mean'' Keith Jardine upset former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck ''The Iceman'' Liddell on Saturday night.

Judges scored the fight 29-28 twice and 28-29 for Jardine.

Round one featured many leg kicks from both fighters, in particularly from Jardine. Jardine was more the aggressor throughout a majority of the opening round. The final 30 seconds got the crowd roaring as the war began, but neither man took the round.

Early in round two, Liddell used his left jab with accuracy but it was Jardine who landed a right hand that dropped the former champion. Liddell quickly rose to his 37-year old feet, but the tone of the fight was claimed by Jardine with the bomb.

It was clear in round three that both fighters wanted to end matters before the judges had their say, as the bombs kept flying and Jardine continued to score. It was Liddell though who finished strong, but it obviously wasn't enough for Liddell.

With the win, Jardine improves to 13-4-1 and Liddell falls to 20-5. What next for Liddell? It seems like a long road back from here.

Forrest Griffin also won in UFC 76. UFC newboy Mauricio "Shogun" Rua was the healthy favorite, but his chances were ended at 4:45 in the 3rd round, as Griffin ended the fight with a rear naked choke.

In an evenly matched fight, Jon Fitch (-130) also scored a victory for his investors over Diego "Nightmare" Sanchez (Even). Fitch got the job done by way of a split decision.

Remaining UFC 76 Results:

- Lyoto Machida won by unanimous decision over Kazuhiro "Kaz" Nakamura.
- Tyson Griffin won by unanimous decision over Thiago Tavares.
- Rich "No Love" Clementi won by submission at 3:05 in the 2nd round with a rear naked choke over Anthony "Rumble" Johnson.
- Jeremy "Lil' Heathen" Stephens won by unanimous decision over Diego "The Octopus" Saraiva.
- Christian "The Hungarian Nightmare" Wellisch won by submission at 3:19 in the 1st round with a heel hook over Scott Junk.
- Matt "Handsome" Wiman won by unanimous decision over Michihiro "Micci" Omigawa.

UFC 75 - Michael Bisping Vs. Matt Hamill

2007-09-05T12:21:00.000-07:00

Another fight on the UFC 75 card will be a grudge match between Matt Hamill and England's Michael Bisping. I'm looking forward to this one as I'm a big fan on Bisping.

Both were contestants on the third season of The Ultimate Fighter show and did not hide their dislike for one another.

The issues stemming between the two fighters began on the reality show when Bisping said he believed that Hamill was getting preferential treatment by trainer Tito Ortiz. Hamill, a three-time NCAA Division III national champion in amateur wrestling, is also deaf.

In sparring sessions, Hamill often went at it full-strength with his teammates rather than holding back a little, leaving them with extra bumps and bruises they didn't want. That did not sit well with Bisping, who said he believes that he was picked as the training partner for Hamill to help him become a champion.

Hamill won his first fight on the show but was unable to continue to the semifinals because of injuries. Meanwhile, Bisping went on to become The Ultimate Fighter 3 champion and earned a contract with the company.

Since then, Hamill has wanted to fight Bisping to settle things once and for all.

UFC 75 Champion Vs Champion

2007-09-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

This weekend is a prime example of why the UFC and mixed martial arts in general, have surpassed boxing in popularity for fight fans. Despite building an immense and loyal fan base that consistently pays to view their fight cards, Dana White and the UFC crew will put on a huge event this Saturday that will be broadcast for FREE on Spike TV.

Saturday, September 8, 2007 at 9:00 p.m. EST free on Spike TV
from London, England
Main Event:
UFC Light-Heavyweight Champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson
vs.
Dan Henderson

Undercard:

Matt Hamill Vs. Michael Bisping

Mirko Cro Cop Vs. Cheick Kongo

Marcus Davis Vs. Paul Taylor

Houston Alexander Vs. Alessio Sakara

Gleison Tibau Vs. Terry Etim

Tomasz Drwal Vs. Thiago Silva

Naoyuki Kotani Vs. Dennis Siver

Anthony Torres Vs. Jess Liaudin

It has been nine years since Dan Henderson has fought for the UFC. This coming Saturday at UFC 75, he returns to the company to face light heavyweight champion Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in a unique title vs. title bout.

After winning the UFC 17 tournament in 1998, Henderson left the company in search of more lucrative fights and eventually ended up with the PRIDE Fighting Championships group in Japan, which he was a part of for seven years.

In December 2005, Henderson defeated Murilo Bustamante to become the PRIDE welterweight champion, which was the 185-pound division for that promotion. Then in February 2007, Henderson moved up to the 205-pound division and defeated Wanderlei Silva in what he calls "the most satisfying win of his career" to become the Pride light heavyweight champion.

In the process, he made history as he is the only mixed martial arts fighter to hold two major titles in different weight divisions at the same time.

"It's a nice feeling to have accomplished something that no one else has," says Henderson. "In the same notion, I set my sights on something new with the UFC title. I think I will realize it right away when I beat Quinton that I've done something that no one else has ever done."

He would be doing something that no one else ever has accomplished if he is able to beat Jackson as both the UFC and PRIDE championships will be on the line in this unification fight.

Henderson was hoping to make his return to the UFC at an event in front of his home country here in the United States. Instead, he will head to London, for this contest.

"Yeah, I was a little surprised with that, especially since Quinton and I both live in Southern California," says Henderson. "They (UFC management) could have kept it someplace on the west coast, like Las Vegas or in California."

Henderson will enter the fight as an underdog to Jackson, who in May had a spectacular technical knockout win against Chuck Liddell. But it's a role that "Hollywood" has become accustomed to.

"I think a lot of it is a popularity contest. He's (Jackson) fought twice now in the UFC so he's a little more popular in the United States than I am. That has a lot to do with it and the fact that he's a bigger guy."

UFC 74 Fight Recap

2007-08-31T12:38:00.000-07:00

All that Randy Couture wanted was a little respect. And so did Georges St. Pierre.

Couture needed to prove that his victory over Tim Silvia was no fluke, and St. Pierre wanted to show that he was indeed still champion material.

Well, respect came by the bucket load.

Georges St. Pierre, a favorite, beat Josh Koscheck by unanimous decision, taking the fight right where Koscheck thought he would win it…to the ground. Within the first minute of round one, St. Pierre took Koscheck to the mat and started a savage ground and pound that lasted most of the round. Kos turned the tide slightly towards the end, but all in all a dominating first round for the former Welterweight Champ.

Round two was more of the same, with GSP setting up takedowns with dominant punches and leg kicks. Exactly the opposite of what was assumed to be a good game plan against Josh Koscheck. GSP not only looked comfortable on the ground, but dominating the supposed best wrestler in the UFC. He almost locked in a kimura and an armbar during the fight as well but Kos hung on and the fight went to the cards, Unanimous decision Georges St. Pierre.

St. Pierre now waits for his shot at the title taking on the winner of The Ultimate Fighter coaches Matt Serra and Matt Hughes.

As for Randy Couture , Gonzaga’s size and JiuJitsu skills were supposed to give him fits. If he took it to the mat he was going to get submitted, if he stood up he was going to get “CroCop’d”. It was a nowin for the noble vet but in true Randy fashion he shocked us all by dominating Gonzaga the entire fight. Instead of standing with the lb Brazilian or taking it to the ground, Couture pinned him against the cage and “dirty boxed” Gonzaga until he broke his will and nose.

After the first round Gonzaga’s nose was shredded, he couldn’t see, could barely breathe as was doing his best to avoid the barrage of inside punches and elbows Randy was throwing. The only scare Couture had were a few of the CroCop annihilating head kicks that narrowly missed sending The Natural into retirement, the last of which broke his right forearm as he blocked it.

After the overwhelming beating lasted for two full rounds, Couture finished off an exhausted and clearly overwhelmed Gonzaga with a flurry of punches with referee Herb Dean calling a halt to the action at :7 of the third round.

At years young, Couture is the champion again. So who does he fight next? The Grim Reaper?

Here’s a recap of the rest of the UFC 74 card

Roger Huerta vs Alberto Crane

After a close first round, Huerta destroyed the slippery Crane and TKO’d him in the rd

Result: Roger Huerta via TKO

Kurt Pellegrino vs Joe Stevenson

This was closer than most though, but Joe S. eventually overcame anything that Pellegrino had to offer and came out on top

Result: Joe Stevenson Unanimous Decision

Patrick Cote vs Kendall Grove

Grove just needed to keep this on the ground, but he didn’t and got caught

Result: Patrick Cote via TKO

Ryan Jensen Vs. Thales Leites

Leites came in a bit overweight at the weigh ins, but made weight and came out on top

Result: Thiales Leites via submission arm bar

Renato Sobral vs David Heath

Sobral choked out Heath in the second round after handing him a savage bloody beating, he then proceeded to ignore the tap and the ref during the choke to put an exclamation point on the win.

Result: Renato Sobral via submission anaconda choke

Frank Mir vs Antoni Hardonk

Mir was continuing his comeback as a sight favorite, luckily, the good mir showed up tonight.

Result: Frank Mir via submission kimura

Clay Guida vs Marcus Aurelio

Guida needed this victory after getting robbed against Tyson Griffin last time out.

Kelvin Davis - A Boxing Miracle

2007-08-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

I came across this story about heavyweight boxer Kelvin Davis. The guy is seriously lucky to be alive...we wish him all the best and a speedy recovery.

(In New Zealand training to fight Shane Cameron for three heavyweight belts, Reno boxer Kelvin Davis broke his neck and back after falling off a bridge while doing his roadwork on June 24. This is the second of a two-part story detailing Davis' ongoing ordeal.)

RENO - What had started out as "Koncrete" Kelvin Davis' final night of roadwork in preparation for the biggest fight of his career - a heavyweight showdown with New Zealand's Shane Cameron for his three regional belts - had now turned into a surreal nightmare for Davis, a former IBF cruiserweight champion.

Jogging down an unfamiliar path on a dark, rainy night, the 29-year-old Davis had leaped over a concrete rail to avoid a swerving van or truck. Instead of landing on firm ground on the other side of the rail, Davis instead plunged 25 feet off the narrow Greenhithe Bridge, in West Auckland.

After spending more than 90 minutes on the ground Davis, with his head lolling on his chest and spasms cutting through his back, climbed up a slippery, muddy slope, hoping to get help.

Unable to breathe properly, Davis couldn't yell for assistance and several cars drove by before a motorist finally stopped and called for an ambulance.

Heading toward North Shore Hospital, the paramedics cutting off his clothes and inserting IVs, Davis told his rescuers where his older brother and trainer, Kelly Davis, was staying.

BAD TIDINGS

After arriving at the hospital, Davis underwent a series of X-rays and after Kelly arrived, the doctors told the shocked brothers the extent Kelvin had been injured.

He was fortunate to be alive, suffering a broken neck and had also broken his back. He had incurred a fractured C-1 vertebrae - the exact level that actor Christopher Reeves had broken, paralyzing him until he later died - as well a break at the C5-C6 level.

Davis' T5-T6 injury was every bit as traumatic, his spine broken completely in two.

As the Pain Team arrived with its painkillers and morphine, reality began to dawn on a sedated Davis, who was told he'd have to undergo a high-risk operation, one that carried a strong possibility of leaving him paralyzed and ending his career.

Kelvin looked over at Kelly. Normally inscrutable, it was evident that Kelly was taking it hard as he looked down at his little brother, who was hooked up with several IVs, including a morphine machine.

Once capable of knocking out the world's most skilled boxers with a single punch, Kelvin was now at the mercy of a team of surgeons and fate itself.

"He was hurt and devastated by that," Kelvin said of his brother. "It was the first time that he wasn't there to protect me since I was little. All we had worked for was over. He stayed there with me."

UNCOMFORTABLY NUMB

Davis floated in and out of consciousness for two days. He thought he saw his mother, Frances Gaines, by his side, but the morphine was making him hallucinate.

Although Kelly had registered Kelvin into the hospital under a different name to avoid the media and visitors, the brothers were surprised by the appearance of Cameron, his father and a reporter.

Davis apologized to Cameron, saying he was just doing his roadwork and that the two could still fight. A stunned Cameron said nothing as he looked at his would-be opponent, who could now only move his eyes up at him.

After everyone had left the room so he could rest, a delusional Davis awoke, unable to breathe.

"This isn't real," Davis said. "This isn't happening. I've got to fight tomorrow."

Davis tore off his neck brace and attempted to get out of bed, just as a night nurse grabbed him and kept him from falling to floor.

Finally, on June 28, the day he was to face Cameron, Davis was taken out of bed and placed on a gurney. He looked up at Kelly, who had once exuberantly hoisted Kelvin into the air when he defeated Ezra Sellers for the IBF cruiserweight belt, on May 1, 2004.

"I didn't see my brother acting emotional until they got me ready for the operating room," Kelvin said. "He kissed me on the head. I gave him one of these," Kelvin said, raising a determined fist and shaking it.

Kelvin, still spaced out on morphine, was wheeled into an area known in New Zealand as "The Theatre" - the operating room in American parlance. The misleading name caused Davis to smile. He was all set to see the new movie, "The Transformers."

A WELCOME ARRIVAL

Davis underwent an 11-hour surgery on his neck and back. The doctor harvested some bone from Davis' right front and left rear iliac crests and, along with eight titanium screws and three plates, stabilized and repaired the boxer's broken spine.

When Kelvin woke up, he listened to what his brother had to say, just as he had done his entire life.

"My brother told me people with my injury give up hope," Kelvin said. "They take morphine and forget how to try and give up their will. I stopped pressing the (morphine) button and stopped all medications."

And soon thereafter, what was once a hallucination turned into reality as Kelvin's mother arrived at the hospital.

"I was out of it," Kelvin said. "I was tired. I saw her face and she rubbed my hand. She told me she wanted to bring her baby home."

Kelly was reluctant to leave his brother, but listened to his mother. Before he left he showed her around the city and taught her to drive a stick shift on what seemed to be the wrong side of the road.

Meanwhile, Kelvin had his catheter removed - along with a pair of socks that helped pump blood through his legs and prevented blood clots - and, with his mother holding on to him, was up and walking down the hospital halls, drawing the attention of doctors and nurses alike.

At one point it took five nurses to roll Davis over to wash his back. Now he could get up on his own.

SOMEONE TO LEAN ON

Largely unrecognized in his own hometown, Davis was a celebrity in New Zealand.

"They supported me," Davis said of the New Zealanders. "People came to see me. They treated me like I was still a champion. In America, in my own hometown, they don't treat me that way. I didn't know I was that big down there. People brought me a TV, a DVD player, a radio, fight tapes, movies. I was so happy they were so nice to me down there."

Aside from a misguided article in a local newspaper, which quoted a sparring partner as saying Davis had appeared depressed before jumping off the bridge, the American boxer began hearing the word "miracle" and his name entwined in the same sentence.

Putting aside faith and religion, doctors were at a loss as to how Davis never struck his head in the fall, or that he was able to walk and flop his head around without injuring his spinal cord and nerves and ending up paralyzed.

"People want to say how my muscles saved me, but if you're 250 pounds of muscle and fall 25 feet off a bridge, you're mashed potatoes," said the 5-foot-7, 205-pound Davis. "I didn't bust my head and have brains all over. My girlfriend, Kat, said, 'God cradled your head when you fell.'"

Davis received some more help, this time from someone human. New Zealand millionaire/businessman/boxing fan Bruce Plested stepped forward and gave Kelly, Kelvin and their mother a condominium to stay in during the duration of Davis' ordeal.

Boxer Ed Mahone, promoter Dean Lonegan, John Bloster and Cameron's grandfather all donated their time and equipment to make Davis' stay more comfortable.

WITNESS

Davis returned to Reno on July 8 and visited the Word of Life church on Sunday.

"I gave my first testimony in 20-plus years and told the church that I don't give the Devil any credit for me jumping," Davis said. "This is God's time. The Devil lied. He tried to kill me. It didn't work. A lady in church, who broke her neck and is in a wheelchair, told me I was blessed. She rolled her truck and she's paralyzed."

Davis is philosophical when talking about the person who nearly ran him over and caused him to jump off a bridge.

"I don't blame the (driver)," Davis said. "It was a bad night. It was meant to happen. Everything I worked for and believed in was gone. The only thing that got me back was God. He kept me strong."

Davis said he sees now how it's the little things we take for granted that really matter.

"I have my mom, brother, pops and my lady - my guardian angels," Davis said. "What more can I ask for. I have Christmas (his dog) and Beautiful (his cat). I appreciate each and every day. I can put my shoes on and walk out of my house."

Davis can walk up to three miles now and admits he has to slow himself down in trying to recover. He will visit a local doctor on Aug. 2 before deciding on any future treatment.

"I want to go back there and fight Shane Cameron," Davis said. "The fans never got what they paid for. They didn't see 'Koncrete' and his team. They supported me - that's why I'd like to fight there. I'm a spokesman not just for boxing, but to the whole world. This is bigger than boxing. It's bigger than me. My message is that God is real and Satan's a liar.

"If it's God's will that I don't fight again, so be it. I know I'll continue my career. The Devil already lost the battle. I'm God's champion. 'Koncrete' cracked, but he didn't crumble."

http://www.koncreteboxing.com/

Story from: http://www.nevadaappeal.com/article/20070719/SPORTS/107190088

(Davis' immdediate future is uncertain. If you like, you can contribute to:

THE KELVIN DAVIS FUND

Bank of America

Account #501002137386

1240 Greenbrae Dr.

Sparks, NV 89431

E-mail fgaines7340@charter.net for more details.)

Oleg Maskaev Vs. Sam Peter - WBC heavyweight clash

2007-08-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

At last some decent heavy weight boxing on the cards:

Oleg Maskaev will make the second defence of his WBC heavyweight title against Samuel Peter at Madison Square Garden on October 6.

The Russian-American is on a 12-fight winning streak that includes the victory over Hasim Rahman last August that saw him claim his title.

However Maskaev (34-5, 26 KOs), who turned pro back in 1993, is now putting the belt on the line against the man known as the 'Nigerian Nightmare'.

Peter is 28-1 with 22 KOs and his co-promoter Don Kong has long claimed he could be the next Mike Tyson.

On the undercard, Ireland's Kevin McBride will fight Andrew Golota in a heavyweight bout, while Jose Antonio Rivera will meet Daniel Santos to decide the mandatory challenger for Joachim Alcine's WBA super-welterweight title.

Boxing News - Fight of the Year: Hatton Vs Mayweather Contracts Signed

2007-08-01T08:55:00.000-07:00

Ricky Hatton's father has reportedly confirmed that contracts have been signed for Hatton's December 8 super-fight against Floyd Mayweather.

Hatton will receive a career-best purse for the contest, which is expected to be officially announced by Oscar De La Hoya's promoters Golden Boy Promotions very soon.

Ray Hatton said: "The contract provided what we wanted and we are officially signed up. Now we are just waiting for the date and venue to be made official.

"Our lawyers have instructed us that the Mayweather camp have also signed at their end. We are delighted with the deal. Ricky's purse is higher than anything he has previous earned."

The MGM Grand in Las Vegas is favourite to host the contest. Hatton could expect a travelling support in excess of the 10,000 who saw him beat Jose Luis Castillo in the city in June.

Mayweather came out of a short-lived retirement to take the fight, and has already begun the hype.

So let's wait and see the official big announcement. The hype for this fight will surely be massive; on par with the Oscar De La Hoya Vs. Mayweather hype.

I'm glad that Mayweather's retirement was short lived. Maybe Hatton will put him back into retirement.

Boxing news: Floyd Mayweather Vs. Ricky Hatton Agreed?

2007-07-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-27T14:46:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-24T16:38:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-20T09:41:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-19T17:15:00.000-07:00

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?

2007-07-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

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.

2007-07-10T14:38:00.000-07:00

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

2007-07-10T14:36:00.000-07:00

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!

2007-07-10T14:33:00.000-07:00

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.

Hatton and Mayweather - will they fight?

2007-06-26T11:04:00.000-07:00

Ricky Hatton and Floyd Mayweather - will they fight? Ricky Hatton's taunts may have had the desired effect and tempted Floyd Mayweather out of retirement.

After Hatton's stunning fourth-round stoppage of Jose Luis Castillo at the weekend, the IBO light welterweight champion challenged Mayweather to a multi-million-pound super-fight.

Both fighters are unbeaten, but Mayweather had previously insisted last month's victory over Oscar de la Hoya would be his final bout.

Now, Mayweather's adviser Leonard Ellerbe claims Hatton's jibes have paid off.

"He got Floyd's attention. Now we're calling his bluff," Ellerbe told the New York Daily News.

"All he has to do is make a deal and he'll have his chance to back up all that talk. All that's standing between him and Floyd is air and opportunity.

"We can make the deal this week. He's very, very disrespectful. He's trying to promote himself off Floyd's name.

"When we make the deal, we'll show the world why he's the most overrated fighter of this decade.

"Floyd has never taken any fight personally. But he's taking this personally. Floyd is going to kick his butt."

Ellerbe revealed Mayweather was far from impressed by Hatton's performance against Castillo at the Thomas and Mack Center, Las Vegas.

He said: "He said he only wants to fight the best - then sign the contract. Floyd's going to show all his fans in Britain just what a phoney he is."

This fight would be massive...let's hope it comes a reality.

HITMAN HATTON KOs CASTILLO

2007-06-26T11:01:00.000-07:00

Ricky Hatton delivered a performance of vicious efficiency to hammer Jose Luis Castillo to fourth-round defeat in Las Vegas and secure his place in the pantheon of his generation's pay-per-view superstars.

Hatton swung a crushing body shot into the ribs of former lightweight champion Castillo, who crumpled to one knee on the canvas where he was counted out by referee Joe Cortez.

It was the emphatic victory Hatton needed to underline his status as the world's best 140lbs fighter and open the door to a possible future fight against Floyd Mayweather.

Mayweather had twice struggled to outpoint Castillo but it was a different story for the Manchester 'Hitman', who had looked intent on securing a headline-grabbing win from the opening bell.

Hatton had been desperate to deliver such a thrilling performance after admitting he struggled in his two previous Stateside fights against Luis Collazo and Juan Urango.

In contrast to that pair of slippery southpaws, Castillo brought both the winning record and the attacking force which Hatton required to enable him to shine.

Castillo's awesome first fight against Diego Corrales two years ago was hailed as one of the most ferocious of all time and he came out with his own pay-per-view potential boosted despite defeat.

And despite also failing to impress when he narrowly outpointed Herman Ngoudjo in January, there seemed little chance of a significantly better Castillo not turning up in this fight.

Castillo had had plenty at stake. He entered the fight under a financial cloud after being hit with a big fine for failing to make the weight for a projected third fight against Corrales.

And his own promoter Bob Arum had preceded the contest by warning that this fight could realistically represent Castillo's last chance at forcing his way back to the top.

Hatton's win caused uproar amongst his thousands of travelling fans who had roared him into the Thomas & Mack Center ring with Wayne Rooney and Marco Antonio Barrera in hot pursuit.

Within seconds of the opening bell it became apparent there would be few backward steps as both men roared from their respective corners and clinched in the centre of the ring.

Castillo briefly touched down during the opening exchanges but referee Cortez ruled a slip and the frantic action resumed with Hatton digging two right uppercuts to Castillo's chin.

Finding better range with his punches, Hatton had chiselled an early advantage and a clean left hand in the final seconds of the round cemented his lead.

Hatton had described his intended tactic as "educated pressure", and it was certainly paying off as he continued to beat Castillo to the punch and land the significant blows in round two.

Castillo landed his first heavy shots of note early in the third and cranked up the pace towards the end of the round with a left which seemed to stun Hatton and sparked a furious exchange before the bell.

It was living up to every column inch of its pre-fight billing but Castillo's increasing reliance on his left hooks to the body got him into trouble with Cortez for hitting low.

When the action resumed Hatton swung his own left hook to the body which caused a delayed reaction in Castillo, who grimaced and sunk slowly to the canvas where Cortez's count reached 10.

As he left the ring Castillo admitted: "He got me good, it was the perfect shot. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't get up."

Hatton felt he had come into the fight better prepared than he had for any previous encounter.

He told Setanta Sports 1: "I trained for 12 rounds of pain tonight. I told everybody that I've never had a training camp like it before and I think it showed.

"I think I tried a bit too hard and Billy (Graham, trainer) told me to slow it down and take it easy.

"I went into that ring tonight a very frustrated man. I've been up against two world champions in two weight divisions (in previous fights). Sometimes I have tried too hard to put on a show and that has got me in trouble in the past."

Hatton added: "I expected Castillo to do those low blows to be honest, he has always thrown a lot of low blows. He does it all the way through the fight and I wanted the referee to cut it out."

Ibragimov wins WBO heavyweight title

2007-06-05T14:53:00.000-07:00

Russian challenger Sultan Ibragimov outpointed America's Shannon Briggs to claim the World Boxing Organisation heavyweight title. Shannon Briggs lost his WBO heavyweight title on Saturday when the American suffered a unanimous points decision defeat.

Now all the heavyweight belts belong to natives of former Soviet republics. Ibragimov, the 2000 Olympic silver medalist, is 20-1-0. If he wants to fight in the United States next, the best scenario for Ibragimov is to meet Wladimir Klitschko of Ukraine, the IBF champ and generally considered the best of the heavyweight titleholders. Kazakstan's Oleg Maskaev (WBC) and Ruslan Chageav of Uzbekistan (WBA) are the other heavyweight champions.

Briggs earned $1.8 million in what could be his last big payday. Ibragimov got $600,000. This seems like peanuts compared other heavyweight title fights. As the saying goes...If you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.

Boxing News: KLITSCHKO CAMP EYE McCLINE

2007-06-05T12:02:00.000-07:00

Some heavyweight boxing news: Vitali Klitschko's camp are trying to arrange a bout with former title challenger Jameel McCline for his ring comeback in September.

Man, this division needs another Mike Tyson, otherwise it'll just decline into nothing.

Vitali Klitschko - the former heavyweight world champion (35-2), who has not fought since making his only title defence against Danny Williams in December 2004, announced in January that he was coming out of retirement.

Vitali and Wladimir should just beat each other up for a few rounds.

Calzaghe Vs. Kessler - Another Boxing Superfight?

2007-06-01T17:11:00.000-07:00

Boxing Promoter Frank Warren says Joe Calzaghe will go to Denmark and fight Mikkel Kessler in a blockbusting world super-middleweight showdown.

Earlier this week, Warren agreed to an offer made by Kessler's promoter, Mogens Palle, but has so far heard nothing back from the Dane.

"It's not a done deal until it's signed but we've accepted," Warren told BBC Five Live. "It's now up to Palle to send a contract."

Long-term WBO super-middleweight king Calzaghe had been linked to a fight with his WBC/WBA counterpart following victory over Peter Manfredo Jr in April.

Both fighters - neither of whom have tasted defeat before - were keen to secure home advantage, but Calzaghe is so confident of victory, he is prepared to sacrifice a partisan crowd.

"Joe doesn't mind fighting in Denmark," said Warren. "He feels he will beat Kessler anywhere and I believe that's the case as well.

"It's a great fight. It's the two best super middleweights in the world. It's probably one of the most competitive fights at the moment in boxing.

"I just hope that Palle backs up his offer. We sent him an e-mail on Tuesday along with a fax confirming what the terms were and we've not heard from him since.

"I'm hoping it's not all nonsense. He's been talking a lot about fighting Joe with Kessler and we've called his bluff. I don't believe he ever thought that Joe would go to Denmark."

UFC 71 - Jackson Takes Title

2007-05-27T00:08:00.000-07:00

Another big UFC upset - Rampage Jackson caught Chuck Liddell with a blow that stunned the title holder. Jackson jumped upon the lo-hawk haired champ and reigned down a few more blows before Big John McCarthy lept in to end the fight.

Liddell had looked timid from the start. The fight lasted about 30 seconds.

UFC 71 Undercard

2007-05-24T11:22:00.000-07:00

Light Heavyweights: Keith Jardine (12-3-1) vs. Houston Alexander (6-1-0)
Jardine Last UFC Appearance: December 30, 2006 - Defeated Forrest Griffin via TKO with punches at 4:41 of the first round.
Alexander Last UFC Appearance: UFC debut.
Alexander Last MMA Fight: March 31, 2007 - Fought Todd Allee to a no-contest in 3:23 of the first round at Extreme Challenge 76.

Speaking of a challenger that might push Liddell, Keith Jardine is lining up to be that man. Following decision wins over Mike Whitehead and Wilson Gouveia, and a decision loss to Stephan Bonnar that many felt could have gone to him, Jardine did what no one else has been able to do, out strike Forrest Griffin, picking up an impressive first round win and leapfrogging him on the list of potential challengers for the Iceman. His opponent, Houston Alexander, is an unknown quantity, looking to play spoiler in his UFC debut. His lone MMA loss was in 2001, so he has been successful on smaller shows. He is obviously looking to make a big splash in the Light Heavyweight division, but given Jardine's popularity, I can't see UFC sacrificing a potential main event (Jardine vs. Griffin II or Jardine vs. Liddell) here. I'll pick Jardine to win, but that's with practically no knowledge of Alexander, so I wouldn't put money on it.

Middleweights: Terry Martin (17-2-0) vs. Ivan Salaverry (12-4-1)
Martin Last UFC Appearance: February 3, 2007 - Defeated Jorge Rivera via knockout at 14 seconds of the first round.
Salavarry Last UFC Appearance: August 6, 2005 - Lost to Nate Marquardt via unanimous decision.
Salavarry Last MMA Fight: July 22, 2006 - Defeated Art Santore at 4:18 of the second round at WFA: King Of The Streets.

Terry Martin seemed to be floundering in his attempts to impress in UFC. He was racking up wins on other MMA shows, but his first UFC appearance saw him lose to James Irvin due to a flying knee in 2005. In 2006, he got another chance in UFC, this time against Jason Lambert, but lost again. Still he kept winning on other shows, so UFC brought him back again this past February, where he wowed fans with a 14 second destruction of Jorge Rivera, catching an attempted kick and shoving him to the ground before landing a few punches and knocking him out. Suddenly, Martin had new life in UFC, and a chance to impress on PPV against K-1 and UFC veteran Ivan Salaverry, who scored submission wins over Tony Fryklund and Joe Riggs before losing a decision to Nate Marquardt. Martin is a better striker, but Salavarry is no slouch in that department (he beat Art Santore on the WFA show with a high kick and a slew of strikes that busted open Santore), and has superior submission skills. I doubt Salavarry will charge out with a kick like Rivera, and Martin is in for a fight, and fight I don't think he will win. I'm picking Salaverry to win.

Middleweights: Kalib Starnes (9-2-1) vs. Chris Leben (16-3-0)
Starnes Last UFC Appearance: October 14, 2006 - Lost to Yushin Okami via TKO at 1:40 of the third round.
Leben Last UFC Appearance: December 30, 2006 - Lost to Jason MacDonald via submission to a guillotine choke at 4:03 of the second round.

A fight between two well known competitors (thanks to SpikeTV) who are trying to get back on track in the Middleweight division. Leben came back from the highlight reel knockout loss to Anderson Silva by knocking out Jorge Santiago with a punch in the second round. Then he encountered Jason MacDonald, aka "The TUF Killer". Leben avoided MacDonald's takedowns in the first round, but in the second, MacDonald finally scored with one after a punch and sunk in a guillotine choke to hand Leben a loss. So, it was an up and down 2006 for Leben, who faces Kalib Starnes, who came off his reality show stint to beat Danny Abbadi with a rear naked choke in round one (which surprised no one) in his first UFC fight. A big step up in competition for his second fight saw Starnes on the losing end against Yushin Okami when Starnes was taken down and just couldn't stop Okami from pounding him in the third round. Both men need this win if they want to line up behind Nate Marquardt, Rich Franklin, MacDonald and Okami for a shot at Anderson Silva's Middleweight Title. I'm thinking Leben is more determined, and knows that another high profile loss is something that could really be detrimental to his career at this point. However, Starnes beat Jason MacDonald on a NFC show once, and took Okami to the third round, so I'm picking him in what could be a close fight.

Welterweights: Josh Burkman (19-3-0) vs. Karo Parisyan (24-4-0)
Burkman Last UFC Appearance: January 25, 2007 - Defeated Chad Reiner via unanimous decision.
Parisyan Last UFC Appearance: December 13, 2006 - Defeated Drew Fickett via unanimous decision.

This is probably the fight I am most looking forward to on the show. Parisyan has been "Mr. Stamina" since losing to Georges St. Pierre via decision in 2004. He's picked up six wins since then, five via decision (he also had one decision loss, to Diego Sanchez), beating Shonie Carter, Nick Diaz, Chris Lytle, Nick Thompson, and current Welterweight Champion Matt Serra. His last fight saw him survive a nasty cut in round two against Drew Fickett before using takedowns to take the third round and the fight. Josh Burkman had some impressive first round wins over Sam Morgan (KO with a slam in 21 seconds) and Drew Fickett (submission with a guillotine in 1:07) before suffering a loss to Jon Fitch. Since then, he has picked up decision wins over Josh Neer and Chad Reiner, proving he can go the distance when neccesary. His strategy again Chad Reiner in his last fight was simply to keep taking his opponent down over and over, picking up each round on the way to a unanimous decision. He won't be able to do that against Parisyan though. Burkman will have to be at his best against Parisyan, and ready to go the distance again, because you know Parisyan will be. I'm picking Karo in what could be the "sleeper fight" on the show.

UFC 71: Chuck Liddell's Revenge?

2007-05-17T15:56:00.000-07:00

There's only one man that has beaten Chuck "The Iceman" Liddell that Liddell hasn't paid back with a beating. Chuck Liddell will get the chance to scratch that name off his vengeance list on May 25th when he faces Quinton "Rampage" Jackson in 2007 UFC 71.

Liddell has won his last seven matches, all by knockout or technical knockout. The Iceman hasn't tasted defeat since he faced Quinton Jackson in the PRIDE 2003 Middleweight Grand Prix. Liddell was the UFC representative in the event, while Jackson was signed on with PRIDE when he beat Liddell badly in a TKO decision.

Since his loss to Rampage, Liddell has torn through the UFC with seven straight victories. All seven wins have come by knockout or TKO and have included two knockouts of Randy Couture and two TKO's of Tito Ortiz. Liddell is known as an excellent striker with pure power and he can also take out his opponent with quick accurate leg strikes. He's a well-rounded grappler, but if he has one weakness it would be on the ground in the octagon. If Liddell has his way the only thing on the ground will be Jackson, as he sprawls out on the mat after taking some wicked shots to the head.

Liddell may be a big betting favorite in this match and is considered by many to be the best MMA fighter in the world today, but don't count out Jackson. Jackson is nicknamed 'Rampage' for a reason, because he's an extremely powerful beast that is known to KO his opponents with lethal power slams. Jackson made his UFC debut versus Marvin Eastman in February at UFC 67 and finished off Eastman in the second round with a flurry of uppercuts that sent Eastman to the floor.

Liddell enters this match with a lifetime MMA record of 20-3, while Jackson is 26-6 in his MMA career. Liddell puts his UFC World Fight Heavyweight Championship title on the line in this fight and Jackson could make a real name for himself in the UFC if he can end Liddell's long reign at the top.

Fight of the Century - Oscar De La Hoya Vs Floyd Mayweather

2007-05-02T15:17:00.000-07:00

From a wagering perspective, the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather fight could emerge as the richest boxing event in Las Vegas' modern era.

Betting on the bout is expected to amount to several million dollars at the host MGM-Mirage properties alone, approaching or exceeding the handle generated by the second Mike Tyson-Evander Holyfield heavyweight fight in 1997, said Robert Walker, director of race and sports book operations for MGM-Mirage.

"People see this as the biggest boxing match in a long time, and no one's sure when another one is going to happen, so people are betting accordingly," Walker said. "It's like the Super Bowl, where people bet more than they do on a regular weekly basis because they know it's the last game of the season."

Mayweather, who puts his unbeaten record and unofficial title of the sport's best pound-for-pound fighter on the line Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, is a minus-180 favorite (risk $1.80 to win $1) against De La Hoya. (Odds are subject to change.)

In the round proposition, bettors are required to risk $2.50 to $3 to win $1 that the fight will last 11 1/2 or all 12 rounds, depending on the odds at each sports book.

The price on Mayweather to win represents a drop from the opening line of about minus-220, indicating most of the money has been wagered on underdog De La Hoya.

At MGM-Mirage properties, Walker said , he has accepted plenty of wagers on De La Hoya in the $5,000 to $10,000 range. Walker has also been fielding inquiries on six-figure bets, though no gambler has risked that much yet. Several six-figure bets are expected to come in by the weekend, Walker said.

The tickets on De La Hoya could outnumber those on Mayweather by 3-to-1, Walker said, although most of the larger wagers will be on Mayweather - a typical pattern for a fight based in Las Vegas, where the betting public traditionally supports the underdog at the sports book windows.

"De La Hoya is by far the most popular fighter out there," Walker said. "Mayweather might be the favorite, and De La Hoya might be the underdog, but Oscar is the draw."

Joe Calzaghe defends his WBO super-middleweight title for the 20th time

2007-04-18T12:29:00.000-07:00

Welshman Joe Calzaghe taught 'Contender' star Peter Manfredo a violent lesson in the reality of world championship boxing with an emphatic third-round stoppage victory at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium.

Calzaghe successfully defended his WBO super-middleweight title for the 20th time, an accomplishment which saw him equal the records of fellow greats Larry Holmes and Bernard Hopkins.

In front of a record indoor crowd of around 35,000, Calzaghe blazed out for the third round and rained a seemingly endless supply of hooks down upon hapless Manfredo.

Watching closely as the 26-year-old challenger gamely attempted to stay on his feet, referee Terry O'Connor had finally seen enough at one minute 30 seconds of the round and waved the contest off.

While such a quick win had always been expected for Calzaghe, of equal importance was its manner which cannot fail to have impressed his influential paymasters on both sides of the Atlantic.

In truth, having starred in the first series of the popular US reality TV boxing show, Manfredo had come to Cardiff with a broadcast appeal far outweighing his pure boxing credentials.

Successive knockout wins over Scott Pemberton and Joe Spina just about earned him his shot but few if any outside his camp gave the Providence native a realistic shot.

At least Manfredo went out on his feet, but the manner of Calzaghe's win underlined that the 35-year-old belongs in a different league to almost all the current crop of 12-stone contenders.

One exception is unbeaten WBA champion Mikkel Kessler, the Dane who has also been promoted by Home Box Office and would certainly pose a sterner test in a possible super-fight to come.

Despite Manfredo's questionable qualities, this was a clever fight for Calzaghe, designed to impress an American audience granted a rare free-to-air glimpse of the Welshman via the Home Box Office network.

And the challenger played his part too in the opening round, scoring with a clean right hook and largely keeping the champion at bay with his strength whenever he came into range.

Calzaghe dug home a couple of hurtful right hooks to the body at the start of the second and continued to flick jabs through Manfredo's guard as he began to take control of the fight.

The champion seized upon his advantage early in the third, cracking home a magnificent right to tee up a sustained period of punishment which had Manfredo desperately seeking to maintain his guard.

Scenting another dramatic quick win, Calzaghe blazed away with both hands, and the intervention of O'Connor was not unduly protested by the Manfredo corner.

Calzaghe told ITV: "It's amazing (to be in Cardiff) for my 20th defence in this amazing arena.

"I paid my dues for a long time and this is what dreams are made of - and there's more to come yet."

Calzaghe admitted that the stoppage may have come a little early but was certain he would have knocked his opponent out given the chance.

"I think you could make a case that it was stopped slightly prematurely but if it hadn't have been then I'd have stopped him by the fourth.

"The referee saved him from more punishment. Up close he was going (down) and in the next 20 or 30 seconds I'd have floored him.

"It looked like the ropes were keeping him up.

"I'm always supremely confident of my abilities but even at 35, you're still learning."

Manfredo was unhappy at the referee's decision to stop the fight when he did. He told ITV: "I was hanging in there, trying to get my rhythm going, and the fight was stopped too soon. There was no warning or anything.

The Giant Falls to a new WBA world heavyweight boxing champion

2007-04-18T10:23:00.000-07:00

Ruslan Chagaev is the new WBA world heavyweight boxing champion after winning a split points decision against previously unbeaten title holder and real-life giant Nikolai Valuev.

The Uzbek fighter was too tough for his seven foot Russian opponent in Stuttgart on Saturday night, who toiled despite his considerable height and weight advantage.

One judge called the fight a draw but Chagaev got the verdict of the other two officials by a 115-113 and 117-111 margin.

UFC70

2007-04-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

Mirko Cro Cop vs. Gabriel Gonzaga headlines a card full of incredible matchups at UFC 70 in England. Hopefully Cro Cop will knock him out in round 1.
The UFC 70 card also features a bout between England's own Michael "the Count Bisping" Bisping and Australia's Elvis Sinosic.

UFC 67 Draft

2007-02-01T17:32:00.000-08:00

Quinton and Marvin. These guys don't sound so tough. How about "Rampage" and "The Beastman"? That's more like it.
This Saturday, Feb. 3, UFC 67 "All or Nothing" sees Quinton "Rampage" Jackson take on Marvin "The Beastman" Eastman. Jackson is making his UFC debut, while Eastman has been in the Octagon before. Eastman's first MMA fight was back in 2001, and his opponent was none other than Quinton "Rampage" Jackson.
In that fight Eastman won by a unanimous decision. Eastman's titles include WEF Light Heavyweight champion and Elite Fighting Light Heavyweight champion; he also won Grapplers Quest Heavyweight division in Las Vegas. His UFC record however is 0-2. He lost against Vitor Belfort by TKO back at UFC 43 in June 2003, and was knocked out by Travis Lutter at UFC 50 in October 2004.
So this is a chance for Eastman to redeem himself for those two losses.
Eastman has a long history in the ring - he began wrestling with his older brother’s junior varsity wrestling team, and later went on to hold an undefeated record (42-0) and California State Wrestling Championship at the 191 pound weight class.
He was also successful in college football and even joined the Canadian Football league (CFL) for a short time. He currently works as an officer in a detention center. His fighting style is Muay Thai, and he comes into this fight against Jackson with a 13-6-1 (W-L-D) overall MMA record.
Eastman is the underdog in this fight at +425 compared to Jackson at -625 (subject to change).

BOXING: PETER WIN EARNS TITLE SHOT

2007-01-09T16:12:00.000-08:00

Big Sam Peter was an exciting prospect a while back but lost his appeal lately. This win over Toney might just get him back in the spotlight. Heavyweight boxing needs something to hype it back up. UFC has grown over the last 2 years or so, and it appears boxing has gone the other way. Hopefully we'll see a new Mike Tyson in the near future. But for now we'll have to settle for giant Russians and Ukranians...
Here's a report of the Samuel Vs. Toney fight from Sportinglife.com:
Samuel Peter scored a unanimous points decision over James Toney in their heavyweight title elimination fight to set up a shot at WBC champion Oleg Maskaev.

Showing remarkable movement Peter comfortably outscored his opponent in the rematch against Toney, who had complained long and loud after dropping a split decision in their previous bout.

At the final bell Peter did a little victory dance in the ring as Toney - his left eye partially swollen shut - just pawed a glove toward him in disgust.

"This was my best fight," the 25-year-old Peter said. "I trained hard for this fight."

The judges' scorecards were 119-108, 118-110, 118-110 for Peter, who was warned twice for hitting Toney in the back of the head but did not lose a point as he did in the first fight just over four months ago.

Toney grumbled about that decision but could say nothing after this one. He showed very little energy and was knocked down for the first since 1994 against Roy Jones.

"He didn't knock me down," said Toney, severely slurring his words. "I slipped."

Peter staggered Toney just past the midway point of the first round, then was warned for hitting in the back of the head.

In the second, Peter connected with a straight left that put Toney on his backside.

The 38-year-old Toney rallied a bit in an action-filled fourth round but had little else.

Peter kept finishing rounds with flurries that swayed the judges and had Toney wearing a beaten look.

In the 11th, Peter struck again with a big right hand that had Toney reeling. He kept his feet but offered nothing in return the remainder of the bout.

A former IBF middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight champion, Toney has now lost two straight fights after going nearly nine years without a setback.

UFC 66 - Arlovski Vs Cruz

2006-12-27T16:31:00.000-08:00

UFC 66 has a super-exciting main event in Chuck Liddell Vs Tito Ortiz. Most media attention is fixated on this rematch dubbed 'Liddell Vs Ortiz 2'. The undercard however, is just as explosive.

In the heavyweight match-up, former UFC Heavyweight Champion Andrei “The Pit-Bull” Arlovski (11-5) takes on Brazilian Marcio Cruz (2-1).

Arlovski is still one of the most exciting fighters in the UFC. He lost his UFC title to current champ Tim Sylvia.

The Pit-Bull, originally from Minsk, Belarus, held the title for 14 months. Over that 14 month reign, there was no question that Arlovski was one of the best, if not the best, heavyweight on the planet. He has the right mix of knockout punching power and an excellent ground technique.

It looked like his reign would last as long as he wanted it to. Arlovski looked unbeatable, destroying Justin Eilers and wiping out Paul Buentello in a mere 15 seconds.

But on April 15th, in UFC 59, Arlovski got a reality check in the form of Tim Sylvia, who Arlovski had previously beaten in a one round submission back in May 2005. It was almost a carbon copy opening of their first fight, with Arlovski dropping Sylvia hard with a right hand, Sylvia however, got up, and busted Arlovski with an uppercut to the jaw. Arlovski dropped to the canvas, and with that, he was an ex-champion. Tim the ‘The Maine-iac’ Sylvia had beaten him.

This shook up the heavyweight division, and some thought that Sylvia had scored a lucky win against the seemingly unbeatable Arlovski. A rematch was lined up in UFC 61, dubbed "Bitter Rivals" in July 2006.

But Arlovski lost again to Sylvia, this time by unanimous decision. It seemed that the one-time unbeatable ‘Pitbull’ had lost his bite.

Arlovski has got time to comeback and regain his title; at just 27 years old, he’s still relatively young. A couple of quality wins should put him back in the title picture sooner rather than later.

So this is the start of his comeback, and first up is Brazil’s Marcio Cruz. Cruz is no walkover, as shown by his stoppage of Frank Mir in February.

Saturday night, December 30, UFC 66 Arlovski is going to show the world that he is back; tougher and better than ever.

UFC 66 Liddell Vs Ortiz

2006-12-20T14:22:00.000-08:00

On December 30th we will get to see former UFC Light Heavyweight Champion take on the current champ Chuck Liddell in UFC 66. This promises to be an exciting match up of epic proportions.

Once upon a time Tito Ortiz was the UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. In 1999 Ortiz fought Frank Shamrock for the UFC Middleweight (200 pound) title at UFC 22, losing what turned out to be an epic battle. Following the victory, Shamrock retired and vacated the title. The Middleweight title was renamed the Light Heavyweight title and Ortiz was chosen along with Wanderlei Silva as the top contenders. Ortiz defeated Silva in the title fight at UFC 25. Ortiz became the champion by a unanimous decision. Ortiz went on to successfully defend the belt five times in the following three years, defeating Yuki Kondo, Evan Tanner, Elvis Sinosic, Vladimir Matyushenko and Lion's Den head Ken Shamrock. Due to reported contract disputes with the UFC Ortiz Ortiz then refused to defend his title.

The UFC management then created an Interim Light Heavyweight. Ortiz’s good friend and training partner Chuck Liddell was making his mark in the Light Heavyweight division and was hoping for a shot at the title. However his hopes took a knock back when he lost to a 39 year old Randy Couture in UFC 43 when they battled for the interim UFC Light Heavyweight Title.

Then in UFC 44, Ortiz fought Randy Couture for the Undisputed UFC Light Heavyweight Title. Ortiz was the heavy favorite. Randy Couture however, went on to win this battle, stripping Ortiz of his belt and scoring a unanimous decision to become UFC's Undisputed Light-Heavyweight Champion at age 40.

In UFC 47, Ortiz and Liddell finally got it on and fought for the first time to battle it out for the # No. 1 contender spot to fight UFC Light Heavyweight Champ Randy Couture. Liddell won this bout with a series of devastating blows. In UFC 52 Liddell got his shot at the title. In their second battle Liddell defeated Randy Couture and became the new UFC Light Heavyweight Champion. Liddell went on to defend his title against some formidable opponents.

Ortiz returned to the UFC after an extensive absence and dominated in a series of impressive wins against Forrest Griffin and Ken Shamrock. Ortiz is on a five fight win streak with 2 TKOs and 3 decision wins. He wants nothing more than to beat his old training partner on December 30th, and get the belt back in the process.

Chuck Liddell has won his last 6 fights by KO or TKO. Only one of those fights went past the 2nd round. He will do everything in his power to hang onto the title. UFC 66 is going to be the fight of the year. Two of the UFC’s most exciting fighters, back in the ring for one hell of a rematch.

UFC 66: LIDDELL VS. ORTIZ 2 will be LIVE from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV – Saturday, December 30th on Pay-Per-View and on UFC.com’s UFC ON DEMAND.

Mayweather V Baldomir

2006-11-06T10:40:00.000-08:00

Floyd Mayweather made an extraordinary retirement pledge after underlining his status as the best boxer in the sport by claiming the WBC welterweight title from Carlos Baldomir.

The 29-year-old 'Pretty Boy' insists he will fight just one more time - possibly against Oscar De La Hoya in a huge showdown early next year - before quitting boxing for good.

Mayweather said: "One more fight and that is it for me. I am not in this sport for the money, I am in it for the legacy, and I have done everything I wanted to do."

Mayweather, who won his first world title in the super-featherweight division, comprehensively outboxed the come-forward Baldomir to earn lopsided 120-108 (twice), 118-110 verdicts.

Argentinian Baldomir had emerged as one of the sport's unlikely success stories with successive victories over Arturo Gatti and Zab Judah.

But the 35-year-old had no answer to Mayweather's dazzling skills and admitted: "He was too fast and I could not catch him. When I did hit him my punches were not strong enough."

Mayweather, who said he now hoped to have tempted De La Hoya into what would be one of the biggest grossing fights in boxing history, struggled with a hand injury in the later stages of the fight.

Mayweather added: "I hurt my right hand in the middle of the fight and I have not felt this kind of pain before. But I can win in any circumstance and I will fight and beat anybody."

WBO Heavyweights: BRIGGS SNATCHES SERGEI'S CROWN

2006-11-06T10:38:00.000-08:00

Shannon Briggs snatched the WBO heavyweight title in sensational fashion by knocking down champion Sergei Liakhovich with just one second left in their fight at Chase Field in Phoenix.

Going into the final round Briggs was told he needed a knockout to win the fight - the judges' cards later revealed he was trailing by three points on two cards and one on the other - and delivered right at the last.

The 34-year-old produced a left-right combination that sent Liakhovich to the canvas, then smashed the man from Scottsdale with a punishing - and decisive - right as he clambered back to his feet.

After his dramatic victory, Briggs said: "My corner kept telling me that I was losing the fight. They said that if I didn't turn it around, I would lose."

Liakhovich said: "I didn't fight my fight. I gave it away. I took too many shots in the 12th round."

Only Big Fights

2006-10-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

I'm a boxing fan, a UFC fan and I love anything the involves kicking butt...stay tuned for more