Although there were no UFC events this past weekend, there’s still plenty of fresh news to analyze across martial arts. From Ryan Garcia’s stunning upset of Devin Haney on Saturday night in Brooklyn to PFL becoming the center of the MMA world the night before, the overall parity of the fight game has been second to none.
MMA knockout Zayn Bando is back with another heater, and as he does every Monday, he tries to make sense of everything that happens in the ridiculous world of martial arts, and then some.
Let’s get straight to the point. And for the first time in a while, at least this week, the UFC has the most comprehensive combat landscape.
Ryan Garcia’s upset over Devin Haney further proves that boxing needs dance partners
No matter what happened in the first few days of the NBA and NHL postseason, perhaps the biggest sporting event of the weekend took place between Devin Haney and Ryan Garcia at Barclays Center. Unfortunately for die-hard fans, Garcia never made it to his contract weight. In other words, he couldn’t win Haney’s championship even if he could.
Contrary to popular belief, this battle was not an easy one. Garcia knocked Haney down three times and he gave Haney more trouble than he had ever experienced before. Haney’s frustration between rounds was very visible, as was his father’s emotion.
The two looked separated. Garcia’s speed, power and timing made it easy. His brash and cheeky personality also shined through. Like a gazelle, he was attacking everything Haney was throwing at him, so the second half of the fight was all Garcia and then some.
Garcia laughed at the mixed reactionary crowd, saying that a rematch would boost box office numbers given that it was Haney’s only loss as a professional, while Garcia has lost to Gervonta Davis in April 2023. He has won two games in a row.
Nevertheless, both needed each other to make the fight a show. This is a growing rivalry, and if Oscar De La Hoya and Eddie Hearn can play their cards right, this could be the next big rivalry in non-heavyweight boxing.
Garcia has the upper hand, at least for now, but this feud is far from over.
PFL attracts attention with signing of Irish prospect Paul Hughes
In the aftermath of the PFL’s third regular season game in Chicago, the PFL announced the signing of former Cage Warriors lightweight Paul Hughes, who is 11-1 in MMA.
Hughes’ deal is perhaps the largest free agent signing across any promotion so far this year. Hughes said in his Sunday statement how excited he is to test himself against the best competition in the sport.
“I’m really excited to sign with PFL,” Hughes said in a promotional release, adding, “In my eyes, the regular season format is the ultimate format for MMA competition, with a $1 million final prize to be won. ” he said. I’m ready to prove that I’m the best lightweight on the planet. ”
PFL CEO Pete Murray said the addition of Hughes would only strengthen the squad as a whole.
“The Professional Fighters League is always going to be in the mix when it comes to the free agency market, and this is certainly the case with Paul Hughes, someone we’ve had our eye on for quite some time,” Murray said. Ta. “We look forward to watching Paul continue his journey in big matches as he continues to test his skills in the PFL.”
The 27-year-old has won five straight fights and is perhaps the biggest Irish prospect since Conor McGregor, but Hughes’ story is still being written.
UFC 303 tickets go on sale in a few days
UFC 303 will conclude the UFC’s 12th International Fight Week on June 29, headlined by Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler. There are less than 80 days left until the highly anticipated welterweight fight, and tickets are scheduled to go on sale Friday at 1pm ET.
However, UFC VIP Experience ticket packages are on sale and the prices are amazing. The cheapest package is sold out, and the next highest level costs $12,000.
Regardless of the lowest regular ticket price, start saving money early or consider purchasing the game on ESPN+ pay-per-view to get the best viewing experience possible.
As of this writing, the full card has not yet been announced.
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