In the main event, it was Dave “Redneck” Mundell looking to make the second defense of his middleweight championship when he took on challenger Doug Coltrane.

Coltrane had won three straight bouts under the BKFC banner to earn his title shot.

And notable of course to MMA fans, Julian Lane of “Let Me Bang, Bro” fame (are you really an MMA fan if you don’t know that meme/Ultimate Fighter season?) was also in action, taking on Murat Kazgan.

Where to Watch BKFC 53: Mundell vs. Coltrane

BKFC 53: Mundell vs. Coltrane takes place Friday, Nov. 3 at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL. The event streams live via the BKFC App. Full results can be found below.

BKFC 53: Mundell vs. Coltrane Results

David Mundell (c) def. Doug Coltrane by TKO, Round 2, 1:23 — for the BKFC middleweight championship
Julian Lane def. Murat Kazgan by TKO (doctor stoppage), Round 3, 1:53
Sawyer Depee def. Jonathan Miller by KO, Round 1, 2:00
Diego Romo vs. Ravon Baxter ends in a majority draw (48-46 Romo, 47-47, 47-47)
Nathan Rivera def. Jaymes Hyder by KO, Round 1, 1:21
Mike Heckert def. Scott Lampert by TKO (corner stoppage), Round 2, 0:53
Dagoberto Aguero def. Chance Wilson by TKO, Round 3, 1:24
Michael Larrimore def. Justin Watson by KO, Round 1, 1:01
Jeff Janvier def. Devonte Jeffery by TKO, Round 2, 1:09
Ja’Far Fortt def. Aaron Sutterfield by TKO (punch), Round 1, 0:28

The post BKFC 53: Mundell vs. Coltrane Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

White was on “Triggered” with Donald Trump Jr. speaking on last weekend’s boxing match between boxing heavyweight champion Tyson Fury and former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou.

“I didn’t see the fight, but the fact that he went 10 rounds with Tyson Fury is crazy. He just went 10 rounds with Tyson Fury. Conor (McGregor) made it 9 out of 10 with Floyd (Mayweather),” White told Trump Jr.

“Anthony Pettis just beat Roy Jones Jr., I know Roy is friggin’ 60-years-old or whatever, but I don’t know what the hell is going on. It’s crazy.”

Ngannou and White had a very public feud at the very end of negotiations to keep the star heavyweight in the UFC. When the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement Ngannou left for the Professional Fighters League.

With a pit stop in boxing. Ngannou went the distance, knocked Fury down, and arguably won the fight in the eyes of many. That kind of success could be seen by other fighters as an opportunity, and at the same time may be at the detriment of the UFC.

White didn’t think so.

“I don’t care. Listen, these guys, at some point everybody is going to move on. Everybody has to do what’s right for them and make money for their families, so whatever they’ve got to do, they’ve got to do,” he said.

The post Dana White On Francis Ngannou Going Distance With Tyson Fury, “It’s Crazy” appeared first on Cageside Press.

In fact, it exceeded most expectations simply by going the distance with Ngannou holding his own throughout. “The Predator” more than held his own, frankly, knocking Tyson Fury down in a fight that saw the mixed martial artist get out to an early lead.

Fury had already been cut earlier in the fight; when he hit the canvas, it caused the crowd to erupt. From that point, there were chants of “Francis” scattered throughout the live crowd, but Fury’s corner urged him not to engage, taking a safer route that saw him claw his way back into the fight.

As the rounds wore on, Ngannou, used to MMA bouts going 15 or 25 minutes, showed obvious signs of slowing. His uppercut, used effectively early in the fight, was seen less, his swings became more telegraphed. Between rounds, his mouth hung open as the chiseled fighter gulped down air. But his strength allowed him to keep the massive Tyson Fury off of him, taking away a key advantage “The Gypsy King” had historically used against opponents.

The tenth and final round saw live odds close to even, and little action playing out. No last-minute knockdown for either man — but Ngannou no doubt had a moral victory just going the distance. Many had expected his best path to victory to be an early KO; instead, he held his own against the best heavyweight boxer on the planet in the first boxing match of his career.

The scorecards had Ngannou up 95-94 from one judge, in fact — but that score was superseded by 96-93 and 95-94 scores going Fury’s way, giving him the split decision win.

Still, what played out in Saudi Arabia on Saturday was arguably the best example of a boxing-MMA crossover fight, one that was actually competitive and not a forgone conclusion. And it appears Ngannou may opt to try his hand at boxing again. While it is expected that he will make his PFL debut next year, a clearly satisfied Francis Ngannou stated post-fight that “I might have come out short today, I might be wounded, but I’m not bested yet. I can fight. I can fight.”

“This was my first boxing match. Great experience. I’m not giving any excuse, I know I came up short. But I’m going to go back and work harder,” said Ngannou, adding he plans to “come back stronger.”

“Now I know I can do this sh*t. So get ready. The wolf is in the house.”

Given he went the distance with the lineal heavyweight champion, if Ngannou does choose to box again, he could find himself contending with another top-ranked opponent.

As for Tyson Fury, he was sure to give Ngannou his due. Admitting that being knocked down wasn’t in the script, the Brit added that Ngannou was “a lot better boxer than we thought he would ever be.”

Fury is next expected to face Oleksandr Usyk, who was in the house in Riyadh on Saturday.

The post Ngannou Knocks Down Fury, Comes Up Just Short in Split Decision appeared first on Cageside Press.

That spectacle arrives on Saturday, October 28, 2023 as the “Battle of the Baddest” plays out in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Fury, already lined up for a showdown with Oleksandr Usyk later this year or in early 2024, will feature in a non-title fight with Ngannou that is nevertheless a professional contest.

As such, an upset win for Ngannou, clearly the underdog given his lack of boxing experience, would almost certainly set up an even bigger rematch. That nevertheless was a very steep hill to climb.

The Battle of the Baddest main card gets underway at 1PM ET (the ESPN+ broadcast kicks off at 2PM) airing exclusively on ESPN+ PPV in the U.S., and TNT Sports Box Office in the U.K. Full results from the event can be found below.

Battle of the Baddest: Fury vs. Ngannou Results

Main Card

Heavyweight: Tyson Fury def. Francis Ngannou by split decision (94-95, 96-93, 95-94)
Heavyweight: Fabio Wardley def. David Adeleye by TKO, Round 7, 2:43
Heavyweight: Joseph Parker def. Simon Kean by KO, Round 3, 2:04
Heavyweight: Arslanbek Makhmudov def. Junior Anthony Wright by TKO, Round 1, 1:10
Heavyweight: Moses Itauma def. Istvan Bernath by TKO, Round 1, 1:53
Heavyweight: Martin Bakole def. Carlos Takam by TKO, Round 4, 2:15

Preliminary Card

Super Welterweight: Jack McGann def. Alcibiade Duran Galvan by TKO, Round 2, 0:37

The post Battle of the Baddest: Fury vs. Ngannou Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

#OnThisDay in 2021, @Tyson_Fury concluded his trilogy with Deontay Wilder 🤫 pic.twitter.com/hXx7Aepblf

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 9, 2023

If there’s one knock on boxing, it’s how often the business side of things keeps the fights that the fans want from happening.  The examples are plentiful: the time it took for Floyd Mayweather to fight Manny Pacquiao was far too long and the hurdles that took place to make Terrence Crawford against Errol Spence Jr were annoying, just to name two.

Tyson Fury is no stranger to these problems.  “The Gypsy King” is the unquestioned superstar of the heavyweight division and is one of the top talents in the world today.  But two of the biggest fights that could be made involving him have been troublesome to make.  A bout with fellow UK star Anthony Joshua has been troublesome to make due to timing and the two competing for different networks.  More recently, a title unification bout with Oleksandr Usyk has led to a rift with the fans as long negotiations fell apart for the fight.  In short, fans clamor to see Fury fight the other stars of the division at a time when he’s at the height of his powers.  But instead, they feel as if they are forced to settle for a lesser product due to the business of boxing.

His fight with former UFC champion Francis Ngannou comes at an interesting time.  Arguably, business for the top fighters in the world and the Fury family specifically has never been bigger.  Fury’s younger brother Tommy has dispatched the two top stars of Influencer boxing back-to-back and is building a legacy all his own.  In boxing, Saudi Arabia has made a concerted effort to bring more sporting events to the country and that has led to bigger paydays.  Fury himself is a big beneficiary as he is now in talks to have back-to-back fights in Riyadh with agreements to potentially fight Usyk in December should he emerge unscathed on Saturday.  On paper, he is the heavy favorite.  He is the one who ended the reign of Vladimir Klitschko and the run of Deontay Wilder.  He is on an undefeated streak of his own and is the lineal champion who carries the torch in the sport’s storied history.  So big a star is he and so certain are the powers that be of his skills that he has already agreed to terms for a fight with Usyk later this year or early next year to unify the heavyweight boxing title of the world. At a time when boxing has never had more going on, 2023 could be the year of Fury.  But it will ask him to once again prove just how special he can really be.

The 𝓒𝓸𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓪𝓽𝓲𝓸𝓷 of @Francis_Ngannou 👑

[ #UFC270 | Jan 22 | @HondaCenter | Tickets 🔗 https://t.co/0noMO5S0Td ] pic.twitter.com/iIA6PTIwKC

— UFC (@ufc) December 13, 2021

Francis Ngannou’s story is a long one, perhaps far too long to tell here.  But the short version going into Saturday is this: After a life that has seen plenty of hardship before reaching worldwide acclaim through the UFC, he gambled on himself by leaving the worldwide leader in order to pursue greater paydays and opportunities.  This week, he has a chance to complete a Cinderella story of unprecedented proportions.  He left millions on the table to fight Jon Jones in the UFC, and it paid off as he will make even more for the fight with Fury.  That is not to mention the great amount from the PFL that could eventually rival or even outdo the UFC between fight purses and his salary as the President of Fighter Operations for their expansion into Africa.  If it was just about cold hard cash, then Ngannou has won the game.  If it is about legacy, then one could argue he could win it all there on Saturday after leaving the UFC as a champion and then defeating the generationally great heavyweight champion.

It would be easy to say that Francis Ngannou has nothing to lose, is playing with house money, etc.  Perhaps that is widely true; his biggest loss on Sunday may only be to his ego and in the eyes of the greater pure boxing loving public.  But in sports, immortality is often down to wins and losses.  The elephant in the room may always be what would have happened if he fought Jon Jones in the UFC.  In MMA, at least for the moment, there is no consolation prize that would rival ending the win-streak of the greatest of all-time.  Monetarily, as stated earlier, Ngannou has already won the fight.  But if the business of the sport indeed sends the Jones fight into the ether forever, then having that signature victory over Fury is his best chance to etch himself into the history books in regards to competition.

SOMEBODY IS GOING TO SLEEP.#FuryNgannou | https://t.co/2heUqaYy86 pic.twitter.com/LqfnU2dSey

— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) October 27, 2023

Should Francis Ngannou do what no one has done before, then it would be impossible not to imagine an immediate rematch being made.  Moreover, it would immediately go onto the 2024 schedule as the must-watch combat sports event of the year.  Should Fury win the Battle of the Baddest, he is already scheduled to face Oleksandr Usyk as early as this December.  Ngannou, barring an upset victory, is already set to return to MMA next year where it’s expected that he will fight the 2023 PFL heavyweight tournament winner.  Considering that Saudi Arabia has invested in the company and will be bringing events to the country in 2024, it’s expected that his promotional debut will be stacked as a groundbreaking event that could also feature Jake Paul and more of the biggest non-UFC stars in the sport.

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Fury and Ngannou will take part in a professional boxing match in Riyadh which will mark Ngannou’s professional boxing debut. For Fury it’s a chance to take on a former UFC heavyweight champion and put on a show for fans.

Tyson Fury is coming off TKO victories over Dereck Chisora and Dillian Whyte. Prior to that he finished Deontay Wilder twice in a rivalry which feels like it’s still not finished.

Francis Ngannou is currently on a 6-fight win streak in MMA with victories over Ciryl Gane, Stipe Mioicic, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Junior dos Santos, Cain Velasquez and Curtis Blaydes.

Fans hoped for a matchup with current UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones, but Ngannou signed with the Professional Fighters League. That fight on the shelf, possibly permanently.

The press conference kicks off at 11amPT/2pmET and is available above. The fight takes place this Saturday night on PPV.

The so-called “Battle of the Baddest” takes place on Saturday, October 28, 2023 at the Boulevard Hall in Riyadh, Saudia Arabia. The card airs live via PPV.

The post Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou Press Conference Livestream appeared first on Cageside Press.

Headlining the latest bareknuckle event was bantamweight champion Reggie Barnett, looking to defend his title against Keith Richardson. Across combat spots (MMA, boxing, and bareknuckle boxing), Richardson was riding an impressive eight-fight win streak coming into his title challenge, including three straight victories under the BKFC banner.

Fight fans tuning into BKFC 52 might also notice a couple of former UFC talents in Kevin Croom and Cameron VanCamp.

BKFC 52 gets underway at 8PM ET on Friday, October 20, 2023, with a brief preliminary card available via the BKFC Youtube channel (available below). The main card kicks off an hour later at 9PM, and is available to stream via the BKFC App/BKFC+. Full results from the event can be found below.

BKFC 52: Barnett vs. Richardson Results

Main Card

Keith Richardson def. Reggie Barnett Jr. (c) by TKO, Round 2, 0:58 — for the BKFC bantamweight championship
Tony Soto def. Kevin Croom by unanimous decision (50-45, 48-47, 50-45)
Jeremie Holloway def. Cameron VanCamp by unanimous decision (49-46, 48-47, 49-46)
Solon Staley def. Darrick Gates by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 1, 2:00
Brandon Bushaw def. Josh Marer by KO, Round 2, 0:50
Jeremiah Scott def. Chevy Bridges by KO Round 3, 1:56
Derek Perez def. Ace Samples by TKO, Round 2, 0:44
Trukon Carson def. Daishaun Middleton by KO, Round 1, 1:01

Preliminary Card

Daniel Cooper def. Miach Lail by TKO (doctor’s stoppage), Round 4, 2:00
Bekhzod Usmonov def. Trevor Loken by TKO, Round 3, 0:24

The post BKFC 52: Barnett vs. Richardson Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

Danis, a former grappling phenom turned professional internet troll, competed professionally for the first time since 2019, and in boxing for the first time at all, against one of the biggest internet celebrities ever. Logan Paul has two boxing fights under his belt, losing to KSI (the pair also faced off as amateurs), who headlined this Misfits card, in 2019. His other fight was an exhibition bout against Floyd Mayweather in 2021 which was technically ruled a draw, though that was only because it went the distance and there was no judging for the match. Despite having an actual combat sports background, Danis was a huge underdog given his grappling base, inactivity, and the apparent athleticism disparity.

With a visible cut on his face from being hit by Danis with a microphone on Friday, Paul came out looking like the much larger fighter. Danis walked towards him with a high guard raised and did not punch until they were in the clinch. Logan had trouble breaking through that high guard but did poke at the body with his jab and straight right. Nothing major happened in the first round, though Danis got cautioned for excessive clinch punching after being told to break, a byproduct of his clear gameplay to wear out Paul.

The second round saw Logan start by just using Danis like a punching bag as Dillon did not throw back any strikes of his own. Some got deflected but some got through. Logan calmed down a bit after that and paced himself for the rest of the round until he had Danis hurt with 30 seconds left. Paul landed a left hand first and then a right that had Danis on wobbly legs. Logan swarmed him but was unable to put Danis down and he slowed his pace right before the bell so he did not get tired.

With Logan likely up two rounds to none, the third round was big. However, Danis once again did not put up much of a fight. Logan was able to throw whatever he wanted as Danis barely let his hands go ever, just walked around with his guard up. Logan landed some good body shots late and clearly won the round again, though Danis finally landed a right in the closing seconds.

Danis threw hands finally at the start of a round in round four and landed a right hand. He was more open than in previous rounds after that, but still was largely on the defensive. Logan’s pace slowed and he danced around the ring more as he began to tire, but he did end the round with a flurry. Paul likely won the round, but it was closer than the others. To that point in the fight Logan had landed eighty-two punches to only nine for Dillon Danis.

The penultimate round saw Logan walk down Danis from the start and unload on him with big clubbing blows when he cornered him, only stopping when Danis fired back to get out of the corner. Ariel Helwani, on commentary for the fight, speculated that Danis only wants to survive to a decision to have a moral victory for his online persona. Logan comfortably saw out the round with smart movement and periodic attacks as Danis did not throw at all.

Logan wailed on Danis at the start of the sixth and final round, his blows got through the guard only partially. Still, Dillon refused to fight back, refusing to allow chances for him to get knocked out and become a meme online, as the commentary pointed out. Danis tried to have a viral moment when he shot for a takedown on Logan Paul, but he could not even take him down. The referee took a point away and Logan swarmed Danis when the fight resumed. He rained down blows but Danis still would not go away and survived to the final horn.

After the fight ended, Danis refused to stop and began to throw punches at security that entered the ring, starting a huge brawl which took ages to separate. When order was finally restored it was announced that Logan had not won a decision, but rather received the nod by disqualification for Danis’ antics. In his post-fight interview, Paul called out Conor McGregor, and added he had forgiven Danis for his pre-fight antics ahead of the fight, though he was highly critical of the BJJ star’s performance in the ring.

Official Result: Logan Paul def. Dillon Danis by Disqualification, Round 6

The post Misfits Boxing PRIME Card: Logan Paul Wins by DQ, Dillon Danis Sparks Brawl After Repeated Antics appeared first on Cageside Press.

It was easy enough to forget that Paul and Danis were not the headliners of what was being called The PRIME Card, after the sports drink launched by now WWE star Logan Paul and fellow social media star KSI. They stole most of the thunder, with KSI vs. Tommy Fury a distant second. That was thanks in part to Danis, who plagued Paul and fiancee Nina Agdal, going so far as to release images that Agdal, now suing the jiu-jitsu star turned boxer, claims are revenge porn, and which Danis insists were already publicly available on the internet.

That court battle will wait, the battle in the ring arrives on Saturday, as Danis makes his boxing debut against Paul, who has dabbled in the sport in matches with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and KSI. To add to the promotional “flair,” Paul brought disgraced former NBC personality Chris Hansen to a press event in the past week, and BJJ star Gordan Ryan to weigh-ins, admittedly as protection. That, after Paul and Danis exchanged blows, or more accurately throws, on stage in a scene that saw Paul cut when Danis hit him with a microphone. The water bottle thrown by Paul, that sparked the altercation, did far less damage, so score one for Danis, who is a heavy underdog in the actual bout.

In short, ladies and gents, the circus is in town, one night only, October 14, 2023, live from Manchester, England. Full results from the social media-laden card can be found below. Prelims can be viewed free below, while the main card is available via DAZN PPV. It all kicks off at 2PM ET.

Misfits Boxing: The PRIME Card Results

Main Card (DAZN PPV)

Tommy Fury def. KSI by majority decision (57-57, 57-56, 57-56)
Logan Paul def. Dillon Danis by DQ, Round 6 [Full recap]
Slim def. Salt Papi by TKO, Round 4, 2:54 — for the vacant Misfits Boxing middleweight championship
Deen the Great (c) def. Walid Sharks by unanimous decision (49-44, 49-44, 48-45) — for the Misfits Boxing lightweight championship
Anthony Taylor def. King Kenny by unanimous decision (49-45, 49-45, 49-45) — for the Misfits Boxing light heavyweight championship
My Mate Nate def. Whindersson Nunes Batista by unanimous decision (40-36, 40-36, 40-36)
Nichlmao & Alex Wassabi vs. Lucas Pineda & B Dave ends in a split draw (39-37, 37-39, 38-38) — tag team boxing

Preliminary Card

Ed Matthews def. Swarmz by KO, Round 1, 0:30
Tempo Arts def. Chase DeMoor by split decision (39-37, 39-27, 37-39)
Astrid Wett def. Alexia Grace by unanimous decision (28-28, 30-26, 30-26)
DTG def. S-X by TKO, Round 1, 1:59

The post Misfits Boxing: The PRIME Card Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.

In the main event, Britain Hart looked to make her second defense of the BKFC women’s strawweight championship. While that in itself is notable, what was truly unique is that the fight, which took place in Salem, VA on September 29, was to be the first of two planned back-to-back title defenses roughly a month apart: the next is planned for BKFC Thailand 5 on November 4.

Of course, Hart needed to win her first fight to ensure that next title defense happens. And Melanie Shah, 2-0 in BKFC, would no doubt have something to say about that.

BKFC 51 takes place at the Salem Civic Center in Salem, VA on Sept. 29, 2023, airing live on the BKFC App. Full results can be found below.

BKFC 51: Hart vs. Shah Results

Main Card

Britain Hart (c) def. Melanie Shah by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) — for the BKFC strawweight championship
Dustin Pague def. Joe Elmore by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45)
Stanislav Grosu def. Blake LaCaze by TKO, Round 2, 1:51
Bruce Abramski def. Mark Culp by KO, Round 1, 0:43
Joseph Creer def. Ronnie Glass by KO, Round 3, 1:18
Harris Stephenson def. Brian Maxwell by DQ (illegal strike), Round 5, 0:29
Brett Fields def. Kaine Tomlinson by KO, Round 1, 1:39

Preliminary Card

Rick Caruso def. Landon Williams by KO, Round 1, 1:43
Ka’Sim Ruffin def. Daniel Gary by TKO, Round 3, 1:26

The post BKFC 51: Hart vs. Shah Full Results appeared first on Cageside Press.