Tyson Fury has booked a heavyweight title fight with Oleksandr Usyk in December, just months — less even — after his fight with Francis Ngannou. Conor McGregor, meanwhile, says it’s still Michael Chandler he’s expecting to fight upon his return to action next year. All that and more in your Sunday MMA Quick Hits for October 1, 2023!
Fury Taunting the Fight Gods?
Tyson Fury has a showdown with Francis Ngannou later this month, in a boxing versus MMA crossover that many (no doubt including UFC President and CEO Dana White) assumed would never happen.
Well it is happening, but that hasn’t stopped Fury from booking a match with Oleksandr Usyk, at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia as early as December.
That seems like an awfully quick turnaround, even if Fury’s fight with Ngannou is expected to be a one-sided affair.
“I don’t know what’s the minimum medical suspension in boxing but I really don’t understand how Tyson can fight in December after what’s going to happen on (Oct. 28),” Ngannou wrote on social media, taking note of the news.
PFL Paris A Smashing Success, but…
The PFL Paris (PFL Europe 3) card turned out to be a smashing success. They might have actually used that line on Saturday’s broadcast, but it certainly fits. After a bit of a slow start, standouts Dakota Ditcheva, Abdoul “Lazy King” Abdouraguimov, and Cedric Doumbe all secured fantastic finishes, and all three appear to have budding star power.
Ditcheva is the favorite to win the PFL Europe women’s flyweight tournament this year, while the Lazy King is set to enter the PFL’s lightweight division next season. Doumbe, meanwhile, walked to the cage with a mattress emblazoned with a message for opponent Jordan Zebo: Bonne nuit, Jordan. Good night Jordan, in other words.
Just nine seconds into the PFL Paris main event, Zebo was sleeping on the canvas.
An awesome way to close the show, with a full house of fans in Paris loving every minute. The one negative? Fans in North America couldn’t see it. One of the biggest nights in the PFL’s history to date, and its home market couldn’t watch.
That has to change. Bellator MMA (which the PFL is reportedly in the process of purchasing) was the first major promotion to hold a show in Paris, and has a bit of a foothold in western Europe, making frequent stops in England and Ireland as well as France. With the PFL also finding success in the City of Lights, it’s a good sign moving forward, but the shine comes off a bit when a good portion of the fanbase can’t witness that triumph.
Aljo calls for O’Malley to accept rematch, “or fight Merab”
After winning a grappling match against Mike Grundy at Polaris 25 in Wales, former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling took to the mic to call for a rematch with Sean O’Malley.
“I got a message for Mr. Suga T*ts because he’s still that to me,” Sterling addressed the crowd, in a clip posted by UFC Fight Pass. “Hey, give me my rematch or fight Merab [Dvalishvili]. It’s that simple.”
It would be that simple, at least, if O’Malley wasn’t circling a rematch with Chito Vera.
“Stop ducking the top contenders and be a man and be a real champion. Fight the best of the best,” Sterling added. “That’s what I did and now you need to turn around and do the same exact sh*t. Let’s go.”
Fight Circus Presents: Running Man, the Musical
The flat-out crazy Fight Circus returned to action on Sunday, October 1, 2023, with the full card available for free on Youtube.
The latest installment, Fight Circus 8: Running Man, the Musical featured a 2-on-1 fight including Charles “Felony” Bennett in the main event. We’re assuming this is a spoof of The Running Man starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, and not the Stephen King novel on which it was very loosely based, which took a much more serious tone.
Zhang Weili meets Shaq, gives him a lift
UFC women’s strawweight champion Zhang Weili bumped into Shaq the other day, and posted some fun clips with the NBA legend on social media. Among them, the diminutive fighter actually managed to lift the big man off his feet, with Shaq himself looking impressed.
McGregor says Chandler is still next, adds “Sit down and wait and shut your mouth”
While the world waits for the return of Conor McGregor, which now appears to be penciled in for sometime in early 2024, there has been plenty of speculation as to just who he will fight.
The plan for some time has been for McGregor to take on rival TUF 31 coach Michel Chandler, but “Iron” Mike has suggested he’ll only wait so long. With the return of McGregor pushed back and the question of his return to the USADA pool still up in the air, speculation has arisen suggesting McGregor could fight several other candidates.
“The Notorious” himself, however, says it’s still Chandler he plans to fight. “Yes, it has to be,” McGregor said recently, speaking to All Out Fighting (h/t MMA Fighting). “Has to be. Chandler, sit down and wait and shut your mouth, yeah? The Mac will be here soon.”
McGregor remains the biggest draw in mixed martial arts, and anyone facing him, assuming they earn PPV points, would be wise to wait for that red panty night.
