In recent months, fans have been blessed with a handful of exciting boxing and MMA events.
Thankfully, the pandemic is slowing down so boxers are hitting the ring once again. The UFC is putting on some of its best events in years. Boxing hasn’t slowed either. What has happened in the combat sports world in recent months? Below, readers will learn about the latest news from the combat sports world.
Oleksandra Usyk Dominates Joshua
After a fight between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury fell through, Joshua took a fight against Oleksandr Usyk. Most knew the Ukrainian boxer was good. However, few suspected him to win the bout. He had everything going against him including moving from cruiserweight to heavyweight. In addition to this, the boxer was taking on Joshua on his turf. Nevertheless, Usykwouldn’t be overwhelmed by Anthony Joshua or the crowd. The 34-year-old boxer put on a dominant performance by pummeling Joshua from bell to bell. Joshua took a few rounds midway through the fight but looked like a broken man after the bout was over.
There is no doubt that Usyk is one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world. The Cat has 19 wins and 0 losses. He was won by KO 13 times. Joshua had expressed interest in a rematch. Nevertheless, few believe he can beat Usyk. During the first fight, Usyk was too dominant. He will likely do it again. He will likely be the betting favorite on เว็บสล็à¸à¸•à¹€à¸§à¹‡à¸šà¸•à¸£à¸‡ and other sites.
Volkanovski Brutalizes Brian Ortega
Besides the Usyk bout, the weekend also held UFC 266. The PPV event featured a featherweight showdown between Champion Alexander Volkanovski and challenge Brian Ortega. Most people expected the bout to be competitive. Nevertheless, nobody knew it would be this good. The fight is arguably one of the best in UFC history although it was primarily dominated by the champion. From the first bell, Alexander pushed the pace and peppered his opponent with devastating blows. Midway through the fight, Volkanovski was knocked to the ground and Ortega quickly tried to submit him.
Although the submission was tight, the champion refused to lose. He broke out of the submission and brutally beat his opponent. The beating was so bad that Ortega barely returned to his feet after the third round. Unfortunately, the ref and doctors refused to stop the fight, so Ortega took two more rounds of unnecessary punishment. In the end, the champion retained his title with a brutal win over Brian Ortega.
Shevchenko Dominates
UFC 266 had two title fights. The first title fight of the night was a flyweight match between challenge Lauren Murphy and champion Valentina Shevchenko. Many believed that the champion would dominate her opponent. She did. Lauren Murphy looks like a fish out of the water from the beginning. She refused to throw punches or go for takedowns. Many will agree that the American fighter from Anchorage never put up a fight. She looks like she came to lose, and she did just that. The 38-year-old never got started and was ultimately stopped in the 4th round.
Although it was another win for the champion, it wasn’t impressive. After all, her opponent wasn’t there to fight.
The Return Of Nick Diaz
What was the UFC thinking when adding Nick Diaz to the UFC 266 lineup? Although it seemed like a good idea on paper, it wasn’t. From the beginning, it was clear that Diaz hadn’t trained for the competition. From the beginning, Diaz looked out of shape and unprepared for the fight. Although his boxing was crisp, his gas tank was empty after two rounds. As for Robbie Lawler, he is always in shape and wasn’t going to let Diaz walk all over him. Unfortunately, the return of Nick Diaz was a major disappointment.
The Stockton fighter wasn’t interested in winning the bout. The UFC must’ve known this when it saw Diaz before the fight. After the bout, Nick’s friend Jake Shields claimed Nick was rushed to return. It was clear he wasn’t ready to fight. The competition was not good. Most fans agree that Diaz should return to retirement. Nevertheless, there is always a chance he would’ve performed better with a few more weeks to train.
