Latest news with #KnockoutoftheYear
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Health
- Yahoo
Former WBO super welterweight world champion Jaime Munguia reportedly fails VADA drug test
Mexico's Jaime Munguia (R) works against France's Bruno Surace during their super middleweight fight at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 4, 2025. (Photo by Fayez NURELDINE / AFP) (Photo by FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images) Jaime Munguia has reportedly tested positive for a banned substance following his rematch victory over Bruno Surace. Munguia, the former WBO super welterweight world champion, returned an adverse analytical finding for an exogenous origin of testosterone metabolites in a urine sample taken by the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association around Munguia's fight with Surace on May 4 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, according to Ring Magazine. Advertisement Munguia will likely face a suspension from the British Boxing Board of Control, under whose jurisdiction the bout took place, unless his B sample tests negative. The Mexican boxer has 10 days to request analysis of his B sample. Additionally, Munguia's 12-round unanimous decision win over Surace will likely be overturned to a no-contest. Surace was a frontrunner for Upset of the Year and Knockout of the Year when he brutally dispatched Munguia in the sixth round of their first fight last December. Munguia, a -2500 favorite, was seemingly miles in front on the scorecards but walked into a counter right hand from Surace in the final minute of the sixth and ultimately failed to beat the 10 count. For the rematch, Munguia teamed up with renowned boxing trainer Eddy Reynoso. Reynoso is best known for being the longtime coach of Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, who himself defeated Munguia in May 2024. Munguia boxed a disciplined fight to take a comfortable unanimous decision over Surace in their second meeting, which was the co-feature to Alvarez's undisputed title win over William Scull. Instead of being wild and reckless, as he had been in previous fights, Munguia was patient behind his heavy jab and worked on creating openings to Surace's midsection.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
'I've been given this second chance for a reason:' Featherweight champ Angelo Leo making most of career resurgence
Angelo Leo's Knockout of the Year contender to win the IBF featherweight title from Luis Alberto Lopez remains the highlight of Leo's career. It isn't a moment he will claim as indescribable. Flattening a reigning beltholder to become a two-division titlist in his Albuquerque, New Mexico, hometown was the storybook ending Leo always had in mind and he lived his dream in August. Advertisement There was a point, however, when it was unclear whether that moment would arrive. A 29-month gap between Leo's first chapter and the start of his current run cast doubt over whether he would ever make his way back into the ring. 'Those two years were a pretty tough time in my life and especially in my career,' Leo told Uncrowned. A January 2021 loss to Stephen Fulton was a bitter pill to swallow, but not an insurmountable obstacle. It remains the lone blemish on Leo's record (25-1, 12 KOs) and also ended his WBO junior featherweight title reign. Leo bounced back with a 10-round unanimous decision over Aaron Alameda five months later. Advertisement Yet the win not only failed to resonate, but it would mark his last fight for more than two years. More than a year into a forced inactive stretch, Leo, 31, wondered if that would be the final time he would enter the ring. Of the greatest concerns at the time was how to provide for his family. His girlfriend was pregnant with their son. Angelo Leo (left) exchanges punches with Aaron Alameda during their junior featherweight fight at Toyota Center on June 19, 2021, in Houston. (Photo by) (Carmen Mandato via Getty Images) Boxing had always been Leo's everything, but nothing was happening. 'I wasn't fighting. Boxing is my livelihood,' said Leo, whose first amateur fight came at age 11. 'It's what I do to put food on the table. I wasn't getting fights and it was frustrating. On top of that, I was having a son. My girlfriend was pregnant with our son. A lot of things were running through my mind about how to provide for them. Advertisement 'At one point, I was ready to focus on real estate and just put boxing on the backburner, stuff like that. It was a little tough time for me.' There was a point in Leo's life when he and his father had to sleep in their van because they didn't have money for hotel stays while in training camp out of state. Then came the call to begin the second act. ProBox TV — formed by Garry Jonas in 2022 — has helped fill a void in boxing after giants HBO and Showtime exited the sport. Both came years after the disappearance of iconic series such as "ESPN Friday Night Fights" and "USA Tuesday Night Fights." Advertisement Leo was among the many fighters able to join the new wave. He has arguably prospered the most from the platform's emergence. The stretch with his current backers began with a November 2023 ninth-round stoppage of Nicolas Polanco at the ProBox Event Center in Plant City, Florida. It was the first of four straight wins, three inside the distance, including his memorable 10th-round knockout of Mexicali's Lopez to become a two-division champion. Even heading into the fight, Leo felt like a man reborn. He'd already conquered the darkest patch of his adult life. Nothing in the ring was going to faze him — especially now that climbing through the ropes is back to being a regular occurrence. Advertisement The trick was always how he would get to that point when the well was dry and the phone didn't ring. 'I didn't really have a [hobby] to get me through those times,' said Leo, who now lives and trains in Las Vegas. 'I stuck with boxing, training in the gym because boxing is my life. But I wasn't really giving it my 100%. It was hard for me to fully commit because I didn't have any fight lined up, so I just felt like I was going through the motions. 'Once I got that phone call that I was going to fight again in late in 2023, I seized that opportunity at all costs. I pulled through. I persevered and returned to boxing. Garry Jonas and ProBox got my career, and I'm very grateful for them getting behind my career.' ProBox TV will be the U.S. outlet for Leo's next fight as he transitions from a hometown title win to a dangerous first defense on the road. Advertisement Leo will face former WBO bantamweight titlist Tomoki Kameda (42-4, 23 KOs) on Saturday in his mandatory challenger's hometown of Osaka, Japan. The 33-year-old challenger is the youngest of three fighting brothers who made history more than a decade ago. Tomoki and older siblings Koki and Daiki Kameda entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the first family trio to win world titles and then again as the only set to simultaneously hold major belts. Success at that level hasn't come as freely for Kameda since he's moved up in weight. Still, he's never been stopped in 46 career fights and is in the same position Leo enjoyed less than 10 months ago — hometown advantage against a visiting titleholder. 'Knocking him out would make a great statement, to be honest. I won't put that type of pressure on myself, though,' Leo insisted. 'It would really make a statement to knock him out, especially fighting in his hometown. Beating him in his hometown to defend my world title, though, is all I'm really thinking about.' Advertisement Leo views his business trip to Japan as a bucket list item. He gets to defend his belt in a country he never thought he'd get the chance to visit, much less get paid to do so. For as far down as he was only a few years ago, nothing about this weekend will be taken for granted. That same mindset carries into every training session, which wasn't necessarily the case for much of the first 10 years of his career. 'I'm pushing my body to the limit this second part of my career,' Leo said. 'I don't feel like I gave it that same commitment in my first part. Now I'm training like the greats, training like Floyd Mayweather, like [Oscar] De La Hoya, like Manny Pacquiao. 'I want to be that great, so I have to do everything it takes to get there. I've been given this second chance for a reason. I can't waste any of it.'
Wales Online
10-05-2025
- Sport
- Wales Online
Anthony Cacace v Leigh Wood fight start time, TV channel and full undercard
Anthony Cacace v Leigh Wood fight start time, TV channel and full undercard Southpaw meets orthodox in Nottingham. Anthony Cacace faced Josh Warrington last year. (Image: (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images) ) Anthony Cacace steps into the ring to defend his IBO super-featherweight title tonight. His opponent is Leigh Wood, who has 28 wins and three losses to his name. One of Wood's career highlights was a title defence against Michael Conlan, with his 12th-round knockout being the Ring Magazine 'Knockout of the Year' in 2022. The Northern Irishman is on a sensational run, and has lost just once in his career, back in 2017. Notably, he handed Welshman Joe Cordina's first defeat in May 2024, securing the IBF and IBO titles. Cacace's first IBF defence against Josh Warrington was a success by unaninmous decision at Wembley Stadium in London. Article continues below Here's everything you need to know about the fight. What time does Cacace v Wood start? Cacace v Wood is set to start at roughly 10pm on Saturday, May 10, at the Motorpoint Arena in Nottingham. Viewing details Cacace v Wood is being shown live on DAZN. It is not a pay-per-view bout, so if you are already a subscriber of DAZN, there is nothing more to pay. For non-subscribers, DAZN is available for £119.99 annually or £14.99 per month. You can also opt for a flexible pass for £24.99. This can be cancelled at any time. Article continues below Who's on the undercard? MAIN EVENT: ANTHONY CACACE v LEIGH WOOD
USA Today
24-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ian Machado Garry before UFC on ESPN 66: Carlos Prates 'worst' of the Fighting Nerds
Ian Machado Garry before UFC on ESPN 66: Carlos Prates 'worst' of the Fighting Nerds Ian Machado Garry ranks Carlos Prates the lowest out of the Fighting Nerds. Machado Garry (15-1 MMA, 8-1 UFC) takes on streaking welterweight contender Prates (21-6 MMA, 4-0 UFC) in Saturday's UFC on ESPN 66 (ESPN2, ESPN+) main event at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City, Mo. Prates is part of the red-hot Fighting Nerds team, which also features ranked middleweight Caio Borralho, ranked featherweight Jean Silva, and rising lightweight Mauricio Ruffy. Machado Garry thinks Prates stands out the least. "I just think they're all great, (but) I think Prates is the worst of the four," Garry told CBS Sports. "I think Ruffy is the best. The way Ruffy moves is phenomenal, just the flow, the movement, it's just beautiful to watch. And then you look at someone like Caio, who just everywhere is talented. "He can beat you on the feet, beat you on the ground, has phenomenal jiu-jitsu, he's an absolute fridge of a man. Jean Silva is a dog. He's literally a dog. I know he was barking last week, but that man just knows how to fight. I love watching their guys fight. I think they have a great energy in the octagon, I think they have a great confidence, and you see that, and I think that matters." All four of the aforementioned Fighting Nerds are unbeaten in the octagon. Ruffy is coming off a Knockout of the Year contender, a spinning wheel-kick finish of King Green at UFC 313. Borralho defeated former title challenger Jared Cannonier in his first main event last August, and Silva notched a bonus-winning submission of Bryce Mitchell at UFC 314 earlier this month.
USA Today
18-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Renato Moicano: 'It's very tough' for Michael Chandler to beat anyone in top 15
Renato Moicano: 'It's very tough' for Michael Chandler to beat anyone in top 15 Renato Moicano thinks it's unlikely that his UFC lightweight peer Michael Chandler would beat a top 15 opponent. Show Caption Hide Caption Renato Moicano Responds to Paddy Pimblett's Post-UFC 314 Comments UFC lightweight Renato Moicano talks to MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn about Paddy Pimblett's win at UFC 314, his post-fight comments, what's next and more. MMA Junkie Renato Moicano thinks it will be tough for fellow UFC lightweight Michael Chandler to get a win over a top 15 opponent. Moicano (20-6-1 MMA, 12-6 UFC) wants to make it clear that he has no ill will toward Chandler (23-10 MMA, 2-5 UFC), but as a fighter who typically breaks down fights for his "Show Me the Money" podcast, he simply doesn't see "Iron" as an upper-echelon fighter. "Money" Moicano acknowledges some positive aspects to Chandler's game, but at this point in his career, it will be tough to compete against the best in the lightweight division. "No, to be honest," Moicano told MMA Junkie if Chandler could beat a top 15 opponent now. "It's very tough, you know? So people think I dislike Chandler, I don't dislike Chandler. I respect him. I just don't think he's that good, you know? "He's powerful, he can knock anybody out in the lightweight division, but right now for him, it's going to be very hard to get a dub. He's 2-4 in UFC, three straight losses, and his best win was over Dan Hooker and Tony Ferguson. I don't know. I don't see him getting back." Chandler suffered his third consecutive loss at UFC 314. His opponent, Paddy Pimblett, dominated the fight, leaving the former Bellator champion on the canvas in a bloody mess after a third-round TKO stoppage. After recording a Knockout of the Year contender against Tony Ferguson at UFC 274, Chandler hasn't won a fight. He has since lost by submission to Dustin Poirier, dropped a unanimous decision to Charles Oliveira, and now most recently, a TKO loss to Pimblett. To Chandler's credit, he does bring excitement to the table, which is why he has won bonuses in five of his seven UFC bouts. However, to stay relevant among the best names at 155, wins must be recorded. Moicano believed Chandler only had one path to victory in the fight against Pimblett, and it did not come together for him. Combine his recent performances along with being 38, and Moicano doesn't see much upside for Chandler's career at this point. "I said I think Paddy Pimblett was going to win because Michael Chandler's only chance is the right hand," Moicano said. "If he did not connect it, it's going to be very hard for him. ... Because if you remember, Charles Oliveira did out-wrestle Chandler, and Charles is not a wrestler. He took down Chandler like every single round. I was surprised Chandler tried to wrestle in the first round, was trying takedowns, was trying to control Paddy Pimblett, but he's getting a little bit older, so it's going to be hard for him to keep the same pace, you know?"
