Latest news with #featherweight
Daily Mail
5 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Nick Ball to win in rounds 5-8 NOW 3/1 - as the Brit puts his WBA featherweight title on the line against Australia's Sam Goodman in Riyadh
While the main event between Moses Itauma and Dillian Whyte will dominate many of the headlines in Riyadh this weekend - the co-main event is just as intriguing. WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball will put his belt on the line against Australia's Sam Goodman - as the pair of undefeated fighters hope to come away with the win and set up a mouthwatering clash with multiple division world champion Naoya Inoue. Ball enters this weekend's contest off the back of a strong showing against TJ Doheny - with the Englishman winning by TKO in the tenth round. And he is expected to continue his winning ways this weekend - with Ball a short 1/5 favourite to have his hand raised. Meanwhile, Goodman is a 7/2 outsider to upset the applecart, while a draw is the widest in the market at 16/1. Goodman put forth a dominant performance last time out - with the slick Aussie cruising to a unanimous decision victory in Sydney. Elsewhere, in addition to the Fight Outright market outlined above - Sky Bet are offering a Price Boost for this contest. Enhanced from 5/2 to 3/1 - the bet requires Ball to win the fight in rounds 5-8. Sky Bet odds for Nick Ball vs Sam Goodman: Nick Ball 1/5 Sam Goodman 7/2 Draw 16/1 Sky Bet Price Boost for Nick Ball vs Sam Goodman: Nick Ball to win the fight in rounds 5-8 WAS 5/2 NOW 3/1
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Video: UFC 319 'Countdown' for Lerone Murphy vs. Aaron Pico
Did you miss the debut of UFC 319 "Countdown" or just want to watch it again? Check out the co-main event preview now. The segment takes a special look at the featherweight fight between Lerone Murphy (16-0-1 MMA, 8-0-1 UFC) and former Bellator standout Aaron Pico (13-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC), who is making his UFC debut. UFC 319 (pay-per-view, ESPN, ESPN+) takes place Saturday at United Center in Chicago. "Countdown" goes behind the scenes with the two fighters, and you can watch the full segment above. And don't miss the entire episode in the video below. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: UFC 319 preview video: Lerone Murphy vs. Aaron Pico
Forbes
a day ago
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC 319: Du Plessis Vs. Chimaev Full Fight Card Betting Odds
The UFC 319 fight card is less than a week away. The pay-per-view event, which takes place on Saturday, August 16 from United Center in Chicago, has a middleweight title fight in the main event slot. In that contest, Dricus du Plessis looks to make the third defense if his UFC 185-pound title when he faces the undefeated Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 319. A high-stakes featherweight meeting serves as the UFC 319 co-main event. In that contest, the unbeaten Lerone Murphy steps in on short notice to face high-profile free agent Aaron Pico. We look at the early UFC 319 fight week betting odds for each fight on the upcoming UFC event. The UFC 319 main card streams on ESPN+ PPV following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on ESPN+. UFC 319 Pay-Per-View Card Betting Odds: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev Dricus du Plessis (+180) vs. Khamzat Chimaev (-210) - For Du Plessis's UFC middleweight title Lerone Murphy (+125) vs. Aaron Pico (-145) - Featherweight Geoff Neal (+205) vs. Carlos Prates (-240) - Welterweight Jared Cannonier (+150) vs. Michael Page (-175) - Middleweight Tim Elliott (+210) vs. Kai Asakura (-270) - Flyweight UFC 319 Preliminary Card Betting Odds: Du Plessis vs. Chimaev King Green (+135) vs. Diego Ferreira (-155) - Lightweight Gerald Meerschaert (+180) vs. Michal Oleksiejczuk (-210) - Middleweight Jessica Andrade (+130) vs. Loopy Godinez (-150) - Women's Strawweight Chase Hooper (-280) vs. Alexander Hernandez (+240) - Lightweight Edson Barboza (-150) vs. Drakkar Klose (+130) - Lightweight Bryan Battle (-175) vs. Nursulton Ruziboev (+150) - Middleweight Karine Silva (-200) vs. Dione Barbosa (+170) - Women's Flyweight Rodrigo Sezinando (TBA) vs. TBD (TBA) - TUF Welterweight Final Idiris Alibi (TBA) vs. Joseph Morales (TBA) - TUF Flyweight Final UFC 319 Main Event: Dricus du Plessis Vs. Khamzat Chimaev Dricus du Plessis (23-2) joined the UFC in October 2020 as a 26-year-old with a 14-2 record. Before he joined the UFC, Du Plessis had won titles with KSW and EFC. He made his debut against Markus Perez on the main card of a UFC Fight Night event in Abu Dhabi. Du Plessis knocked out Perez in the first round. He followed that win with a July 2021 'Performance of the Night' KO win of Trevin Giles. Those two wins earned him a shot against the ranked veteran Brad Tavares. Du Plessis won that scrap via decision. The victory put him in the top 15 of the division. A December 2022 submission win over Darren Till moved Du Plessis to No. 10 in the division. A TKO win over the No. 5 ranked Derek Brunson followed. Du Plessis, who was working his way up the rankings, faced a tough test in his next outing when he met the No. 2 ranked Robert Whittaker at UFC 290. Du Plessis continued his rise, knocking out the former UFC champion in the UFC middleweight title eliminator and earning another 'Performance of the Night' bonus. More important than the bonus was the title shot Du Plessis received for that win. He faced then-champion Sean Strickland in January, taking the title from Strickland in a 'Fight of the Night' bonus-winning scrap In his first title defense Du Plessis picked up an August 2024 submission win over former UFC middleweight champ Israel Adesanya. Du Plessis most recently faced Strickland in a rematch at UFC 312 in early February of this year. Du Plessis won that contest via unanimous decision. I wrote of the champ after that fight, "Dricus du Plessis looked much more controlled and less reckless at UFC 312 than in many of his previous battles. He mixed up his striking techniques and targets against Sean Strickland, landed the more powerful blows, and didn't put himself in too many awkward positions. "Du Plessis did a much better job in his UFC 312 rematch against Strickland in shutting down his foe's offense. In the first fight, Strickland landed 173 of 408 significant strikes. While in the rematch, Strickland was held to 128 landed strikes on 263 attempts. Meanwhile, Du Plessis increased his landed strikes and landing percentage from the first fight to the second. In the first battle, Du Plessis landed 137 of 354 attempts for a landing rate of 38 percent. At UFC 312, the champ landed 147 of 314 attempts for a striking rate of 46 percent. 'Du Plessis has defended the UFC middleweight crown twice while going 9-0 in the UFC. Despite his winning ways, the champ remains a bit of an enigma because his style shouldn't work — but it does.' Chimaev (14-0) is the No. 3 fighter in the official UFC middleweight rankings. The 30-year-old made his UFC debut in July 2020 with a second-round submission win over John Phillips. He followed that victory with a first-round TKO over Rhys McKee 10 days later, breaking the UFC record for the quickest turnaround between UFC wins in the modern era. Then, in September, Chimaev knocked out Gerald Meerschaert. Things slowed down for Chimaev after that. He was booked to face Leon Edwards in December 2020, but that matchup never came to be despite multiple attempts to make the fight happen. The reason behind the numerous cancellations of Edwards vs. Chimaev was COVID-19. When Chimaev finally returned to the Octagon in October 2021, he made short work of Li Jingliang, scoring a submission at 3:16 of Round 1. In his next bout, Chimaev went the distance for the first time in his career, picking up a victory over Gilbert Burns. He followed that with a submission over Kevin Holland. A break of more than a year followed that victory. Chimaev's next outing was an October 2023 matchup against Kamaru Usman, a fight that Chimaev won via decision. A year after that, Chimaev made short work of Robert Whittaker, defeating the ex-UFC middleweight champ via submission (face crank) in the first round of their UFC 308 scrap. UFC 319 Co-Main Event: Lerone Murphy Vs. Aaron Pico Lerone Murphy (16-0-1) opened his UFC career with a 2019 draw against Zubaira Tukhugov. Since then, the 34 year old has done nothing but win. Murphy has gone 8-0 with the UFC since that draw, most recently beating former UFC interim title challenger Josh Emmett by decision. Before that April 2025 victory, Murphy picked up wins over Edson Barboza and Dan Ige. Murphy is the No. 6 ranked fighter in the official UFC 145-pound division. Aaron Pico (13-4) joined the UFC as a free agent earlier this year. Pico was with Bellator for his entire MMA career before departing as a free agent. The 28-year-old had an up-and-down run with the promotion, but he enters UFC Abu Dhabi on a three-fight winning streak. His record in his past 10 fights is 9-1. His only loss during that span, which dates back to January 2020, is a October 2022 TKO loss to Jeremy Kennedy in a fighter were the doctor stopped the bout because Pico dislocated his shoulder. When announcing the initial UFC 319 co-main event of Movsar Evloev vs. Pico, UFC CEO Dana White called Pico, 'the guy most people consider to be the top free agent in the world.' White added, 'Aaron Pico is a ridiculously violent striker and a very high-level grappler. Pico has had hype behind him since he was a teenager because of his skill and fighting style, which people compare him to the likes of Justin Gaethje or Dustin Poirier.' The Pico vs. Evloev fight fell apart in mid-July when Evloev was pulled from the card due to illness. We will have more on the UFC 319 fight card as fight night nears.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Mirco Cuello blasts Sergio Rios in 2 rounds to capture WBA interim featherweight title
Mirco Cuello will be a formidable test for WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball. The Argentine picked up the WBA interim strap with a second-round KO of previously unbeaten Mexican Sergio Rios in the headline bout of a DAZN-streamed show from Benghazi, Libya, on Friday. Cuello reaffirmed his mandatory position for Ball's featherweight crown. Britain's Ball puts his title on the line against Australia's Sam Goodman next Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on the Moses Itauma vs. Dillian Whyte undercard. Cuello (16-0, 13 KOs) floored Rios (19-1, 7 KOs) with a pinpoint right hand in the final 30 seconds of the opener. Rios managed to see out the frame, although he tasted the canvas again in the final minute of Round, 2 courtesy of a step-in left hand from Cuello. Rios got to his feet for a second time, but a left hook to the body sent him immediately back onto the floor — and this time he didn't beat the count. In the night's co-feature, Venezuela's Albert Ramirez defeated New Zealand-based Brit Jerome Pampellone with a seventh-round TKO to win the WBA interim light heavyweight title. After eating several one-two combinations, Pampellone (19-3, 12 KOs) was floored with a right hook in the final second of the sixth round. Ramirez (22-0, 19 KOs) continued his assault on Pampellone early in Round 7. The New Zealander was target practice for Ramirez's left hand, which ultimately dropped him again early in the deciding round. Shortly after, a combination from the Venezuelan sent Pampellone back to the canvas for the third time in the bout, forcing the corner to save its fighter. Elsewhere on the card, Costa Rica's Francisco Fonseca (37-4-2, 29 KOs) outpointed France's double Olympic silver medalist Sofiane Oumiha (6-1, 3 KOs) in a major upset at lightweight. Main card WBA interim featherweight title: Mirco Cuello def. Sergio Rios Jimenez via second-round KO | Watch video WBA interim light heavyweight title: Albert Ramirez def. Jerome Pampellone via seventh-round TKO | Watch video Lightweight: Francisco Fonseca def. Sofiane Oumiha via unanimous decision (97-92, 95-94, 95-94) Super featherweight: Josue Francisco Aguero def. Diego Ortiz Aleman via unanimous decision (100-90, 100-90, 100-90)
The Independent
4 days ago
- Sport
- The Independent
The desert stadium playing host to undefeated fighters this weekend
An intriguing fight card takes place this weekend when Mirco Cuello and Sergio Rios Jimenez meet. The event, which takes place on Friday night and is broadcast exclusively on DAZN, will see two unbeaten fighters – always an intriguing proposition – face off. The Argentinian Cuello, 15-0 (12), comes into the bout after three fights in the US, registering decisions over Rudy Garcia and Sulaiman Segawa in 2023 and 2024, and stopping Christian Olivo Barreda in February. According to the WBA, which is sanctioning the bout: 'Cuello, 24 years old and a native of Arroyo Seco, arrives as number one in the WBA featherweight world ranking, after his agonizing victory by technical knockout against Christian Olivo in February. A youth Olympic medallist in Buenos Aires 2018, the Santa Fe native has built a solid career with victories in Uruguay, the United States and now seeks to consecrate himself on African soil, in what will be his seventh consecutive appearance outside Argentina.' Jimenez, 19-0 (7), hails from Mexico and comes into the fight on the back of two stoppage wins against undistinguished opposition in 2024 and 2025. On the undercard of Cuello-Jimenez is perennial contender Mike Perez, 31-3-1 (22), who challenged Alexander Povetkin in 2015 for the WBC heavyweight title. The Cuban Perez will be taking on Christian Fabian Luis, 12-4 (8), over ten rounds at cruiserweight. Perhaps the most-intriguing aspect of the evening, titled KO a las Drogas (KO to Drugs), is that it will take place at the Martyrs of Benina Stadium in Benghazi, Libya. The stadium, originally named after Venezuelan leader Hugo Chavez until the Libyan revolution in 2011, is now named after the freedom fighters who helped overthrow Colonel Gaddafi and his regime. For football games, it seats around 10,500 spectators. The use of Libya as a destination for international boxing is an interesting one. Despite moves towards democracy, the political climate of the nation is still rocky. Says the German government: 'The security situation in Libya remains unstable. The country is divided at both the political and societal level. Since March 2022, two governments are once again vying for political power and most state institutions are paralysed nationwide. The internationally recognised government in Tripoli, which controls parts of western Libya, faces a rival government that rules large sections in the east and south. Both sides are receiving foreign support.' Other sources support this view. Writing back in April, the United Nations said that while the 2020 ceasefire remains in place, the security landscape remains 'precarious' and is marked by periodic tension and localised outbreaks of violence. As to why this weekend's event is taking place in Libya, the WBA says that the country's inclusion as the host of the 'WBA Future program' represents a 'historic breakthrough' in professional boxing. The organisation adds: 'The World Boxing Association promotes a card of international scope in North Africa, with the aim of promoting peace, inclusion and sports development.' It goes on: 'The WBA Future is not only committed to the discovery of new talents, but also turns boxing into an educational and social platform, reaffirming its role as a tool for transformation. With this initiative, Libya is positioned as the epicentre of the boxing scene in Africa.' As it is, the event in Benghazi this weekend remains an interesting one. While Cuello and Jimenez are both undefeated, there a handful of interesting fights. At light-heavyweight, there is a twelve-round bout between Albert Ramirez, 21-0-0 (18), and Jerome Pampellone, 19-2 (12). At lightweight, Francisco Fonseca, 36-4-2 (29), will take on Sodiane Oumiha, 6-0 (3), over ten rounds. Super-featherweights Josue Francisco Aguero, 13-0 (7), and Diego Ortiz Aleman, 20-3-1 (14), also meet over ten rounds. Watch the very best boxing with a DAZN subscription DAZN is the home of combat sports, broadcasting over 185 fights a year from the world's best promoters, including Matchroom, Queensberry, Golden Boy, Misfits, PFL, BKFC, GLORY and more. An Annual Saver subscription is a one-off cost of £119.99 / $224.99 (for 12 months access), that's just 64p / $1.21 per fight. There is also a Monthly Flex Pass option (cancel any time) at £24.99 / $29.99 per month. A subscription includes weekly magazine shows, comprehensive fight library, exclusive interviews, behind-the-scenes documentaries, and podcasts and vodcasts.
