Boxing world reacts to Anthony Joshua's loss, Conor McGregor talks UFC return, and more: MMA News Roundup
Conor McGregor finally confirmed whether he was going to return to the UFC this year or not. In the big event of last night, Anthony Joshua got knocked out by Daniel Dubois - a result that got the entire boxing world talking.
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Tyson Fury, Oleksandr Usyk, Terence Crawford, and others react to Anthony Joshua's loss
The Anthony Joshua vs. Daniel Dubois event at London's Wembley Stadium was a star-studded affair. The who's who of the boxing world attended the spectacle. From UFC star Conor McGregor to heavyweight giants Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, the crowd was packed with combat sports A-listers.
After the fight, several of them provided immediate reactions to Joshua getting knocked out by Dubois in the final few seconds of the fifth round.
Fury's initial reaction was that of surprise, followed by annoyance at losing betting money:
"Listen, that's cost me $150,000,000, the silly cu*nt."
However, in a later interview, a calmer Fury said that anyone can get caught in heavyweight boxing and it takes nothing away from Joshua. Conor McGregor said something similar and dismissed the notion that Joshua should retire in the wake of this loss:
"It's only boxing. You get caught, you catch someone. Of course, he can come back for sure."
Oleksandr Usyk, meanwhile, broke down what Joshua did wrong that cost him the fight:
"He had one problem. This position [leans back to show the technique] is dangerous. If you want to step back, do like this [displays move]."
Terence Crawford seemed to think that Joshua got overconfident:
"I think Joshua, you know, got overconfident. He hurt [Dubois] with a shot and went for the kill but he forgot about his defense and forgot, you know what I mean, about the fundamentals."
Some other boxing personalities were not so supportive with their comments. Ryan Garcia said online that Joshua should immediately retire. Demetrious Johnson joked about his previous prediction that Joshua would beat Francis Ngannou in MMA.
Read their comments and more here.
Conor McGregor speaks on UFC return
Despite his team previously claiming that a December date was fine, Conor McGregor has confirmed that he will not return to the UFC this year.
Following the boxing event, McGregor told Ariel Helwani:
"It'll be 2025... You know, we'll see. My opponent that I was scheduled, [Michael] Chandler, has got matched... My job is to go to the gym, be in the gym, be in shape. One thing is for sure, whenever it is and wherever it is, I will be 100% ready. And that's all I can focus on right now."
McGregor added that he has spoken with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh regarding fighting in bare-knuckle once his UFC contract is over.
Merab Dvalishvili reminisces about being broke during COVID
Merab Dvalishvili recently made an appearance on Jake Shields' podcast and recalled having no money during the pandemic era in 2020. Despite being signed to the UFC, he had to keep his day job full-time to pay for his bills and everyday sustenance:
"I lost my first fight in the UFC and we know how the UFC pays - $10,000, and you still have to pay your manager, some expenses. I bought a car, I was driving a very old car, and then no money."
He continued:
"In my second fight, I got a bonus...I stopped working but when my next fight came I was broke again because I spent all this money and I'm like now what? When I win the next one, I keep the money and start working because I don't want this to happen again."
With the UFC bantamweight belt now around his waist, Dvalishvili has truly come a long way in just four years.
Listen to Merab Dvalishvili's story below (03:45):