MMA News Roundup: Tyson Fury bets £100,000 on Tommy Fury, Khamzat Chimaev's coach reveals future weight class for his pupil, Henry Cejudo offers final piece of advice to Jon Jones ahead of UFC 285
Welcome to today's (February 25) edition of Sportskeeda's daily MMA News Roundup, where we present the biggest UFC updates and other stories from the world of mixed martial arts.
In today's issue, we talk about Tyson Fury betting big on a Tommy Fury victory over Jake Paul, while Khamzat Chimaev's coach reveals his pupil's potential future in a different weight class. Furthermore, Henry Cejudo has one last piece of advice for Jon Jones following his UFC 285 fight camp.
#3. Tyson Fury bets £100,000 on Tommy Fury victory
Tommy Fury and Jake Paul look set to end their rivalry as they face each other inside the squared circle in Saudi Arabia this weekend.
The pair have been at each other's throats for a number of years and after multiple fights falling through, the third time looks to be the charm. Each man has successfully weighed-in for their cruiserweight bout.
In 'TNT's' corner is his half-brother Tyson Fury, the current WBC heavyweight champion. 'The Gypsy King', who has flown out to support Tommy, believes his brother will not only win the fight but finish 'The Problem Child' without issue.
The 34-year-old heavyweight is so confident in his brother's victory that he's placed a £100,000 on Tommy Fury to have his hand raised. Discussing the bout, Tyson Fury told iFL TV:
"Tommy knocks out 90 percent of people that he spars with or drops them at least, so he's a very hard puncher and Jake will find that out tomorrow... I've got 100 racks on it for an inside the distance stoppage, so if he loses, then I'll lose 100 bags as well. I've got him at 3-1."
'The Gypsy King' added:
"I know Tommy is going to knock him out. What is a little bit stupid is I see all these experts and professional boxers picking Jake Paul over Tommy... I think Tommy can get him out of there whenever really. It'll definitely be inside the distance and it won't be a points job for sure. Tommy wins by knockout."
Catch the full interview here:
#2. Khamzat Chimaev's coach predicts his pupil's future will be at middleweight
Since debuting for the UFC in 2020, Khamzat Chimaev has looked almost unbeatable in the octagon.
The Chechen-born Swede has so far overcome every obstacle he's faced and his victory over Gilbert Burns at UFC 273 legitimized him as a real contender in the welterweight division. The only blemish on his otherwise perfect run in the UFC so far was his shocking moment on the scale at UFC 279.
'Borz' was originally set to face Nate Diaz in the main event, but weighed in a staggering 7.5 pounds over the welterweight limit. The card was then forced into a reshuffle, and Chimaev instead fought Kevin Holland in a catchweight bout, which he won in the first round.
Following UFC 279, UFC president Dana White stated that Chimaev will only have one more chance at making the welterweight limit.
In a recent interview with Submission Radio, Chimaev's head coach, Andreas Michael, addressed the 28-year-old's future. According to Michael, the plan going forward is for Khamzat Chimaev to compete at middleweight unless he's offered a title shot at 170 pounds:
"It’s middleweight... He’s going to fight at middleweight. But if the title [shot] comes at welterweight, miracles can happen – and they will happen. We will get him down, don’t worry."
Andreas Michael also added that he feels Chimaev deserves an immediate middleweight title shot should he fight in the division:
"We want the No. 1 contender or the champ – preferably the champ. And I think he’s earned it."
Watch the interview here:
#1. Henry Cejudo offers final piece of advice to Jon Jones ahead of UFC 285
Jon Jones is set to make his long-awaited UFC return next month as he takes on Ciryl Gane for the vacant heavyweight title.
Jones vacated the 205-pound strap in 2020 with the aim of conquering the division above. 'Bones' decided against a quick transition to heavyweight and has spent the years away building his physique and preparing his body to fight at a heavier weight.
Alongside Jones' usual guidance from head coach Greg Jackson (of Jackson Wink MMA Academy) and him adding a host of heavyweight fighters to his training camp, the 35-year-old also recruited former UFC double champ Henry Cejudo to his fight camp for UFC 285.
Cejudo's Olympic gold medal-winning pedigree in wrestling was identified by Jones as something he could tap into for his fight against 'Bon Gamin', apart from adding another winning mentality to the team.
In a video uploaded to his YouTube channel, 'Triple C' discussed his time working with Jon Jones now that his camp has finished. In the video, Cejudo also added one last piece of advice that he hoped Jones would take heed of:
"You look f**king sharp, and you've got the best looks. Just go back to that competitor that you are. Remember, you're a better competitor than you are a fighter. You're a winner. You know what I'm saying? And now, we stick to that, and go back to that, with all the gifts that you have."
He added:
"It's like what my brother said – 'Pull the bi**h out of him.'"
Catch the full video here: