MMA and Boxing News: Orange County Register

Manny Pacquiao ‘feels the fire’ in his heart in pursuit of boxing history

Josh Gross — Thu, 17 Jul 2025 22:07:22 +0000

Manny Pacquiao works out during media day on June 25, 2025, at Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, as the former boxing champion is coming out of retirement to challenge welterweight champion Mario Barrios on July 19 in Las Vegas. (Photo by Gene Blevins, Contributing Photographer)

1 of 9

Expand

HOLLYWOOD — Freddie Roach learned that Manny Pacquiao planned to come out of retirement like the rest of us. So in May, when ESPN reported Pacquiao was ending his four-year break from boxing to challenge WBC welterweight champion Mario Barrios on July 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the 65-year-old trainer found himself riding an emotional rollercoaster.

Roach remembered the good times and smiled at the thought of helping his guy add to an already legendary résumé by becoming the only boxer to win a world title as a Hall of Famer.

“But then part of me started thinking about maybe the negative side,” Roach recalled in late June. “Your mind wanders back and forth when you’re sleeping. Which one do you want? Do you want him to quit? At one point, I wanted to call him up and ask him and his wife to make the right decision and just retire. And then a couple hours later, I wanted to call them up and say, ‘Yeah, let’s make it happen.’

“I usually don’t let that get to me, and I usually go with the right decision. Because there is a wrong and a right decision. You don’t want one of your fighters to get hurt.”

The last time Roach worked Pacquiao’s corner, the inseparable duo lost on points following a flat-footed night in 2021 against Cuban Yordenis Ugás. That 42-year-old version of Pacquiao, who needed stitches for more than one cut on his face, bore little resemblance to the buzzsaw that won belts across eight divisions.

Among prizefighting’s biggest draws the past two decades with Roach at his side, Pacquiao (62-8-2) essentially experienced everything the sport could offer when he opted to retire and launched an ultimately unsuccessful Philippine presidential campaign in 2022.

However, Pacquiao’s recent decision to lace up the gloves again set the stage for something new: a rite of passage great fighters often come to experience despite intending to walk away.

“It is really hard to give up your passion,” Pacquiao said. “After four years, I realized that it’s good for my body to rest. And I can still feel the fire in my heart to push my limits, to continue my career.”

‘He wants it back’

Roach understands that universal truths about fighters, having been one himself, apply to pugs and superstars alike. Rare are those with enough awareness to recognize the proper moment to step away and the willingness to follow through.

Whatever early misgivings the 2012 Boxing Hall of Fame inductee had about “Pac Man” walking a perilous new path to the ring were put to bed when the two spoke. Roach might not have had input before reading headlines about Pacquiao’s return in the spring, but he wasn’t going to get the band back together without satisfying his concerns.

“I would never put a fighter back in the ring when he’s not prepared,” Roach said. “I would never do that.”

Pacquiao informed Roach that he was running twice a day, he wanted to fight for the right reasons, and he had the requisite hunger to do what was required to have his hand raised.

“I don’t think it’s ‘turn back the clock,’” Roach said. “He just misses what he had. He wants it back.”

What Roach missed most about not seeing Pacquiao around Wild Card Boxing, his famous Hollywood gym situated at the back of a strip mall near the corner of Vine Street and Santa Monica Boulevard, was Pacquiao’s “intoxicating” work ethic, which always seemed to elevate the level of competition and intensity in the place.

Shortly after Pacquiao’s comeback became public, it happened that the city of Los Angeles was honoring Roach’s 30-year contribution to the area, renaming it “Freddie Roach Square” on May 18.

From the day Pacquiao knocked on the steel door guarding Wild Card from the outside world and asked to hit mitts in 2001, he and Roach have been “addicted to each other,” said Hall of Fame publicist Fred Sternburg.

“They have such a good time. They work so hard,” Sternburg said. “And it’s probably the most productive partnership I’ve seen in all the years I’ve been working in boxing. And they just feed off of each other.”

A tall order

Reconnecting with Pacquiao was obviously wonderful, but Roach’s initial hesitation also extended to himself.

Was the trainer, who continues to work with a crop of up-and-comers, ready to run a training camp and properly prepare Pacquiao rather than falling into a trap of some pantomime show mimicking the days when they were at the top of their game?

Enduring Parkinson’s disease for more than half his life, Roach pondered if he could fully offer Pacquiao what he had to have in mind, body and spirit to navigate another 12-round championship bout against an opponent in his prime.

In 2023, Barrios, 30, did what Pacquiao was unable to by beating Ugás to claim the then interim WBC welterweight title and improve to 29-2-1.

The San Antonio-born boxer has plenty going for him Saturday beyond youth and vitality, and will bring something Pacquiao is very familiar with for the PBC pay-per-view fight on Prime Video: considerable size and reach advantages.

Standing seven inches above the Filipino’s 5-foot-5 frame, Barrios, the tallest opponent Pacquiao ever fought, weaponizes his physical gifts with fundamentals like a stiff and rangy jab, a dangerous counter right and meaningful body punches.

“This fight is unique,” Pacquiao said, flashing his endearing smile. “I love it. There’s a big question in the minds of the fans if, at 46, can Manny still fight? Can Manny still win?”

Pacquiao arrived in L.A. on a Sunday evening intent to find out. The next morning, with no sleep, he went for a typical early run and spent two hours at Wild Card that afternoon doing 12 rounds on the mitts. He returned the next day for more. A month into camp, any slippage from the four-year absence was no longer on anyone’s mind.

An admitted taskmaster, Roach pushed Pacquiao to rest and recover instead of taking daily mountain runs in Griffith Park. They agreed to spend some of those hours working out on grass to avoid the wear-and-tear that comes with preparing an aging body for unarmed combat.

Eschewing doubts and concerns for good vibes as the fight got closer, Roach said that the experience of seeing Pacquiao “in the ring showing the public what he can do and showing me what he can do is like living life all over again.”

UFC 317: Ilia Topuria knocks out Charles Oliveira in 1st round

The Associated Press — Sun, 29 Jun 2025 06:58:47 +0000

Felipe Lima hits Payton Talbott in a bantamweight fight at UFC 317, Saturday, June 28, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

1 of 17

Felipe Lima hits Payton Talbott in a bantamweight fight at UFC 317, Saturday, June 28, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Expand

By W.G. RAMIREZ The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Ilia Topuria continued his ascension up the pound-for-pound ladder with a major statement via a vicious first-round knockout of Charles Oliveira to win the vacant lightweight championship Saturday night at UFC 317.

Topuria used a sharp right hand to set up a devastating left hook that dropped Oliveira to end the bout at the 2:27 mark of the opening round, fulfilling his prediction of a first-round KO while sending the announced crowd of 19,800 into a frenzy.

“I always say I represent the new generation of mixed martial arts,” said Topuria, who closed a -400 favorite at BetMGM sportsbook.

Topuria (17-0), who now has 10 first-round finishes to his credit, moved up to the 155-pound weight class following a successful campaign in the featherweight division last year. He claimed that belt with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski and defended his title by finishing Max Holloway in the third round of an October bout in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

Topuria, who came in ranked fourth on UFC’s pound-for-pound list, joined nine others who have held a UFC belt in two weight classes. He is the first undefeated fighter to become champion in two UFC divisions.

“I think tonight was his big night,” UFC CEO and president Dana White said. “We have a star on our hands.”

Oliveira (35-11), who has the most finishes in UFC history, was hoping to become the first fighter to win the lightweight belt on separate occasions.

Fellow lightweight Paddy Pimblett was in the audience and summoned to the ring, where a heated exchange led to Topuria shoving the eighth-ranked contender and igniting a rivalry from years ago.

“Let’s (expletive) fight! If you’re ready, I’m here,” Topuria said to Pimblett before he entered the ring.

White wasn’t happy with Pimblett getting in the ring, knowing the history of bad blood between the two.

The two have been at odds for some time, after they came to blows when Pimblett threw a bottle of hand sanitizer at Topuria’s head in 2022.

“That was a heavy knockout, I’ll give you that,” Pimblett said to Topuria. “But you will never knock me out.”

Replied Topuria: “I’m going to submit you.”

In the co-main event, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (30-5) successfully defended his belt by applying a rear-naked chokehold to defeat Kai Kara-France (25-12) at the 1:55 mark of the third round.

It marked the second time the fighters met, nine years after their quarterfinal clash on the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter,” also won by Pantoja, but by unanimous decision.

Pantoja, who closed a -250 favorite and extended his win streak to eight fights, won the title two years ago when he beat Brandon Moreno by decision, and has now defended his title successfully four times.

The 35-year-old Brazilian was joined in the ring after his victory by No. 12 Joshua Van, who put on a show of his own.

Van (15-2-0) defeated No. 1 contender Brandon Royval (17-8-0) in a slugfest in which both fighters displayed incredible boxing skills. Van, who closed a -120 favorite, used an overhand right to drop Royval before closing out the bout with a severe ground-and-pound to secure the unanimous decision.

The 419 combined significant strikes landed were the third most in a UFC fight, and the most in both a three-round bout and a featherweight clash.

Moments after Pantoja’s win, Van challenged Pantoja with both standing nose to nose before exiting the octagon.

Other matches from the main card:

In a lightweight bout, No. 9 Beneil Dariush (23-6-1) survived a first-round knockdown to defeat No. 11 Renato Moicano (20-7-1) via unanimous decision.

In a bantamweight battle, Payton Talbott (10-1-0) used a much-improved ground game to register a unanimous decision over Felipe Lima (14-2-0).

Jake Paul outpoints Julio César Chávez Jr. at Honda Center

The Associated Press — Sun, 29 Jun 2025 05:48:55 +0000

Jake Paul, left, punches Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. during their cruiserweight boxing match on Saturday, June 28, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

1 of 10

Jake Paul, left, punches Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. during their cruiserweight boxing match on Saturday, June 28, 2025, in Anaheim, Calif. (AP Photo/Etienne Laurent)

Expand

ANAHEIM, Calif. — Jake Paul appeared to be taking the biggest risk of his unique boxing career by stepping in the ring with Julio César Chávez Jr., a former middleweight champion and his most accomplished opponent by far.

At least it seemed like a risk — until a lifeless Chávez meekly waited until the ninth round to mount any offense, dismaying a crowd desperate for him to hurt the famous YouTuber-turned-pugilist.

Paul shrugged it all off and rolled to another victory. After all, he’s the star of every show.

Paul beat Chávez by unanimous decision Saturday night, dominating the early rounds before weathering Chávez’s late rally for his sixth consecutive win.

Paul (12-1, 7 KOs) had little trouble from the 39-year-old Chávez (54-7-2), controlling the majority of the bout in front of an ardently pro-Chávez crowd in Southern California.

“I love that he brought a good fight at the end, and I think the fans got a good fight to see him come out, put some punches on me,” Paul said. “It makes me better. I had to elevate tonight and rise to a different level. I’m glad the fans got to see me get punched in the face a little bit.”

Even with his famous father shouting furiously at ringside, Chávez fought tentatively and tepidly against Paul, who patiently controlled the ring and landed just enough to win rounds. Chávez looked lifeless at the start, barely throwing a punch until late in the fourth round of their cruiserweight bout at Honda Center.

Chávez first mounted a discernible attack in the sixth, and he delivered several exciting shots in the ninth, finally exhibiting the skills of a long boxing career.

But he couldn’t seriously damage Paul, who jumped on the ropes in celebration after absorbing several flurries in the 10th and final round. The crowd booed Paul after the bell, and he cursed at them.

“All the boos are awards,” Paul said. “It was flawless. I think I only got hit about 10 times.”

The judges scored it 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93 for Paul. The Associated Press also favored Paul 97-93.

Chávez, who had fought just once since 2021, is best known for failing to maximize the potential in his father’s genetics. He is still the most credible boxer to share the ring with Paul, who is now 5 1/2 years and 13 bouts into his lucrative fight career.

“I thought I lost the first five rounds, so I tried to win the last rounds,” Chávez said. “He’s strong, a good boxer (for) the first three, four rounds. After that, I felt he was tired. I don’t think he’s ready for the champions, but he’s a good fighter.”

Paul has successfully leveraged his Internet ubiquity and his own hard work to become a force in the business of boxing, if not in traditionally important bouts. He has founded a busy promotional company and flirted with mixed martial arts while becoming arguably the most prominent combat sports athlete in the world.

But Paul had mostly fought mixed martial artists and fellow online celebrities, and he took his only loss in February 2023 when he stepped in against actual boxer Tommy Fury, whose fame also exceeds his ring skills.

“I don’t really care what people say at the end of the day, because every single time I just prove myself more and more,” Paul said. “And that’s slowly turning the tide.”

Paul hadn’t fought since last November, when he beat Mike Tyson in a much-hyped bout that couldn’t live up to improbable expectations from fans who didn’t understand the simple realities of Tyson being 58 years old.

Chávez was away from the ring for three years before his return late last year, but Paul’s invitation brought him back again — along with the thousands of fans who eagerly bought tickets in perpetual support of their champion.

Chávez has fallen to innumerable lows during a lengthy boxing career conducted in the shadow of his father, one of the most beloved athletes in Mexican history. The son has failed drug tests, served suspensions and egregiously missed weight while being widely criticized for his intermittent dedication to the sport.

He still rose to its heights, winning the WBC middleweight title in 2011 and defending it three times. Chávez shared the ring with generational greats Canelo Álvarez and Sergio Martinez, losing to both.

Chávez even lost in 2021 to Anderson Silva, the former UFC champion and rudimentary boxer who lost a one-sided ring decision to Paul one year later.

Paul’s career as the world’s most popular pugilistic sideshow could change soon: His financial potency makes it almost inevitable that he will be invited to fight under a sanctioning body’s aegis, which means he could likely book a bout against an elite boxer whenever he chooses.

“We’ll see,” Paul said when asked to name his next opponent. “There’s a long line, so they’ve got to wait in line. Take a ticket.”

Paul then said he would have no problem beating Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, who retained his two cruiserweight title belts with a close unanimous decision over Cuba’s Yuniel Dorticos in the final undercard bout.

Earlier, 43-year-old former UFC star Holly Holm returned from a 12-year absence from the boxing ring to dominate previously unbeaten Yolanda Guadalupe Vega Ochoa.

New Jersey welterweight Julian Rodriguez earned a thrilling victory in the waning moments of the 10th and final round, staggering Avious Griffin with a sneaky left hand and eventually knocking the previously unbeaten Griffin sideways into the ropes for a stoppage with 5 seconds left.

UFC 317: Ilia Topuria, Charles Oliveira to square off for lightweight title

The Associated Press — Fri, 27 Jun 2025 14:00:44 +0000

By W.G. RAMIREZ The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — Former featherweight champion Ilia Topuria will enter the octagon for potentially the biggest fight of his career on Saturday night, when he faces former lightweight titleholder Charles Oliveira for the vacant UFC lightweight championship.

Just don’t tell him that.

“I don’t know what to tell you, it feels exactly the same to be honest,” Topuria said with a coy smile during Wednesday’s media availability.

Topuria (16-0) moves up to the 155-pound weight class for UFC 317 following a successful 2024 at featherweight. He claimed that belt with a second-round knockout of Alexander Volkanovski and defended his title by finishing Max Holloway in the third round of their October bout in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The 28-year-old dual citizen of Georgia and Spain, ranked fourth on UFC’s pound-for-pound list, now moves up a division hungry to win another belt and join nine others who have held a UFC belt in two weight classes.

“I think that I am a better fighter right now,” Topuria said. “More mature, more experienced. You’re going to see, for sure, a better version of myself.

“When I was fighting in the featherweight division at this point, I was feeling really, really bad. I think I made a great decision. This is one of the best training camps that I’ve ever had.”

Topuria, who is heavily favored with -550 odds at BetMGM Sportsbook, has registered eight wins by submission, including six by knockout, and has nine first-round finishes to his credit.

Oliveira (35-10) will also be searching for history, as he looks to become the first fighter to win the lightweight belt on separate occasions.

Last year, he lost a tough-luck decision to Arman Tsarukyan at UFC 300 before bouncing back with a decision win over Michael Chandler at UFC 309 in New York City. The victory moved him into a three-way tie with Donald Cerrone and Andrei Arlovski for the second-most wins in UFC history.

Oliveira, who has the most finishes in UFC history, has scored 21 victories by submission, including 10 via knockout.

Despite his longevity in the sport, the 35-year-old Brazilian said he hasn’t changed his approach.

“A guy that continues to be thirsty, a guy who is hungry for the win,” said Oliveira, the second-ranked UFC lightweight contender. “Yeah, he is younger, comes in undefeated. But does he want it more than I do, does he have more hunger and more thirst than I have?

“This is for my legacy, this is for my history. I’m ready for this fight.”

In the co-main event, flyweight champion Alexandre Pantoja (29-5) and Kai Kara-France (25-11) will meet for a second time, nine years after their quarterfinal clash on the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter.” Pantoja won the first meeting by unanimous decision.

This time, the winner will leave the octagon with the flyweight belt.

Pantoja, who carries a seven-fight win streak, won the title two years ago, beating Brandon Moreno by decision. Since then, the 35-year-old Brazilian has defended the title three times, most recently at UFC 310 in December against Kai Asakura.

Kara-France, 32, is hoping to make the most of his second opportunity at a UFC title after falling short against Moreno when the two battled for the interim flyweight title at UFC 277. Kara-France, the fourth-ranked flyweight contender, has 12 wins by knockout and three by submission.

Jake Paul lookalikes, it’s your time to shine at Huntington Beach contest

Carolyn Burt — Thu, 19 Jun 2025 23:54:24 +0000

A Jake Paul lookalike contest is coming to Huntington Beach.

The internet persona, turned Disney Channel star, turned boxer, is teaming up with local restaurant chain Dog Haus for a variety of events leading up to his match against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on Saturday, June 28.

On June 26, Dog Haus will host a Jake Paul lookalike contest at its Bella Terra location in Hunting Beach. The event will be hosted by MC Betr Jojo and begin at 6 p.m. Judging will begin at 7 p.m. and contestants will be judged by Pam Stepnick and Jasper. Each participant must be 21 years of age or older and sign a waiver to enter.

Regarding the judging criteria, participants will have five minutes to deliver an introduction, answer a question from the judges, and showcase a unique talent inspired by Jake Paul.

Once all of the contestants have finished, the judges will select their top three, who will then have an additional minute to showcase why they deserve to win. The first and second-place winners will each receive a ticket to Jake Paul’s upcoming fight. Additionally, the top three winners will receive Betr Bucks for the Betr app, a fantasy sports betting app co-founded by Paul and Joey Levy. First place will win $500 Betr Bucks, while second and third place will each receive $250 Betr Bucks.

While sports gambling is not legal in California, residents can still use “Betr Picks” for fantasy sports, according to the Betr website.

The night of the fight, the chain will be hosting watch parties at select locations: Arlington Highlands, Bandera Oaks, Bella Terra, Bethesda, Canoga Park, Cedar Park, College Park, Dupont, Four Points, Kentlands, Missouri City, Palmdale, Richardson and Silver Spring. They will also be offering fight night deals at the participating locations, including BOGO burgers, $5 shots with any beer, and happy hour pricing all night long. Additionally, from June 23-27, there will also be a Jake Paul App Takeover for rewards members.

UFC 316: Merab Dvalishvili taps out Sean O’Malley to retain title with Trump in attendance

The Associated Press — Sun, 08 Jun 2025 05:48:42 +0000

President Donald Trump congratulates Georgia’s Merab Dvalishvili, after he won his bantamweight title bout against Sean O’Malley, during the UFC-316 mixed martial arts event, at the Prudential Center, Saturday, June 7, 2025, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Manuel Ceneta)

1 of 10

Expand

NEWARK, N.J. — Merab Dvalishvili retained his 135-pound championship when he tapped out Sean O’Malley in the third round in the main event of UFC 316 on Saturday night at the Prudential Center.

Dvalishvili, a 34-year-old from the country of Georgia, won the belt in a convincing — though not aesthetically pleasing — unanimous decision last year over O’Malley. Dvalishvili had his number in the rematch in front of a packed crowd that included President Donald Trump and retired heavyweight great Mike Tyson.

Dvalishvili (19-4) sat on top of the cage and bellowed toward the fans at the start of an exuberant celebration of his 13th straight MMA victory.

“I’m on top of the world!,” he said inside the cage.

He was the only 135-pound champion on the card who won his bout.

Two-time Olympic gold medalist Kayla Harrison is now a UFC champion.

Harrison tapped out 135-pound champion Julianna Peña with five seconds left in the second round to add another major championship in her fight career.

No U.S. judoka — man or woman — had ever won an Olympic gold medal before Harrison beat Britain’s Gemma Gibbons to win the women’s 78-kilogram division at the 2012 London Olympics. She won gold again four years later at the Rio de Janeiro Games and made her MMA debut in 2018.

The 34-year-old Harrison was a two-time $1 million prize champion in the Professional Fighters League lightweight championship division before she moved on to UFC last year. She won her first two UFC bouts and her record — now a sparkling 19-1 in MMA overall — coupled with her fame made her an instant contender for a title shot.

She needed just three fights to become a champion.

Harrison dropped to her knees in a teary celebration. She then called out Amanda Nunes, who retired in 2023 but said ahead of the fight she would return to the cage to fight the winner.

It appears a title fight with Harrison looms in UFC.

Harrison called out Nunes to enter the ring and after some encouragement from announcer Joe Rogan for security to open the cage door, she walked and the two went face-to-face. Nunes said she would indeed fight Harrison at some point for the 135-pound belt.

The crowd went wild as the two engaged in a brief staredown.

They had roared in delight hours earlier when Trump walked out to a thunderous standing ovation just ahead of the start of the UFC pay-per-view card. Trump was accompanied by UFC President Dana White and the pair headed to their cageside seats for UFC 316 to Kid Rock’s “American Bad Ass.”

Harrison left the cage after the win and hugged Trump and posed for photos with the President and his entourage.

It wasn’t the only nod to Trump’s latest appearance at a UFC fight.

UFC fighter Kevin Holland choked out Vicente Luque to win the first fight with Trump in the building. He scaled the cage and shook hands with Trump. He briefly chatted with Trump and White before he returned for his post-fight interview.

Joe Pyfer draped himself in the American flag after he defeated Kelvin Gastelum in a middleweight bout by unanimous decision.

“We’ve got the President of the United States! We’ve got Mike Tyson,” Pyfer bellowed inside the cage.

UFC 316: Has O’Malley done enough to regain title from Dvalishvili?

The Associated Press — Fri, 06 Jun 2025 17:13:11 +0000

By DAN GELSTON AP Sports Writer

MORRISTOWN, N.J. — Sean O’Malley lost a title fight that could have stamped him the true face of UFC and decided it was time for a makeover.

O’Malley realized to truly be at his best – as a fighter, as a family man – he needed to make difficult lifestyle sacrifices to round himself into peak form.

So he weeded out his bad habits.

O’Malley said he’s on a complete detox of all his vices. He’s cleansed himself of scrolling social media, stopped the hours of gaming each day – though he dabbles a bit more in poker – and said he even quit smoking marijuana.

The 30-year-old contender also ditched his trademark dyed hair. No more cornucopia of colors that turned his locks into rainbows or cotton candy tops. O’Malley sported brown, braided hair this week and had no plans to brighten it Saturday night.

O’Malley is all business as he trained for his 135-pound title fight against Merab Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 316.

O’Malley, with his flashy knockouts and flashier style that made him pop as a character in a sport currently devoid of over-the-top personality, was unbeaten in seven straight fights and held the UFC bantamweight championship when he fought Dvalishvili last September. Dvalishvili, a 34-year-old from the country of Georgia, won the belt in a convincing – though not aesthetically pleasing – unanimous decision over O’Malley.

Dvalishvili (18-4) successfully defended the championship in January against Umar Nurmagomedov at UFC 311 at Intuit Dome and is a slight betting favorite to win at the Prudential Center over O’Malley, per BetMGM Sportsbook.

“I’m ready for the best version of Sean O’Malley,” Dvalishvili said.

He seems poised to get it if O’Malley truly has squashed his distractions in his personal life.

“I never felt like I was in a bad place, or sad place or dark place,” O’Malley said. “I always felt pretty good. I always felt like I could feel better. Whether it helps the performance or not, I feel better. That’s all that matters.”

O’Malley and his wife recently welcomed their second child, a boy named Matteo, another defining moment where the fighter realized he had become almost addicted to his “Suga” persona.

His life is now “slowed down” without the constant need to check his phone or the paranoia he said he felt from regular marijuana use.

“I’d catch myself driving, surfing Instagram, and it was like, what the (heck) am I doing?” he said. “I’d be playing with my daughter, surfing X, and it’s like, what am I doing here? I feel like just limiting those distractions definitely made me more present with the family. With training. With friends. In general.”

He also found some solace in that fact that he’s pretty good in UFC at rematches. O’Malley has two losses since his 2017 debut; to Marlon Vera in 2020 and he rebounded to beat him in March 2024 in 135-pound title fight, and to Dvalishvili. O’Malley fought Dvalishvili the first time with a torn labrum in his hip and needed surgery after the fight.

“He didn’t get the best version of me,” O’Malley said.

As for the clean hairstyle for this fight, well, that’s more about convenience than purposely tamping down the “Suga” character.

“I just didn’t want to sit down for it,” he said. “I love the pink hair. It’s fun. But it’s a process. I thought bringing back the OG hair would be pretty cool.”

And if he wins, let the party begin?

“I’ve got to jet home at 3 a.m.,” he said. “There’s no after party this time. I’m going straight home.”

Olympic medalist Harrison goes for UFC title

Kayla Harrison says she keeps her Olympic gold medals in a sock drawer.

That’s a bit too small of a holding spot for the UFC championship belt. Harrison will take it around her waist if she can knock off two-time 135-pound champion Julianna Peña in the other signature bout of UFC 316.

No U.S. judoka – man or woman – had ever won an Olympic gold medal before Harrison beat Britain’s Gemma Gibbons to win the women’s 78-kilogram division at the 2012 London Olympics. She won gold again four years later at the Rio de Janeiro Games and made her MMA debut in 2018.

The 34-year-old Harrison was a two-time $1 million prize champion at 155 pounds in the Professional Fighters League lightweight championship division before she moved on to UFC last year. In dropping down to 135 pounds, she won her first two UFC bouts and her record – 18-1 in MMA overall – coupled with her fame made her an instant contender for a title shot.

“There’s going to be a new face of women’s MMA very soon,” Harrison said.

Peña, who won the championship vacated by the retiring Amanda Nunes when she upset Raquel Pennington in October, enters the fight as the betting underdog and has two losses in her last five fights.

She dismissed the critics and the oddsmakers – UFC Hall of Famer Khabib Nurmagomedov once took a shot at Peña after she stunned Nunes – who gave her little chance to keep the championship and insisted she was ready to defeat another potential anchor of the women’s division.

“I moved on the next greatest thing since sliced bread and it was Kayla,” she said.

Pyfer says no to Mexico, yes to New Jersey

Joe Pyfer is thrilled he’s fighting closer to his South Jersey home – and only about two hours from where he was raised in suburban Philadelphia – than even thinking about taking another fight in Mexico.

The UFC middleweight was scheduled to fight in March in Mexico City against former 185-pound title challenger Kelvin Gastelum until Pyfer was hit with a violent illness that he blamed on food and was forced to drop out. The fight was rescheduled for Saturday night.

“It’s just 14 out of the 15 meals I cooked, I didn’t cook on the last day and I got super sick and I was sick for weeks,” Pfyfer said. “So yeah, I got a lot of hate because you know I’m sitting there borderline crying upset and gutted that I didn’t get to perform. I make the weight I felt great and then all of a sudden I get hit with this vicious (illness) throw up like, it’s just like the sweats. I lost 14 pounds in seven hours and I slept one hour.”

Pyfer grew up in a house he described as mentally and physically abusive until he was essentially rescued by one of his Penncrest High School teachers and a wrestling coach. Will Harmon encouraged Pyfer to join the wrestling team and showed his student kindness and a path toward a professional career that sparked interest in UFC. Harmon has been a staple at Pyfer’s fights and Pyfer still returns to the school for pep rallies or other activities to “get the kids hyped up.”

“He’s always going to be somebody very special in my life,” Pyfer said. “He’s the guy that gave me the opportunity to pursue this career and be where I am now. So without him, none of this is possible, to be honest.”

Canelo Alvarez defeats William Scull to reclaim undisputed title

The Associated Press — Sun, 04 May 2025 05:34:45 +0000

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Canelo Alvarez beat William Scull in a unanimous points decision Sunday to become undisputed super middleweight champion again.

Alvarez is a four-weight world champion and entered the fight with the WBA, WBC and WBO titles at 168 pounds.

He was stripped of the IBF belt last July when he declined to make a mandatory defense against Scull. He’d owned that title since November 2021 when he defeated Caleb Plant.

Alvarez became an undisputed titlist in the division for the second time when the judges scored it 115-113, 116-112, 119-109. The 34-year-old Mexican champion improved to 63-2-2, with 39 knockouts, and is unbeaten in 10 fights in the super middleweight category.

The fight against IBF champion Scull didn’t live up to the hype. The Cuba-born Scull entered unbeaten in 23 professional fights. He constantly moved around, dodging, shuffling and frustrating Alvarez, who later said he hated fighting that style of boxer.

Moments after the decision was declared, the promotion for a proposed Sept. 12 fight between Alvarez and Terence Crawford began, with both men facing each other in the ring.

Alvarez was fighting outside the U.S. or Mexico for the first time and had to make plenty of adjustments, including to the time zone. The fighters walked into the ring and the anthems started around 6:20 a.m. local time (11:20 p.m. ET Saturday) for the main bout in Riyadh, timed so it was in prime time on the U.S. West Coast.

The opening rounds were slow with both boxers feeling for range and the intensity gradually lifted with Scull throwing many more punches but not landing enough. Alvarez, by contrast, stayed patient and was landing body shots. In the end, Alvarez threw almost half as many punches as Scull (152-293) but landed one more (56-55), predominantly power shots to the body.

“It’s OK, we won. We’re here with the title as the champion,” Alvarez said, adding that neither the timing of the bout nor the quality of the contest was a problem because he’d plenty of time to prepare. “I’m a champion. I’m a professional, so that’s all, no excuse or anything.”

As for the September showdown against Crawford, who will be stepping up a weight to take on Alvarez?

“I feel great. Crawford is one of the best out there and, you know, I like to share the ring with that kind of fighter,” he said. “It’s my pleasure.”

Crawford was in the crowd watching in the Saudi capital.

“I’m feeling great. I’m feeling blessed. Things happen for a reason, and there’s a reason why I’m here,” he said. “In September, I’m showing the world what greatness look like.”

Rolando Romero stuns Ryan Garcia in Times Square boxing event

The Associated Press — Sat, 03 May 2025 04:05:48 +0000

People watch as Teofimo Lopez, left, fights Arnold Barboza Jr. during a super lightweight boxing match in Times Square Friday, May 2, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

1 of 7

People watch as Teofimo Lopez, left, fights Arnold Barboza Jr. during a super lightweight boxing match in Times Square Friday, May 2, 2025, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Expand

By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK — Ryan Garcia arrived in Times Square in a Batmobile, hoping to look like a superhero in his return to boxing.

Minutes later, he was hurt and on the canvas, looking up at the billboards and bright lights on the marquees surrounding the ring after being knocked down by Rolando “Rolly” Romero’s crushing left hand in the second round.

Wham! Pow!

Romero went on to beat Garcia by unanimous decision Friday night, a surprising finish to a night of boxing like none other.

Garcia praised Romero and his power, but he was perhaps done in just as much by the event itself. Even a Batmobile is slow in Manhattan traffic, and Garcia didn’t realize it would take so long to get from the hotel to the venue after he had warmed up.

Once he got there, he noticed there were so few fans with seats near the arena that there was no crowd push that the fan favorite needed.

“I wasn’t a fan of that at all. It felt like a sparring match,” Garcia said. “You could hear everybody and it just didn’t feel authentic to me, but no excuses.”

Times Square was the setting for Garcia’s first fight since he was suspended for a year after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs in his victory over Devin Haney that was later overturned and ruled a no contest.

The plan was for Garcia and Haney to move on to a rematch if they both won Friday, but only Haney (32-0) held up his end of the bargain.

He beat Jose Ramirez (29-3) by unanimous decision in a matchup of former 140-pound champions, after Teofimo Lopez defended his junior welterweight title with a unanimous decision victory over Arnold Barboza Jr.

On a night that saw ring girls replaced by impersonators of celebrities such as Snoop Dogg, Hulk Hogan and Michael Jackson, a couple of people wearing Elmo costumes and a drummer playing – standard sights and sounds in Times Square on a Friday night – Romero (17-2) ended up as the star of the show.

Although Garcia didn’t appear hurt, the early knockdown altered the course of the fight as he went from eager to timid for the rest of the fight. Neither fighter seemed to be interested in letting his hands go, with a combined 123 punches landed out of a total of 490 punches thrown. The output was the third-lowest in CompuBox history for a 12-round fight, even below the 503 punches Haney and Jose Ramirez combined to throw in the co-main event.

Romero seemed to gain more confidence in the later rounds, letting more hard shots go as it become clear Garcia (24-2) didn’t seem capable of stopping him. He won 115-112 on two cards and the other judge scored it 118-109.

“He fought a good fight,” Garcia said afterward. “He caught me early. No excuses, man. Congrats to him. He did a great job, and that’s it.”

Romero, who was knocked out by Gervonta Davis in a previous title shot in New York, didn’t argue that he should now take Garcia’s place against Haney.

“Man, I ain’t even thinking about what’s next,” he said. “I think Devin and Ryan should get their rematch and make a big one.”

The Garcia who knocked Haney down three times was nowhere to be seen in Times Square – which will undoubtedly lead to questions about how much the drugs affected that performance last April 20.

“I just think that whole year took a lot off my body physically and mentally,” Garcia said.

Haney and Lopez looked like themselves. So much going on around them looked nothing like a normal big-fight night.

Fighters were delivered from the hotel a couple of blocks away by cars, with Lopez arriving in a traditional yellow taxicab and Garcia coming in Batman’s vehicle. The cars had to stop at traffic lights in between before pulling up outside the ring for the fighters to take a shortened ring walk.

Lopez, a Brooklyn product who has fought in title bouts in Madison Square Garden, put on a strong performance in a venue unlike the famed arena 10 blocks to the south.

He improved to 22-1, celebrating in front of his hometown fans and a crowd that included fellow boxers Mike Tyson, Terence Crawford and Shakur Stevenson, and New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns, with his arms raised in the shadows of the pole from where the ball drops on New Year’s Eve in New York’s tourist center.

Turki Alalshikh, the head of Riyadh Season and the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, wanted something unique for Ring Magazine’s first boxing card in the U.S. after purchasing it last year.

Thus began the plan to fight in Times Square, bypassing Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center for the trip to New York.

Seventh Avenue remained open to traffic – with cars being held only briefly when the fighters’ cars crossed over – with orange fencing blocking the view of fans standing across the street wondering what was happening inside.

Those who did have ringside access – and it was unclear how many did or how they got it, though it wasn’t a large number – could pass the time between bouts reading the ticker that scrolled along the outside of ABC’s Times Square studios just above the ring.

“It wasn’t as big as I expected it to get,” Lopez said of his bout, before adding it felt bigger as the night went on.

Plans for a Garcia-Haney rematch might still be in place, as a contract was reportedly signed ahead of Friday night for a clash later this year. However, due to how their fights played out, it will be interesting to see if that bout materializes later this year or if Al-Sheikh decides to go in another direction for both fighters.

Swanson: Autistic boxer Daniel ‘Boone’ Moses is a real champion

Mirjam Swanson — Tue, 29 Apr 2025 18:31:40 +0000

Daniel “Boone” Moses trains six days a week with trainer Deon Elam at New Era Boxing Gym in Reseda. (Photo by Evan Moses)

1 of 7

Daniel “Boone” Moses trains six days a week with trainer Deon Elam at New Era Boxing Gym in Reseda. (Photo by Evan Moses)

Expand

RESEDA — Turn the TV off. Close out of your social media apps. Memory hole whatever blanket statements you might have heard lately about autism and what people with it can or cannot do. And come on, try to hit Daniel Moses.

“Hit my face!” is what he tells sparring partners, new-school guys whose hearts sometimes don’t seem to be in it. “Right in the kisser!”

Let him be clear: “I don’t like getting hit in the face. But if I want to make sure I get hit less, I gotta drill.”

So, go ahead, partner. Hit him in the face – or, well, try. It’s harder than it looks, isn’t it?

You don’t see autistic boxers like Moses every day; you might not see one any day. Neither do you see fighters confounding opponents with the old Philly Shell defense, all shoulders and elbows, leaning on those block-slip-slide-roll-counter movements that originated in the 1950s and ’60s with Moses’ all-time favorite fighter, George Benton.

No, that was a surprise, said Elijah Villalpando, Moses’ opponent in an amateur bout last month at a Golden Gloves tournament in Pasadena.

“I wasn’t expecting him to have that old-school, slick style,” said Villalpando, who won that three-round fight by decision, handing Moses, 26, his first loss in three fights, all this year. “… what impressed me most was his IQ. He’s a smart fighter and it was fun sharing the ring with him.”

Block, slip, slide, roll, counter. It’s like a dance you’ve seen in old documentary footage that no one does anymore … until someone starts doing it again and reminds everyone how cool it will always be, how fun it is to watch.

But as tough as Moses is to hit, it was equally hard to miss him before that fight with Villalpando at Victory Park Recreation Center.

It seemed like every third person crowded into that brick multipurpose space wanted to say hello, to share a moment with the young man whose local legend is ever growing.

And I know, normally, Moses would have loved to stop and talk boxing with them, like he did in 2016, when he introduced himself to Hall of Famer James “Buddy” McGirt, reciting the former world champion-turned-champion trainer’s résumé for him, an encounter that started a conversation that’s still going.

But, no, on that Saturday afternoon in Pasadena, Moses wasn’t there to talk boxing, he was there to box.

And he thought he was running late, at least until organizers announced an intermission before his scheduled bout. That gave everyone in Moses’ camp a moment to take a deep breath. He had his hands wrapped and then huddled with Deon Elam, his trainer at New Era Boxing Gym in Reseda. Elam told him to use his feints, keep moving, don’t change anything up: “Do what ‘Daniel Boone’ does.”

Then Moses shared a moment with his mom, Ita, standing forehead to forehead with this lovely woman who raised two autistic sons – Daniel and his twin, Evan – to go after their respective passions, boxing and photography. Pursuits made possible by years of patient, determined speech, behavioral and occupational therapy. Every day after school until 5 or 6 p.m., Daniel said, and that was before regular homework. Routine that helped instill discipline that’s paying off for them now as it would for any of us wanting to get better at what we love.

And so, after years of treating the gym like a second home, training, sparring and, lately, using his National Academy of Sports Medicine personal training certification to teach private lessons and heavy bag classes, Moses is getting his shot in the ring for real. And he’s made the most of it, starting off right, with two wins at 176 pounds in January.

IN HIS CORNER

Ita, Elam and McGirt – who gave Daniel his nickname, as Daniel likes to say it, “Daniel Booone!” – are three of the most important members of Daniel’s Boone Squad, a small army of supporters in his corner.

There have been more coaches, Javier “El Gaucho” Diez and the late Stan Ward, a standup guy who once was considered among the best young heavyweights in the world, and who also trained Elam.

And many more. A Rose Bowl swim instructor and Glendale Community College kinesiology professor, therapists and Rachel Charles, a family friend and publicist who gave us a tip about Daniel and who has stayed in contact through March Madness and the start of the NBA playoffs, making sure I didn’t forget about him.

As if anyone could forget about Daniel.

He’s gregarious and he’s charming, honest and funny – “mom is Mexican and my dad’s Jewish, so I got the best of both worlds; I am JuMex … like that juice in the market!” And big on impressions. A real cool dude.

His shell defense might be tough to penetrate, but Daniel himself is an open book, with most of his chapters dedicated to boxing.

“I’m completely obsessively compelled,” he said. “In Canada, they have Boxing Day after Christmas; for me, boxing day is every day.”

He initially sampled boxing as a spectator – of a video game. At around 8 years old, he loved watching Evan play “Punch-Out!!” on the Wii video game console at home.

“You play as a little 17-year-old, 5-foot-5, 110-pound kid from the Bronx, New York, named Little Mac,” Daniel remembers. “And he’s fighting these giant, grown men – 6-foot-4, 6-foot-5, late-20s, 250 pounds – and he’s beating the crap outta these guys! … I thought to myself: ‘If Little Mac can do it, I can do it too.’”

In real life, Daniel’s first exposure to the sport was even more unlikely, coming while he was part of the special needs swim program with Rose Bowl Aquatics. One day, as a change of pace, Diez showed up, bringing along mitts to introduce the youngsters to a new sport.

Ita remembers watching the kids line up for their first boxing lesson and seeing 11-year-old Daniel light up when it was his turn. So they got him into Diez’s boxing class, where Daniel earned his first nickname – “Mr. Power” – and gained confidence and purpose at a time he was having trouble fitting in at his first school, where kids weren’t eager to give an autistic kid with a stutter a chance.

FULL-CONTACT LOVE

Physically, too, Ita said boxing helped settle Daniel.

“It was like night and day, he was able to really focus and concentrate,” Ita said. “That was one thing that was a challenge for him, sometimes being able to stay focused, sometimes following more than two directions was hard to process – but there was something about being engaged with his whole body that he loved.”

She said occupational therapists explained proprioceptive input to her, that sense of self-movement, force, and body position, and it explained so much about her sons’ go-to activity at home: Literally climbing the walls of a narrow hallway – “like Spider-Man, on all fours” – scooting their way up and up and then … letting themselves fall. Over and over again.

Daniel found that proprioceptive sensation by boxing. Evan used to get it in mosh pits, before injuries convinced him to step away from the fray and into position with a camera. These days, Evan makes money photographing musical acts throughout the region, big and small, with an artist’s eye and exquisite timing to match Daniel’s in the ring, tempo that helps counter his still-improving hand speed.

As Evan threw himself into the concert scene, Daniel dove into boxing history. He memorized fighters’ résumés and logged countless hours studying boxers of every generation on YouTube. Evan, of his brother’s boxing knowledge: “He’s a savant about it.” Elam: “A boxing encyclopedia.”

So when Daniel met McGirt for the first time at Pullman’s Gym in Burbank, he walked right up to him and said, “Pardon me, are you Buddy McGirt?” And the old boxer looked at Daniel and asked: “How the [expletive] do you know who I am?”

“I said, ‘You’re two-time world champion. You fought Pernell Whitaker. You fought Meldrick Taylor. You fought Simon Brown …” Daniel was, of course, also able give a rundown of the career of Joey Dawejko, the fighter McGirt was with that day.

McGirt said he was astonished: “I said, ‘When I stopped fighting, you wasn’t even born.’ ‘Yeah,’ Daniel said, ‘but I did my homework.’

“And I said to myself, ‘This kid is special.’ And then I seen him box. And he boxed a kid one day, a kid was literally trying to hurt him – but Daniel handled himself so well that I was like, this [expletive] can fight – I mean, he can fight!”

They’ve been best of buddies since, McGirt teaching Daniel what he knows, and counseling him, pumping him up or, sometimes, simply lending an ear. And Daniel makes his mentor laugh. McGirt is based in Florida these days when he’s not with one of his boxers fighting abroad, like in England, which is where he was when I caught up with him over the phone. Buddy’s on the phone a lot, actually; he and Daniel speak every day – “five times a day!” McGirt said.

“But that’s OK,” he said, “because I love him to death. I love the kid, his brother, his mom, his dad. And here’s my thing, if you have a problem with Daniel Boone, then there’s something wrong with you.”

McGirt’s goal is to get Daniel to work a corner of a pro fight with him someday. Elam’s goal was to get Daniel fighting amateur bouts. Daniel’s dream – besides meeting Ronda Rousey, the mixed martial arts legend who, as a kid, dealt with a neurological speech disorder – is to become the first autistic world champ.

Pity the fool who doubts Daniel Boone. But before he’s recognized as world champ, what Daniel’s doing already to champion neurodivergent athletes in his sport is worth its weight in boxing history.

“You cannot take away the fact that fighters came from dire circumstances, you know?” Daniel said. “But I have my own struggles I’ve dealt with; I was a kid with autism.

“A lot of fighters did not have to deal with speech and language deficits, social skills deficits, having trouble reading social cues or understanding social cues, speech and language, reading and writing. I bet you every fighter could probably do that better than I ever would.

“Being autistic, that’s like having a weight. There’s certain things that everybody neurotypical can do that I can’t, and that was the big struggle, going to school and having trouble learning like everybody else. That is not something that you can just get over … [but] boxing really opened things up for me, and I realized I just want to be able to go in there and fend for myself.

“Yes, I have my deficits. But it was also a gift to find something I absolutely loved to do and now, 14 years later, boxing is still here with me. … It was destiny for me. It found me, I found it.”