Boxing: Wilder, Fury engage in war of words ahead of rematch

Heavyweights Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury jettisoned their previously cordial tone in favor of a heated and personal exchange in the final news conference before their highly-anticipated rematch on Saturday in Las Vegas.

WBC champion Wilder 42-0-1 (41 KO) and lineal heavyweight champion Fury 29-0-1 (20 KO) shoved each other when they took the stage at the MGM Grand on Wednesday before both promising knockouts.

"Wilder is very nervous," said the English-born Fury.

"I can see his jumper going in and out from the big heart beat pounding out of his chest.

"He's terrified. He's nervous as hell. He doesn't know what to expect, and he's getting knocked out," Fury said, adding that Wilder would be begging him for a rematch after he is defeated.


The American responded with laughter at Fury's repeated claim that he will end the fight in the second round.

"When I knock you out, go do stand-up comedy. You've got a career there.

"You've got pillows for fists and that's why I kept running through you."

The first meeting between the pair in December 2018 ended in a controversial split-decision draw after 12 explosive rounds, a result that satisfied neither fighter but left both with their undefeated records intact.

The fight included a vicious right hand from Wilder in the 12th that send the towering Fury to the canvas and appeared to end the fight but miraculously Fury rose to his feet to reach the final bell.

Fury, who fought twice in Las Vegas last year, wore a jacket of the popular NHL franchise the Vegas Golden Knights on Wednesday and said he was a "bigger star than their homegrown heavyweight" Wilder, who hails from Alabama.

"Is there anything the Gypsy King can't do, including slapping him in the mouth?" he said, referencing his own nickname.

"There's nothing I can't do."

Wilder hit below the belt when he brought up Fury's past struggles with depression, drug use and weight gain, which cost Fury his heavyweight titles when he was unable to defend them after his stunning upset of Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.

Fury has since battled back from the brink of suicide and last year embarked on a speaking tour promoting mental health awareness.

"It's a big show and I'm very happy we could all get together and put this on for the fans around the world," Fury said.

"If it's anything good as the talking we're doing up on stage here, we're in for a real treat."

(Reporting by Rory Carroll in Los Angeles, editing by Ed Osmond)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Boxing: Thurman admits inactivity a factor against Pacquiao

After just falling short in his WBA welterweight title defense against Manny Pacquiao, American boxer Keith Thurman acknowledged that his long period of inactivity had been a factor in his performance.

Thurman established himself as one of the top names in the 147-pound class with big wins over Robert Guerrero, Shawn Porter, and Danny Garcia, but injuries among other issues forced him to be out of action for nearly two years.

After beating Garcia via split decision in March 2017, he did not fight again until January 2019, when he outpointed Josesito Lopez. 

"We've seen champions' inactivity not favor them from time to time," Thurman said in the post-fight press conference, after he was on the losing end of a split decision against Pacquiao.

"But I just thought that I would be able to do some countering, utilize my jab from the outside, and really pressure him in the way that I did," he added. "Some of the things that I wanted to do, I was able to do."

Indeed, Thurman came oh-so-close to beating Pacquiao. He recovered well from a knockdown in the first round and controlled most of the middle rounds. He repeatedly landed his right straight, but a huge body blow by Pacquiao in the 10th round again had him reeling.

Ultimately, one of the three judges scored the bout in his favor, but the other two gave the fight to Pacquiao. It was Thurman's first loss in his professional boxing career.

"I knew I had the skills to be victorious in the ring," said Thurman. "But yeah, obviously, 22 months out of the ring… Josesito Lopez, and then Manny Pacquiao."

"I tried to stay active, but you know, maybe another fight in between would have helped," he admitted.

Now that he is back – and after fighting on pay-per-view for the very first time – Thurman is determined to stay active. He believes he proved a point against Pacquiao, even in a loss.

"I promised you guys that it will be one of the most exciting fights of the summer," he said. "Of course, I wanted to win the fight, I fell short, but it was a blessing, and a lesson because we gotta do a little bit more."

"I do know that I'm a true champion," he added. "Keith 'One Time' Thurman has always been a true champion. I will be back."

"You get knocked down, you gotta pick yourself back up. That's what champions do. Like I said, we'll be back."

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Fight stats show Thurman, despite loss, landed more punches than Pacquiao

Keith Thurman landed more punches than Manny Pacquiao, 210-195, and was more efficient at hitting him in their world-title fight in Las Vegas on Sunday (Manila time), fight stats provided by CompuBox showed.


In all, Thurman landed 210 out of 571 punches for 36.8% efficiency, while Pacquiao connected on 195 out 686 punches (28.4%).

"I knew it was too close," Thurman said. 

"He got the knockdown, so he had momentum in Round 1. I wish I had a little bit more output to go toe-to-toe. I felt like he was getting a little bit tired, but he did have experience in the ring. 

"My conditioning and my output was just behind Manny Pacquiao's. I would love the rematch."

Pacquiao received a pair of 115-112 scores, while he lost 114-113 to one judge.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

ANALYSIS: Round-1 knockdown helped Pacquiao dodge potential shock result

Local fight analysts were surprised Manny Pacquiao had to settle for a split decision against Keith Thurman despite his dominance during their world welterweight title clash on Saturday in Las Vegas (Sunday Manila time).

This is why fight commentators Ed Tolentino and Danrex Tapdasan said it was crucial for Pacquiao to score at least one knockdown against the erstwhile unbeaten American.

Judge Dave Moretti and Tim Cheatham had it 115-112, while 
Glen Feldman favored Thurman with 114-113.

"Buti na lang nakuha nu'ng dalawa ang tamang score," said Tolentino during DZMM's live telecast of the Pacquiao-Thurman bout.

"I really thought it should have been a unanimous decision. Lumalabas na importante pala na naka-knockdown si Manny Pacquiao dahil kung sakali nakasalba ng draw itong si Thurman."

Dapdasan, for his part, said that this unfairly puts a question mark on Pacquiao's victory over Thurman despite his dominating performance.

"Lumalabas pa tuloy in the books na naging questionable pa ang pagkapanalo niya dahil split decision," he said. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Tale of the tape: How does Pacquiao measure up against Thurman

Looking at this graphic, it's easy to see why Manny Pacquiao enjoys an advantage when it comes to experience and why a younger Keith Thurman is considered as having the edge in terms of physique.

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ANALYSIS: Thurman a threat, ‘not a sacrificial lamb’ for Pacquiao

MANILA—Keith Thurman could "still be a threat" in the ring, and that's something Manny Pacquao and his corner should be wary about, a fight expert said Saturday.

Ed Tolentino, in an interview with radio DZMM, said Thurman's punches are still potent even if his upcoming fight is only his second in 2 years.

Tolentino added that he sees "a good exchange of punches" in the Pacquiao-Thurman bout, which happens at MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Sunday (Manila time).

"Itong Thurman malakas ang kanan at malakas ang left hook. So this is why he is not just a sacrificial lamb," the analyst said.

According to Tolentino, Thurman's youth, size and power punches give the American champion a bit of an edge against Pacquiao, 40.

"He (Thurman) has power, hindi ito tulad ni Adrien Broner na napakadaling i-predict kasi ang alam natin tatakbo pa 'yang si Broner," Tolentino said.

Broner, Pacquiao's last opponent, lost via unanimous decision in January. Before that, Pacquiao won via technical knockout in his July 2018 bout against Argentinian Lucas Mathysse.

Thurman's last fight was against Josesito Lopez in 2019; his last ring date before that came in 2017, a nearly 2-year gap in between bouts.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Bradley calls Pacquiao 'the best guy I've ever faced'

American boxer Timothy Bradley Jr. had nothing but praise for Filipino legend Manny Pacquiao after their entertaining 12-round welterweight showdown at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday (Sunday in Manila).

Bradley made a good account of himself in the early rounds but was knocked down in the seventh and again in the ninth by the "Pacman." Pacquiao wound up winning a unanimous decision, marking the second time that he had beaten Bradley in their trilogy.

"He's the best guy I've ever faced, honestly," said Bradley, as quoted by Yahoo! Sports, after the fight. "He's explosive, he has a lot of experience, a lot of power, a lot of speed, and he's the best I've ever faced in the ring."


In an interview immediately after the fight, Bradley admitted that he "barely" remembers what happened in the 12 rounds.

"I did my best out there… He (Pacquiao) just fought a great fight," he said. "He's strong, he's explosive. He was good, he was great. He was on point tonight."

"I fought my game plan, but he was just on point tonight. He was faster, he was quicker, he was stronger. He did everything right, and he did what he had to do to get the victory," he added.

Bradley was the busier but less accurate fighter, and was frustrated at his inability to land his right hand with regularity. In contrast, Pacquiao often found a target for his left hand, most notably in the ninth when he connected flush to Bradley's face and sent the American tumbling to the mat.


"Manny was strong the entire fight, and he was also very patient," Bradley said, as quoted by Boxing Scene. "I wasn't professional enough to stay patient myself, and I walked into shots.

Bradley's trainer, Teddy Atlas, had some issues with the first knock down in the seventh round, when it appeared that Pacquiao pushed Bradley as much as he punched him. Other than that, however, Atlas was similarly effusive in his praise for the "Pacman."

"Pacquiao did a great job in there," he said, as quoted by Yahoo! Sports. "Give Pacquiao credit. I didn't do a good enough job for Bradley."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Tale of the tape: Pacquiao vs Bradley 3

Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley Jr. will square off for the third time on April 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Here's how they match up.

Pacquiao, who is fighting for the last time, is hoping to end his career with a big bang.

Bradley, meanwhile, wants to prove that his split-decision win over Pacquiao in 2012 was no fluke.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

McGregor clarifies: KO bet vs Mendes is $3.5M

Conor McGregor confirmed that he indeed offer UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta and president Dana White a multi-million dollar side bet that he will knockout Chad Mendes in two rounds.

But he said it wasn’t $3 million as White earlier announced, but $3.5 million.

The outspoken Irishman will be facing Mendes this weekend for the UFC interim featherweight title in UFC 189 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"I'm still hoping it goes ahead," McGregor said in MMA Fighting. "I feel it's a good bet. It could go either way, so I believe he should take it. It's to do with this pay-per-view stipulation, so it's not as black and white as it seems, but I hope he takes it."

McGregor was supposed to challenge Jose Aldo, but a rib injury forced the UFC featherweight champion to pull out despite heavy promotion done for the title bout.

Mendes stepped in as a replacement.

"We were discussing negotiations," McGregor said of his conversation with White. "And one of them negotiations was a little friendly wager. I sent him an e-mail breaking it all down.”

"I just heard that he spoke about it on the radio, so everyone else knows, because I didn't tell anybody. It was behind closed doors. I don't discuss business. He does, so I hope that means he is taking it."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

McGregor: Mendes is a 'B-level fighter'

Conor McGregor called his UFC 189 opponent, Chad Mendes, a ''B-level'' fighter who easily tires out.

The two are set to clash on July 11 for the interim UFC featherweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Mendes stepped up to fight McGregor after UFC champion Jose Aldo pulled out because of a rib injury.

"I think Chad is a substitute," McGregor told MMA Fighting.

"A B-level [fighter]. I think he's a wrestler with an overhand who gasses [out].''

The Irish MMA fighter said the 5'6'' Mendes easily tires out because of his bulk.

''I think his body weight to his height, his body is in disproportion, and I think that hampers him as a fighter. I think that's why he gasses and he gets that tired,'' said McGregor.

McGregor said that part of his strategy is to put pressure on Mendes until his opponent caves in.

''I'm having these exchanges and these scrambles, his belly is going to be breathing in and his body is going to be screaming for oxygen and I'm going to still be there in his face, cracking him with everything that I have. Every shot; the heel, the knee, the elbow, the fist, every shot in the book I have. And that will be that. Eventually he will give, like they all do," he said.

McGregor's said this after hearing that Mendes plans out to stop him in three rounds.

"Yeah, Conor I'm going to give you a little more respect buddy," Mendes said. "I'm going to finish you within the first three."

Mendes is confident that he will be able to stun the Irishman with his superior speed.

''I think my striking is going to be great," he said. "Conor's never faced anybody like me before. I have the athleticism, the strength, the power, the speed, and I have wrestling to put him on his back to finish this fight. This fight is mine.''

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Mayweather plans to strike early against Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather says he is going to come out swinging and be the aggressor early against Manny Pacquiao when they meet in Saturday's super fight in Las Vegas.

The 38-year-old Mayweather, who is putting his undefeated record on the line to fight Filipino icon Pacquiao at the MGM Grand, usually needs a few rounds to feel out and adjust to his opponent's game plan.

"I am going to approach it in a very, very aggressive way and go out there and press the attack early," Mayweather said Thursday night on the NBA on TNT.

"Of course I would love to win by knockout. I am pretty sure he is going to come at me extremely strong.

"I am facing one of the best fighters I have ever faced."

Mayweather was on the NBA television show with hosts Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson.

Mayweather's disclosure Thursday night that he will be the aggressor is welcome news to boxing fans who are being charged a hefty $100 for the pay-per-view to watch the fight in their homes. The 12-round welterweight unification fight is expected to generate a record $400 million in revenue.

Mayweather's longevity in the sport has been attributed to his brilliant defence and counterpunching skills but it also makes for some boring fights. Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach said Thursday he goes to sleep watching some of Mayweather's title fights.

Mayweather, who is the world's highest grossing athlete, said he would spend the next day and half before the fight doing light workouts, watching playoff basketball on TV and trying to stay focussed.

"I want to be real relaxed and real calm. I just try to have tunnel vision when I am on my way to the gym," he said.

Mayweather, who is 47-0 with 26 KOs, told the shows hosts the secret to keeping his unblemished record intact is that he never takes any opponent lightly.

"Even if I am fighting a guy they say is just a regular guy then I am still going to train extremely hard."

Mayweather told Barkley he doesn't watch tapes of his opponents because he learns all he needs to about them once they are trading blows in the ring.

"I never watch my opponent. I feel like you can have a certain game plan, but once you get inside that square circle the game plan changes," Mayweather said.

"Boxers may fight certain guys the same way, but they fight me different."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Floyd 'not trolling' Pacquiao with PH flag-inspired shirt

American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. insists he was not trying to "troll" Manny Pacquiao when he unveiled a t-shirt that featured the colors of the Philippine flag.

The shirt shows an image of Mayweather against a backdrop of the Philippine flag, complete with the rising sun. The boxer debuted the shirt during his media workout, and is already being sold online and at a store at the lobby of the MGM Grand.

When asked about the t-shirt, Mayweather insists there is no ill intent on his part.

"I'm not trolling anyone," he told Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports. "Floyd Mayweather has fans from all around the world."

"My staff is very diverse. I have Filipinos that work for me, and we like everyone," he added. "We have 'TMT' for Africa, TMT for Japan, TMT for Canada, and we also have TMT for the Philippine fans."

Pacquiao, for his part, merely cracked a joke when informed of Mayweather's new gear.

"That's good. I like that, because he wants to join our team. TMT: The Manny Team," he told reporters yesterday.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao to skip grand arrival ceremony

Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao won’t be attending the grand arrival ceremony for his May 2 super bout against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The ceremony has been a tradition that kicks off high-profile bouts a week ahead of the event, giving fans a chance to see their favorite boxers while they walk toward the hotel.

But Top Rank Inc. chairman Bob Arum said the eight-division champion will skip the ceremony and will instead arrive in Las Vegas on Monday on a private bus. The Filipino won’t be staying at the MGM Grand, the host hotel, but will billet himself at the Mandalay Bay, which is also an MGM-owned property.

There, said Arum, Pacquiao will meet the press.

"We don't need a show for his arrival and we can do without all the hoopla," Arum told ESPN’s Dan Rafael.

"We'll keep it calm for Manny. We'll get a big room downstairs at Mandalay Bay, and Manny will talk to the press there in an orderly way and in a comfortable environment. I think that's a lot better for Manny and, frankly, it's better for the press. Why does he need a grand arrival when he's not even staying at that place?"

Pacquiao’s rival, Floyd Mayweather Jr., will do his grand arrival as planned.

Arum and the MGM management haven’t been in good terms for years. Further complicating their relationship was the ticket issue that was caused by a misunderstanding over the contract between Top Rank, Mayweather Promotions and MGM Grand.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Mayweather wins rematch over Maidana

LAS VEGAS - Champion boxer Floyd Mayweather ran his unbeaten streak to 47 straight fights by beating Argentine slugger Marcos Maidana by a unanimous decision in their bad-tempered rematch Saturday.

Mayweather, who hasn't lost a fight since the 1996 Olympics, successfully defended his World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council welterweight belts and the WBC junior middleweight belt.

He improved to 47-0 as two judges scored it 116-111 and the third had it 115-112 for the champion.

"I didn't stay on the ropes. That was the difference," Mayweather said. "I felt I did better in the first fight. This fight I felt dry and dead."

Mayweather was a heavy favourite coming into the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino bout in Las Vegas after winning their first fight by a majority decision in May.

- Forearm shiver -

At one point, referee Kenny Bayless stopped the fight and deducted a point from Maidana in the 10th round after he used his left forearm to push back Mayweather, who dropped to the canvas.

There is no love lost between the two boxers, who accused each other in the build-up to this fight of using dirty tricks in their first bout.

Both fighters used questionable tactics over the course of the fight, as Maidana appeared to bite the champ's hand in the eighth round and Mayweather delivered a low blow that buckled Maidana in the 11th.

For the second straight time, Mayweather boxing fans rushed and battled outside the MGM Grand Garden Arena after the fight.

A stampede in May resulted in a number of people being taken to hospital with various injuries after being trampled on and crushed against the walls of the arena entrance.

Witnesses said Saturday's incident also saw fans being knocked over as people pushed their way into the narrow corridor that leads out of the entrance. There were no initial reports of injuries.

Mayweather, 37, never allowed Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs) to get into a proper rhythm in the rematch, landing the better right hands and counterpunches. He connected on 102 power punches compared to just 82 for Maidana.

Mayweather complained bitterly after the fight about Maidana allegedly biting him on the left hand in the eighth.

The two were in a clinch when Mayweather pulled his hand back sharply and complained to Bayless that he was bitten. Bayless stepped between them as Mayweather pointed and yelled at Maidana.

"He bit my fucking hand. He bit me," Mayweather said to Bayless.

Mayweather said after the fight was over that his hand bothered him from the eighth round on.

"I couldn't feel my hand the rest of the fight," he said.

Maidana denied biting Mayweather, saying it is not possible while wearing a mouthguard.

- 'He thinks I am a dog' -

"He thinks I am a dog. But no, I never bit him," Maidana said.

Mayweather will earn a minimum $32 million for the fight while Maidana's purse is $3 million, double what he got for the first fight.

Maidana was given the rematch after landing more punches on Mayweather in the first fight than any other fighter. One judge scored the May fight six rounds each.

Mayweather, who also heads up his own fight promotion company, criticized the judges and referee for the first fight. So organizers replaced two of the three judges and brought in Bayless, who had refereed four previous Mayweather fights.

Maidana came into the fight much lighter than he did for the first bout when he gained almost 20 pounds between the weigh-in and the fight. This time he gained just 11 pounds, reaching 157 pounds.

Mayweather's game plan was to stay off the ropes but his decision to put Maidana in a bear hug every time he couldn't slither out of trouble only ended up making Maidana more frustrated and angry.

Maidana entered the ring first but he didn't have to wait long as Mayweather followed him out of the dressing room.

Mayweather wore a snakeskin robe, which he took off to reveal matching black and white snakeskin trunks. Maidana had red trunks with black trim.

Maidana said he felt he did enough to win the fight.

"I thought I won the fight. But if the judges want to give it to the guy who runs, that is how it is."

Mayweather plans to fight twice more in 2015. He denied he is avoiding Filipino star Manny Pacquiao and said if a deal can be worked out, he would go for it.

"I will go back and talk to my team," Mayweather said. "I am not ducking or dodging no opponent. If a Manny Pacquiao fight presents itself, then let's make it happen.

"Pacquiao needs to focus on guy in front of him, then we will see what the future holds."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao and Bradley ready for rematch

Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley said Wednesday they are ready for a historic fight as they make final preparations for their rematch later this week in Las Vegas.

At a news conference at the MGM Grand Hotel both fighters and their teams made clear how important this fight is to their careers after the controversial split decision in June of 2012 that gave the World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt to Bradley.

"This fight is very important to me and to my boxing career and of course my opponent also is claiming that this fight also very important so it's going to be a very, very good fight on Saturday," Pacquiao told reporters.

Bradley says he's thankful that Pacquiao is giving him another chance in the ring.

"I want to thank Pacquiao for giving me another shot and another chance, to prove to all the fans around the world that I'm a true champion, I'm a true fighter, and that I'm the world champ here," Bradley said.

Pacquiao, a congressman in the Philippines, (55-5-2 38 knockouts) is now 35 years old and will also be looking to prove that he can still deliver a dominating performance while 30-year-old Bradley (31-0-0 12 knockouts) will try to prove that he deserves the belt when they meet Saturday April 12.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao to go all out to beat Bradley

MANILA, Philippines - Fans should expect the Manny Pacquiao of old to show up in his rematch against WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley.

Pacquiao vowed to return to his fiery form when he takes on Bradley for a second time on April 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The two fighters faced the media early Wednesday at the Beverly Hills Hotel in Los Angeles to kick off their US press tour, with both fighters agreeing that they have unfinished business between them.

“One thing that I can assure: this is gonna be a good fight. Both of us have something to prove in this fight,” Pacquiao, sporting a red jacket, told a handful of media members.

The Filipino icon dropped a controversial decision to Bradley about two years ago, a fight he appeared to dominate. It was followed by another setback, a devastating knockout loss against Juan Manuel Marquez a few months later.

But the fighting congressman has returned to his winning ways with a lopsided win over Brandon Rios in Macau last November. Pacquiao hasn’t scored a knockout since stopping Miguel Cotto in 2011, and some boxing observers claim he has lost that killer instinct.

Pacquiao promised to come out with guns blazing this time and bring back the aggressiveness he is known for.

“I assure you, you will see the young and aggressive Manny Pacquiao on April 12,” he said.

Bradley, for his part, is raring to prove Pacquiao wrong.

“I’m gonna beat Manny Pacquiao and get credit I didn’t have the first time around,” the American declared confidently.

Top Rank chief Bob Arum said tickets will go on sale Thursday, with prices at are $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150. The fight will be available on HBO pay-per-view in the US.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Weidman retains title after Silva suffers injury

MANILA, Philippines – Chris Weidman retained his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) middleweight title in shocking fashion after challenger Anderson “The Spider” Silva suffered a gruesome leg injury in the second round of their fight in the main event of UFC 168.

Silva threw a left leg kick that was checked by Weidman, and the Brazilian legend clearly injured his leg in with the strike, as he immediately fell back with his lower leg dangling at an odd angle.

The fight was stopped at the 1:16 mark of the second round, and Weidman was declared the winner via technical knockout.

“No matter what happened in this fight, he’s still known as the greatest of all time, so props to Anderson Silva and God bless him,” said Weidman, who shocked the UFC world when he knocked out Silva in their first encounter last July.

Silva was not made available for a post-fight interview and left the Octagon on a stretcher, according to reports from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

One reporter, Ariel Helwani of MMA Fighting, tweeted that the Brazilian was “yelling at the top of his lungs on the stretcher back stage.”

Silva, who won 16 consecutive UFC fights before losing to Weidman in July, caught flak for “clowning” inside the Octagon, as Weidman caught him with his hands down and knocked him out.

There was no clowning around from the “Spider” this time around, but Weidman still connected on him in the first round that sent Silva on his back.

Silva was not knocked out, but Weidman spent most of the first round landing elbows from the top position. Silva managed to sneak in an occasional elbow but was clearly on the defensive.

The Brazilian tried to be more aggressive in the second round, landing an inside leg kick early. Weidman was able to block his other kicks, however, including the one that snapped Silva’s left shin.

“That was the number one thing that I got hit with in the first fight,” Weidman said, referring to Silva’s leg kicks. “I was working on checking him a lot.”

Despite his victory, Weidman also looked subdued in the post-fight interview, and said he never expected that Silva would break his leg. “It’s still crazy how that happened,” he said.

Weidman is now 11-0 in his UFC career. Silva has lost back-to-back fights for the first time after winning his first 16 matches inside the Octagon.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Cebuanos shocked by Pacquiao's defeat

CEBU, Philippines -- Cebuano boxing fans were shocked when “People's Champ” Manny Pacquiao was defeated by the Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

As early as 8 a.m. on Sunday, Cebuano boxing fans were already heading to the nearest barangay sports complexes and barangay halls for the free live streaming of the Pacquiao-Marquez fight.

Barangay gyms in Basak-San Nicolas, Guadalupe, San Nicolas and Mambaling were among those that offered widescreen viewing for the fourth fight of Pacquiao and Marquez.

During the undercard event, Cebuanos watched Mercito Gesta's fight against IBF lightweight champion, Miguel Angel Vasquez.

Cebuanos were hopeful that Gesta, who is also from Cebu will win but fans were silenced after seeing Gesta lose by unanimous decision.

The cheering returned when another Filipino boxer, Michael Farinas knocked down Cuban Yuriorkis Gamboa.

Though Farinas fell twice and lost, he was able to floor Gamboa in the ninth round.

When the main event started, everyone was already glued to the widescreen. Fans erupted in cheer every time Pacman hit Marquez.

But on the sixth round, the fell silent when Pacquiao suffered a knockdown at the hands of his opponent.

Others walked out of the stadium because of disappointment.

Cebuanos said they shocked of Pacman's defeat.

But others also expressed their support to Pacquiao, adding that they will wait for the next Pacquiao-Marquez fight.

So far, the Cebu City Mobile Police has received no report of any untoward incident during the bout.

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Pacquiao gracefully accepts defeat

MANILA, Philippines – Displaying grace and class, Filipino ring icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao readily accepted his stunning knockout defeat at the hands of his greatest rival, Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico.

In a phone interview on "TV Patrol" on Sunday, Pacquiao said his loss was just part of the nature of sports.

“Ginawa nating ang lahat, at talaga naman na kailangang tanggapin natin. ‘Yan ang trabaho natin, hindi lahat ng panahon ay panalo,” Pacquiao said.

“Nakita naman nila ang performance ko, aggressive. Maganda ang performance ko. Lucky punch talaga,” he added.

Marquez knocked down Pacquiao for the first time ever in the third round, although Pacquiao cancelled it out with a knockdown of his own in the fifth round.

But late in the sixth round, Pacquiao walked right into a short right hand by Marquez, and the “Pacman” dropped face first to the canvas and was motionless for several moments.

His wife, Jinkee, was hysterical after watching the boxer get knocked out.

“Nagulat ako at natako. First time kong nakita si Manny na na-knock out talaga. Matagal siya bago makabangon. Natakot ako kung ano nangyari sa kanya,” Jinkee said in an interview on "The Buzz."

Pacquiao went to a hospital after the bout as a precautionary measure, but the results of his CT scan were negative.

“Okay naman, ayos naman ang lahat,” he said. “Galing na kami sa ospital at wala namang diperensya.”

The knockout notwithstanding, Pacquiao seemed satisfied with his performance as he showed better movement and aggressiveness that he lacked in his previous fights.

“Maganda ‘yung laban namin. Balik na ‘yung aggressiveness ko. Talagang natiyempuhan lang tayo,” Pacquiao said, adding that he was leading on the scorecards at the time of the stoppage.

But he said that he has accepted his defeat.

“Sa larangan ng sports, may panalo at may talo,” Pacquiao said. “Dapat handa ka rin na tanggapin kapag dumating na ang panahon na talo.”

source: abs-cbnnews.com

Timothy Bradley shocks Manny Pacquiao in a split decision

Unbeaten Bradley defeats eight-time champion Pacquiao with a controversial decision, taking the WBO welterweight title and throwing boxing's mega-fight further up in the air.



In a stunning slight to punch statistics — and the naked eyes of most everyone else — two Nevada judges Saturday scored that Timothy Bradley upset Manny Pacquiao.



Judges C.J. Ross and Duane Ford gave Bradley a 115-113 edge in the WBO welterweight title fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena, while judge Jerry Roth scored the bout 115-113 for Pacquiao.

Pacquiao, who relied on his power and speed to repeatedly back up Bradley while fighting with an obvious sense that Bradley could not hurt him, said he will invoke his right for a rematch in November.

That probably further delays a Pacquiao showdown withFloyd Mayweather Jr.until at least 2013.

Asked whether he beat Bradley, Pacquiao said in the ring, "No doubt."

Boos among the 14,206 in attendance cascaded in the arena upon the announcement of the scores, and veteran fight observers were left to reach back nearly 20 years for a more stunning decision.

Palm Springs' Bradley said although he was pained by a twisted left ankle in the second round that bothered him until the sixth, he believed he rallied to win the fight.

Despite a 158-80 lead by Pacquiao on connected punches after seven rounds, Ross and Ford each awarded Bradley five of the final six rounds even though Pacquiao backed Bradley to the ropes in both the eighth and ninth rounds, and was tapping mitts urging the new champion to "Come on" and fight. Bradley appeared reduced to jabbing in the 11th round.

"Manny hurt me a few times with his left hand. He's a beast," Bradley said. "But my corner told me if I won the last round, I'd win the fight.

"I've got to give Manny a rematch."

Bradley was jarred often by Pacquiao — in the third round by a hard left, he reeled and wobbled off the ropes from a hard left hand and combination in the fourth, and hammered at a neutral corner post in the sixth.

"Unbelievable," fight promoter Bob Arum told reporters afterward. "I had it 10-2," for Pacquiao, adding that Bradley's manager, Cameron Dunkin, told him ringside he scored the fight 8-4 for the Filipino superstar.

In November, Pacquiao won a controversial decision over Juan Manuel Marquez.

"This is nuts," Arum said. "People don't know what they're watching anymore. I'm going to make a lot of money [in a rematch] but who's going to take this sport seriously?"

Pacquiao shook his head in amazement to reporters, and made a prayer sign.

"He never hurt me with his punches," Pacquiao said. "I did my best. I guess my best wasn't good enough. Most of his punches hit my arm. I don't know what happened."

CompuBox showed Pacquiao connected on 253 punches to Bradley's 159, with a 63-51 advantage in jabs and 190-108 in power punches.

Many reporters at ringside unofficially scored the bout for Pacquiao in the 9-3 to 11-1 range.

In keeping with an odd pre-fight atmosphere around Pacquiao, the fighters' entry was delayed more than 45 minutes while Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach declared he briefly couldn't find his fighter.

Pacquiao was later located in an adjoining room, stretching his calves on a treadmill. The calves gave him problems in disappointing decision victories over Marquez and Shane Mosley in his two most recent fights.

But Pacquiao has spoken of flipping a switch to convert to fight mode. The "on" button was the savage look he greeted Bradley with before the opening bell, and the remaining rounds seemed to assure the same old Pacquiao existed.

If you asked Pacquiao, it was just the judges who seemingly turned off.

source: latimes.com