U.F.C. 268
Chris Barnett highlighted an in any other case boring slate of early prelim fights in flashy vogue, defeating Gian Villante through technical knockout.
Within the second spherical of the heavyweight bout, Barnett landed a roundhouse kick to Villante’s head, sending him to the canvas. He completed the struggle with punches to the top, after which did a ahead flip within the Octagon and landed in a split-like pose on his rear finish. Kicks like these are uncommon for heavyweights, who often struggle at a slower tempo and deal with both wrestling or energy punches. It was Villante’s final struggle, who mentioned earlier he would retire whatever the end result.
Ian Garry additionally delivered a spotlight end in his U.F.C. debut, touchdown a counter punch to knock out Jordan Williams in a light-weight heavyweight bout. It was a clear shot and an amazing restoration for Garry, who had absorbed some injury from Williams and struggled at factors to defend his face, as evidenced from the blood close to his nostril.
The three different fights resulted in unanimous selections, the gang at Madison Sq. Backyard displaying its displeasure for the inaction with a smattering of boos at a number of factors.
Ode’ Osbourne defeated C.J. Vegara in a flyweight bout, Melsik Baghdasaryan defeated Bruno Souza in a flyweight bout, Dustin Jacoby defeated John Allan in a light-weight heavyweight bout.
U.F.C. 268
The U.F.C. altered the order of the primary card to provide Trevor Wittman extra time to organize his fighters.
Wittman trains the light-weight contender Justin Gaethje, the ladies’s strawweight champion Rose Namajunas and the welterweight champion Kamaru Usman. The unique struggle order positioned these fighters consecutively as the ultimate three bouts, which means Wittman may have been a cornerman for doubtlessly 13 straight rounds.
Now, with Gaethje dealing with Michael Chandler at first of the pay-per-view card, Wittman has a two-fight pause earlier than teaching Namajunas and Usman back-to-back of their title defenses.
Reporting from U.F.C. 268 at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Very uncommon that you just get the best ring entrance this early within the night time, however all of the heavyweight Chris Barnett wanted was some Keith Murray and Ghostface Killah to go together with his strikes.
Reporting from U.F.C. 268 at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Uh, yeah, this dude came to make some fans tonight.
Álvarez-Plant FIGHT
Two weeks in the past, video resurfaced on social media of an outside-the-ring skirmish between a teenage Caleb Plant and a much bigger, unnamed opponent. Plant mentioned the struggle occurred in 2010 in Cleveland, Tenn., the place he had traveled to coach for a nationwide event. Between classes at an area fitness center, Plant performed pickup basketball at an outside courtroom the place, he mentioned, the struggle began.
The footage reveals a shirtless Plant dodging punches, shifting in circles and intermittently hitting his opponent, onerous sufficient to unsettle him however not with sufficient power to wreck his personal arms. After almost a minute of chasing, swinging, and lacking, Plant’s exhausted antagonist reaches into his pocket for what seems to be a knife — which is to say he conceded defeat in a good struggle. Plant sprinted away from the scene, however he had received.
“Only a bully attempting to be a bully,” Plant mentioned in an interview. “However he bumped into the incorrect one which day and bought embarrassed.”
And what did Plant be taught from the struggle?
That it’s higher to keep away from them.
“The very best factor is to coach and go house,” he mentioned. “If you happen to don’t need to get right into a bar struggle, don’t go to a bar.”
Two massive fights being staged on the identical night time is a uncommon incidence, and for good cause. It’s troublesome sufficient to persuade potential viewers to shell out $70 or $80 for a pay-per-view struggle, and it’s much more troublesome when you could have competitors for these {dollars}.
Canelo Álvarez and Caleb Plant publicly booked this date first, selecting it on Aug. 19. 9 days later, the U.F.C. introduced that U.F.C. 268 would additionally happen on Nov. 6. However the U.F.C. has traditionally held an enormous occasion in New York Metropolis on the primary weekend in November, and the Álvarez-Plant organizers needed to know the U.F.C. could be again this 12 months.
“We’re fully unconcerned with the timing of every other competing occasion,” Stephen Espinoza, the president of Showtime Sports activities, advised ESPN about going up towards the U.F.C.
The final time massive boxing and U.F.C. occasions clashed was the primary weekend in November two years in the past, when Jorge Masvidal defeated Nate Diaz in entrance of President Trump in New York Metropolis and Álvarez knocked out Sergey Kovalev in Las Vegas.
Executives on the streaming service DAZN, which confirmed the Álvarez-Kovalev struggle, made the controversial determination to delay the beginning of the struggle for 90 minutes till after 1 a.m. ET, when Masvidal and Diaz completed up. The telecast captured photographs of Álvarez and Kovalev virtually asleep of their dressing rooms in the course of the lengthy delay earlier than their struggle.
Reporting from U.F.C. 268 at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Good little early crowd on the U.F.C. fights, and let’s simply say that loads of followers are properly lubricated already. Emmanuel and I’ve seen a ref get booed, the stands filling up and further consideration often not afforded the early prelims.
U.F.C. 268 is an all-ESPN affair in america.
The one place to look at the primary card, which begins at 10 p.m. Japanese time, is on ESPN+, ESPN’s streaming service. The pay-per-view will set you again $69.99. If you don’t but subscribe to ESPN+, which usually prices $69.99 yearly, you should buy it along with U.F.C. 268 for $89.98, saving $50.
The prelims, beginning at 8 p.m. Japanese, will air on ESPN+, ESPNews and ESPN Deportes. The early prelims began at 6 p.m. Japanese on ESPN+.
If that feels like numerous ESPN+, properly that’s the purpose. ESPN pays the U.F.C. lots of of tens of millions of {dollars} yearly for the unique proper to point out the game in america. In case you are a U.F.C. fan, or turning into one, you all however must subscribe to ESPN+.
Canelo Álvarez vs. Caleb Plant
Watching Canelo Álvarez defend all of his belts is an expensive affair. Showtime is promoting the pay-per-view for $79.99, and it may be purchased via its web site, but in addition many different shops corresponding to pay tv suppliers like DirecTV, Xfinity and AT&T U-verse, and streaming companies like YouTube and Sling. If it’s a service you watch tv on, it’s in all probability promoting the struggle.
The major card of 4 fights begins at 9 p.m. ET, and Álvarez and Plant are anticipated to enter the ring round midnight Japanese time. The 4 card preliminary card is not going to be aired.
U.F.C. 268
Kamaru Usman turned the welterweight champion in 2019 after defeating the previous champion, Tyron Woodley, through determination. Since then, he has defended the belt 4 occasions, ending three fights by knockout.
His first title protection got here towards Colby Covington in 2019, a aggressive five-round battle that ended within the final spherical when Usman landed photographs to Covington on the bottom that compelled the referee, Marc Goddard, to finish the bout. Covington contends that the stoppage was early as a result of he claims he was defending himself, and he additionally accused Usman of exaggerating his reactions to a kick near the groin and an eye fixed poke that precipitated Goddard to pause the struggle twice.
The 2 males genuinely dislike one another, as evidenced by the insults they’ve hurled at one another and heated broadcast interviews they participated in. Covington specifically has been brash, latching himself onto the previous President Donald J. Trump, sporting “Make America Nice Once more” hats and selling Donald Trump Jr.’ s e book.
Within the cage, Usman is the extra muscular man, however Covington absorbed most of his punches properly throughout their final struggle. To win, Covington might want to use his cardio benefit and set an aggressive tempo whereas additionally various his assaults between placing and wrestling. Usman is a extra well-rounded fighter and is a -300 betting favourite. His mild, straight jabs maintain sufficient energy to ship an individual to the bottom. He may win in a wide range of methods, however will doubtless try to make use of his attain benefit to maintain Covington at a distance.
Álvarez-Plant FIGHT
Canelo Álvarez, who’s Mexico’s highest-profile lively boxing star, would have most popular to struggle Caleb Plant on Sept. 18, which might have lined up close to Mexican Independence Day and made the title bout a part of a broader celebration. His file options 5 Independence weekend title fights, and 6 extra on Cinco de Mayo weekend.
Álvarez, 31, owns the World Boxing Affiliation, World Boxing Council and World Boxing Group titles; Plant, 29, has been the Worldwide Boxing Federation champion since 2019.
By midsummer, a deal for a September bout was nearly finalized — after which it fell aside.
Álvarez and Plant agreed to phrases by August for the struggle on Saturday. The brand new contract happy each fighters, however the Nov. 6 date positioned it in direct competitors with U.F.C. 268 for sports activities followers’ consideration and pay-per-view {dollars}.
Álvarez is assured a reported $40 million for the bout, and the payday is a nod to his standing as one of many prime attracts in boxing. His most up-to-date struggle, a knockout win over Billy Joe Saunders, attracted greater than 73,000 spectators to AT&T Stadium. The cash additionally acknowledges Álvarez’s standing as the game’s prime pound-for-pound fighter, except Plant upsets him.
U.F.C. 268
Rose Namajunas stripped Joanna Jedrzejczyk, who on the time had dominated the ladies’s strawweight division, of the title in 2017 through technical knockout. She misplaced the belt in 2019 however regained it in April, when she head-kicked Zhang Weili, her left foot tapping Zhang’s chin and sending her to the bottom. Zhang, as soon as up, contested the stoppage.
Zhang turned the primary Chinese language champion in U.F.C. historical past in 2019, and her defeat to Namajunas was seen as a fast finish to what ought to have been a aggressive, fast-paced struggle between the world’s finest 115-pounders. Because the loss, Zhang started coaching with Henry Cejudo, the previous U.F.C. flyweight and bantamweight double champion. Namajunas will almost certainly use her attain benefit and superior placing, whereas Zhang will look to grapple within the clinch.