Benson Henderson vs TJ Grant Headlines UFC 164 in Milwaukee

The UFC will head back to Milwaukee on August 31 for UFC 164, and the main event has now been named with the UFC lightweight title up for grabs.

UFC lightweight champion Benson Henderson will go for his fourth straight title defense since wrestling the belt away from Frankie Edgar when he travels to Milwaukee on August 31 to battle contender T.J. Grant in the main event.

UFC officials confirmed via UFC Tonight on Tuesday that the Henderson vs. Grant title fight would headline UFC 164. (Source)

Robert Drysdale to Make Octagon Debut at UFC 163

Decorated grappler Robert Drysdale is finally making his way to the Octagon.

Drysdale is expected to make his promotional debut against Ednaldo Oliveira at UFC 163 on Aug. 3 in Rio de Janeiro.

UFC officials confirmed the signing and Drysdale’s Octagon debut that was first reported on Tuesday by the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

Drysdale is a world champion in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and won the 2007 Abu Dhabi open weight division. He is a grappler that numerous mixed martial artists have worked with to dial in their submission games.

Drysdale began competing in professional mixed martial arts competition in 2010 and has thus far amassed a spotless 6-0 record. He has submitted every opponent, D.J. Linderman being the most recent.

He’ll square off with Oliveira (13-1-1), who suffered the first loss of his career in January 2012 at UFC 142, his Octagon debut. That was a submission loss to Gabriel Gonzaga at heavyweight.

Oliveira has since planned to return at light heavyweight, but has fallen victim to the injury bug on a couple of occasions.

He hopes to make it back to the Octagon at UFC 163, where featherweight champion Jose Aldo puts his belt on the line against Anthony Pettis in the main event. (Source)

UFC 161 will not be a disappointment says UFC’s Tom Wright

More than 800 miles separate the Canadian cities of Winnipeg and Calgary. Regardless, UFC’s director of operations for Canada, Tom Wright, assured the press Tuesday afternoon UFC 161 in Winnipeg would be far and away from last summer’s Calgary card — a card UFC boss Dana White famously said, “sucked.” Like it’s Calgary counterpart, Winnipeg’s UFC 161, scheduled for June 15, has been beset by injuries, including injuries to Renan Barao and Antonio Rogerio Nogueira, that forced the cancellation of two headline bouts.

“Injuries are part of any sport and they’re certainly part of this sport,” Wright said. “But when you take a look at this you’ll see the 161 card has two Ultimate Fighter champions, you’ve got two former Strikeforce champions, you’ve got a former light heavyweight champion in Rashad [Evans] and a former Pride champion. . . Winnipeg, Manitoba is not going to be disappointed.”

Other quick hits from the call:

•           Evans will be returning to the Octagon for the first time since his listless unanimous decision loss to Nogueira last February at UFC 156. Earlier this year, the 33-year-old Evans talked about worries of being cut by the UFC with another bad outing. But now, it seems, Evans is only looking forward. “You definitely want to get the monkey off your back when you stink up the joint,” Evans said. “I’m going to go out there and put on a show but not only to shut all the naysayers up but for myself. I felt like I let myself down more than anything and I can live with disappointing anyone else but I can’t live with disappointing myself.”

•           Evans’s opponent in the main event, Dan Henderson, is also seeking redemption. Henderson dropped a split decision to Brazilian Lyoto Machida at UFC 157 last February. It’s a loss that obviously still irks Henderson. “I know I didn’t perform to my best and I could have done some things differently, but it’s hard to fight a guy that doesn’t really want to fight you.” But Machida, Henderson admits, isn’t the only fight from the past that irritates him. He said he still has “unfinished business” with Jon Jones. Henderson and Jones were scheduled to fight last September before a knee injury forced Henderson to withdraw. UFC matchmakers then leapfrogged Henderson and paired Jones with Chael Sonnen.

•           After dropping Cheick Kongo at UFC 159 last April with his trademark knockout punch, fifth-ranked heavyweight Roy Nelson jumped atop the Octagon and rubbed his hands around his ample belly in celebration. When asked about his “everyman” physique, Nelson didn’t mince words. “People who tend to be in our sport tend to abuse PEDs or performance-enhancing drugs, so that’s the reason why I probably don’t look like the typical UFC fighter,” he said. Nelson accepted a bout with Stipe Miocic on short notice after he said Daniel Cormier declined to fight him. (Source)

Robert Drysdale signs with UFC, meets Ednaldo Oliveira at UFC 163

Brazilian jiu-jitsu ace Robert Drysdale (6-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) has signed with the UFC and will meet fellow light heavyweight Ednaldo Oliveira (13-1-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) at UFC 163.

UFC officials confirmed the fight by retweeting an initial report from the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

UFC 163 takes place Aug. 3 at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FX and Facebook.

Drysdale vs. Oliveira likely will be part of the prelims.

Drysdale, a world champion grappler who was born in the U.S. but spent much of his childhood in Brazil, made his official MMA debut in 2010. Recently, the black belt has competed for Legacy FC in Texas. All of six of his pro wins have come via first-round submission, including an April victory over Bellator vet D.J. Linderman.

Oliveira returns to action for the first time since UFC 142 in early 2012, when he suffered a submission loss to heavyweight Gabriel Gonzaga in his promotional debut. Prior to that, the Brazilian striker had posted eight knockouts in an undefeated start to his career. Recently injuries have slowed his return to the cage.

The latest UFC 163 card now includes:

Champ Jose Aldo vs. Anthony Pettis - for featherweight title

Phil Davis vs. Lyoto Machida

Josh Koscheck vs. Demian Maia

Thales Leites vs. Tom Watson

Vinny Magalhaes vs. Anthony Perosh

Cezar Ferreira vs. Clint Hester

Robert Drysdale vs. Ednaldo Oliveira

Neil Magny vs. Sergio Moraes

(Source)

Urijah Faber vs Yuri Alcantara booked for UFC on FOX Sports 1 1 in Boston

A bout between highly ranked bantamweights Urijah Faber (28-6 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Yuri Alcantara (28-4 MMA, 3-1 UFC) has been booked for UFC on FOX Sports 1 1.

Case Keefer of the Las Vegas Sun today tweeted news of the bout. MMAjunkie.com subsequently confirmed it with UFC officials.

UFC on FOX Sports 1 1 takes place Aug. 17 at TD Garden in Boston and marks the promotion’s debut on the new cable network, which launches the same day. Faber vs. Alcantara likely will be part of the main card.

Faber is currently ranked No. 3 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMAjunkie.com MMA bantamweight rankings. Alcantara is ranked No. 13.

Faber recently picked up his third submission win in four fights by tapping out Scott Jorgensen in the main event of The Ultimate Fighter 17 Finale. The former WEC champion’s only career losses have come in title fights, including one against Renan Barao for the UFC interim title in July 2012.

He’ll face another contender in Alcantara, who’s 14-1 (with one no-contest) in his past 16 fights. Most recently, the former lightweight and featherweight knocked out Iliarde Santos at UFC on FX 8. The onetime WEC fighter’s other UFC victories have come over Felipe Arantes and Michihiro Omigawa while the lone defeat came to Hacran Dias via decision.

The latest UFC on FOX Sports 1 1 card now includes:

Travis Browne vs Alistair Overeem

Yuri Alcantara vs Urijah Faber

Thiago Alves vs Matt Brown

Michael Johnson vs Joe Lauzon

Uriah Hall vs Nick Ring

Conor McGregor vs Andy Ogle

Mike Brown vs Akira Corassani

(Source)

Tarec Saffiedine injured, Robbie Lawler now meets Siyar Bahadurzada at UFC on FOX 8

An injury has caused another shake-up to the fight card of UFC on FOX 8.

Former Strikeforce welterweight champion Tarec Saffiedine has been forced withdraw from a scheduled main card bout against Robbie Lawler, UFC officials announced on Tuesday. Afghan slugger Siyar Bahadurzada now meets Lawler as a late-replacement.

Injuries also played in a part in Saffiedine’s rejection of a short-notice bout against Carlos Condit earlier this year at UFC 158.

Bahadurzada (21-5-1) suddenly finds himself with a chance to rebound from his latest setback to an expected audience of millions on network television. The 29-year-old racked up an impressive seven-fight win streak from 2009 to 2012, including six finishes and an electric 42-second knockout of Paulo Thiago, before seeing his hype train derailed by the grinding offense of Dong Hyun Kim in March.

Kim took Bahadurzada down to the canvas and held him there all three rounds, stifling the Afghan to the tune of just five landed significant strikes the entire fight according to FightMetric, to easily claim a unanimous decision victory.

However Bahadurzada now looks to right his ship against Lawler (20-9, 1 NC), a Strikeforce import who stunned in his UFC debut by knocking out Josh Koscheck less than four minutes into the first round. The resounding win propelled Lawler into No. 9 in the official UFC welterweight rankings, marking an end to an up-and-down Strikeforce run that saw the 31-year-old lose five of his eight contests.

UFC on FOX 8 takes place July 27, 2013 at the Key Arena in Seattle, Washington. UFC flyweight champion Demetrious Johnson defends his belt against John Moraga in the night’s main event. (Source)

UFC’s Thiago Silva on ‘Feijao’: ‘If he’s man enough, he’ll meet me in middle’

Despite the fact he’s from Brazil, Thiago Silva (14-3 MMA, 5-3 UFC) has never been to Fortaleza, where his next fight is set to take place against Rafael “Feijao” Cavalcante (11-3 MMA, 0-0 UFC).

Silva isn’t happy that fighting in his home country means giving 27.5 percent of his income to Brazil’s government, as he told MMAjunkie.com.

“That’s one more motivation to win,” he said. “Because if I lose, at this rate, there’s not much left.”

But he is nonetheless looking forward to making the 13-hour trip from his current home in Florida to the beachside city. It’s a chance to redeem himself for headlines that have focused far more on what he’s done outside the cage than in it.

Post-fight suspensions for drug offenses twice have put Silva’s career on the rails. First, he was benched for providing a false urine sample in Las Vegas at UFC 125, and three years later, he was suspended for marijuana following his most recent fight at UFC on FUEL TV 6 in Macau.

Of course, he’s convinced the latter isn’t as big of a stain as the former.

“I obviously didn’t like seeing the no-contest on my record, but I know that I won against Nedkov; I took my money home,” Silva said. “So, to be sincere, what’s on my record doesn’t matter much. I won the fight. Everyone saw that. It wasn’t a decision. My victory was erased, but I won nonetheless. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

Still, sunny Fortaleza isn’t just a pretty place, but one without memories.

“I’m happy,” Silva said. “That, and I get to slap ‘Feijao’ around. I can’t wait.”

While the genesis of Silva problems with Cavalcante are unclear, it’s clear that the two used to be friendlier than they are now, and that difference is measured in the way he speaks about the fight, which serves on the main-card of UFC on FUEL TV 10 on Saturday at Paulo Sarasate Arena. (Main-card fights air on FUEL TV following prelims on Facebook.)

Somewhere along the line, Silva believes Cavalcante got a little too big for his britches, and when you do that, you’ve crossed over to his bad side.

“I don’t respect other fighters’ reputations,” Silva said. “Someone can have a big name. I don’t respect that. I go in to fight. If he’s man enough, he’ll meet me in the middle, if not, he can run. Let’s see how he shows up, because he sure is talking a lot.”

It’s hard to tell exactly where Cavalcante is doing most of his talking, but wherever he is, Silva is listening.

To illustrate just how much the talk is rubbing him the wrong way, Silva uses another guy whom he didn’t like very much: Brandon Vera. When they met two years ago at UFC 125, before his commission woes began, Silva briefly broke character as a fighter to literally slap “The Truth” around – to semi-comedic effect.

On Saturday, he plans to do all that and more against “Feijao.”

“He thinks he’s a superstar now – I tried to be cool with him, to talk to him,” Silva said. “Now he’s acting like he doesn’t know me. He thinks he’s a Hollywood celebrity.

“When I rain down punches on his face, what is he going to do? I never disrespect anyone before a fight, but he’s talking too much. I want to see what he does when I slap him around like Vera.” (Source)

Phil Davis vs. Lyoto Machida targeted for UFC 163 in Rio

Light heavyweight Phil Davis (11-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) could get a chance to cut back in line for No. 1 contender if he gets past his next challenge.

Sources close to the fight on Monday told MMAjunkie.com the 28-year-old fighter is set to meet ex-champ Lyoto Machida (19-3 MMA, 11-3 UFC) at UFC 163, which takes place Aug. 3 at HSBC Arena in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian website Portal do Vale Tudo first reported the fight on Monday.

The fight delays an anticipated title shot for Machida, who most recently defeated Dan Henderson via decision at UFC 157.

After turning down a fight with Jon Jones at UFC 152 due to a lack of preparation time, “The Dragon” has found himself on the backburner for a rematch with the champ, who rendered him unconscious via guillotine at UFC 140.

Machida has since set his sights on staying active rather than campaigning for the belt. Recently, he was targeted by Alexander Gustafsson, but Jones recently quashed that idea by requesting a bout with Gustafsson.

Since losing the belt in a rematch with Mauricio “Shogun” Rua at UFC 113, Machida is 3-2 against top-fight competition. He won the No. 1 contender position with a KO of Ryan Bader at UFC on FOX 4, only to lose it upon turning Jones down and later win it back with a decision over Henderson.

Machida won the title at UFC 98 with a knockout of Rashad Evans.

Davis takes a steep step up in competition following a recent decision over Vinny Magalhaes at UFC 159. The former NCAA champ brushed with title contention early this past year when he fought Evans at UFC on FOX 2. But Evans dominated him over five rounds, and he was forced to go back to the drawing board. A pair of bouts with Wagner Prado ended in a no-contest (via accidental eyepoke) and a submission win before he met Magalhaes.

With the reported addition to the card, UFC 163 now includes:

Champ Jose Aldo vs. Anthony Pettis - for featherweight title

Phil Davis vs. Lyoto Machida

Josh Koscheck vs. Demian Maia

Thales Leites vs. Tom Watson

Vinny Magalhaes vs. Anthony Perosh

Cezar Ferreira vs. Clint Hester

Neil Magny vs. Sergio Moraes

(Source)

Upcoming boxing schedule

Upcoming boxing schedule

Showtime

Friday, June 7 2013

Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY

Jorge Melendez vs. Luis Grajeda (super welterweight)

Jonathan Vidal vs. Mario Munoz (bantamweight)

Jeffrey Fontanez vs. Alejandro Rodriguez (super featherweight)

ESPN2

Friday, June 7 2013

Little Creek Casino and Resort in Kamilche, Washington

John Molina Jr. vs. Andrey Klimov (lightweight)

Farrah Ennis vs. Anthony Hanshaw(super middleweight)

UniMas

Saturday, June 8 2013

Hard Rock Hotel/Casino, Las Vegas

Juan Carlos Sanchez vs. Roberto Domingo Sosa (IBF super flyweight title)

Jessie Magdaleno vs. Henry Maldonado (super bantamweight)

Andy Ruiz vs. Carl Davis (heavyweight)

Jose Felix vs. TBA (super featherweight)

Gambino Saenz vs. TBA (super bantamweight)

Michael Finney vs. Raul Tovar (super welterweight)

Saturday, June 8 2013

Max Schmeling Halle, Berlin, Germany

Marco Huck vs. Ola Afolabi (WBO cruiserweight title)

Saturday, June 8 2013

Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, Indiana

Fres Oquendo vs. TBA (heavyweight)

Wealth TV and WealthTV.com

Saturday, June 8 2013

Glow, Bluewater in Kent, England

James DeGale vs. Stjepan Bozic (super middleweight)

Kid Galahad vs. TBA (super bantamweight)

Chris Eubank Jr vs. TBA (middleweight)

Hughie Fury vs. TBA (heavyweight)

Showtime

Saturday, June 8 2013

Home Depot Center in Los Angeles

Marcos Maidana vs. Josesito Lopez (welterweight)

Erislandy Lara vs. Alfredo Angulo (jr middleweight)

HBO

Saturday, June 8 2013

Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Chad Dawson vs. Adonis Stevenson (WBC light heavyweight title)

Yuriorkis Gamboa vs. Darley Perez (lightweight)

NBC Sports Network

Friday, June 14 2013

Sands Casino Resort, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania

Bryant Jennings vs. Andrey Fedosov (heavyweight)

Sergey Kovalev vs. Cornelius White (light heavyweight)

Ronald Cruz vs. Ray Narh (welterweight)

ESPN2

Friday, June 14 2013

South Mountain Arena, South Orange, New Jersey

Arash Usmanee vs. Art Hovhannisyan (super featherweight)

Luis Ortiz vs. Travis Kaufmann (heavyweight)

Friday, June 14 2013

Stadthalle in Weissenfels, Germany

Dominic Boesel vs. Chris Mafuta (light heavyweight)

HBO

Saturday, June 15 2013

American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas

"Mikey" Garcia vs. "Juanma" Lopez (WBO featherweight title

Terence Crawford vs. Alejandro Sanabria (lightweight)

Vanes Martirosyan vs. Ryan Davis (super welterweight)

Matt Korobov vs. Ossie Duran (middleweight)

Mikael Zewski vs. Damian Frias (welterweight)

Oscar Valdez vs. Gil Garcia (super bantamweight)

Saturday, June 15 2013

Wembley Arena, London

Dereck Chisora vs. TBA (heavyweight)

Frankie Gavin vs. Denton Vassell (welterweight)

ESPN2

Friday, June 21 2013

Minneapolis Convention Center, Minneapolis, MN

Rances Barthelemy vs. Fahsai Sakkreerin (IBF super featherweight eliminator)

Caleb Truax vs. Don "Da Bomb" George (middleweight)

Showtime

Saturday, June 22 2013

Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY

Paul Malignaggi vs. Adrien Broner (WBA welterweight title)

Johnathon Banks vs. Seth Mitchell (heavyweight)

Sakio Bika vs. Marco Antonio Periban (WBC super middleweight title)

HBO

Saturday, June 29 2013

Foxwoods Resort, Mashantucket, Connecticut

Gennady Golovkin vs. Matthew Macklin (WBA middleweight title)

Thomas Oosthuizen vs. Brandon Gonzales (super middleweight)

Willie Nelson vs. Luciano Cuello (super welterweight)

Saturday, June 29 2013

Bolton Arena in Bolton, England

Gavin Rees vs. Anthony Crolla (lightweight)

Lee Selby vs. TBA (featherweight)

Rocky Fielding vs. Martin Concepcion (super middleweight)

Brian Rose vs. TBA (super welterweight)

UniMas

Saturday, June 29 2013

WinStar World Casino, Thackerville, Oklahoma

Roberto Marroquin vs. Daniel Diaz (featherweight)

Ivan Najera vs. Alexander Lopez (lightweight)

Jose Ramirez vs.TBA (super lightweight)

Wealth TV and WealthTV.com

Saturday, July 6 2013

Echo Arena in Liverpool, England

Tony Thompson vs. David Price (heavyweight)

Saturday, July 6 2013

Palace Of Sports, Kiev, Ukraine

Zaurbek Baysangurov vs. Demetrius Andrade (WBO jr middleweight)

ESPN2

Friday, July 12 2013

Texas Station Casino, Las Vegas

Chris Avalos vs. Drian Francisco (super bantamweight)

Glen Tapia vs. Abie Han (super welterweight)

HBO

Saturday, July 13 2013

Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY

Bernard Hopkins vs. Karo Murat (IBF light heavyweight title)

Gary Russell vs. TBA (featherweight)

Saturday, July 13 2013

Salle des etoiles, Monte Carlo, Monaco

Edwin Rodriguez vs. Denis Grachev (light heavyweight)

Khabib Allakhverdiev vs. Souleymane M�baye (WBA/IBO super lightweight title)

Max Bursak vs. Prince Arron (middleweight)

Ilunga Makabu vs. Dmytro Kucher (cruiserweight)

Showtime

Friday, July 19 2013

Hard Rock Hotel/Casino, Las Vegas

Ishe Smith vs. Carlos Molina (IBF jr middleweight title)

Saturday, July 20 2013

Wembley Arena, London

Dereck Chisora vs. Malik Scott (heavyweight)

HBO2

Saturday, July 27 2013

Venetian Resort in Macau, China

Zou Shiming vs. Jesus Ortega (flyweight)

Evgeny Gradovich vs. Mauricio Munoz (IBF featherweight title

Juan Francisco Estrada vs. Milan Melindo (WBO/WBA flyweight titles)

Paul Fleming vs. Mike Tawatchai (super featherweight)

Genesis Servania vs. Konosuke Tomiyama (super bantamweight)

Showtime

Saturday, July 27 2013

AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas

Andre Berto vs. Jesus Soto Karass (welterweight)

Omar Figueroa vs. Nihito Arakawa (WBC interim lightweight title)

Diego Chaves vs. Keith Thurman (WBA interim welterweight title)

HBO

Saturday, August 3 2013

TBA Mexico City

Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. vs. TBA

HBO

Saturday, August 17 2013

Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York

Daniel Geale vs. Darren Barker (IBF middleweight title)

PPV

Saturday, September 14 2013

MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas

Floyd Mayweather vs. Saul Alvarez (WBC/WBA super welterweight titles)

PPV

Saturday, October 12 2013

Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas

Timothy Bradley vs. Juan Manuel Marquez (WBO welterweight title)

PPV

Saturday, November 23 2013

Venetian Resort in Macau, China

Manny Pacquiao vs. Brandon Rios (welterweight)

Showtime

Saturday, December 7 2013

TBA

Amir Khan vs. TBA

HBO

Saturday, December 7 2013

Bell Centre, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Jean Pascal vs. Lucian Bute (light heavyweight)

(Source)

Orlando boxing coach accused of sexually assaulting teen

A boxing coach arrested on charges he raped a student.

James Lyons, 41, was arrested Monday at Tyson Sports Gym on Hoffner Avenue near Conway, where he coaches.

On the door, there was a sign that said the “gym will be closed until further notice” and it was signed “Jimmy.”

Investigators say the girl told them she was sexually assaulted last month at Lyons’ home on Cherry Grove Circle.

And she said it happened during what she called “video training sessions.”

The girl’s mother says Lyons was a father figure to her 17-year-old daughter.

He is being held at the Orange County jail without bond, and could face more charges. (Source)

Latrobe boxing family punches above weight

Craig Woods accidentally embarked on his star-making enterprise when he hung a single heavy bag from a hook in his back-shed so his then 12-year-old son Luke could learn to box.

In 2010, Luke represented Australia at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi... last year, Craig’s nephew Jackson Woods, fought at the London Olympics. The cousins are both reigning Australian champions in their weight divisions as is the gym’s light heavyweight, Dylan Hardy.

Jackson actually lives at the gym, behind Craig’s house, having moved there as a teenager.

“I’ve been here about five years now. I sort of had a few issues to sort out. I dont know where I’d be without boxing, it probably kept me off the streets,” Jackson says.

Dylan Hardy, literally flooded with sweat after a bout in the ring, said the ‘Woods Boys’ were well know for training hard, doing more full-intensity sparring than most boxing gyms.

“We go pretty hard. When you’re fighting someone samller you have to be careful not to push it too far but when you’re up against a bigger guy, you might as well hurt ‘em if it’s there, teaches them to keep their hands up.”

The Latrobe Boxing Club meets four nights a week to train with Craig and there are usually 15-20 boxers under his watchful eye. The youngest is 9, the oldest around 50, though both those members are only there for fitness.

In between are a number of registered fighters including Nic Cooney who has an upcoming fight that could see him eligible to challenge for a place in the Australian World Titles team.

There is a good chance if he wins that four of the Latrobe boys could be in that team, fully half of the Australian squad.

Craig himself believes a family feeling has helped his team to punch so far above its weight in terms of success. He was himself a 1983 Australian junior champion but in recent times has decided not to spar with his charges.

“I used to be able to smack them when I wanted to but they’re just too good now. Safer staying out of the ring!” he says. (Source)

From business to boxing: White Collared Boxing arrives in Dubai

Everyone has a plan until they get into the ring, said Mike Tyson, explaining how frightening an experience the squared circle can be.

White Collared Boxing might not be as brutal as professional boxing, but try telling that to the boxers who have signed up to take a pounding from a fellow professional.

It’s not for everybody of course, watching or participating, but it’s certainly a lot easier looking into the ring than out from it.

An account manager, a construction worker and an events manager are just a few of the corporate clouts who will be swapping their regular work personas for a one-night-only binge of pugilism at the Andalous Ballroom, Habtoor Grand Hotel, Dubai this Friday night.

The combatants will be changing their suits, blouses, cufflinks and shoes for shorts, string vests, gloves and sneakers. They’ll be trying to translate their experience in the boardroom into beastliness in the squared circle. Eat or be eaten will be their mentality.

Before testing their mettle in the ring, the eclectic mix of aspiring fighters, including Mark ‘Beefcake’ Bough, a Key Account Manager at MMI; Tim ‘The Beast’ Baker, Managing Director & Partner of Hug, a digital advertising agency; and Monique ‘Mon Belle’ Belle, an event manager at Infusion Magazine, endured an intensive two-month training regime under the strict guidance of professional boxing coach Zack Taumafai.

Mark Povey, organiser of White Collar Fight Night on behalf of Transguard Group, commented: “Before even climbing in the ring, the contenders are committing 100 per cent to the challenge of White Collar Fight Night by agreeing to undergo testing physical training and controlled dieting.

“It’s all about transforming white collar professionals into leather-glove-wielding fighting machines!”

In front of a sell-out black tie audience of more than 500 guests, 16 contestants – men and women – will be put to the ultimate test, throwing-off boardroom etiquette to have a swing-in-the-ring against fellow Dubai executives.

“The event has become a fixture on Dubai’s social calendar, providing a chance for the corporate ‘suits’ to show their discipline in the ring, and their support of the concept by cheering on their corporate peers,” Povey added.

Mark ‘Beefcake’ Bough, commented ahead of the main event: “When I first signed up for White Collar Boxing, I was worried on how my stamina would hold out while trying to tackle three rounds of intense boxing.

“With the training provided by KO Gym, I have now lost seven and a half kilos, my stamina has increased fivefold and I am now fully confident challenging my opponent in the ring.

“White Collar is a fantastic initiative, which really pushes you both physically and mentally, and it’s not over yet – not until the final bell rings,” he said.

All bouts will be conducted under the rules of White Collar boxing which places priority on competitor safety and welfare. Each bout will consist of three two-minute rounds under the supervision of a professional referee. In accordance with White Collar’s sporting ethos, there are no losers – anyone who trains and then competes in White Collar Fight Night is considered a winner.

Importantly for the organisers, a third of the fighters’ sponsorship fees are donated to Christel House – a charity providing education to underprivileged children in Bangalore, India.

WHAT: White Collar Fight Night 10

WHEN: Friday, June 7

WHERE: Andalous Ballroom, Habtoor Grand Hotel, Dubai

(Source)

Miguel Cotto Hits Turning Stone Resort Casino

Four-time time world champion and boxing promoter Miguel Cotto made his official arrival to Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York where this Friday, June 7 will be presenting “PR Striking Force: Jorge Melendez, Jonathan Vidal and Jeffrey Fontanez” on ShoBox The Next Generation. The card takes place during the International Boxing Hall Of Fame weekend that begins that runs through Sunday in the small town of Canastota in upstate New York.

Many former and future Hall of Famers may partake in the fights, including one who will be inducted during Sunday’s ceremonies, longtime SHOWTIME ring announcer, Jimmy Lennon Jr., who will work the fights on Friday and will be interviewed ringside on the telecast.

“This is a great setting for a ShoBox show because Canastota is so close to Verona (approximately 10 miles apart),” said ShoBox expert analyst and boxing historian Steve Farhood. “Canastota is boxing heaven for fight fans and the Hall of Fame weekend is the greatest weekend of the year for them.”

In the ShoBox main event, exciting world-ranked junior middleweight knockout specialist Jorge “Destroyer” Melendez (26-2-1, 25 KO’s), of Bayamon, P.R., faces former amateur standout Nick “The Machine Gun” Brinson (14-1-2, 6 KO’s), of Rochester, N.Y., in a 10-round middleweight match. World-ranked Jonathan “Pitbull” Vidal (16-0, 8 KO’s), of San Juan, P.R., and Mario “Yayo” Muñoz (13-0-1, 1 NC, 10 KO’s), of Guadalajara, Mexico, clash in a battle of unbeaten bantamweights in the eight round co-feature. The fight card is presented by Miguel Cotto Promotions and H2 Entertainment.

The streaking Melendez is not known for putting in a full night’s work. Only two of his 29 fights have gone the distance, and he has gone more than six full rounds only one time. One of the most prolific knockout artists in boxing today, the 5-foot-11, 24-year-old has won 13 in a row, 12 by knockout, and has not lost since July 2010.

Melendez has registered 10 knockdowns in his last five fights. In his last start the WBO Junior Middleweight Latino champion and current WBO No. 4-ranked contender put the deep and talented 154-pound division on notice, delivering a highlight-reel knockout of Ryan Davis on March 2 in Las Vegas on SHOWTIME EXTREME. Melendez dropped Davis in the third round and finished him with a single right uppercut 13 seconds into the fourth.

Melendez’ four previous bouts went a total of 13 rounds. The only times the aggressive-minded Melendez went the distance came on a four-round draw in his pro debut in May 2007 and on Oct. 29, 2011, when he took a close, unanimous 10-round decision over veteran Eric Mitchell. That was also the last time he failed to score a knockdown.

Like many huge punchers, Melendez is susceptible to a big punch himself. He was stopped in both his defeats – against fighters with sub .500 records. He lost by TKO 6 to Doel Carrisquillo (12-15-1) in July 2010 and by TKO 5 to Clarence Taylor (13-22-4) in July 2009. Melendez went down three times against Taylor.

“The main event features a very exciting fighter from Puerto Rico in Jorge Melendez, exciting not just because he can punch but because he’s an all or nothing fighter,” Farhood said. “He’s a puncher in the truest sense; he tries to knock you out with every punch and he is very right-hand happy.

“But his two losses both came by knockout.”

Melendez will be making his second start this year. He fought four times in 2012 and six times in 2011. This will be his sixth scheduled 10-rounder.

“I’ve been training very hard, knowing that I’m going to a higher level regarding my opponents,” said Melendez, who is making his ShoBox debut, third consecutive start in the U,S. and sixth overall in the states. “I’m more of a brawler and a knockout artist. I am not a great technical fighter, but I’m working on my technique.

“I’ve been doing new exercises in training camp and I’m feeling a lot stronger, faster and more fit. I don’t know who my opponent is but we’ll be ready for anything he brings.”

One of nine children, Melendez was born in Manati, P.R., and raised in Vega Baja. He turned to boxing at the age of 12. “I had a lot of problems in the streets when I was growing up, so my grandfather told me I should learn to fight in the ring. That way I wouldn’t get into trouble,” said Melendez, who went 42-6 in the amateurs.

Brinson took this fight on a week’s notice, but he’s sharp, been active and never been knocked down. The 5-foot-11, 25-year-old is unbeaten in his last eight outings (7-0-1) since suffering his lone loss in November 2010, and will be making his fourth start this year. The New York State Middleweight Champion, Brinson is coming off a clear 10-round unanimous decision over the more experienced Jose Medina in his last outing on April 25.

Before turning pro at the age of 21 in November 2008, Brinson was a skilled amateur. Among those he beat in his 90-or-so-bout amateur career included Olympians Shawn Estrada and Errol Spence.

“I got the call last Saturday (to fight Melendez),” Brinson said. “I wish it was more time – but I’ve been busy. I’ve only been in the gym about a week and a half but I believe in myself, and I believe that I can still do it.”

Brinson is a substitute for Lanardo Tyner, who was a replacement for Melendez’ original foe, Luis Grajeda.

“I’ve seen Melendez’ record,” said Brinson, a fast-handed boxer who possesses good skills and movement. “He must be a decent puncher. I don’t know much about him, I haven’t seen much film, but I imagine he’s going to come forward and try to take me out. I’ll be ready for that. I’ll outbox and out-skill him.

“I’m a great counterpuncher, so I’ll be expecting that.”

Brinson’s lone loss came in his ninth fight on a seventh-round TKO to Lennox Allen. In a good action matchup, Brinson scored a knockdown in the second and Allen was cut over his right eye in the fifth. But Brinson tired and was staggered by a series of punches in the seventh. He was out on his feet when the referee stopped the fight at 2:59.

“I only lost to Lennox Allen because I ran out of stamina,” Brinson said. “I should still be undefeated.”

The co-feature matches two up-and-coming 118-pounders in their toughest fights to date. “This is a quintessential ShoBox fight of undefeated prospects, who are both taking leaps in class,” Farhood said, “One is from Puerto Rico, the other from Mexico, so we have that great rivalry going.”

Vidal, a 5-foot-4, 28-year-old, is making his 2013, ShoBox and U.S. debut. This will be the third fight outside Puerto Rico for the WBC’s No. 12-ranked bantamweight, who had one fight in Nicaragua in 2008 and one in the Dominican Republic in 2011. He is coming off a dominant third-round TKO win over Josean “El Tren” Figueroa on Oct. 20, 2012.

“That was a great victory for me,” Vidal said. “I felt strong and fast. I look forward to fighting with the best bantamweights. I’m ready for them.”

Vidal, whose idol not surprisingly is Puerto Rican boxing legend Felix “Tito” Trinidad, is an aggressive-minded boxer-puncher. “I want to be smart in the ring, always, cautious,” he said. “But when it’s time to put the pressure on my opponent, I definitely know how to do that.”

In by far his closest encounter, he won an eight-round split decision over Angel Cruz on June 30, 2012. A tight fight was scored 76-75 twice for Vidal and 76-75 for Cruz.

Vidal hails from a fighting family. Two cousins on his mother’s side, brothers Julian (WBA Bantamweight Champion) and Rafael Solis (a super featherweight world title challenger), were top fighters. Vidal went 69-5 in the amateurs before turning pro in November 2007.

Munoz, who’s making his ShoBox debut, has campaigned exclusively in Mexico since turning pro in October 2012. He is 4-0 with one no-contest since boxing a four-round draw with Eduardo Ramirez in October 2011. The 5-foot-7, 22-year-old scored two knockdowns en route to a fifth-round knockout over Cecilio Santos in his last outing on Jan. 19 in Guadalajara. Vidal also fought Santos, winning an eight-round decision in May 2011.

“I’ve been training for this fight for two months in Guadalajara,” Munoz said. “I’m an all-around fighter. I have technique. I like to go forward. I think I do a little of everything.

“All I know about my opponent is that he’s a very strong fighter and goes forward, and he gives his all in the ring. I’m training hard to put on a great fight, and I don’t want anybody to miss it.”

Munoz’ scheduled 10-round fight with Moises Flores on Nov. 10, 2012, ended in a no-contest after Munoz was cut over his left eye by a clash of heads in the fourth round. Several brawls broke out in the audience after the fight was stopped at 1:12.

A three-time national Junior Olympic Champion, Munoz went 140-10 in the amateurs before going pro at the age of 19 in September 2010. He won his initial nine fights before the draw with Ramirez. (Source)

UFC Bantamweight Champion Dominick Cruz Making Progress, Gets Clearance to Start Boxing

UFC bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz is on the mend and making progress.

The last time he fought was against Demetrious Johnson in October 2011.

Cruz was scheduled to fight a rubber match against Urijah Faber at UFC 148 in July of 2012. While the two were coaching season 15 of The Ultimate Fighter, Cruz tore his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) during training.

He underwent surgery that utilized the ligament from a cadaver to repair his ACL. His body, unfortunately, rejected the foreign ligament, so he had to undergo a second surgery in late 2012.

Now, half a year later, he has finally been cleared to begin sparring again.

“Leaving LA now,n doc just cleared me to start boxing(sparring):)-one step at a time!C u wit some new tricks,” Cruz tweeted on Tuesday.

That’s far from news of a date for his return to the Octagon, but it is welcome news nonetheless, especially considering UFC interim bantamweight champion Renan Barão has just taken up his own spot on the bench.

Barão was slated to face Eddie Wineland in the UFC 161 main event on June 15 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, but was forced out of the bout due to an injured right foot, leaving the UFC with both of its bantamweight champions unable to fight.

Hopefully, Cruz’s clearance to spar is a signal that he’ll be returning to action sooner rather than later. (Source)

Professional boxing set to return to Metairie’s Landmark Hotel

Professional boxing returns to Metairie this week where New Orleans native Marcus McDaniel is slated to fight Tristan Todd at the Landmark Hotel. The Middleweight bout pits two of the nation’s top-70 fighters, with the undefeated McDaniel (8-0) entering the ring at No. 62 and Todd (8-2) at No. 54, according to BoxRec.com.

The 29-year-old McDaniel will have his hands full with Todd, whose career is highlighted by five technical knockouts or knockouts as compared to McDaniel’s lone TKO against Omar Ballard in July of 2010. In fact, four out of Todd’s last six fights ended in either a TKO or KO. Not one of those knockouts, however, came against an opponent with a winning record.

Todd will be just the second boxer McDaniel has faced who isn’t coming off a loss in his most recent fight. McDaniel hasn’t fought a boxer in a professional setting since last September when he earned an unanimous decision against Donald Clark.

Todd, on the other hand, will be entering his third fight of 2013 and he is also currently riding the longest winning streak of his career at four consecutive wins, including wins against William Johnson and Cleo Rice in February and March.

The co-feature of the night puts females Sydney LeBlanc from Gretna (2-0-1) and Latasha Burton of Houma in a four-round Super Middleweight fight.

In the Jr. Welterweight Division, James Harrison of New Orleans (2-2-1) will fight Asa Dalphone (3-0).

Another New Orleans native, Regis Prograis (4-0), will put his undefeated record on the line when he steps into the ring against the more experienced Adauto Gonzales (10-8).

Heavyweights Bobby O’Bannon (10-5) and Terrance Marbra (6-3) round out the ticket for the Thursday night fights.

The weigh-ins and pre-match press conference will take place on Wednesday, June 5 at the Penthouse Club in New Orleans at 2 p.m.

The actual fights are scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m. in the ballroom of the Landmark Hotel in Metairie on Thursday night. (Source)

Steve Bunce on Boxing: David Haye v Tyson Fury - it all makes perfect sense for both fighters

This is a chronicle of a fight foretold, a fight made at a time when nobody wants to freely admit too much about the David Haye and Tyson Fury showdown.

There was a time before multiple championship belts, before the proliferation of television companies when the Lonsdale belt was the most sought-after trophy in British boxing.

That time has gone and during the last 25 years fantastic British fights fail to take place on a monthly basis, which is why the bold, secret and whispered talk of Haye against Fury is such good news.

Haye has been picking and choosing his opponents, his television company, his retirement date and just about every aspect of his boxing career for a long time. It has worked for him, he has amassed a fortune, been in fun fights and has a high profile; he is the best known British boxer since Ricky Hatton's first retirement. He has the touch, people like him and he even wriggled free from ridicule when he presented his damaged toe as an excuse for defeat against Wladimir Klitschko in 2011.

Fury relinquished his British heavyweight title because a mandated fight with David Price was simply not going to make him enough money, which is the only reason fights fail to take place. Fury concentrated on getting a world title fight and is now one fight away from becoming the mandatory challenger for Klitschko's IBF belt. However, that "one fight" was meant to be against a sullen, dangerous and unbeaten Bulgarian called Kubrat Pulev; that fight is not going to happen and Fury now looks likely to sign for the far more lucrative meeting with Haye. It's a simple business the boxing business.

The reality is that a fight between Fury and Haye will do sensational business and the winner will inevitably get a world title fight against one of the two Klitschko brothers, who between them hold all four of the recognised and respected heavyweight belts. The brothers, who are now entering their second decade of dominance, have fights planned and nearly made, which means that Haye/Fury will not get their chance until May next year. It would possibly have been earlier for Fury had he met and beat Pulev instead of taking the money for a showdown with Haye. The Pulev fight was hard, it would have ended up in Berlin and Fury could have lost.

The Haye fight is hard, it will be in Britain and Fury will make more money. However, there could still be a problem with rival television companies making excessive and expected demands; Fury has been starring on Channel Five's irregular coverage and Haye is now back at Sky, where pay-per-view was once again introduced for the Carl Froch fight. The fight only happens if Sky agrees pay-per-view terms with both boxers. Fury had offers, both on and under the table, in excess of £500,000 for fights before shifting his attention to Haye.

Meanwhile, Haye, will be counting his blessings that he injured his hand a few weeks ago in training and had to withdraw from a fight in Manchester at the end of this month against Lebanon's Manny Charr. There is nothing like a bit of summer pantomime. It seems fortuitous that the interim recovery period suited the intentions of Fury and that is why the fight is close to being made. Haye and Charr was not a pay-per-view and was slow to ignite. It is not the first lucky injury in boxing.

There will not be a Lonsdale belt on offer when the pair fight but there will be a lot of pride, a lot of money and a lot of interest. Last summer Haye beat Dereck Chisora in a slugfest at Upton Park in a fight drenched in publicity and notoriety. Haye against Fury could do even better business and it is just a relief that it is happening and not vanishing like so many great British fights have in recent years. (Source)

UK Sport chairman urges warring British boxing to get house in order

The new chairman of UK Sport, Rod Carr, has warned boxing's warring governing body that it will remove responsibility for British Olympic boxers from its grasp if it does not introduce reforms by a deadline of next Monday.

Derek Mapp, chairman of the British Amateur Boxing Association (Baba), was voted out at an extraordinary general meeting last week despite British boxers securing five medals at London 2012. Mapp had the support of the Welsh Amateur Boxing Association but was ousted by England and Scotland.

Carr, appointed chairman of the Olympic sport funding agency last month to replace Sue Campbell, said he was "desperately disappointed" by the situation and said that its first priority would be to protect the athletes already in the system so that their training was not affected.

"We're a bit nonplussed and aggravated," he said.

Boxing was handed an increase of 44% in its funding to £13.8m for the Rio cycle but Carr said the money would be diverted through a special purpose vehicle (SPV) if the situation was not resolved by 10 June.

"The public government funding will flow through us into that legal vehicle if necessary. It is not what we want to do, we want boxing to sort themselves out, but if they don't, that is what we will do – and we will carry on doing that until boxing sorts itself out," he said.

"When that happens, which I am confident it will, then we will dissolve the SPV and give the thing back in its normal state."

Carr, a former Royal Yachting Association chief executive, said there was still a chance the situation could be resolved within the next six days but that if the constitution was not redrawn to UK Sport's satisfaction, it would divert the funding.

Carr said that he and UK Sport, which will invest a record £347m in Olympic sport in the four years leading up to the Rio Games, would consider themselves to have failed if Team GB did not surpass its London tally of 120 medals in Rio.

He said it was a "stretchy" target but added: "Do we think we can do it? Yes, we do feel more medals are achievable. It is a fixed target, the board and I will have considered ourselves to have failed if we don't make those targets."

Carr also said he expected to have a much closer working relationship with the British Olympic Association, where Lord Coe recently replaced Lord Moynihan as chairman, than had been the case in the past. He also said it would work more closely with Sport England, the grassroots sport quango that it will share an office with from next year, on areas such as talent identification. (Source)

Five Irish to contest quarter-finals in Minsk

After the freak accident suffered by light heavyweight Joe Ward on Monday, when his kneecap was dislocated during a collision against Poland’s Mateusz Tryc, Ireland regrouped and has qualified five boxers into the quarterfinals of the European Championships in Minsk.

The three Olympic medallists from London 2012, John Joe Nevin, Paddy Barnes and Michael Conlan are all one win away from a European medal with Donegal debutant Jason Quigley and Belfast heavyweight Tommy McCarthy joining them in the last eight.

There was disappointment however for the Bray Southpaw and welterweight Olympian, Adam Nolan, who lost out on all cards to the Ukraine’s Boghdan Shelestyuk.

All five qualifiers are in the ring today hoping to add to the 48 medals male and female Irish boxers have won in the championships since the men began in 1939. Katie Taylor’s contribution to that total is five successive gold medals.

Mullingar’s Nevin, the number one seed and bantamweight silver medallist, dominated his Turkish opponent Selcuk Exer with all three judges scoring the match 30-27 in his favour.

The next is a huge fight for Nevin, who almost quit the amateur ranks after the Olympic Games to turn professional. He meets Hungary’s Krisztian Nagy today knowing that a win will see him become the first Irish boxer along with Olympic champion Taylor to win medals at the four major boxing championships, the Olympics, World, European and EU Championships.

A win would also secure his world number one status above Cuba’s reigning world champion Lazaro Alvarez Estrada, who he defeated in the ExCel Arena last August.

The two-time Olympic bronze medalist Barnes also wasted little time sweeping aside Wales’ John Ashley William on an unanimous (30-27, 30-27,29-28) decision. The Belfast light-flyweight dominated all three rounds to set up a meeting with Hungary’s Istvan Ungvari.

It’s not a bad draw for Barnes, a gold medal winner at the 2010 Europeans in Moscow, as Ungvari is an opponent he beat in the Olympic qualifiers in Turkey in March of last year.

Quigley claimed his 23rd straight win at the expense Austria’s Arbi Chakaev, the Finn Valley middleweight also earning a unanimous (30-27, 29-28, 29-28) decision. Quigley, who won the Irish title ahead of Olympic captain Darren O’Neill now meets Germany’s Stefan Haertel, the man who defeated O’Neill in London last summer.

Heavyweight McCarthy beat Finland’s Tomi Honka 30-27 only to earn a difficult meeting against the defending European champion, Teymur Mammadou of Azerbaijan.

“Paddy’s performance was very good. He had a long week without getting any trial at all. He always into your man, great defence also. He won it well and we’re very happy with that,” said Irish team manager Joe Hennigan

“Tommy McCarthy was another fella that had a long week, but yet again came out on top. It was a good performance from Tommy and Jason had a great contest. He looked very sharp with long jabs to his opponent and John Joe won very well, but we’re only going into the quarter-finals now and it will be all to play for again tomorrow There’s medals to be won now.”

Joe Ward returned home to Ireland last night. It’s expected that the number one seed at the tournament will be out for at least a month.

European Championships Minsk, Belarus

June 4th (last 16)

49kg: P Barnes (Ireland) beat John Williams (Wales) 3-0

56kg: JJ Nevin (Ireland) beat S Exer (Turkey) 3-0

69kg: A Nolan (Ireland) lost to B Shelestyuk (Ukraine) 0-3

75kg: J Quigley (Ireland) beat A Chakaev (Austria) 3-0

91kg: T McCarthy (Ireland) beat T Honka (Finland) 3-0

June 5th Quarter-finals

49kg: P Barnes (Ireland) v I Ungvari Hungary)

52kg: M Conlan (Ireland) v S Loban (Belarus)

56kg:JJ Nevin (Ireland) v K Nagy (Hungary)

75kg: J Quigley (Ireland) v S Haertel (Germany)

91kg: T McCarthy (Ireland) v T Mammadou (Azerbaijan) (Source)

Leon McKenzie: Boxing career for ex-Norwich City striker

Former Norwich City striker Leon McKenzie will make his professional boxing debut at the age of 35.

McKenzie scored 115 goals in 405 games for eight different clubs before retiring as a professional in 2011.

His uncle Duke is a former five-time world champion and father Clinton was a British and European title holder.

"I wouldn't be coming into it just to get out again," he told BBC East Sport. "I'm 35, so I can't do it for long, but I believe I can achieve something."

He added: "I've got through months and months of training camp, getting up at five in the morning for runs. I'm doing what I've got to do."

McKenzie, who started his career at Crystal Palace, played in the Premier League with Norwich in 2004-05, scoring in a famous 2-0 victory over Manchester United, and had spells at Fulham, Peterborough, Charlton, Coventry, Northampton and Kettering.

He has spoken publicly about his battle with depression while playing and served a jail sentence last year for illegally trying to avoid speeding offences.

"I sort of lost my direction a little bit. When I had that time incarcerated I asked myself a lot of questions," he said.

"When I came out of there it just came to me and I just wanted to fight.

"I'm sparring with professionals now and coming out on top and that gave me the confidence to have a go at it."

An opponent has yet to be named for Croydon-born McKenzie's debut at York Hall on 29 June.

But he has been preparing with 2008 Olympic gold medallist and current WBC silver super middleweight champion James DeGale, as well as British middleweight Richard Williams.

"Trust me they've hit me hard - to the point of seeing stars," said McKenzie, who will be fighting at super middleweight.

"It feels amazing. I've been hit and I've been hurt. It's a great experience for me and I held my own.

"As much as I've taken a few, I've got the ability to bring some as well."

A follow-up bout is in the works, with the possibility of a contest in Norwich on 15 September.

"It all depends how the first one goes," he said. "If I come out unmarked we will be fighting in Norwich in the middle of September." (Source)

Amir to Floyd: I'm your best option

Former light-welterweight champion Amir Khan is moving up to the welterweight division with his next fight shaping up to be an elimination bout for a future opportunity to face pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Khan is set to face Devon Alexander, possibly in Dubai, with the aim being to take a step towards Mayweather. And the Brit feels stepping up in weight will make him stronger and more durable.

"I think I'll be a lot more comfortable at 147," Khan told ESPN.com. "I've been struggling to make the weight. I've been at 140 for a long time (since mid-2009). So I'll be looking to fight at 147.

"I'll be a lot stronger at 147, a lot more confident. Look at guys like Adrien Broner and (Robert) Guerrero. They moved up two weight classes and fought for world titles and you see their confidence. You can do a lot more in training. You can build your strength and not always be worried about the weight. I think I'll have a lot more power."

Khan (28-3, 19 KOs), 26, is not planning to fight again until December. He is taking time off after his wedding and also will observe the Muslim holy month of Ramadan this summer, after which he will begin training again. The schedule works out well for Alexander, as well, as he broke his left hand against Lee Purdy and will be sidelined for a few months.

While Mayweather, who holds world titles at welterweight and light-middleweight, is scheduled to face light-middleweight titlist Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in a world title fight on September 14 at a catchweight of 152 pounds, he still has up to four more fights remaining on the deal he signed earlier this year with Showtime/CBS.

Khan and Alexander have already heard their names mentioned as possible future opponents for Mayweather. Alexander, a former light-welterweight champion, moved up to welterweight in 2012 and Schaefer said it makes sense for Khan to do the same.

"If your goal is to fight Floyd at some point, obviously, the action is at 147 and you might as well go up and introduce yourself in that weight class, where he could actually be stronger at the higher weight," Schaefer said. "Amir feels that will be the case with him. He won't have to worry about making weight so much and he can focus on training. He is excited to move up to 147. He realizes there are tremendous opportunities."

In his last fight, on April 27 in England, Khan fought for the first time over 140 pounds and outpointed former two-time lightweight titlist Julio Diaz in a fight contracted at 143. The weight was a concession to Diaz, who had been fighting at a heavier weight for the past few years, but Khan said he felt comfortable.

"(Golden Boy matchmaker) Robert (Diaz) saw at the weigh-in that he was dry and asked if he had a problem making the weight," Schaefer said. "He was at 149, 148 (in the days leading up to the fight) and to get down, those last few pounds usually come off easy. But this time he had more of a difficult time getting them off. Robert noticed that and felt like he didn't look like he usually does. He's been at 140 since 2007, so obviously it's time for him to move up."

Although Khan is leaving behind 140 pounds, where he lost a controversial decision in a world title fight to Lamont Peterson in December 2011 and then got knocked out in the fourth round in his next fight by Danny Garcia in a title unification fight in July 2012, Schaefer said those rematches - which Khan said he wants - eventually could take place at welterweight.

"Nobody says those rematches can't happen at 147," Schaefer said. "Those are great fights and it won't matter if they are at 140 or 147. People will still want to see them."

Khan believes the move up in weight will also help his ability to take a punch. He has been widely criticised for having a poor chin because of the way Garcia knocked him out and because he was stopped in 54 seconds by Breidis Prescott in a stunning upset in a 2008 lightweight fight.

"Part of my punch resistance is due to my weight," Khan said. "Sometimes you need that extra little bit (of weight) to take that punch. If you're not making weight properly, you're not going to take the punches as well. (Trainer) Virgil (Hunter) has seen me spar at 147. I talked to Virgil about moving up and he said, 'Who you looking to fight?' I said, 'Alexander.' He said, 'That's a good fight.'"

But a Mayweather fight remains Khan's ultimate goal, like it is for most every other top welterweight.

"When we are young the dream is to be world champion and now the dream is to fight and beat Floyd Mayweather," Khan said. "Once you beat Floyd Mayweather you become pound-for-pound and that's what everyone aims for. But you have to be in that weight division to be noticed. Everywhere I've been going people ask me when I'm fighting Floyd. Maybe I got knocked out or didn't perform well in some fights, but my style would be exciting to watch against him.

"He has five fights left. Five more opponents. Who brings him money, excitement, recognition and global recognition? I've been in the UK, the European, American and Middle Eastern markets. He'll make a lot of money with Canelo Alvarez, but I can't think of any other boxer with as big of a following or pull that I have that he can make a fight with." (Source)