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Morning Report: Francis Ngannou’s next opponent? Kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven open to crossover fight

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Morning Report: Francis Ngannou’s next opponent? Kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven open to crossover fight

Francis Ngannou, as has been the case since he left the UFC, has options.

“The Predator” made a successful return to MMA and a successful PFL debut with a first-round knockout of Renan Ferreira this past Saturday at the Battle of the Giants event in Saudi Arabia. That performance came in the wake of two massive boxing matches against Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua, making Ngannou one of the most intriguing names in all of combat sports.

What’s next for Ngannou is anyone’s guess, but one name throwing his hat into the ring is Glory Kickboxing heavyweight champion Rico Verhoeven.

“I’ve been thinking about a crossover for quite some time now, so I love the idea,” Verhoeven said when Ngannou was suggested to him on The Ariel Helwani Show. “It’s a new challenge. Not that I’m done with challenges within Glory, but I’ve got an amazing win streak and title defense streak and earlier this year we won an amazing tournament but I’m open to new challenges. When we’re talking about the baddest on the planet, let’s find out who it is.”

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Verhoeven has been one of the most dominant kickboxers of the past decade, having won 20 straight fights dating back to 2015, including 11 defenses of his Glory title. The 35-year-old Dutchman is currently scheduled for a championship rematch against Levi Rigters on Dec. 7.

Should Verhoeven be successful, he’ll be on the hunt for another marquee matchup and Ngannou more than fits the bill. They could meet under kickboxing or MMA rules, but Verhoeven has another suggestion in mind.

“There’s so many different flavors,” Verhoeven said. “It could be a home and away fight, a kickboxing and an MMA fight, which most likely ends up maybe 1-1. But a boxing match, that’s interesting, because that’s a way for both of us even though he’s been doing two boxing fights in the last year, but still it’s different and I’ve been boxing for quite some years as well. Not on a professional level, not in a ring, but been training with [Tyson Fury’s uncle] Peter Fury for years and years and he says, ‘You’re ready for it. Let any top-level boxer challenge you and let’s show what we got.’”

Verhoeven and Ngannou are familiar with each other, having spent time training together in the U.S., but both appear to be open to the potential matchup. In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Ngannou smiled when the fight was suggested and said, “Send me the deal.”

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A crossover fight built around mutual respect might not seem like box office gold at first glance, but Verhoeven thinks it’s a fight fans need to see.

“What I would like to say to [PFL] is just, hey, when we’re talking about baddest on the planet and we’re talking about crossover fights: This thing must happen,” Verhoeven said. “This must happen. It has to happen because we’ve been seeing throughout the last few years the most crazy fights and I think this is one of them that needs to be added to the list. So let’s make it happen.”


Challenge. Max Holloway wants Ilia Topuria to earn his “BMF” point-down moment.

Undefeated. Does Khamzat Chimaev’s invincible mindset give him the edge over Robert Whittaker?

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Boast. Ilia Topuria doesn’t just think he can beat Islam Makhachev: He wants to make him submit.

Poetry. Conor McGregor didn’t mince words with his description of PFL champion Johnny Eblen’s latest title defense.

Apology. BKFC star Mike Perry comments on his recent DUI arrest and confrontation with police.

Rematch. Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury brought the antics to the faceoff ahead of their December rematch.

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UFC 308 Timeline.

UFC 308 media day brought to you by MMA Fighting’s José Youngs.

PFL boss Donn Davis addresses the people.

All love.

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Catch up on the latest and greatest Invicta FC prospects.

Usyk vs. Fury 2 press conference.

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No Bets Barred. Jed Meshew brings you the best bets for UFC 308.


Francis Ngannou.

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BMF at work.

Fingers crossed.

Why, indeed.

BKFC video game?

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Patchy Mix in grappling action this Saturday!

Tom Lawlor looking out for fighters.

Jake Hadley.


Ngannou vs. Verhoeven? That’s not bad, right?

While I think we’d all agree that seeing Ngannou stick with MMA would be great, especially if Donn Davis is able to work out deals with other promoters to set up something like, Ngannou vs. Malykhin or Ngannou vs. Reug Reug or (let me dream) Ngannou vs. Pudzianowski, we can also get a little more creative. Ngannou adding a kickboxing champion to his résumé. I’m down for it.


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How do you grade Saturday’s UFC 308 lineup?


If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @AlexanderKlee or @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let us know about it. Also, follow MMAFighting on Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and like us on Facebook.

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Ilia Topuria talks to Max Holloway at presser

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Ilia Topuria talks to Max Holloway at presser


ABU DHABI – Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway brought some intense energy to their faceoff at the UFC 308 pre-fight press conference.

After exchanging words in front of fans and media at Etihad Arena, which also hosts Saturday’s event (ESPN+ pay-per-view, ESPN+), reigning featherweight champion Topuria and BMF titleholder Holloway got a chance to square up.

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The tension between Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) has grown as fight night approaches. During their first faceoff, Holloway simply stared while Topuria appeared to be the one doing all the talking.

Check out the video above to see Topuria and Holloway have their first official UFC 308 fight week faceoff.

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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Giants owner assures coach Brian Daboll, GM Joe Schoen will return in 2025

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Giants owner assures coach Brian Daboll, GM Joe Schoen will return in 2025


The New York Giants won’t be making a change at a pair of key leadership positions this offseason.

Head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen will return in 2025, Giants president and co-owner John Mara told reporters while attending the premiere of “The Duke: Wellington Mara’s Giant Life.”

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“Obviously, we’re all very disappointed with where we are right now, but I’m going to say one thing: We are not making any changes this season and I do not anticipate making any changes in the offseason either,” Mara said.

Mara’s commitment to Daboll and Schoen came as the team is in the midst of a second straight losing season. The Giants lost to the Philadelphia Eagles, 28-3, in Week 7 to drop to 2-5 on the season. Ex-Giants running back Saquon Barkley‘s performance punctuated the sting of the loss to a divisional rival as he rushed for 176 yards and a touchdown. As detailed in “Hard Knocks,” Schoen opted not to retain Barkley so they could commit salary to other positions on the roster.

Quarterback Daniel Jones also struggled in the game against the Eagles. He completed 14 of 21 passes for just 99 yards, adding 20 yards on the ground. Jones has completed 62.5% of his passes for 1,442 yards, six touchdowns and four interceptions with an 80.6 passer rating.

Schoen opted to retain Jones over the offseason after he tore his ACL in 2023. However, he notably expressed interest in trading up from the sixth overall pick to select a quarterback in the 2024 NFL Draft. The Giants weren’t able to find a trade partner, though, and they kept the sixth overall pick to select LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers. New York added a quarterback in free agency, though, signing Drew Lock.

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Daboll and Schoen had a successful first season with Jones at quarterback in 2022. He completed 67.2% of his passes 3,205 yards, 15 touchdowns and five interceptions, with 708 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns that season to help the team make the playoffs. As a result, Jones received a four-year, $160 million extension with $92 million guaranteed. New York can release Jones this offseason while taking on a $22.21 dead cap hit as he has a $41.6 million cap hit in 2025 and a $58.6 million cap hit in 2026, per Spotrac.

Eagles vs. Giants: Mark Sanchez, Dave Helman, and Chris Myers on Eagles’ dominant win

Even though the Giants’ commitment to Jones has been one of the reasons why the team has been hamstrung over the last two seasons, Mara has confidence in Schoen and Daboll to right the ship.

“Just the process that they have, being in the meetings with them, talking about where they see us going forward, talking about the evaluation of our personnel,” Mara said. “I still have confidence in both of them.”

While Schoen and Daboll had success in Year 1, the 2022 season was an anomaly for what’s happened in New York in recent years. The Giants have made the postseason just twice since their last Super Bowl win in 2011.

Mara admitted that it’s “very difficult” to remain patient because “the last 10 or 12 years have not been very good for our fans.” But he said he wants to do “the right thing,” which he thinks is giving Schoen and Daboll a fourth season together. 

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“I think I try to be more patient than maybe I’ve been in recent years,” Mara said when asked if there was anything he learned from his father on how to deal with losing seasons. “He was patient. He preached that all the time, and I’ve probably been guilty of not being patient enough in recent years, and that’s one of the reasons I’m committed to Joe and Brian and giving them a chance to turn this thing around.”

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Watch Ilia Topuria, Max Holloway get in heated exchange about ‘point down’ prediction ahead of UFC 308

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Watch Ilia Topuria, Max Holloway get in heated exchange about ‘point down’ prediction ahead of UFC 308

Things are heating up between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway.

Ahead of their highly anticipated clash for the UFC featherweight title at UFC 308 this Saturday in Abu Dhabi, both headliners appeared at Thursday’s press conference. When Holloway was asked about Topuria’s prediction that he will use the challenger’s iconic point down to start the fight, Holloway didn’t seem sold.

“Just tune in, I don’t think he deserves that kind of moment,” Holloway said. “He had that moment with Josh Emmett and someone shot, someone took someone down, someone [held] someone down.”

Topuria would interrupt Holloway, and a heated exchange began, which you can see in the video below.

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Topuria puts his title on the line for the first time after brutally knocking out Alexander Volkanovski in the main event of UFC 298 in February. Topuria is undefeated as a pro as he headlines his second pay-per-view event of the year.

Holloway looks to become a two-time featherweight champion, and likely locked up the Knockout of the Year with his last second finish of Justin Gaethje to win the BMF title at UFC 300.

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Max Holloway teaches Ilia Topuria about etiquette

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Max Holloway teaches Ilia Topuria about etiquette

ABU DHABI – Typically during UFC fight week press conferences, opponents like to shout and talk over each other. Such was the case Thursday during the UFC 308 pre-fight press conference, but Max Holloway didn’t allow featherweight champion Ilia Topuria’s actions to go unchecked.

A hot topic heading into their title fight is whether or not one of them will point to the center of the cage to invite an exchange of haymakers. When a reporter asked Holloway about this, Topuria interrupted right away and started talking trash.

That prompted a back-and-forth between Topuria and Holloway, who remained cool and collected as he repeated “let me talk” while Topuria talked over him. When the reporter followed up by asking Topuria a question, Holloway sat there in silence – until Topuria finished.

“See what I did there?” Holloway said. “I let you answer like an adult. That’s what you do in these things.”

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You can watch the exchange in the video above.

The time for talking between Topuria (15-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) and Holloway (26-7 MMA, 22-7 UFC) will come to an end in just two days when they headline UFC 308 (ESPN+ pay-per-view) on Saturday at Etihad Arena.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.

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Usman Nurmagomedov planning move to UFC in a couple of years: ‘I’m waiting for Islam to finish his career’

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Usman Nurmagomedov planning move to UFC in a couple of years: ‘I’m waiting for Islam to finish his career’

Usman Nurmagomedov is a man with a plan.

Younger brother of UFC bantamweight contender Umar Nurmagomedov and cousin to lightweight GOAT Khabib Nurmagomedov, the undefeated Usman is currently the Bellator 155-pound champion. Recently, Usman Nurmagomedov successfully defended his title against Alexander Shabliy at in September, cementing himself as one of the best lightweights on Earth. But his ambition doesn’t stop there.

Speaking recently about his future plans, Nurmagomedov revealed he hopes to follow in his cousin’s footsteps by making the move to the octagon once training partner and UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev is done.

“I’m waiting for Islam to finish his career and then I will [go after the UFC title],” Nurmagomedov said on Gorilla Fighting’s YouTube. “I think if we get it right, we’ll be fighting in the UFC at 28. I’m 26 years old right now. Two years, I’ll get stronger and that’s it. Go into the UFC at 28 and compete until I’m 32.”

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Undefeated for nearly a decade, Makhachev is currently the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in MMA, with three successful lightweight title defenses to his name. Before winning the belt, Makhachev found himself in a similar situation to Usman, serving as “the next man up” to Khabib Nurmagomedov. That played out exactly to the plan of the legendary coach Abdulmanap Nurmagomedov, who developed all of these fighters, and according to Khabib, that plan also extended to Usman.

“This is what Abdulmanap envisioned,” Khabib said. “He strongly believed in Usman and always said that he would be the future champion. I didn’t see the potential when he was 16 years old. I saw the prospects and I believed, and from the very beginning, my father believed in it all, believed in Usman’s future.”

Of course, Nurmagomedov’s intention to go to the UFC is not exactly great news for the Bellator or its owner, the PFL. However, speaking with MMA Fighting on Wednesday, PFL co-founder Donn Davis dismissed this as a concern for the promotion.

“How many of you have said you’re going to move to Florida and retire in four years, and how many of you do it?” Davis said. “One in 10? One in five? … People say things all the time, and then they don’t do it.

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“So might he go? Might not he go? Might he go in two years? Might he go in five years? Might he be the champion? Might not he be the champion? My goal is to make my man Usman happy. My goal is to make my man Usman successful, financially rich, and a champion, so that in two years he forgets he said this today.”

Whatever happens in two years, for the time being, Nurmagomedov remains signed with Bellator, where his next fight is likely a title defense against Paul Hughes, following the Irishman’s win over A.J. McKee at PFL Battle of the Giants this past Saturday.

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Vinicius Jr: Four arrests over alleged racist campaign against Real Madrid forward

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Vinicius Jr: Four arrests over alleged racist campaign against Real Madrid forward


Four people have been arrested in Spain over allegedly conducting an online campaign of hate and racism against Real Madrid forward Vinicius Jr.

The campaign is said to have encouraged supporters to racially abuse the 24-year-old, asking them to wear black face masks to avoid being identified, police confirmed.

The Brazil forward broke down in a press conference earlier this year when talking about the racist abuse he has encountered, saying he felt “less and less” like playing football following multiple incidents.

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The men were detained on 14 and 15 October and then released as investigations continue.

Spain’s national police did not name the four men who were arrested and questioned, with no immediate statement from any lawyers representing them.

They added the investigation remains open and could lead to more arrests after the online campaign raised “significant social alarm” by going viral.

The first detentions by police linked to the campaign happened on 29 September in the build-up to the La Liga derby at Atletico Madrid’s Metropolitano Stadium, with the hashtag translated in English to ‘Metropolitano with a mask’ reportedly used.

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Though no racist incidents were reported at the match, officials did temporarily suspend the game after objects were thrown on to the pitch.

Three Valencia fans were sentenced to eight months in prison in June for abusing the Madrid forward at a match in May 2023.

In August, the Brazilian said he and his team-mates will leave the pitch if they face any more racism this season.

He added that the only way to drive racism out of football altogether may be by stopping matches.

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