Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou returns to MMA this week for the first time in nearly three years.
Here’s how to watch the PFL: Battle of the Giants pay-per-view with lineups, fight info and much more.
Broadcast and streaming info
PFL 6 Ceremonial weigh-ins at the Overtime Elite arena in Atlanta, Georgia. Wednesday, April 27, 2022. (Matt Ferris / PFL).
The PFL: Battle of the Giants event takes place Saturday at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
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The prelims stream on ESPN+ at 1:30 p.m. ET. The main card airs on pay-per-view (ESPN+) at 4 p.m. ET and features three title fights at the top of the lineup.
Heavyweight superfight: Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira
PFL Super Fights: Battle of the Giants Press Conference at the The Anthem in Washington D.C., Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. (Cooper Neill / PFL)
Francis Ngannou (17-3) is back in MMA for the first time since a decision win over Ciryl Gane in January 2022 at UFC 270, which marked his final UFC title fight. His contract expired after that and he eventually vacated the belt to leave the promotion for greener pastures in the PFL. He boxed Tyson Fury a year ago in Saudi Arabia for his debut in that sport and impressed with a split decision loss, but was knocked out by Anthony Joshua when he attempted a boxing follow-up in March.
Renan Ferreira (12-3) won PFL’s 2023 $1 million heavyweight season with a second-round knockout of Denis Goltsov this past November. He’s always a threat with his hands with 11 of his 13 wins by KO, and that was his way to a quick and easy win over Bellator heavyweight champ Ryan Bader in February. The Brazilian took out Bader in just 21 seconds.
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Women’s featherweight superfight: Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco
Larissa Pacheco, Cris Cyborg
Cris Cyborg (27-2) and her Bellator title take on Larissa Pacheco (23-4), the reigning PFL women’s featherweight winner, in a battle of Brazilians. After 15 years of being a massive favorite against nearly everyone she faced, Cyborg is a slight underdog to Pacheco, who upset Kayla Harrison to win the 2022 PFL women’s lightweight season, then won the featherweight season in 2023. Cyborg has seven straight wins since her upset loss to Amanda Nunes nearly six years ago, including a first-round knockout of Cat Zingano at Bellator 300 a year ago.
Bellator middleweight title: Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards
Johnny Eblen def. Fabian Edwards, Bellator 299
Bellator middleweight champ Johnny Eblen (15-0) will put his title on the line against Fabian Edwards (13-3) in a rematch only 13 months after their first meeting. Eblen knocked out Edwards in thee third round of their first in Dublin at Bellator 299. Since then, Edwards beat Aaron Jeffery by decision in March in a title eliminator to get another shot. Eblen beat PFL champ Impa Kasanganay in a crossover fight in February to stay unbeaten.
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Other key matchups
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – FEBRUARY 24: AJ McKee celebrates after fighting Clay Collard during the 2024 PFL vs Bellator: Champs event at Kingdom Arena on February 24, 2024 in Riyadh. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** AJ McKee
Former Bellator featherweight champion A.J. McKee (22-1) will try to stay on track at lightweight when he takes on Paul Hughes (12-1) to open the main card. McKee is 4-0 since he moved to 155 pounds, and after three straight decisions got a 70-second armbar submission of Clay Collard in Saudi Arabia in February. Former Cage Warriors featherweight champ Hughes has six straight wins, including three straight by knockout.
Ex-Bellator bantamweight champ Raufeon Stots (20-2) returns to take on Marcos Breno (15-3) on the prelims. After he lost the 135-pound title to Patchy Mix in April 2023, Stots rebounded 11 months ago with a second win over rival Danny Sabatello. Breno’s most recent fight came against Sabatello, as well – but it was a second-round submission loss at Bellator 294, which snapped a modest three-fight winning streak.
Full fight card
MAIN CARD (DAZN pay-per-view, 4 p.m. ET)
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Francis Ngannou vs. Renan Ferreira – for heavyweight superfight title
Cris Cyborg vs. Larissa Pacheco – for women’s featherweight superfight title
Champ Johnny Eblen vs. Fabian Edwards – for Bellator middleweight title
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Bellator champion Johnny Eblen dubs himself and former UFC champion Sean Strickland the best middleweights in the world.
Eblen (15-0) defends his title against Fabian Edwards (13-3) in a rematch at Saturday’s PFL: Battle of the Giants main card (DAZN, ESPN+) at The Mayadeen. Eblen is undefeated in his professional MMA career, with his most recent four wins coming over Gegard Mousasi, Anatoly Tokov, Edwards, and Impa Kasanganay. Meanwhile, Strickland has won four of his past five fights, including a title win over Israel Adesanya.
Having trained with Strickland at Xtreme Couture, Eblen spoke highly of the former UFC champ.
“I’m going to have to go with my boy Sean Strickland,” Eblen told MMA Junkie and other reporters at Wednesday’s media day. “Every time I go out and train with him in Vegas, it’s tough rounds. He gets me sometimes, and I get him sometimes.
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“I think truly we’re the best middleweights in the world. The fact that I get to train with him, and we happen to be in different promotions right now is kind of cool. And that we get to train together, and also we’re both making good money.”
Eblen knocked out Edwards in the third round of their first title meeting in September 2023. The judges were split on the scorecards prior to the knockout, with one judge having Edwards up 2-0, one judge having Eblen up 2-0, and the third judge having it tied 1-1 heading into the third.
This time, Eblen wants to make sure he leaves no doubt that he’s the better fighter.
“I think I dominate every single minute of every single round,” Eblen said. “Whether I get a finish in the first or the fifth, it doesn’t really matter. I’m prepared for everything he’s going to throw at me. I don’t think he’s prepared for everything I’m going to throw at him.”
According to the undefeated welterweight contender, he has been pursuing a fight against Covington and Covington is yet to respond. Garry took to social media to give his take on the situation, which can be seen below.
“A month ago, I was offered a fight with Colby Covington,” Garry said. “It took me all of 20 seconds to respond to the e-mail saying, ‘Yes, I’m in.’
“A month later, we’ve still got no response from Colby. He’s avoiding me like the plague and there’s one reason and one reason only this fight isn’t happening and his name’s Colby Covington.”
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Covington is yet to respond to Garry’s claim.
The callout makes a lot of sense for Garry, who seeks another statement win to secure a welterweight title shot. Covington sits at No. 6 in the UFC’s official rankings, one spot ahead of Garry. “The Future,” 8-0 in the UFC and 15-0 as a pro, is coming off of a unanimous decision win over former Bellator star Michael Page that failed to generate sparks.
Covington (17-4) has competed sporadically since 2019, though three of his appearances came in welterweight title fights. He lost twice to rival Kamaru Usman and in his most recent fight this past December, lost a lopsided decision to then-champion Leon Edwards.
The footage, obtained by TMZ and shared Wednesday, shows what happened in the early hours of Oct. 12 when Perry was pulled over for speeding by two officers from the Clermont Police Department at approximately 1 a.m. In the video, Perry immediately talks back to one officer as he tells Perry he can smell alcohol from the vehicle.
“Well, you’re talking a little slow, and I can smell it coming out of this side when I came over here,” the officer says.
Perry responds, “Well, you’re talking a little fast.”
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“I’m talking a little fast?” the officer replies. “OK, I’ll slow it down just for you. Is that better?”
At that point, the video shows the officer request that Perry step out of his vehicle, which he did without incident. But Perry refused to take a sobriety test, forcing the officers to arrest him and place him in handcuffs. While the officers conduct the arrest, Perry yells to console his wife, Latory, who was a passenger in the vehicle, and uses homophobic slurs to describe the officers.
“Latory, I’m getting arrested because I’m not doing this bullsh*t sobriety test,” Perry tells her. “Just relax, honey. I’ll be home soon. They know exactly who I am. They’re f *cking mad. F*ck these f*ggots! Couple of f*ggots! They’re a couple of f*ggots, forget about it!”
Perry, 33, was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, along with refusing to sign a citation requiring a court appearance, according to Lake County Sheriff’s Office records. Perry is due in court at 8 a.m. on Oct. 30.
Perry, who spent five years in the UFC, has become the face of BKFC as the promotion’s reigning “King of Violence” champion after finishing Eddie Alvarez last December. Perry followed up that victory with another TKO of Thiago Alves last April.
Perry was “fired” publicly by Conor McGregor, who recently became a minority owner in BKFC, after his TKO boxing loss to Jake Paul. But McGregor indicated Perry could be welcomed back.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of combat sports.
Welcome to the College Football Playoff conversation, Indiana.
In his first year as the program’s head coach, Curt Cignetti has helped guide Indiana to a perfect 6-0 record and the No. 16 ranking in the AP Top 25 Poll. Cignetti’s Hoosiers are set to take on Nebraska (5-1) in a Week 8 Big Ten showdown on FOX (Noon ET on FOX and the FOX Sports App).
There are several other eye-catching matchups across the country in Week 8, including a massive SEC showdown between No. 1 Texas and No. 5 Georgia in Austin, Texas. No. 7 Alabama visits No. 11 Tennessee in another must-see SEC battle, while No. 22. Illinois welcome No. 24 Michigan in a top 25 Big Ten tilt.
FOX Sports college football writers Michael Cohen and RJ Young are here to preview the biggest storylines heading into Week 7.
Indiana, sitting at 6-0, is set to host Nebraska at Noon ET Saturday on FOX. This season has been filled with plenty of great storylines, but where does Indiana rank among the top storylines in college football seven weeks into the season?
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Michael Cohen: Given how precipitously the Hoosiers had fallen during the final three years under former head coach Tom Allen — a 2-10 record in 2021; a 4-8 mark in 2022; a 3-9 finish in 2023 — it’s fair to consider Indiana the best team storyline so far this season, an unexpected challenger to an expanded Big Ten hierarchy that now includes Ohio State, Penn State, Oregon and Michigan as the three-time defending conference champion.
Not only is head coach Curt Cignetti the only coach in program history to begin his tenure with six straight wins, but it’s also just the second time IU has ever started a season 6-0, joining the 1967 squad that was selected for the Rose Bowl and finished 9-2 overall under John Pont. With six straight wins by double figures, Cignetti’s group has set a new school record for most consecutive victories by 10-plus points, eclipsing the previous mark of five that spanned the 1905-06 campaigns. The Hoosiers are one of only two teams that have yet to trail in a game this season. And quarterback Kurtis Rourke, a transfer from Ohio, is the first IU player to throw at least three touchdown passes in three Big Ten games since Harry Gonso accomplished that feat in ’67.
So, while it’s true that the caliber of Indiana’s opponents has left plenty to be desired thus far — the Hoosiers’ strength of schedule through Week 7 ranks 108th nationally and second-to-last in the Big Ten, according to Pro Football Focus — the comprehensive nature of Cignetti’s victories shouldn’t be overlooked ahead of Saturday’s date with Nebraska.
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RJ Young: Like Army, Navy, Iowa State and BYU, Indiana has emerged as one of the most surprising and exciting teams in the country with this wildly unexpected hot start to the season. At 6-0, the Hoosiers have matched their best start to any season since 1967, and they’ve done it in style.
Curt Cignetti garnered attention last December when he left no doubt about who he is and what he expected to do as head coach at Indiana.
“I win,” he said. “Google me.”
Google, we did. Cignetti has never coached a losing season as head coach. He is 125-35 all time, and he hasn’t lost more than three games in a season since back in 2018. He has since cooled on the rhetoric, though.
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“You know, I made a couple comments when I first got hired,” Cignetti said ahead of IU’s game against Nebraska. “I was out there on a limb a little bit, felt like that’s what I needed to do. I think it’s more of a reflection on how the team has played and the success that they’ve had on the field that’s gotten people excited, and this is just a byproduct of that.”
On the other hand, Dylan Raiola was one of the top stories in college football through the first three weeks of the season before the Cornhuskers fell to Illinois in overtime in a Week 4 thriller. Raiola and the Huskers have quietly won back-to-back games since then and sit at 5-1 heading into this showdown against Indiana. Would a win over the undefeated Hoosiers put Raiola and the Huskers back in the national spotlight?
RJ: Almost certainly. Nebraska played in prime time before earning a top 25 ranking, and, prior to its loss to a top 25-ranked Illinois team, the Cornhuskers were enjoying even more attention than Indiana is now. With Raiola at QB, the Huskers have a player under center who gives them a chance to win nearly every game they play. He’s helped by a defense that has shown itself to be more than capable of playing winning football.
Nebraska ranks 13th among FBS teams in total defense, 18th in TFLs and 26th in takeaways. The Huskers have recorded seven interceptions in six games and give up just 11 points per game. They’ll need to play great football against any team coached by Cignetti, who is 4-1 after bye weeks, excluding the 2020 season.
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Michael: Without question. The Cornhuskers climbed into the AP Top 25 after their resounding 28-10 win over Colorado in Week 2 to avenge a nationally televised loss from the 2023 season. By then, head coach Matt Rhule’s team was 3-0 overall with an average margin of victory north of 27 points per game. Nebraska checked in at No. 22 ahead of its high-profile Friday night game against then-No. 24 Illinois, a matchup the Cornhuskers ultimately lost in overtime. Their stay in the national rankings proved to be little more than a one-week cameo.
But back-to-back wins over Purdue (away) and Rutgers (home) gave way to a bye on Oct. 12 that extended Nebraska’s unbeaten streak to three calendar weeks at a time when ranked teams were losing at a torrid pace, including four last Saturday alone. All of which meant that the Cornhuskers kept climbing behind the scenes, and they’ll enter this weekend’s game against Indiana having received the second-most votes of anyone outside the Top 25, which effectively ranks them No. 27 overall. If Rhule & Co. can become the first team to corral an explosive Indiana offense and topple the 16th-ranked Hoosiers away from home, there’s little question that Nebraska will be back in the national rankings next week ahead of a mammoth showdown with No. 4 Ohio State on Oct. 26.
Georgia travels to Austin to battle No. 1-ranked Texas this weekend in one of the most anticipated matchups of the season. Georgia has been up and down this year, while Texas has been steadily dominant through the first seven weeks of the season. What do you expect to see in this top-five SEC showdown?
Michael: Coming into the season, one of the biggest questions surrounding Texas was how well the offense could replace a handful of playmakers who departed for the NFL. The Longhorns bid farewell to their top running back (Jonathan Brooks: 1,139 yards and 10 TDs) and their five leading receivers (Xavier Worthy: 1,014 yards and 5 TDs; Adonai Mitchell: 845 yards and 11 TDs; Ja’Tavion Sanders: 682 yards and 2 TDs; Jordan Whittington: 505 yards and 1 TD; Brooks: 286 yards and 1 TD) from a 2023 squad that fell a play or two short of reaching the national championship. And while it’s true that head coach Steve Sarkisian and his staff did an excellent job replacing them in the transfer portal and through the high school ranks — with players like former Alabama wideout Isaiah Bond, former Houston wideout Matthew Golden and five-star freshman receiver Ryan Wingo — it was unclear how much time the new pieces would need to jell.
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But after six games and six blowout victories, it’s quite clear that the Longhorns, who rank seventh nationally in scoring offense (43.2 points per game) and seventh nationally in total offense (495.7 yards per game), don’t have much to worry about on that side of the ball, even though they missed starting quarterback Quinn Ewers for multiple games.
This week’s matchup with Georgia offers the first real test for Texas’ defense, which is among the more interesting storylines to watch. A closer look at the numbers confirms the Longhorns have hardly been tested in that regard at the midway point of the season. Consider the offensive rankings of Texas’ six opponents thus far:
Colorado State — 86th in total offense; 107th in scoring offense
Michigan — 119th in total offense; 102nd in scoring offense
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UTSA — 67th in total offense; t-105th in scoring offense
UL Monroe — 128th in total offense; t-105th in scoring offense
Mississippi State — 78th in total offense; t-71st in scoring offense
Oklahoma — 126th in total offense; t-96th in scoring offense
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The Bulldogs will present a much more thorough challenge this weekend on the shoulders of quarterback Carson Beck, a likely first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft and a player who ranks ninth nationally in passing yards with 1,818. Georgia ranks among the top 30 in total offense (452 yards per game) and the top 35 in scoring offense (33.5 points per game), despite facing a schedule that is No. 24th in difficulty, according to Pro Football Focus. This game will offer plenty of insight about whether Texas’ defense is for real.
RJ: I expect to see Georgia play a complete game of football for the first time all year. In every game it has played against FBS opponents so far, either the offense or the defense has underwhelmed us. And that underwhelming performance by the defense against Alabama cost them dearly. They didn’t look much better against Mississippi State last weekend, which is worrisome. Kirby Smart knows better than most that Georgia doesn’t need to play its best game on Saturday, but it does need to show itself to be one of the 12 best teams in the sport.
Meanwhile, Texas hasn’t faced an elite offensive opponent all year. Michigan ranks 110th in the country in yards per play, and Oklahoma ranks 127th. And those are the Longhorns‘ two best wins. Couple that with the knowledge that Georgia ranks No. 17 in the country in yards per play.
The Bulldogs have scored at least 31 points in each of their last three games. If Georgia’s defense can stand up against a still maturing Texas offense, there’s no reason to believe the Dawgs can’t leave Austin with the best win in college football this season — a defeat of a No. 1-ranked opponent on the road.
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“I want to see them play their best game against Texas,” Smart said. “I mean, simply stated, we have not played our best game. We have not put a complete game together, and that’s what every coach’s goal is, right? To play your best game moving forward. That’s what’s going to be needed to go on the road at Texas. We got to play better and that’s the only goal I’m thinking about right now.”
There are 11 remaining undefeated teams in the FBS right now, including Indiana and Texas. Make your case for which team has the best chance to finish the season with an undefeated record?
RJ: Army. The Black Knights haven’t just been winning games. They’ve been hurting people. They’re mauling opponents for a nation-leading 369 rushing yards per game, while also possessing the nation’s fifth-best scoring offense. They are whooping their competition by an average of 30 points per game. There are only two teams left who might be favored against Army this season: undefeated Navy and a Notre Dame team that already showed itself capable of losing to a directional Illinois program.
Michael: Liberty. This selection is neither an endorsement of the Flames as an elite team nor a knock to any of the other 10 undefeated programs, all of whom would likely be favored in a head-to-head matchup with Liberty. Rather, it’s a reflection of just how weak the teams in Conference USA really are this season, which means head coach Jamey Chadwell and his players might have the cleanest path toward an unblemished record. Thus far, Liberty’s strength of schedule ranks 129th, according to Pro Football Focus. And Liberty’s remaining schedule, which includes games against Kennesaw State, Jacksonville State, Middle Tennessee State, UMass, Western Kentucky and Sam Houston, ranks 128th in difficulty. The only teams in the country with easier run-ins are Western Kentucky, Louisiana Tech and Florida International.
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So, even if Liberty finishes undefeated for a second consecutive season, it still might not be viewed as an impressive accomplishment by the College Football Playoff Selection Committee. Especially after the Flames were pummeled, 45-6, by Oregon in the Fiesta Bowl last year.
RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports and the host of the podcast “The Number One College Football Show.” Follow him at @RJ_Young.
Michael Cohen covers college football and basketball for FOX Sports with an emphasis on the Big Ten. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.
“Problema” enters the PFL cage Saturday in Saudi Arabia for the biggest fight of his career, welcoming ex-UFC champion Francis Ngannou back from the boxing world, and he explained why he doesn’t consider Jones the No. 1 heavyweight in the octagon.
“I think Aspinall [is the UFC’s toughest heavyweight] because of the moment he’s going through right now,” Ferreira said in an interview with MMA Fighting. “He’s young and is on a rise. But Jon Jones is the greatest of all time, in my opinion. He’s super experienced and proven himself, showed what he can do for the sport. You can’t deny him.”
“It would be a clash of giants, right?” Ferreira laughed. “It would be very interesting, and fans would be the winners. Great athletes with different styles fighting each other and defending their promotions as well. This tournament would get a ton of attention.”
It’s highly unlikely that the UFC would ever agree to such offer, and Ferreira still wonders how Jones will do against heavier competition. The former 205-pound champion only fought once since moving up a division, tapping Ciryl Gane with ease. Aspinall has won eight of nine in the UFC with eight stoppages, including finishes over Curtis Blaydes and Sergei Pavlovich.
“[Jones] was a bit heavier and had a hard time throwing strikes,” Ferreira said of Jones’ performance against Gane. “He’s moving up in weight and hasn’t fought real heavyweights yet, with heavy hands, so I think he could have some trouble there.”
Ferreira could be seen as the lineal heavyweight champion of the world with a win this weekend considering that Ngannou left the UFC without losing the belt, but isn’t sure that fans would agree with that.
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“The UFC still is a huge platform,” Ferreira said. “The champions there are undisputed, but I’m building my legacy and my history by fighting the best. I don’t think too much about fame and what could happen and what people think. I just focus on what I’m doing with hunger and heart, and the rest will come from that. … We’ve had some many champion [from Brazil], people who wrote their names in the history books so MMA would be as respected as it is today, so that is my mission now. I’m focused on this.”
There are reasons for optimism and reasons for pessimism.
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Tyson vs. Paul: Reasons to believe it WILL happen
Jake Paul looks on during his cruiserweight fight against Mike Perry (not pictured) at Amalie Arena on July 20, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar, Getty Images)
Since resuming training in late July, after a six-week layoff following his medical emergency, Tyson has released a handful of video clips of him training. They’re not enough to demonstrate he has the reflexes to win, but the 58-year-old former world champion does look fit and powerful.
Tyson and Paul have benefited from the immense prefight publicity while pitching a variety of products. But to walk away prematurely would be to pass up on the massive payoff from the fight. Additionally, bailing out now would tarnish their legacies.
There’s no prefight out-of-competition drug testing, so Tyson can consume all the cannabis he wants without putting the fight at risk. During training, Tyson has said he’s used cannabis, a banned drug in combat sports competition in Texas. Though random drug testing is implemented on the day of the fight, however, those test results won’t be available for several days. That means a positive drug test by either fighter will not result in the bout being canceled.
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(A positive drug test triggers a six-week suspension and, if the winner tests positive, the outcome is changed to no decision.)
Like Tyson, Paul faces the risk of an injury between now and the fight. But the chances of that happening to a 27-year-old boxer are remote.
Tyson vs. Paul: Reasons to believe it WON’T happen
Boxer Mike Tyson on the field before the game between the Dallas Cowboys and New Orleans Saints in September at AT&T Stadium (Kevin Jairaj, Imagn Images)
In May, Tyson had a medical emergency his team attributed to an “ulcer flareup.’’ Not only did it lead to the fight being postponed, but it also served as a reminder that Tyson is 58.
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“I think that’s a safe statement,’’ said Lawrence Kosinski, a Chicago-area gastroenterologist, “but I suspect there are other contributing factors.’’
Among the factors, according to Kosinski, are nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen an older athlete might depend on to offset pain from strenuous training. The ongoing use of NSAIDs could put Tyson at risk of more ulcer issues.
“We continue to monitor the situation and will conduct the usual pre-fight physicals the day before the fight,’’ said Tela Mange, communications manager for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, which oversees combat sports in Texas.” I cannot speak to whether we would require any further testing between now and the pre-fight physicals.’’
Tyson has said he doesn’t need the money he’ll be collecting from the fight, which means he doesn’t need the fight at all. There’s nothing to keep him from walking away if he has a last-minute change of heart.
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