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Yahoo
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Brian Norman Jr. retains WBO title with absurd one-punch KO of Jin Sasaki
Rising welterweight standout Brian Norman Jr. continued his ascension up the boxing ladder Thursday with a crushing one-punch knockout. Norman moved to 28-0 as a pro (22 KOs) with a fifth-round KO of Jin Sasaki (19-2-1, 17 KOs) to retain his WBO welterweight belt. Sasaki entered the fight as the WBO's Asia Pacific and OPBF welterweight champion, but Norman floored him with a vicious left hook. Advertisement The win was the 24-year-old Norman's second defense of the title after a third-round TKO in March against Derrieck Cuevas in Las Vegas. He won the vacant belt in May 2024 with a knockout of Giovani Santillan. He currently is the youngest male champion in the sport. "It was a wonderful fight. I had a great opponent in front of me. You all seen he's got heart. That boy is not a slouch at all. I give nothing but props to him," Norman said after the fight (via Top Rank Boxing). "I wish I had a certain fight coming up (against Jaron Ennis). They heard 'B. Norm The Storm' is coming, and you know what happens when a storm is coming: You grab your boots and run. We shall see what's next for me." Check out Norman's highlight-reel finish below. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Boxing: Brian Norman Jr. retains WBO title, one-punch KO of Jin Sasaki
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Khalil Rountree shrugs off Jamahal Hill's disparaging remarks before UFC Baku
Khalil Rountree shrugs off Jamahal Hill's disparaging remarks before UFC Baku Khalil Rountree isn't taking Jamahal Hill's disparaging remarks ahead of their UFC on ABC 8 fight too seriously. Rountree (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) takes on former light heavyweight champion Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) in Saturday's UFC on ABC 8 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+) headliner at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. Hill told MMA Junkie that he plans on showing that Rountree isn't on his level, but the former title challenger doesn't take it as a personal attack. He explains why. "I think that's a mixture of a lot of things, but it's also not the first time that I've heard this," Rountree told MMA Junkie. "I heard it against Alex (Pereira), we've heard it against Jiri (Prochazka). 'Alex is not on my level, Jiri is not on my level, Khalil Rountree is not on my level.' So, I'm just going to leave it at that (laughs). I'm prepared." Rountree hasn't competed since falling short in a valiant effort against Alex Pereira in their title fight at UFC 307. Light heavyweight champion Magomed Ankalaev and Pereira are expected to run things back, and Rountree hopes to find himself in the title picture again with a win over Hill. "It's so hard to say with guys' decisions and choosing to fight who and this and that," Rountree said. "So, I really don't know what to expect, who's going to fight who, but all I know is that by the end of the year, I would love to be right there fighting for the belt again. Whether it would be Alex or whoever else. I don't care who's there, it's about the belt and my biggest dream is I would love for it to be in Vegas. I would love to fight for the belt in Vegas, at home, and get a chance to win it at home."
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
UFC's Jamahal Hill: Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira rematch 'really up in the air'
After a spot-on prediction for the first fight between Magomed Ankalaev and Alex Pereira, Jamahal Hill has given his take on the potential rematch. Ankalaev (21-1-1 MMA, 12-1-1 UFC) dethroned Pereira (12-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) to claim the light heavyweight title at UFC 313, and the pair are expected to run things back later in the year. Not only did Hill predict an Ankalaev win at UFC 313, but he detailed how Ankalaev's striking would be slept on in the matchup. Advertisement Having lost to Pereira by knockout at UFC 300, many accused Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC) of being a salty competitor. However, Hill's prediction proved to be accurate, with Ankalaev outstriking and even stumbling Pereira on the feet. "I will say people were thinking I was hating, which is crazy," Hill told MMA Junkie. "I just try to be real and authentic and say things the way that I see them and speak on how I feel. I guess realness rubs people the wrong way sometimes, I guess? So, it is what it is. I think there's adjustments that can be made by Alex that aren't huge adjustments. "He could change that fight and turn that fight around, but at the same time, there are also adjustments that Ankalaev can make that can make him win more convincingly and more dominantly. So, I think it's really, really up in the air. It's like who pinpoints these things and who makes those adjustments. That's what it's going to come down to ultimately." Many fighters such as Michael Chiesa, Anthony Smith, Dustin Poirier, and most recently Stephen Thompson have served as analysts on the ESPN desk. With Hill providing extensive and well thought out breakdowns on his YouTube channel, he also hopes to make the transition some day. Advertisement "It's a job, and it's a job that pays and something that I enjoy doing," Hill said. "I got my YouTube channel where I do breakdowns. I haven't done any recently because I've been busy with my own thing to get ready and locked in for the fight. "I've been in camp. I've been wanting to spend time with family and things like that. But yeah, it's definitely something that I'd like to do. Just being able to talk about fights, break down dialogue about it, just throw out different theories and ideas of how I see it, seeing somebody else's way of how they might see it. I love that." Former champion Hill will look to re-enter the title picture when he meets Khalil Rountree in Saturday's UFC on ABC 8 (ABC, ESPN, ESPN+) main event at Baku Crystal Hall in Baku, Azerbaijan. This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Jamahal Hill predicts Magomed Ankalaev vs. Alex Pereira rematch
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Khalil Rountree grateful for custom UFC shorts, explains design inspiration
Khalil Rountree grateful for custom UFC shorts, explains design inspiration Show Caption Hide Caption Khalil Rountree talks custom fight gear for UFC Baku main event bout Khalil Rountree Jr. talks to MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn ahead of Saturday's UFC on ESPN 69 main event against Jamahal Hill in Baku, Azerbaijan. Khalil Rountree says a lot of thought and consideration went into his UFC on ABC 8 custom fight shorts. When Rountree (13-6 MMA, 9-6 UFC) makes his walk to the cage Saturday in Baku, Azerbaijan for his headlining bout vs. Jamahal Hill (12-3 MMA, 6-3 UFC), he'll sport white and gray shorts with images that pay tribute to various aspects of his life and travels. "I got invited to design custom fight shorts, which was an absolute surprise, but I was so happy," Rountree told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. "The design inspiration, it's a lot about me." Featured perhaps most prominently is a design similar to Rountree's sak yant tattoos, which he got in Thailand, a place he trained extensively in order to craft his muay Thai abilities. His current home city of Las Vegas is also represented. "I wanted to put that representation of how much Thailand means to me and how much muay Thai means to me and my tattoos that I've got in honor of my martial arts journey, and that journey through Thailand," Rountree said. "Then I put some mountains on the legs that represent Las Vegas, my home. It's where I'm from. I wanted a piece of me and piece of Vegas on my shorts, but I didn't want slot machines and poker chips or Elvis Presley on my shorts. Vegas, to me, I love the mountain scenery. It's amazing. We've got the Red Rocks. We've got a lot of cool things there. That's just my way of kind of putting my Las Vegas stamp on there." Rountree said the two locations represent his duality. He is not the same person inside the cage as he is out of it. That's what he tried, and feels he succeeded in, doing during an extensive workshopping process with UFC apparel partner Venum. "A lot of people, when the talks about me, or the people who know about me, maybe my fighting style is known as violent or aggressive," Rountree said. "If people know me, they're like, 'Oh, you're such a different person than you are in the cage. I think that's just life. I do see a lot of contrasting things and duality of life and doing my best to find balance throughout my journey. That's why the shorts are split in half like yin and yang. I just think I did my best to make custom shorts that were just personal to me, and that really had some key things that just represent me as a person and as a fighter." Custom fight kits are rare and typically reserved for the creme de la creme of UFC talent. Rountree is honored to be included in the exclusive group and said it makes sense despite what the critics might say. "I'm really grateful," Rountree said. "It's nice because I do realize mostly champions or certain No. 1 contenders and stuff are usually the ones to get them. But I think the UFC knows exactly what they are doing. They are a billion-dollar business for a reason. I think that when it comes to me and just being with the business, I think that it's not a bad thing to do. I've been in the UFC now for 11 years. I finally got a fight to where my fanbase is now growing. But I don't think the UFC thinks I'm going anywhere anytime soon. I don't think I'm on the verge of getting cut or anything like that. I think it's a safe decision. It's a safe decision to make. I'll be around for a while. "I think I'll continue to connect with the fans for as long as I'm in the business. Maybe people who are new to this will think, 'Oh, this guy hasn't been around,' or blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. But I've been here for a long time now. I've been here for a long time. Maybe I haven't been at the top for a long time, but I've been in the business for a long time now. I've been loyal and dedicated to the UFC and the staff, so I think it's just kind of their way of being OK with that."
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Ricky Simon eyes eventual rematch with champ Merab Dvalishvili\u00a0after UFC Atlanta
Ricky Simon eyes eventual rematch with champ Merab Dvalishvili after UFC Atlanta Show Caption Hide Caption UFC on ESPN 69: Ricky Simon post-fight interview UFC on ESPN 69 winner Ricky Simon talks to MMA Junkie and other reporters post-fight after his decision victory over Cameron Smotherman in Atlanta. ATLANTA – Ricky Simon met the media Saturday after his unanimous decision win over Cameron Smotherman at UFC on ESPN 69. Simon (22-6 MMA, (10-5 UFC) outworked Smotherman (12-6 MMA, 1-2 UFC) in a fight largely contested in tight quarters. Simon controlled more than 9 minutes of the fight and had a pair of 30-27 scorecards in his win. Simon had to deal with a short-notice opponent change after Charles Jourdain had to drop out. "Ultimately, the goal is to be a UFC world champion – I don't really care who they throw at me," Simon told MMA Junkie at his post-fight news conference. "I don't know what their plan is, but I think there could be a lot of fights that make sense, for sure, whether it's right outside the top 15 or making that climb back in. "… I usually like to get a name and throw it out there, but with the busy week with the opponent switch-up and trying to dial in on what I wanted to do, I didn't really pay too much attention to that one." But one name on Simon's resume that stands out, without question, is that of the current bantamweight champion, Merab Dvalishvili. Simon was involved in a unique finish with the champ more than seven years ago when he choked him unconscious as the fight ended – giving him, officially, a technical submission win literally at the 5-minute mark of the final round. A rematch, Simon thinks, would be interesting. "It's awesome to see Merab's success and how comfortable he is being the champion and being as dominant as he has been. But it just gives me all the confidence in the world, because I've fought a lot of the best guys in the world – the champ included. It keeps me true to it. I know where I belong. "The UFC wanted to make that rematch before he ever even fought for the title when I was top 10 and he was 4 or 5 or something. I don't blame him – it didn't make sense for him to fight back (in the rankings) at the time. But that would be sick (to fight him again), a full-circle moment for sure." Check out Simon's post-fight news conference in the video above.
