ONE Championship

One win could separate a Bulgarian contender from ONE lightweight kickboxing gold. Standing in his way is a Japanese star who, he insists, does not like being pressured.

Bogdan Shumarov meets Rukiya “Demolition Man†Anpo in a lightweight kickboxing bout at ONE SAMURAI 4 on Saturday, October 17, inside Ariake Arena in Tokyo, Japan. The 29-year-old has won three of four ONE appearances, dropping only a split decision to Rungrawee “Legatron†Sitsongpeenong.

Anpo, a former K-1 Champion known for speed, movement, and attacks from multiple ranges, lost his ONE debut to three-time Glory Kickboxing World Champion Marat Grigorian at featherweight. In Tokyo, he steps into lightweight kickboxing for the first time in ONE, though he has competed at heavier weights under boxing rules.

The Bulgarian has studied how Anpo reacts when opponents take away his space. His previous meetings with Masaaki Noiri and Grigorian, Shumarov believes, showed that constant forward momentum creates real problems for him.

“I think he doesn't like the pressure. Like we see in the previous fight, even back in the days with Noiri, now in ONE Championship with Marat,†Shumarov said.

“So I think I can handle this [well]. I think he's not gonna take my pressure.â€

Bogdan Shumarov sees Regian Eersel beyond Anpo

For Shumarov, a victory could lead straight to a shot at reigning ONE Lightweight Kickboxing World Champion Regian “The Immortal†Eersel. The pair were expected to meet around two years ago before an injury derailed the plan.

Anpo brings urgency of his own, competing in his home country while trying to make his mark in a new division. That leaves both men with little margin to spare at Ariake Arena.

“He can be dangerous because, of course, for him it's all or nothing because his fight is also [in Japan]. He's in his home,†Shumarov said.

“But for me, the same. It's all or nothing because if I win, I [will probably] go for the title next, so I don't have a chance to lose.â€

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Zuffa LLC

Mauricio Ruffy believes he slipped up against Arman Tsarukyan and was knocked out for it.

Ruffy had the biggest opportunity of his pro MMA career on the UFC 331 main card. The Brazilian knockout artist was featured in the co-main event against top-ranked lightweight Arman Tsarukyan. This was Ruffy's chance to turn the 155-pound division upside down.

Ruffy had success in spots, catching Tsarukyan with a punch early, and he even had some success with his takedown defense. Ultimately, Ruffy's grappling defense led to his downfall, as Tsarukyan used the opportunity to catch his opponent with a brutal elbow that put him to sleep.

In a statement posted on his Instagram Stories, Ruffy said that while he felt in prime form inside the Octagon, he made a big mistake leaving his guard down prior to the elbow (via MMAFighting).

“I was 100 percent focused on performing, in passing all possible situation, and have an answer for them all. I was feeling really good in the fight. …

â€When I got that flash knockdown and felt his strength starting to fade. I felt the fight in my control. And when he got flash knocked down, I felt that his strength was breaking. I saw how much he felt it when I hit one elbow at the tip of the rib when he was defending reversal. So he was hurt, his eye was very closed. I would get a lot of punches up there, and I was sure I would finish the fight in the second round.

“An important thing to say is that the mistake was totally mine. It was my fault, my carelessness, and his merit. Arman is an excellent fighter.â€

Ruffy admitted it stings knowing that he had a brief lapse inside the Octagon.

“I just got careless,†Ruffy said. “I relaxed on defense, which I normally don't do. So I paid the price for that.

The good news for Ruffy is that there were some things to build off of even though the fight didn't make it past the first round. Time will tell how he responds to being knocked out for the second time in his pro MMA career. This is also Ruffy's third pro loss.

Who would you match Mauricio Ruffy up against next? Play matchmaker in the comments below.

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Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua has finally found a date and location.

Chairman of the Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, Turki Alalshikh, announced that Fury vs. Joshua will be taking place at Principality Stadium in Cardiff on Dec. 11.  The long overdue heavyweight grudge match will be streamed live on Netflix.

“For 15 years no one has been able to make this fight,†Alalshikh said. “Back in April, I said that any announcement would come from me. I can now confirm that Fury Vs Joshua will be coming to the UK, as I promised British boxing fans. The time for talking is over ……..â€

Prior to the announcement, Fury vowed to put Joshua to sleep early in a video clip posted on his Instagram account (via MMAFighting).

“I'm gonna knock him out so bad, it's gonna be unbelievable,†Fury said. “It's gonna be the quickest knockout ever. Man's chinny and a poppadom, paper chin. I'm taking him out. The last two real fights he had, it was over in both first rounds — not including Jake Paul, obviously. So the last two fights he had, he was down in the first round twice. I'm taking this cunt out. One round.â€

There had been a disagreement between both sides over the location of the bout. Per the initial terms agreed to by Joshua's camp, the fight was to take place in the United Kingdom. Fury's team was reportedly pushing for the bout to emanate from Madison Square Garden in New York City. The general consensus is that Fury vs. Joshua should've always been planned for England.

Not long before the announcement, Matchroom's Eddie Hearn, who represents Joshua, was confident that the bout would indeed come to fruition under the original terms. It's clear that he had good reason to be optimistic.

Now that Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua finally has a date and location, who are you leaning towards picking for the long-awaited showdown? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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