Zuffa LLC

Justin Gaethje insists he isn't bothered by Ilia Topuria's cheating claim.

Gaethje stopped Topuria to become the undisputed UFC lightweight titleholder back in June. Topuria was battered to the point where he failed to get off his stool for the final round of the UFC Freedom 250 main event on the White House lawn.

Recently, Topuria accused Gaethje of loading his gloves prior to the fight. Appearing on “One Night with Steiny,†Gaethje said he thinks Topuria's comments boils down to how engagement works these days (via MMAFighting).

“Not really,†Gaethje said. “He's part of your era. You guys say weird shit for fun, dude. … I think the internet's crazy, man. It's clickbait, engagement, we're farming out here. We're farming for interactions. That's what we're doing. More interactions, more eyeballs, more opportunity. … That's the game. I don't like the game but I'm going to have to play the game. I'm going to try and be me when I do it.â€

Gaethje also downplayed the notion that Topuria chose to quit on his stool at the conclusion of their aforementioned title fight.

“He didn't quit on the stool,†Gaethje said. “His body was too compromised to continue fighting. He didn't make the call, his coaches made the call because they're there to protect him. My coaches are in my corner to protect me in those times.â€

While Topuria is hoping for a rematch, Arman Tsarukyan is the general consensus No. 1 contender. Tsarukyan is fresh off a first-round knockout win over Mauricio Ruffy on the UFC 331 card on Sept. 19. Gaethje believes that Tsarukyan has clearly solidified himself as the rightful contender. Whether or not Gaethje vs. Tsarukyan is indeed the plan for 2027 remains to be seen.

Do you think Ilia Topuria's loaded gloves claim was made to garner attention, or is it sour grapes? Join in on the conversation in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

BKFC

Darren Till remains optimistic that he can not only get a fight with Mike Perry, but the two can even sell out a stadium.

Till competed in the BKFC 94 main event this past Saturday. He took on fellow ex-UFC star Yoel Romero in a bout that went the distance. “The Gorilla†survived Romero's blitz to earn a unanimous decision. The win improved Till's bare-knuckle boxing record to 2-0.

Now that the Romero fight is behind him, Till is looking to move on to a grudge match that has long alluded him. Speaking to reporters during the BKFC 94 post-fight press conference, Till said he thinks a clash with Perry can still be quite lucrative in 2027 (via MMAFighting).

“It's eight years now in the making me and Mike Perry and people are going to have other opinions … I personally think me and Perry sell a stadium out,†Till said. “I think the history, the back and forth for eight years, what could come of that? I sold that arena out tonight. I f*cking respect Yoel more than anything on this Earth. He's a f*cking phenom but that was my arena tonight. If me and Mike Perry [fight], we'll sell a stadium out.

“If Mike wants to come back here and he wants to be he ‘A' side and get more money or whatever, my managers hate me now for saying this, but I don't give a f*ck. But I want that fight. I want that fight to start next year if David [Feldman] can make that happen and I know he can.â€

Perry is recovering from a dislocation he suffered in an upset loss against late replacement opponent Brandon Jenkins back in August. BKFC president David Feldman is hopeful that he can book Perry vs. Till in the near future.

Do you still have interest in seeing Mike Perry vs. Darren Till, or has that ship sailed? Let your voice be heard in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM

Zuffa LLC

Dana White has responded Max Kellerman's interesting comments about his involvement in the promotion in the Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua fight.

White's presence has put the long-awaited heavyweight boxing match in jeopardy. Matchroom's Eddie Hearn has said that per the terms of the initial agreement, White can't be involved in any capacity. Turki Alalshikh has been pushing for White's involvement, and it has caused problems.

During a recent Zuffa Boxing broadcast headlined by Johnny Fisher vs. Michael Pirotton, Kellerman was on commentary duty and he made quite the claim about how White would contribute to the build for Fury vs. Joshua (via MMAFighting).

“Dana White's involvement in the fight, so people know, is purely in assisting Turki Alalshikh, who has been the engine behind just about every big fight in boxing over the last handful of years,†Kellerman said. “He's assisting Turki in a personal capacity, not as a promoter.â€

White responded to Kellerman's comments when speaking to media members, and he expressed confusion over what was said.

“I don't know where that came from,†White said. ‘That was weird. We're promoting the fight right now. I've said 150,000 times I don't know if I've ever known anybody who's more full of f*cking shit than Eddie Hearn.“

This isn't the first hiccup in trying to get Fury vs. Joshua to come to fruition. Hearn also fought against the bout taking place in America, and he got his wish as the bout is being planned for Cardiff on Dec. 11.

What do you make of the political games between Dana White and Eddie Hearn that have impacted the build to Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua? Is one side more in the right than the other, or do both share blame for the tomfoolery? Share your thoughts on the current situation in the comments below.â€

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM