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Jon Jones would only fight Oleksandr Usyk on one condition: "I think the world knows what would happen if we were locked in the same room"

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Jon Jones would only fight Oleksandr Usyk on one condition: "I think the world knows what would happen if we were locked in the same room"

Don't expect Jon Jones to ever go one-on-one with Oleksandr Usyk unless an unlikely condition is met.

Jones is considered by many to be the greatest MMA fighter of all time, while Usyk has built his legacy in the boxing world as a future lock for the International Boxing Hall of Fame. “Bones†and Usyk have earned multiple world titles in their respective sports, but could the two ever be standing across each other for a mega fight?

You may not want to hold your breath for it, as Jones was asked by Ring Magazine if a boxing match with Usyk could come to fruition. The former UFC light heavyweight and heavyweight titleholder dismissed such a bout unless it was contested under MMA rules.

“No, not at all,†Jones said. “Usyk is Usyk, man. He's one of the absolute GOATs of heavyweight boxing. I also am aware that he does wrestling, and that wrestling has been a heavy part of his training for many years. It's probably why he's so dominant in the clinch. If he'd like to test his total combat skills, I would oblige him in that, but to handicap myself by only using my hands, that's not the world that I come from.

“Out of all the heavyweight boxers, I do see Usyk having the highest potential in making it competitive. I am no boxer, and I don't really consider Usyk to be a complete fighter. I think the world knows what would happen if we were locked in the same room, and I'll just leave it at that.â€

Jones continues to mull over a possible return to the Octagon. He has given different answers on his fighting future depending on the interview. “Bones†has said that he gets fulfillment simply coaching rising heavyweight and Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson, but he's also open to a fight offer from the UFC brass.

As for Usyk, he recently stunned boxing fans and pundits by deciding to vacate his heavyweight titles. While Usyk isn't retiring just yet, he relinquished his gold to open the door for other bouts.

Any chance we ever see an MMA fight between Jon Jones and Oleksandr Usyk? Drop your take in the comments below.

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MMA

Ronda Rousey trains with Jena Bishop ahead of Liz Carmouche rematch

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Ronda Rousey trains with Jena Bishop ahead of Liz Carmouche rematch
Jena
Bishop has an
Ultimate Fighting Championship Hall of Famer helping her
prepare for the biggest fight of her career.

The
Professional Fighters League recently shared a photo showing
Bishop training with Ronda
Rousey ahead of the former's rematch with Liz
Carmouche for the inaugural PFL women’s flyweight
championship.

Jena Bishop challenges Liz Carmouche for the inaugural PFL
women's flyweight championship after training with Ronda
Rousey

Bishop will face Carmouche in the main event of
PFL Chicago on Oct. 16 at Wintrust Arena. The bout will crown
the promotion’s first women’s flyweight champion and mark its first
new title since the PFL’s merger with
Most Valuable Promotions.

The clash is a rematch of last year’s PFL women’s flyweight
tournament final. Carmouche stopped Bishop in the third round of
that meeting, but the latter has since rebounded with victories
over Borena
Tsertsvadze and Ariane
Lipski da Silva. Carmouche enters following a submission win
over Viviane
Araujo in June.

Rousey, who became the face of women’s MMA during her UFC run, also
has a history with Carmouche, having defeated her at UFC
157 in 2013, in the first defense of her UFC women’s
bantamweight title and her Octagon debut.

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MMA

Umar Nurmagomedov not taking Yadong Song lightly: Not an easy fight

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Umar Nurmagomedov not taking Yadong Song lightly: 'Not an easy fight'
Umar
Nurmagomedov expects a difficult test when he meets Yadong Song
in their upcoming main event in the
Ultimate Fighting Championship.

Nurmagomedov is looking to extend his win streak to three straight
at
UFC Shanghai and the Russian is well aware of the challenge
ahead of him in China's Song.

Umar Nurmagomedov expects a difficult UFC Shanghai main event
against Yadong Song

Nurmagomedov has picked up two decision wins since suffering the
lone loss of his professional career to Merab
Dvalishvili in their bantamweight title fight back in January
last year. He's beaten Mario
Bautista and Deiveson
Figueiredo via unanimous decision to return to winning form and
defeating Song in the Chinese 135-pounder's home country could put
the Dagestani back in the title mix.

Nevertheless, Nurmagomedov is focused on the task at hand against a
well-rounded opponent and isn't thinking about the title.

“Of course, I’m going to be happy to do a knockout, you know, but
this guy is not an easy fight,†Nurmagomedov said in a recent
interview. “And I will, I will, we both, I think, we’re going to
show what they mean by mixed martial arts.â€

Nurmagomedov also emphasized that his motivation extends beyond the
title picture. With Petr Yan and
Dvalishvili set to meet in a trilogy bout for the belt at
UFC 333, the 30-year-old is focused on delivering his best
performance regardless of what happens elsewhere in the
division.

“Of course, I want to show my best version,†Nurmagomedov added. “I
don’t care about that fight, whether they’re going to fight or not,
like, for myself, I want to show my best version.â€

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MMA

Umar Nurmagomedov wants Merab Dvalishvili next: Now its personal

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Umar Nurmagomedov wants Merab Dvalishvili next: 'Now it's personal'
Umar
Nurmagomedov is targeting a rematch with Merab
Dvalishvili.

Nurmagomedov suffered the first loss of his professional career
when Dvalishvili defeated him by unanimous decision in January last
year in their
Ultimate Fighting Championship title bout. The Russian is eager
to run it back with “The Machine†and wants to fight him next,
regardless of the outcome of the latter’s
UFC 333 title fight against Petr Yan.

Umar Nurmagomedov wants revenge against Merab Dvalishvili after
facing Yadong Song at UFC Shanghai

The tension between Nurmagomedov and Dvalishvili has only grown
since their first meeting. The former is set to face Yadong Song
at
UFC Shanghai on Aug. 29, and while he's focused on his upcoming
bout, the Dagestani wants revenge for his loss to the former
champ.

“First of all, of course I have to win this fight,†Nurmagomedov
told MMA Junkie. “Then I will fight with Merab, if he will win or
if he will lose, I think we’re going to fight.â€

Dvalishvili notably questioned whether Nurmagomedov had earned a
title shot in the first place before their clash and has repeatedly
pointed to favoritism aiding the Russian, with Umar being the
cousin of UFC Hall of Famer Khabib
Nurmagomedov.

The rivalry took another turn after Dvalishvili was involved in an
altercation with Nurmagomedov’s friend, Ahmed Gadzhimagomedov, at a
recent Real American Freestyle event in Georgia. When asked if
their feud is personal, Nurmagomedov confirmed the same.

“Is it personal? I think yes,†Nurmagomedov continued. “Already
yes. Now it’s personal. Now it’s personal not just for me. It’s
personal for all of Dagestan.â€


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