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Richard Riakporhe responds to Madonna dating rumors, saying the pair are ‘getting close’ – EXCLUSIVE

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Richard Riakporhe has reacted strongly to rumors of his romance with Madonna after reports surfaced that he was “getting close” to the pop icon. The pair were recently photographed together on a night out, just days after Madonna reportedly split from boxer boyfriend Josh Popper.

Last month he announced this, among others: Sun that Riakporhe became close to Madonna after meeting the 65-year-old when she was modeling for Burberry. Madonna previously posted a photo on Instagram of herself straddling Riakporhe with the caption: “I had to sit somewhere.”

There have been rumors over the past few weeks that the pair are in a relationship, but Riakporhe quickly put the speculation to rest in an interview with Express Sport. He said: “Me and Madonna are just friends. We connected in the fashion world and the rest is basically history.”

Riakporhe is an undefeated boxer who has won all 17 of his professional fights to date. He grew up in south London and at the age of 15 almost died when he was stabbed in the chest by a thug trying to steal his mobile phone.

On Saturday, the 34-year-old will fight for the WBO cruiserweight title against Chris Billam-Smith at Selhurst Park. They previously shared the ring in 2019, with Riakporhe coming close to making a split decision to take the spoils and keep his record spotless.

“I feel good, I feel really good,” he said. “I’m in my zone. I know what I have to do and I know what’s ahead of me. I have shared the ring with him before, we have already played 10 rounds. I feel like this will be one of the best nights of my life.”

Riakporhe is 31 years younger than Madonna, who reportedly broke up with Popper last month after a year of dating. They are said to have had trouble finding time for themselves as Madonna has spent the last seven months on the road as part of her Celebration Tour.

Popper reportedly joined Madonna on a family vacation to Portugal to celebrate her birthday in August. He even joined her on stage at her December concert in Brooklyn, where the pair kissed in front of a crowd of 14,000.

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UK Boxing

Jake Paul’s body language speaks volumes when he comes face to face with Conor McGregor

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Jake Paul seemed noticeably disinterested as he and his older brother Logan were on the same bus as their fierce rival, former UFC two-division champion Conor McGregor.

The three were connected on Monday before Donald Trump’s inauguration in Washington. The 78-year-old is scheduled to be sworn in today as the 47th president of the United States, eight years after he first took the oath of office.

Due to the presence of many stars at this historic event, emotions are still growing. However, fans were stunned when McGregor was seen posing next to the Paul brothers and riding in the same vehicle. Both Jake and his older brother Logan were accompanied to the ceremony by their mother, Pam Stepnick.

In a post sent to X – formerly known as Twitter – ‘The Problem Child’ shocked the combat sports community after posting a photo of the Irishman sitting behind him and his brother. Jake captioned the photo: “Inauguration going great.” One user responded to the snapshot: “I never thought I’d see a photo like this, with all the beef over the years,” while another wrote: “I can’t believe what I’m seeing.”

Despite the ongoing feud between brothers Paul and McGregor, it seems like “The Problem Child” wasn’t too concerned about being in the same distance as the UFC legend.

The photo surfaced shortly after Jake decided to take a swipe at McGregor online and posted: “Now it all makes sense why Conor Mcgregor and his management team were desperately trying to get MVP to negotiate a fight between us. As we’ve told them privately and now I’m saying it publicly… the only way we’re willing to compare me to Conor in a professional boxing/MMA fight is if Dana White/UFC are directly at the table or make it clear that everything ok with the discussions. Conor needs Logan if he wants.

Despite Paul’s choice of words, it seems the Irishman is more focused on his older brother Logan. Last month, it was reported that McGregor was negotiating to fight Paul’s older sibling. On the way to I have made preliminary arrangements with the Ambani family to face Logan Paul at a boxing event in India. I have agreed, and then I will try to return to the octagon.”

Even though “The Maverick” recently joined WWE, the tempting offer of going toe-to-toe with McGregor might just lure him back to the boxing ring. The 29-year-old directly approached Ari Emanuel, the head of Endeavor, owner of the UFC and WWE, for a chance to face “The Notorious”. In a video uploaded to YouTube, “The Maverick” and Emanuel can be seen warmly hugging and shaking hands before saying, “Ari, I need one favor from you,” to which the Endeavor boss replied, “Yes.” Paul made the following request: “I want you to give me the green featherlight to fight Conor.” There was a shared laugh and they both said “seriously.”

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UK Boxing

“Anthony Joshua is finished and I would love to withdraw him,” says his rival

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Whyte wants to run it back with Joshua Photo Credit: Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing

UK Boxing

Anthony Taylor collapsed minutes after Darren Till KO and viewers were left terrified

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There were disturbing scenes during the last Misfits Boxing gala in Manchester on Saturday evening when Anthony Taylor collapsed after being stopped by fellow MMA fighter Darren Till.

The American took up the fight shortly after Tommy Fury withdrew, but he was no match for Till, who dominated from the very beginning.

In his first boxing fight, the Liverpudlian looked outstanding from the bell, displaying impressive hand speed and having no trouble countering Taylor’s aggressive approach.

Threatening to KO from the start, Till secured a stoppage in the sixth round.

But what happened next shocked those who watched the event. Taylor, who entered the fight with a 7-4 boxing record, broke down in post-fight interviews. He was later taken away from the Co-Op Arena in a wheelchair.

Many assumed that Taylor was then taken to the hospital for tests. However, according to Ariel Helwani, after being given oxygen and found to be stable, he was allowed to return to his accommodation.

Misfits co-founder Mams Taylor later confirmed that Taylor had regained consciousness. He also said Taylor did not need a hospital visit because he was “conscious and well” when he entered the locker room.

He later posted a video on social media in which he spoke clearly and promised to bounce back from the shocking defeat. “It’s OK, I took the L (loss) like a motherfucker,” he said.

“I’ll be back. I’m fine. Thank you all for your love and support, thank you to everyone who makes fun of me too. I don’t give a damn. I deserve it. But at the end of the day, I’ll fucking come back.”

“Pretty Boy,” who has a professional MMA record of 7-5 but has not fought since August 2019, also took aim at Fury. WX wrote, “Now we know why Tommy Fury backed out,” along with two laughing emojis.

The Misfits Boxing 20 main event was only organized after the Manchester fighter withdrew. The younger brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson stated that he was not content with Till’s claim that he would resort to “MMA tactics” if he lost the fight.

Do later denied that he wasn’t stern when giving the warning, saying it was simply a marketing tactic. It wasn’t until December 29 that it was confirmed that Taylor had stepped in as a replacement.

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