Boxing

Reinier de Ridder delivered the most significant victory of his UFC career at UFC Abu Dhabi, defeating former middleweight champion Robert Whittaker by split decision in a closely contested battle at the Etihad Arena. De Ridder (21-2) claimed his third victory of 2025 against the Australian veteran, with two judges scoring the middleweight bout 48-47 in his favor while the third judge scored it 48-47 for Whittaker. "I don't want to fight like this man, this guy was too tough," de Ridder said in his post-fight interview Saturday. "I expected to take him down. He was so tough, so durable. Heavy hands." The Dutch fighter faced a significant challenge in round three when Whittaker dropped him with a right hand to the chin within the opening minute. Despite the knockdown, de Ridder recovered and demonstrated superior output throughout the contest, […]

On Monday, British heavyweight boxer Tyson Fury announced his retirement from the sport through a brief social media statement. "I'm going to make this short and sweet," Fury stated. "I'd like to announce my retirement from boxing. It's been a blast." The announcement follows Fury's recent defeat by Oleksandr Usyk in their December 21 rematch, where the Ukrainian fighter secured a unanimous decision victory and unified the heavyweight world titles. Some uncertainty surrounds the permanence of Fury's decision, given his previous retirement announcement in April 2022 after defeating Dillian Whyte. He returned to the ring months later to face Derek Chisora. Throughout his professional career, Fury accumulated a record of 35 fights, securing 32 victories, one draw, and experiencing two losses, both against Usyk within the past year. Before this announcement, boxing fans had anticipated Fury's return to the ring […]

Paul Bamba, the WBA Gold Cruiserweight champion, has died at age 35, according to an announcement from his manager Ne-Yo. The Puerto Rican boxer had recently claimed his title on December 21, defeating Mexican fighter Rogelio Medina. Ne-Yo, who began managing Bamba in November, released a joint statement with the boxer's family on Instagram. The statement praised Bamba as "a fierce yet confident competitor" whose "light and love touched countless lives," highlighting his exceptional drive and determination that inspired many. Bamba's final year in boxing was remarkably successful, with 14 knockout victories in 2024, culminating in his world title win in New Jersey. His career record stood at 19 wins from 22 fights, with 18 victories coming by knockout. Following his recent championship victory, Bamba had shared an inspirational message on Instagram about achieving goals despite obstacles, encouraging others to […]