The highly anticipated heavyweight rematch between Wladimir Klitschko and Tyson Fury will be on July 9th at Manchester, England according to the promoters of the bout on Wednesday.

Heavyweight Rematch

Fury accomplished the one of the greatest upsets in heavyweight boxing history last November 28th when he ended Klitschko’s 9 ½ year reign as boxing’s heavyweight champion with a unanimous decision win in the bout held at Klitschko’s adopted home country of Germany. Prior to the defeat, Klitschko had one of the longest and most dominant reigns of All-time, winning an incredible 18 consecutive title defenses. He was heavily favored to beat Fury even at an advanced age, but Fury had other plans.

Immediately after the loss, Klitschko exercised the rematch clause on the bout’s contract, forcing Fury to vacate the IBF version of the title because the organization mandated him to face #1 challenger Vyacheslav Glazkov. The camps of Fury and Klitschko have since been negotiating a date and place for the rematch and after a couple of humps and bumps, the bout has finally been set in stone.

If Fury traveled all the way to Germany to challenge Klitschko, it’s Wlad’s turn to travel to the champion’s home country. Fury’s camp initially wanted the rematch to be at Britain’s famed Wembley Stadium but eventually settled for Manchester rather than going all the way back to Dusseldorf, Germany where Fury believes he won’t win a decision if he ever goes back there again.

Better Match

Fury doesn’t expect the rematch to be as “dull” as their first bout. He expects Klitschko to come at him and fight, knowing this could be Wlad’s last run at a world title. Klitschko is now 40 years of age and may no longer be the dominant force he once was. Fury knows he’s got Wlad’s number and that he will beat him once again.

Stakes are also high for Tyson Fury as a win could set up a possible All-Britain heavyweight title bout with newly crowned IBF King Anthony Joshua. Joshua knocked out Charles Martin in two rounds last week to become the ninth Briton to win boxing’s most prestigious weight class. Fury immediately called out Joshua after the latter’s win over Martin. Joshua likewise expressed interest in fighting Klitschko and unifying the belts.

However, Fury cannot look past Klitschko even if the latter may be past his prime. Klitschko has the skillset to defeat Fury although he needs to let his hands go the next time around. Problem is does he still have the physical capabilities to do so at age 40. While some say it was just a bad night when Wlad lost, others are saying Wlad has suddenly grown old overnight.

Rafael Dos Anjos may have missed a bout with Conor McGregor at UFC 196, but he’s keeping close to the Notorious One – literally.

That’s because the UFC announced on Friday that Dos Anjos will be defending his Lightweight title against #1 contender Eddie Alvarez at a UFC Fight Night event on July 7th.

The event will be two days from McGregor’s huge UFC 200 return on July 9th and it will be held at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada which is just across the street from the brand new T-Mobile Arena that will host UFC 200.

Change of Plans

Dos Anjos pulled out of UFC 196 11 days before fight night after suffering a broken foot. Nate Diaz stepped in for Dos Anjos and went on to pull off an incredible upset over the heavily favored McGregor. The two are set to do it all over again at UFC 200.

With McGregor already booked, Dos Anjos was hoping to land a slot at the prestigious UFC 200 event. Instead, he gets to headline a UFC Fight Pass event two days before the big dance.

New Challenge

Facing Dos Anjos will be Eddie Alvarez, the former two-time  Lightweight champion from Bellator who has a record of 24-7 with 14 KOs and 7 submissions. He is on a two fight winning streak, having beaten highly rated Gilbert Melendez and former 155-pound champion Anthony Pettis in succession and both by split decision. Alvarez lost his UFC debut to Donald Cerrone, whom Dos Anjos knocked out in one round during his first title defense last December.

Time For a Statement

Dos Anjos meanwhile is on a tear. He’s won five fights in a row, three by knockout. After beating Jason High at UFC Fight Night 42, RDA beat another former champ in Benson Henderson and then Nate Diaz after that to set up a title fight with then champion Anthony Pettis.

Dos Anjos dominated Pettis in a one-sided bout which he won by unanimous decision.  He’s lost just once in 11 fights and that was to the unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov at UFC on Fox 11. Nurmagomedov was  supposed to fight Tony Ferguson on Saturday for what was likely the next title shot at 155 pounds but that bout has been scrapped after Ferguson pullled out of the bout with a lung injury.

Dos Anjos needs to make a statement against Alvarez if he wants to get another crack at Conor McGregor. The UFC’s booked him in an event so near UFC 200 that a big win by RDA would almost instantly put him on top of McGregor’s wish list should Conor himself beat Diaz on July 9.

So much for the highly anticipated rematch between Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier.

The current UFC Light Heavyweight champion pulled out of the UFC 197 title bout last week after suffering a leg injury in training. As a result, the UFC announced that Ovince Saint Preux will be taking over Cormier’s spot and that he will be fighting Jon Jones for the interim UFC Light Heavyweight title at the main event of UFC 197 on April 23rd.

An Interim Title Bout

UFC President Dana White defended the UFC’s decision to make the bout an interim title fight. According to White, Jones never lost his belt in the first place. It can be recalled that the UFC stripped Jones of the title last year after he figured in a hit and run incident that injured a pregnant woman. Cormier then went on to beat Anthony “Rumble” Johnson at UFC 187 to claim the vacant title and successfully defended it against Alexander Gustafsson at UFC 192.

A Heavy Favorite

UFC 197 marks Jones’ return to the Octagon since January of 2015, when he decisively beat Cormier at UFC 182. But despite the prolonged absence, Jones has been installed as a heavy 7-1 betting favorite over his replacement opponent. Against Cormier, Jones was a -360 favorite. Now, the odds are as high as -675 against Saint Preux’s +450.

While Saint Preux has been 7-2 with 5 stoppages in his UFC career, the U.S. born Haitian is just 3-2 in his last five bouts. He is ranked just #6 in the UFC Light Heavyweight division but with all the other fighters ranked ahead of his either booked or not ready to fight, he was the best choice left in a dwindling field.

There isn’t any doubt that Saint Preux is one of the up and coming stars at 205 but right now, oddsmakers are saying that he is biting more than he could chew in fighting the pound for pound best fighter in the sport. Even so, Jones himself has suggested that Saint Preux isn’t just a tune up fight.

Jones Has Too Many Advantages

Against Jones, Saint Preux will not have the height or reach advantage he used to enjoy against his former opponents. Jones is light years ahead of him in title fight experience, this being Saint Preux’s first ever title bout. Jones had the luxury of a complete camp and a more extensive training program given his time off due to suspension. On the other hand, Saint Preux, who said he was buying food at McDonald’s when he got the UFC’s call, is taking the bout on three weeks notice. Having said those, Jones practically has all the advantages over his opponent except in one punch KO power. But despite that, Jones may be more durable than any of the opponents OSP has faced before.

Finally, the big UFC 200 event has a title match in its fight card.

After drawing a lot of flak for setting up a Conor McGregor-Nate Diaz rematch as main event of UF 200 and adding an interim featherweight title bout between Frankie Edgar and Jose Aldo on the same card where the real featherweight champion is fighting at a different weight class, the UFC stayed true to its word on adding a women’s bantamweight title bout to reinforce UFC 200.

Dana’s Surprise

Many wondered when UFC President Dana White announced last week that a women’s title bout could be one of the “couple” of women’s matches to be added to UFC 200. For one, White was open about his intent on saving newly crowned UFC women’s bantamweight champion Miesha Tate for the comeback fight of Ronda Rousey. Then of course the other women’s champ, straw-weight queen Joana Jedrzejczyk is booked for a title fight at the finale of TUF 23 which will happen one day before UFC 200. There was also the thought that former champ Holly Holm would get the first crack at Tate’s new belt.

But White pulled off a surprise by booking Tate to her first ever title defense a couple of days after she signed a contract extension with the UFC. Cupcake will face Amanda “Lioness” Nunes at UFC 200.

Not Waiting For Ronda

The 4th ranked Nunes is 12-4 in her MMA career and 5-1 with 4 stoppages since coming over from the Invicta FC promotion. Nunes has won three consecutive bouts, beating Shayna Baszler, Sara McMann and Valentina Schevchenko in succession. The only blot in her UFC career has been a 3rd round TKO loss to Cat Zingano at UFC 178. Incidentally, Zingano was earlier rumored to be getting the first crack at Miesha Tate after Dana White snubbed Holly Holm’s request for an immediate rematch. Instead, Zingano will be facing Juliana Pena in the other big women’s bantamweight bout added to UFC 200.

After her 5th round submission win over Holly Holm at UFC 196, Miesha Tate suggested that she’d rather defend her title soon rather than sit and wait for Ronda Rousey whom Dana White said was the “logical” next fight to make for the new champion. Rousey and Tate have a long standing beef and have fought twice in the past with Rousey winning both bouts by stoppage.

The Opening Odds

Tate has opened as the betting favorite in her first title defense at a -275 against Nunes’ +200. Her experience and ability to find ways to win even in difficult circumstances make her the better betting choice against her younger opponent. Tate has the knack for finishing fights strong while Nunes has a tendency to fade. This was evident during her most recent bout against Schevchenko where she dominated for nearly two rounds and then inexplicably slowed down in the final round. Nunes has gone three rounds just thrice in 16 bouts and has never made it past round three.

Junior Dos Santos finds himself in an unlikely position against Ben Rothwell at UFC Fight Night 87. The former UFC heavyweight champion isn’t just an underdog, he may be fighting for his place as one of the UFC’s elite heavyweights.

Needing Momentum

After dominating the heavyweight title picture along with Cain Velasquez from 2011-2013, Dos Santos is in a must-win situation. Since winning 10 MMA matches in a row, Cigano has lost three of his last five bouts. Now ranked #5 in the UFC standings, Dos Santos is looking for a win that will put him back on the title hunt.

Big Problem

His opponent is having an opposite run. After alternating with a loss and win for seven years, Rothwell is now a winner of four consecutive bouts, all by stoppages. None has been more impressive though than his most recent submission win over former champion Josh Barnett last December. During that bout, Rothwell controlled Barnett and was able to become the first man to submit the War Master in his MMA career. Now on the cusp of his first ever world title shot, Rothwell faces a former champion looking to prove that he is not yet over the hill.

While Dos Santos may no longer be the same fighter who once dominated the heavyweight scene, Cigano remains one of the best strikers in the game and he still owns two of the most powerful fists in the promotion. If he is able to keep this fight standing up, he will most likely win by KO or decision.

For Rothwell to win, he must take Dos Santos to the ground and tire him. Although Dos Santos has a black belt in BJJ, only 6% of his wins have been by submission. On the other hand, Rothwell’s second coming has been aided by a very strong ground game and his last two wins have been by submission.

Who Takes This?

Because of Rothwell’s winning streak, he opened as the favorite in this bout at -120 while Dos Santos a slight underdog at -110. But the lines have since changed and has gotten closer. In some books, Dos Santos is now the lean favorite because while Rothwell’s winning run is impressive, his quality of opposition isn’t as tough as that of Dos Santos. Rothwell also hasn’t fought more than three rounds before while Dos Santos has seen a round five three times in his career. Dos Santos’ championship experience and pedigree should play a key role in this fight as well as his heavy hands. Experts are picking JDS to win by early KO or unanimous decision.

It’s finally official: Conor McGregor will face Nate Diaz in the main event of UFC 200 scheduled for July 9th, 2016.

The bout will be a rematch of the UFC 196 headliner where Diaz shocked the world with a second round guillotine choke submission victory over the current UFC featherweight champion. Diaz’s victory snapped McGregor’s unbeaten UFC run and halted his march towards greatness.

McGregor vs. Diaz II

McGregor came to UFC 196 wanting to become a two weight division champion by challenging Rafael Dos Anjos. But Dos Anjos broke his foot two weeks before the contest and the UFC scrambled to find McGregor a legitimate opponent to save the event. Diaz was available and with a guaranteed $500K paycheck, he agreed to step up on such short notice.

Surprisingly, the rematch will be fought at the welterweight limit of 170 pounds, the same weight they fought at during their first bout where McGregor said that he wasn’t efficient with his energy and his coach John Kavanaugh admitted that his fighter gassed because of the bigger weight he carried.

Fight Odds

Unlike the first fight where McGregor was a near 4-1 favorite at -350 against +260, the opening odds for the rematch are much, much closer. Bookies have tagged McGregor as a lean -145 favorite against Diaz’s +115 and they have good reasons.

For one, McGregor struggled putting away the bigger Diaz at UFC 196 despite landing cleanly on him for one and a half rounds. McGregor’s fighting two weight classes above his regular division and while Diaz himself isn’t  full blown welterweight too, he’s carried the weight longer than Conor has.

McGregor mightily struggled on the ground, the moment Nate Diaz forced him off his back. Once Diaz was on top, it was moot and academic that he was going to submit McGregor. While McGregor is one of the sport’s best strikers, his ground game has always been suspect. Diaz’s easy transition to the choke hold proved that was correct.

It will only be less than four months from their first bout when they meet again. During that period, it’s unlikely that McGregor has grown a BJJ game overnight. It’s unlikely too that he’s increased his punching power to that of a welterweight. Having said those, the McGregor-Diaz rematch at UFC 200 could end up the same way.

The UFC also booked an interim featherweight title bout between Jose Aldo and Frankie Edgar as the co-main event. UFC President Dana White says the winner of that bout will definitely face McGregor next for the undisputed 145 pound title regardless of the outcome of McGregor-Diaz 2.

Former UFC bantamweight champion Renan Barao will make his featherweight debut against Jeremy Stephens at UFC Fight Night 88 on May 29th, 2016.

Barao’s struggles with making the bantamweight limit of 135 pounds has been well documented. Most notably, he pulled out of his rematch with T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 177 after collapsing and getting hospitalized due to weight cut on the day before the fight. Barao just fought once in 2015, and that was the rescheduled rematch with Dillashaw at UFC on Fox 16 where he lost again by TKO in the 4th round.

Weight Issues

Prior to his two losses to Dillashaw, Barao owned one of the longest unbeaten streaks the sport had ever seen. After losing in his first ever MMA bout, Barao went unbeaten in his next 32 bouts ( winning 31 times and being held to a no-contest in 1 fight ) over a period of over 9 years. At UFC 149, he captured the interim UFC bantamweight championship by defeating Urijah Faber. Two fights later, he was promoted to regular champion status after Dominick Cruz was unable to return due to injury. Known as the Baron, Barao is 10-2 under the UFC and WEC, picking up significant wins over Faber ( twice ), Eddie Wineland and Michael McDonald.

Back Against The Wall

Jeremy Stephens meanwhile has his back against the proverbial wall. Ranked 8th in the UFC’s featherweight division, Stephens has lost three of his last four bouts, including his most recent outing against Max Holloway at UFC 194 last December 12, 2015. Although just 11-11 in the UFC, the Alliance MMA fighter is 24-12 overall with 16 KOs and 3 submissions. He owns notable wins over Cole Miller, Dennis Bermudez and current lightweight champion Rafael Dos Anjos.

Power Versus Skill

Like Barao, Stephens moved to a different weight class three years ago. But instead of moving up, Li’l Heathen moved down from 155 pounds to featherweight. Although he hasn’t had any weight issues, Stephens has struggled to a 4-3 record since fighting at 145 pounds. But against Barao, this heavy handed ( 16 KOs in 24 wins ) Alliance MMA product may have the edge in power. If Barao had a hard time dealing with the power of  bantamweight in Dillashaw, what more for a featherweight who once fought as a lightweight and knocked out Rafael Dos Anjos way back in 2008. Skill-wise however, it’s the Baron who has the edge with a more complete game.

The long awaited Keith Thurman versus Shawn Porter welterweight title bout will likely be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on June 25th.

Third Delay

The two welterweight stars were originally booked to fight each other last March 12th at the Mohegan Sun in Connecticut but Thurman pulled out of the fight after figuring in a car accident during a rainstorm in February. Although he wasn’t seriously injured, doctors ordered Thurman four to six weeks of physical therapy. The fight was subsequently rescheduled to June 25th but it was unclear whether the fight would take place at its original venue. Now it appears that the fight is headed to New York. The postponement was the third delay in the fight as it was originally planned for December, moved to January and then finally booked for March.

One Time

Should the fight finally push through, it will mark Thurman’s third defense of the WBA title he previously held as an interim champion after defeating Diego Gabriel Chaves in 2013. Three wins later, he was promoted to regular champion status and since then he’s beaten Robert Guerrero and Luis Collazo in 2015. Undefeated in 27 bouts ( 26 wins, 1 no contest),  Thurman is known in boxing circles as “One Time” for his KO prowess. The Clearwater, Florida native has knocked out all but four of his ring opponents.

Back On The Hunt

Porter meanwhile is on the road to redemption. After capturing the IBF welterweight title by defeating Devon Alexander in 2013 and successfully defending it against Paulie Malignaggi in April of 2014, Porter suffered his first professional loss against Briton Kell Brook in August of 2014. Back to back wins over Erick Bone and Adrien Broner have put Porter back on the title hunt and now he’s once again knocking at that door.

Who Takes This?

The early betting lines have One Time as a slight favorite in this fight at -187. Porter meanwhile has a legit shot at +150. Many experts think that Thurman’s power is his biggest advantage over Porter, but Showtime is an excellent tactician who is good in staying out of harm’s way. Porter’s blue-collar fighting style wears his opponents down and for a guy like Thurman who’s gone the distance just four times, that could be a problem. The key for Thurman would be to establish his power while for Porter, he must take the fight to the championship rounds where Thurman hasn’t been tested. The longer the fight goes, the better it will be for Shawn Porter.

Former UFC middleweight champion Anderson “The Spider” Silva gets his wish of an immediate return as he faces former TUF Finalist Uriah Hall at UFC 198 on May 14th, 2016.

Looking For Redemption

After a stunning split decision defeat to Briton Michael Bisping at UFC Fight Night 84 last month, Silva asked the UFC to immediately book him his next fight, looking for redemption.  Initially, Silva and his team wanted to face former Strikeforce Middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi, who fought and won in the same UFC London event that Silva headlined. But Mousasi refused to agree to a UFC 197 bout and instead asked for a latter date citing the need for enough preparation. With Mousasi unavailable, the UFC scrambled to find an opponent for Silva who was literally begging for a slot at UFC 198 because it will be held in his hometown of Curitiba, Brazil. Fortunately, Uriah Hall was available and was more than willing to step in against the greatest mixed martial artist of all-time.

Career-Defining Win

Nicknamed Primetime, Hall rose to prominence with his violent KO wins during the 17th season of The Ultimate Fighter. But after getting upset by Kelvin Gastelum in the finals, Hall has been in an up and down career that’s given him just a modest 12-6 record. After a huge TKO win over Mousasi at UFC Fight Night Japan last September, Hall faltered against Robert Whitaker at UFC 193 and lost via unanimous decision. With scattered success, Hall is in search of a career-defining victory that would propel him to stardom. Getting Anderson Silva for his next assignment will definitely be that opportunity for him.

Do or Die?

Whether we like it or not, Anderson Silva is in a do or die situation against Uriah Hall. He is 0-3 with one no-contest in his last four bouts. At age 40, Silva is no longer the unhittable wizard he used to be. After back to back losses to Chris Weidman and a major leg surgery, Silva has noticeably slowed. Against Bisping, he was criticized for his lack of a killer instinct, which enabled Bisping to recover and beat him in the end.

Silva will have to bring his A-game against Hall, who at 31 is an athletic monster who possesses the same KO prowess as the Spider. Silva has everything to lose in this fight and that’s what makes it more difficult for him. On the other hand, Hall has everything to gain against Silva and he does have all the physical advantages over his much older opponent. The key for Hall is not to be intimidated by Silva’s mere presence and mind games. Bisping showed that if one overcomes the mental game against Anderson Silva, then the physical part won’t be as difficult, although not easy either.

The last time Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto fought, they delivered the 2011 Fight of The Year winner which had both men going down twice in an epic brawl at the Foxwoods Casino Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut. Five years later, the two will collide again at the Stub Hub Center in Carson, California to settle unfinished business.

Unfinished Business

Ortiz got the last laugh in their 2011 fight not only because he won a world title by defeating Berto but because that victory earned him a shot at Floyd Mayweather Jr. Unfortunately for Ortiz, a mental mistake cost him the Mayweather bout. The Mayweather loss led to two more KO defeats to Josesito Lopez and Luis Collazo, but after winning his last two bouts by stoppage, The Vicious One gets another crack at Berto and take care of their unfinished business.

Getting Back To The Top

Berto has likewise gotten a shot at Mayweather and it happened in the latter’s swansong bout. Berto lost by a wide unanimous decision and he too has struggled since losing to Ortiz in 2011. Berto is 3-3 in his last six bouts but won an IBF 147 pound title in between. The Haitian power puncher has 23 KO’s in 30 wins, but at age 32 and a long hard-fought career, this may be Berto’ last chance at getting back to the top of the pile. It would be but fitting for Berto to do that against Ortiz, the man who dealt him his first professional boxing defeat.

Expect Another Explosive Fight

Like Berto, Ortiz is known for his explosive power. The Expendables 3 movie star has 24 KOs in 31 wins. But most of Ortiz’s KOs came when he was a light welterweight prospect. He stopped foes like Nate Campbell and Vivian Harris but on the other hand, Ortiz got knocked out by Josesito Lopes and Luis Collazo. It will be interesting which Victor Ortiz shows up against Andre Berto.

Berto meanwhile, has been a welterweight since winning bronze medal in the World Amateur Championships in 2003. He’s won two world titles at 147 pounds and defended the WBC welterweight 5 times before losing to Ortiz in 2011. Berto’s beaten guys like Steve Forbes, Juan Urango, Luis Collazo, Freddy Hernandez and Zan Zaveck. He’s fighting in a weight class he’s always been comfortable at. Having said that, Berto should have the edge over Victor Ortiz.