Conor McGregor did what he said he would do to Diego Barandao: stopped him in round one.

First Round KO

McGregor floored Barandao with a vicious left straight that dropped the Brazilian near the fence and after a flurry, referee Leon Roberts stopped the punishment at the 4:05 mark of round one. It was a spectacular comeback for the pride of Dublin, who had been out for 11 months after an ACL surgery.

McGregor was near perfect in his return as he was completely firing from all cylinders in manhandling the UFC’s #15 ranked featherweight en route to his eleventh straight victory, and the 15th of his career against 2 losses. McGregor was fighting in his hometown of Dublin for the first time under the UFC promotion, and the crowd of over 9,500 at the O2 Arena loved every second of it.

Fast Start

The fight lived up to its billing as an action packed one. Both fighters had a fast start as each were looking to slug it out at the center of the octagon in the opening seconds of the bout. After McGregor connected on a spinning back kick that erased doubts on his surgically repaired knee, Barandao secured a bodylock takedown a couple of second later. But McGregor reversed it in midair and put himself on top of Barandao’s closed guard. McGregor then scored on punches and kicks to the legs before Barandao rolled back to his feet.

The embattled Brazilian tried a flurry of punches to stem the tide, but none of them landed cleanly on the aggressive McGregor. After landing a significant body shot that hurt Barandao, McGregor then uncorked that left straight that sent his opponent to the canvass. Sensing the finish, the Dublin native then rushed for the kill and finished off the helpless Barandao with a series of punches. The knockout was 13th in Conor’s 15 wins and his second first round win in three fights at the UFC.

Going To The Top

Though the win was undoubtedly the biggest in his career, McGregor has yet to face a top 10 featherweight in his career. After the fight, the brash Irish standout talked about world titles and fighting in stadiums. He was referring to his ambition of fighting in a big fight at a bigger outdoor stadium in Ireland.

His cockiness wasn’t well taken by everybody. Immediately after the bout, McGregor got called out by #6 ranked featherweight Dustin Poirier via the internet. And since McGregor said that he wanted to fight as soon as possible, UFC President Dana White stated that he might book McGregor against Poirier at the UFC’s next PPV event at UFC 178 on Sept. 27.

Looks like the “Son of Sonnen” is going straight to the top now.

Guillermo Rigondeaux wanted to make a statement in his final fight with Top Rank. Instead he found himself in the middle of a controversial stoppage.

After both fighters were separated by referee Mark Nelson following a clash of heads midway in the first round, Rigondeaux looked like he was in a hurry to go home. As he appeared to touch gloves with the visibly dazed Sod Kokietgym, the Cuban “jackal” quickly landed a right-left combination that immediately knocked the 37 year old Thai down to the canvass, thus ending the fight at the 1:44 mark of round one.

The victory enabled Rigondeaux to keep his WBA (super), WBO and Ring super bantamweight belts and improve his unbeaten record to 14-0 with 9 KOs. It however sparked a debate on whether Rigondeaux threw an illegal combination.

Illegal Blows

While nobody questions the superiority of Rigondeaux over the unknown Sod Kokietgym, a lot of experts ponder on the punches he threw right after the break. While the punch wasn’t exactly the same one thrown by Floyd Mayweather Jr. against Victor Ortiz in 2011, it was split seconds close to that. And it had the same moral lesson for the victim: Protect yourself at all times. But for a fighter in Rigondeaux’s caliber, he didn’t need a surprise ending to dispose of an overmatched foe in what was supposed to be his coming out party.

Kokietgym had not lost a bout in nearly a decade. But his 62-3-1 with 28 KOs record was as shady as the hometown boxing decisions in Thailand. He was the least of opponents that Rigo needed to cement his legacy and win millions of boxing fans in Asia, specifically China. Rigondeaux came to the bout looking to make a statement in the final fight of his Top Rank contract. He came out with nothing except the belts that he had already carried with him across the continents.

Free Agent

Rigondeaux now is officially a free agent, as the bout was the last installment in his four fight contract with Top Rank. But while Top Rank boss Bob Arum had said that he needed one impressive show from Rigo to sign him again, the controversial stoppage might have sealed the deal on their business divorce.

Last March, Showtime’s Stephen Espinoza had hinted that they wanted to sign the slick boxing Olympic Gold medalist once he is a free agent, but it’s uncertain if that statement still holds, especially after not getting a good account from Rigondeaux on Saturday night. Yet it’s too early to tell where Rigo’s ship will dock after this, but if this was the indication that destination is towards pro boxing obscurity.

Rigo’s Future

Cross your fingers that Rigo’s phone will come ringing next week and that Espinoza’s the one calling him. Golden Boy’s Leo Santa Cruz, the WBC 122 pound champion, fought his last bout under Showtime Pay Per View. It would be a game changer for Rigondeaux if Espinoza signs him and signs him to a fight with Santa Cruz. Because whether Rigo likes it or not, he needs a grand slam homerun in his next fight. Otherwise, he may never get to headline a major PPV card despite being one of the greatest boxers of this generation.

Another world title fight has been added as a co-main event to beef up UFC 177.

Quick Return

Demetrious “Mighty Mouse” Johnson (20-2-1 with 4 KOs and 7 submissions) will defend his UFC Flyweight championship against the UFC’s #8 flyweight contender Chris Cariaso (17-5 with 3 KOs and 2 submissions) at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California on August 30th. The bout will serve as the co-main event of UFC 177 where the rematch between Renan Barao and T.J. DIllashaw will headline the fight card.

Johnson is fresh off a five round unanimous decision victory over Ali Bagautinov in UFC 174 last June 14th. It will be a quick return for Mighty Mouse who will be looking for a sixth consecutive win in a title fight, and a fifth successful title defense. Since UFC 176 was cancelled, Johnson will appear in two of the last three UFC pay per view shows.

Surprise Challenger

Challenging Johnson will be former ISCF Bantamweight champion Chris Cariaso. The 33 year old San Jose, California native is a “surprise” pick as Johnson’s challenger. Johnson was scheduled to defend the title against John Dodson, but Dodson suffered an ACL tear which will sideline him for one year.

However, two top flyweight contenders battle it out this Saturday at UFC Fight Night 46 in Dublin, Ireland. #3 flyweight Ian McCall faces #11 flyweight Brad Pickett in a three round bout. Pickett owns the distinction of being one the two fighters to ever beat Demetrious Johnson by winning a five round decision against Mighty Mouse at WEC 48 in 2010. Fight experts argue that either Pickett or McCall have a better shot at competing against Johnson than Cariaso.

Double-Up

But neither McCall nor Pickett would be available on August 30th considering that they fight on Saturday. The UFC was forced to insert Mighty Mouse to UFC 177 to strengthen its PPV revenues. UFC President Dana White had openly noted in the past that Renan Barao is tough to sell in the US market so most probably, Johnson will be there to double up the main event. It was alsoreported that Johnson’s UFC 174 drew just 100K PPV buys, but the UFC is hoping that this title fight double will draw more PPV buys.

Master Showman

Regardless of the PPV numbers, Johnson is known to put on a good show every single fight. The UFC’s inaugural flyweight champion has defeated top caliber names John Dodson, John Moraga and Joseph Benavidez in succession prior to his win over Bagautinov last month. Johnson aims to continue his winning streak and hope that fans will finally appreciate his technical brilliance in the Octagon with a masterful performance against Chris Cariaso on August 30th.

Gina Carano was once the most popular women’s MMA fighter. The UFC says she is one signature away from fighting again.

Face of Women’s MMA

Gina Carano was undoubtedly the face of women’s MMA in the previous decade. She fought for World Extreme Fighting, Elite XC and Strikeforce before retiring in 2009. Carano went undefeated in her first seven bouts before fighting Cris “Cyborg” Justino for the first ever Women’s title match in 2009 at Strikeforce: Carano vs Cyborg. Carano lost the fight via TKO at the 4:59 mark of Round 1. Following that loss, Carano announced her retirement from MMA.

Post MMA Career

Carano took her acting career seriously after retiring from MMA. Her first major break was getting the lead role in the 2011 movie Haywire, which earned her a nomination for Best Actress in an Action Movie at the 18^th Critics’ Choice Awards. In 2012, Carano was cast in the action thriller movie In the Blood.

She also starred in the 2013 blockbuster hit Fast and Furious 6. Aside from these, Gina also had other minor roles in other movies and televisions shows. Her popularity earned her the accolade of the 5^th most influential woman in 2008 according to Yahoo. Carano was also included in the Top 10 most searched female athletes in Yahoo for 2013.

UFC Contract?

Last Friday, UFC Dana White confirmed the promotion’s negotiations with Gina Carano. He is expected to fly to Los Angeles this week along with UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta to meet Carano and her lawyer to finalize the contract. White is confident that the UFC will have Carano signed by the end of this week. Carano was technically under contract with Zuffa, the UFC’s holding company, since she was a holdover from the Strikeforce promotion. However, that contract expired last month, prompting White to act swiftly to sigh her.

If indeed Gina is returning, she will bolster the UFC’s women’s roster who already added unbeaten boxer and MMA fighter Holly Holm last week.

The Dream Match

Earlier this year, Gina Carano was rumored to be making a comeback to fight current UFC Women’s bantamweight Ronda Rousey in what is being built up as the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout in MMA. But White never got to sign Carano early this year, and Rousey went on to face and annihilate Alexis Davis at UFC 175.

Aside from her scheduled minor knee procedure, Rousey suffered lacerations and a broken hand during UFC 175. These injuries will definitely keep her out until perhaps the end of the year. Rousey has previously stated that she wants to fight in the UFC’s Annual Year end show which is usually its biggest. Should that be her timetable, it is very possible that Zuffa is angling at a Rousey-Carano dream match to end the year.

Carano has been out for a long time in the octagon. She lost to Cyborg via one round TKO in her last bout. Although everyone does not expect a competitive fight once the two meet in the Octagon, the fight will transcend beyond MMA. It will be the biggest women’s fight ever-in any sport, given the popularity of the two combatants. It won’t be close in the scorecards, but it will break a lot of money records for the UFC. And that’s why White and Ferttita are trying to move heaven and earth to sign Gina Carano.

UFC CEO Lorenzo Fertitta said that the UFC 176 event on August 2nd at the Staple Center has been canceled due to an injury suffered by Jose Aldo in training.

Short Notice

With barely a month left before the event, Aldo’s injury comes on short notice and UFC officials found it difficult to come up with a replacement championship main event that will be PPV-worthy. Thus, Fertitta and the UFC were left with no choice but to cancel the event and reschedule the bouts to later dates.

This is only the second time in UFC history that a fight card was cancelled. The other one happened in 2012 when UFC 151 was scrapped after Dan Henderson suffered an injury two weeks before the big event. The bouts on that card were moved to later dates, but after the injury, Henderson never got the chance to face Jones again.

Like A Stinger

Aldo reportedly suffered a neck injury which Fertitta called “kind of like a stinger.” Aldo was ordered by his doctors to have no contact and no training for three weeks after the injury and it is likely that his condition will only be determined by them. However UFC president Dana White said that he believes Aldo will be ready to return in 45 days since this was a “short-term” thing. He expects the Aldo-Mendes bout to happen sometime in October.

Controversy at UFC 175

There was some controversy at UFC 175 when Joe Rogan asked Ronda Rousey if she was willing to save the August 2nd event. A surprised Rousey said she was due for a minor knee surgery but was optimistic that she was ready to go if given the medical clearance. Apparently, somebody at the satellite van popped the question to Rogan’s ear piece during the post-fight interviews. And although Rousey handled it well, White was pissed off and turned his anger on the producers for putting Rousey on the spot like that.

But Ronda was not going to fight anyway because aside from her scheduled surgery, she suffered a broken hand and nine stitches to close a huge gash caused by the voluminous punches she threw at Alexis Davis’ face during their 16 second fight at UFC 175.

Moving Forward

Most of the undercard bouts are expected to be moved to the recently announced UFC 177 card on August 30th in Sacramento, California. When the UFC announced the card, there were still no undercard fights yet. What is known right now is that the main event for UFC 177 will be the rematch between UFC bantamweight champion TJ Dillashaw and former belt holder Renan Barao.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez pressured Erislandy Lara all night long. The judges rewarded him with a split decision victory in their 155 lbs clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.

Lesson Learned

After being humiliated in the ring by Floyd Mayweather Jr last year, Canelo Alvarez knew the only way to beat a skilled and technical fighter would be to put relentless pressure on him. Alvarez did that, and while Lara was able to avoid a lot of his power punches, the judges presumably gave credit to Canelo’s more meaningful punches than Lara’s jabs and ring movement.

We Were Robbed

After the bout, Lara’s trainer Ronnie Shields said “they were robbed.” And they had a point. While Alvarez landed the heavier blows, Lara “controlled” the fight with his jab, counter punching and movement, although at times it looked like he was giving away some rounds by wasting his time on his bicycle. But the punch numbers agreed with Lara who said he “won the bout 100%.”

Compubox numbers had Lara landing 107 out of 386 total punches while Alvarez could only manage 97 of 415 punches. But it was obvious that Canelo’s punches had more sting in them. Alvarez out landed Lara in the power punching department 88-52, but the skillful Lara had the advantage in jabs 55-9. In the end the judges scored the bout 115-113,-113-115 and 117-11 for Alvarez. Ring Magazine and Yahoo Sports scored it 115-113 for Lara, The Associated Press had it 114-114 while ESPN.com had it 116-112 for Alvarez.

Running Doesn’t Win Fights

Alvarez acknowledged Lara’s skill by saying that “he is a skilled boxer and has a good jab”. But he insisted that running won’t win fights, hitting does. He said that he came to the ring to fight while Lara came to run. Alvarez added that he wanted to “leave a good taste in the mouth of his fans.”  And he did.

They were chanting his name as early as the second round when he landed a solid overhand right that stunned Lara. Lara was never in serious trouble though and he even connected on stiff left hands that swelled Canelo’s eye in Round 4. In Round 7 though, Alvarez landed a left uppercut that cut Lara on the right eye and it seemed that the Cuban was bothered by it the rest of the way.

But Lara kept moving away from Alvarez, landing counter lefts after Alvarez would throw his vaunted right hand. Canelo kept on missing, and Lara had him guessing in the final three rounds of the bout. Canelo’s corner told him before the start of round 12 that the fight was close and the Mexican kept the pressure until the final bell.

The loss was the second in Lara’s career. His record fell to 19-2-2 with 12 KOs. Alvarez improved to 44-1-1 with 31 KOs.

After snapping a two fight losing streak with a career saving win over Frank Mir at UFC 169 last February, Alistair Overeem hopes to go up the UFC Heavyweight ladder when he collides with Ben Rothwell in UFC Fight Night 50 on September 5th at the Foxwoods Resort and Casino near Ledyard, Connecticut.

Mediocre Record

Overeem has a mediocre 2-2 record in the UFC after becoming one of the most anticipated additions to its roster in 2011. Overeem had a sensational UFC debut when he retired former heavyweight Brock Lesnar in just one round at UFC 141. But a failed drug test led to a nine month suspension that sidelined him for the entire 2012. Overeem returned to action at UFC 156 against Antonio “Big Foot” Silva. An overconfident Overeem ran out of gas and got knocked out by Silva after winning the first two rounds convincingly. His third UFC fight was against up and coming heavyweight Travis Browne on August 2013. Again, Overeem dominated the early parts of round one before Brown recovered and knocked him out cold with a front kick and punches.

Living Up to the Hype

Alister Overeem (37-13, 15 KOs and 19 submissions) is a former Strikeforce heavyweight champion and former Dream heavyweight titlist. He is the only fighter to hold world tiles is MMA and K-1 kickboxing at the same time. His win over Brock Lesnar not only gave him an auspicious debut, but it proved that he could live up to the hype built by the UFC.

But since then, Overeem has failed a lot of people including UFC president Dana White. White castigated Overeem’s performance against Mir and despite getting the win, Alistair took the criticism seriously by relocating to the legendary Jackson MMA in New Mexico to train for this bout.  He had surgery last April to repair a pinched nerve in his elbow.

Coming Off A Suspension

Ben Rothwell (33-9, 19 KOs and 11 submissions) is a former IFL star who moved to the UFC in 2009 following a contract dispute. Rothwell made his UFC debut at UFC 104 where he was knocked out by Cain Velasquez in round 2. He is 3-3 in the UFC, and his last outing was a 3rd round TKO victory over Brandon Vera in UFC 164.

But Rothwell got into controversy following the Vera bout because he was tested to have elevated testosterone levels. But because Rothwell had a medical exemption to use TRT, the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services only gave him a warning. The UFC however, decided to suspend him for nine months due to the failed drug test. The Overeem bout will be his first since the suspension.

Renan Barao looked every bit invincible in the Octagon, until UFC 173.

T.J DIllashaw shocked the world with his stunning 5^th round knockout victory over erstwhile champion Renan Barao on May 24th. The 28 year old Sonora, California native snapped Barao’s 32 fight unbeaten streak in sensational fashion, dominating the Brazilian right from the opening bell. Barao had not lost a fight since his pro debut in 2005 and a no-decision in 2007 was the only other blot in his record. But Dillashaw did his homework and outhustled Barao with his striking and ring generalship to win the UFC Bantamweight title at UFC 173.

Why Not Barao?

Dillashaw was looking forward to defending the belt against Raphael Assuncao, the 3^rd ranked bantamweight by the UFC, who dealt Dillashaw the second loss of his career last October 2013 in Brazil. Although Assuncao won the bout by split decision, most fight observers scored the fight for Dillashaw. T.J has been since eager to avenge that defeat and it seemed that their paths would collide in Dillashaw’s first title defense.

But the UFC decided to give Barao the rematch by virtue of his dominance in the last decade. UFC president Dana White concedes that Barao was clearly and badly beaten at UFC 173, but that does not take away the fact that he was unbeaten for nearly ten years and 32 fights. White added that a rematch would makes sense and that it’s the fight that everyone wants to see.

Wish Granted

The Barao camp had their wish granted with the announcement of the fight. Last month, Barao’s Coach Andre Pederneiras called out Dillashaw and challenged him to do a rematch with Barao. Pederneiras argued that a rematch would be fair and he even dared DIllashaw to be man enough to fight Barao in Brazil at a UFC event this coming October.

But after both were given the medical clearance to fight again, the UFC wasted no time in setting up the rematch as the main event of UFC 177 on August 30th at the Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento, California.

So while Barao did not get his wish to fight in Brazil, he will get a rematch earlier than he planned.

Unfamiliar Territory

Barao (32-2-1 with 8 KOs and 14 submissions) will be in unfamiliar territory on August 30 as this will be the first time he will be fighting after a loss since his first professional fight. He will also be facing an additional challenge as the fight will be held in DIllashaw’s hometown of Sacramento, California. The Nova Uniao fighter has a 7-1 record in the UFC and holds twin victories over DIllashaw’s Team Alpha Male team captain Urijah Faber.

Dillashaw (10-2 with 4 KOs and 3 submissions) has won six of his last seven bouts since losing to John Dodson in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter Season 14 in 2011. He will be looking to affirm his UFC 173 victory over Barao and solidify his claim as the top bantamweight fighter in the UFC.

#2 contender Alexa Davis was supposed to test UFC Women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

The fight ended like a blur, and Bruce Buffer stood longer in the Octagon than Alexis Davis.

Ronda came of the gates by landing a right hand to the ear and followed it up with a knee to the liver that stunned Davis. Rousey then thrust Davis with a judo throw that set up a headlock position. Rousey landed at least ten punches to the defenseless Davis’ face before referee Yves Lavigne halted the bout.

It was the fastest finish ever in Rousey’s 10 fight career, although it was the seventh time that Ronda’s finished her opponent in under one minute. All of Rousey’s wins have come by stoppage- She won eight straight matches by arm bar and then the last two fights by knockouts.  Her reign in the women’s division has been dominant and short of incredible, which makes us wonder if Rousey is unbeatable right now.

Olympic Judo Medalist

The picture perfect judo throw can be credited to Rousey’s being a former Olympic bronze medalist in Judo. She has successfully transformed into a dangerous submission expert in the UFC. Well actually, she’s not a submission expert, she is the arm bar goddess. Her dominance of the sport is well complimented by her trash talking personality and a villain persona that makes her one of the most polarizing superstars in the UFC.

But love or hate Rousey, one has to admire her evolution in the sport.  In the past, Rousey was criticized for the lack of an effective striking game. But she’s obviously addressed that by knocking out her last two opponents in round 1 with strikes. During the post-fight interview with Joe Rogan, Rousey confirmed that she has been boxing six times a week to improve on her supposed weakness. The result has been impressive so far.

One After the Other

Ronda Rousey has defended her title five times, and she’s defended it against top ranked opposition. Here is the list:

That list is impressive, but what makes it incredible is that if you add the total fight time of those five bouts, you’ll get a total time of 8:03. That’s not even two rounds in the Octagon. And that just shows how dominating a champion Ronda Rousey is.

Who Will Stop Ronda’s Run?

Notice that the #1 ranked female fighter is not on the list. It’s because that fighter is out due to injury. Cat Zingano (8-0 with 4 KOs and 3 submissions) has not fought since defeating Meisha Tate in TUF 17 finale in April 2013. She underwent PRP and stem cell treatment on both of her knees last October 3, 2013 at the Orthro Regenerative Institute in California.

Zingano was supposed to coach opposite Rousey in TUF 18 and was scheduled to challenge Rousey for the belt during the finale but she begged off due to the injury. Zingano has targeted a September comeback. But UFC President Dana White has said last May that Cat may have to win another fight before she gets a crack and Ronda. That being said, White and the UFC may be brewing a rematch with Meisha Tate or a fight with Sara McMann late this year and give her the first title shot in 2015 if she wins the tune-up fight.

If it’s not Cat Zingano, the next highest ranked fighter is #6 Jessica Eye. But Eye is coming off a loss to Alexis Davis at UFC 170. Prior to that, her split decision victory over Sara McMann was overturned and ruled as a no contest by the Texas State Athletic Commission due to a failed drug test.

Return of Carano

Before Alexis Davis was named as Ronda’s UFC 175 opponent, it was widely speculated that she would face women’s MMA pioneer Gina Carano after it was reported that White met with Carano to discuss her options. Carano has moved on to an acting career after retiring five years ago, but remains as a popular name and figure in women’s MMA. A Rousey-Carano bout would be a money-rich blockbuster for the UFC, but given her time off the octagon and her age, Carano might not be a real threat to Rowdy Ronda.

And then there is Cris “Cyborg” Justino, the former Strikeforce Women’s featherweight champion and the current Invicta FC World featherweight titlist. Cyborg is the fighter who retired Gina Carano in 2009, and is considered the other legitimate threat to Rousey. But Cyborg is a complicated case. She reportedly turned down an offer to come to the UFC, even if that contract was supposedly the same as Ronda’s current contract.

Cyborg has a history of failing a drug test in 2011 which caused her bout against Hiroko Yamanaka to be ruled a no-contest. But even if both conditions are resolved, it remains to be seen if she can make the 135 lbs limit, considering that she once missed a 145 lbs weight limit in 2009. But if that fight can be made, it would be like the Mayweather-Pacquiao of MMA.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez could’ve picked any opponent and still earn a fat pay check. Instead, he picked an opponent that nobody wants to fight.

Erislandy Lara has been calling out Canelo for quite some time now. Alvarez has repeatedly ignored Lara until Lara interrupted Canelo during the latter’s post fight press conference after his win over Alfredo Angulo last March. Although Canelo told Lara to “wait” during that that press conference, the wait wasn’t that long. That incident was “the last straw that broke the camel’s back.”

Alvarez said that Lara talked too much and that he disrespected him and the Mexican people. He added that Lara was not yet a known boxer a year ago so the fight didn’t mean much, but because Lara has hyped things up by calling him out, it was time to “give the fans the fight that they wanted.”

Ticket to Money

Lara believes that he has “forced his way to this fight” by doing things he’s never done before. Lara claims that he is a “laid back guy” but says that he “went to the extreme measures” just to get this fight to prove that he is the best 154 –pound fighter in the world today.

Lara also thinks that Alvarez is having problems with making the weight limit and that’s the reason why his WBA title is not on the line and that they are fighting at a catch weight of 155 pounds. Lara may have a point, as boxing24 news reported last July 2 that Canelo is still way over the fight’s weight limit with less than two weeks before the fight. But that is the least of Lara’s worries.

Lara believes that this is his time and his fight. He plans on dominating Canelo on July 12 whichever way the fight goes. Lara says the fight will depend on how he chooses it to be. He may choose to box or stand toe to toe like he did with Angulo. But he says that in the end, what is important is that he will win the fight convincingly and land a rich fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Clear and Present Danger

Showtime Executive Vice-President and General Manager Stephen Espinoza says that Lara is one “opponent that nobody wants to fight”. Espinoza believes that Lara is one of the most skilled and talented boxers in the world today.

On the other hand, Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya praised Alvarez for choosing Lara. He said that the fact that Canelo wanted this fight just shows that he wants to be “great” and that he wants “to fight the best in order to be great.” De La Hoya adds that Lara is a “real” opponent and that he is dangerous.

Stylistically, Del La Hoya is correct. Lara is a real threat to Alvarez.

Styles Make Fights

GBP is building up Alvarez to be a PPV superstar. In fact, Alvarez is now one of the sport’s main attractions along with Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. He draws a lot of support from the Mexican and Latino community. But while Canelo may be one of the best and most exciting fighters out there today, styles do make fights.

Most fight experts believe that Lara’s slick boxing style could spell trouble for Alvarez, much like Floyd’s style did. Canelo Alvarez looked lost and was schooled by Mayweather for twelve full rounds last May 2013. Mayweather won the bout by a wide unanimous decision and dealt Canelo the first loss of his career. Though Lara is no Mayweather, the Cuban ring technician is just as quick, smart and tactical as Money.

Canelo Alvarez has a lot of courage because he took Lara’s bait, but he might have just picked his poison.