Much of the sports world will focus its attention on Las Vegas on Saturday night for a heavyweight boxing rematch between Tyson Fury and Deontay Wilder. Both fighters are undefeated, with their first bout ending in a draw in December 2018.
Fury joined Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show on Monday to discuss this weekend’s highly anticipated bout and perhaps his thoughts on getting involved in MMA. Fury talked about hiring cut man “Stitch” Duran, thoughts on the UFC and his future in boxing.
“When I beat Wilder on Saturday, I’ll have completed the game.”@Tyson_Fury “will seriously think about walking away” after fulfilling the three fights remaining on his contract (via @arielhelwani) pic.twitter.com/AamrCVOlAN
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 17, 2020
Also scheduled on Monday: Darren Till, Mike Perry and Al Iaquinta.
Blachowicz wants his title shot
Blachowicz told Helwani he will accept no other fight until he gets his hands on champion Jon Jones.
Sterling sets sights on “The Boogeyman”
Aljamain Sterling made his intentions known for the near future. While the UFC bantamweight contender said he’s aiming for a return to the Octagon in May or June as he recovers from two wrist surgeries, he has his sights set on stopping “The Boogeyman.”
That would be Petr Yan, who seems to be the hot name in the 135-pound division, and with good reason. He’s 6-0 in the UFC and 14-1 overall. Sterling, however, wants to show that he should be considered the division’s top contender.
“I’ll take any one of those guys in the top four, but Yan is the guy that people are pegging as the ‘next guy,'” Sterling said. “I am ready to derail that hype train.”
Sterling said that he had a run-in with Yan at the UFC Performance Institute last year prior to his wrist surgeries in September. He questioned Yan’s last two performances in 2019 — struggling to earn a decision win against Jimmie Rivera and defeating a 40-year-old Urijah Faber.
“What is all the hype about?” questioned Sterling. “People need to separate their emotions from fact and fiction. I can see through all the bulls—. At the end of the day, he’s a tough competitor, but I think I’m tougher, I bring more skills to the table, I think I’m a smarter, more intelligent fighter.”
Current guest: Darren Till
Till will talk about his recent back-and-forth with Jared Cannonier and his visa issues.
3:25 p.m.: Mike Perry
Perry will discuss competing against Al Iaquinta at Submission Underground.
3:45 p.m.: Al Iaquinta
Will Iaquinta predict a winner for the Dan Hooker-Paul Felder matchup on Saturday? Iaquinta has competed in the Octagon against both lightweight fighters.