Blood Diamond will be back in action at UFC 275 in Singapore in June. Photo / Getty Images
Christopher Reive looks at the week that was, and the weekend ahead, in combat sports.
There used to be a saying – if you don't have anything nice to say, keep your mouth shut. Then social media came along, people realised they could hide behind their screens and chaos reigned.
Nowadays, if you look in the comments section of any sports team or athlete after a loss, you're likely to see some pretty gnarly thoughts being shared. Not only has social media provided a platform for trolls, but a direct link to their favourite athletes. As New Zealand UFC fighter Blood Diamond learned after his UFC debut earlier this year, it can be a cruel place.
Diamond lost his first bout under the bright lights of the UFC via first-round submission against Jeremiah Wells at UFC 271, making what he deems a silly mistake by rushing in when his opponent appeared compromised. A fighter from Auckland's City Kickboxing gym, there were a lot of eyes on him and plenty of hype given his achievements in the kickboxing realm. So, when he was beaten in the first round he definitely heard about it.
He admits at first it bothered him, but looking at those interactions in a different light gave him peace of mind.
"You always hear 'oh he's a lot of hype yada yada yada' but they're watching me on TV and I'm living my dream," Diamond says.
"Say what you need to say. I'm living my dream and you're watching it. I'll take that heat because I'm living my best life."
After shaking off the disappointment of not getting to show what he's capable of in his debut, Diamond is turning things around quickly and will be back in action on June 12 at UFC 275 in Singapore. Diamond will fight American Orion Cosce – who he was initially scheduled to meet in his UFC debut before Cosce pulled out due to Covid-19.
Diamond says he had hoped to get another fight in quickly and it made sense to rebook that matchup.
"I asked for it after the [UFC 271] show. I got a hold of the management team and I also let [coach] Eugene [Bareman] know. I said I'd really like to fight as soon as possible, so if they could make that fight possible, it would be lovely.
"I just don't want to get lost in the whole 'oh I've got to win' or 'damn, I lost'. There are other things I should be worrying about; when it comes to fighting, fighting should be the only thing that gives me peace, and should be something that brings me joy, so I need to get back to that."
After 16 months away from the ring, top-ranked Kiwi cruiserweight boxer David Light returns this weekend against Anthony Martinez for the vacant WBO International title in Hialeah, Florida.
It will be a new experience for the 30-year-old, however, as it will be his first professional bout outside of New Zealand and Australia.
Trained out of the strong Peach Boxing gym in Auckland – alongside the likes of rising stars Jerome Pampellone, Andrei Mikhailovich and Mea Motu - Light (17-0) is ranked No 15 by both the WBO and IBF, and a win over Martinez will no doubt see him improve his ranking under the WBO banner.
I have to applaud everyone involved in putting together the Katie Taylor v Amanda Serrano undisputed boxing lightweight title fight in New York last weekend.
Those women put on a hell of a show with the belts on the line with non-stop action for 10 rounds before Taylor claimed a split decision win to retain her throne as the world's best female lightweight boxer. But the entire production was a display of how alive the sport is.
With Eddie Hearn and Jake Paul as the event's promoters, they weren't going to be short of headlines in the build-up, but to not only sell out Madison Square Garden but have the venue immediately reach out to host a possible rematch says a lot about just how much value there is in not only boxing, but women's boxing in particular.
I feel like the performances of Taylor and Serrano opened the eyes of many boxing fans as to the sheer talent in the women's arena. It's something the likes of Claressa Shields, Mikaela Mayer and Jessica McCaskill can benefit from immediately, while continuing to build a platform for the next wave of talent coming through such as Australian Skye Nicholson, who fought on the undercard of the bout.
That is an event that can be a major launching pad for women's boxing, and the fight itself is one that won't soon be forgotten. If you haven't seen it yet, do go and watch it. It's very good.
Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez will go down as one of the greatest boxers of this generation – and probably of all time. Since he beat Gennadiy Golovkin in 2018, he has rarely lost a round. Now, Alvarez has suggested that something massive could be on the horizon.
The 31-year-old Mexican has held world titles at four different weight classes and will look to take the WBA light heavyweight title from Dmitry Bivol this weekend. Leading into the bout, Alvarez has suggested that he would be interested in a move up to heavyweight to fight unified champion Oleksander Usyk at some point.
It's a wild scenario to think about. Alvarez is 5'7" and the heaviest he has weighed in for a fight has been 79kg. When Usyk dethroned Anthony Joshua last year, the 6'3" Ukrainian weighed in at 100kg. If the two were to meet, Canelo says it would be at a 91kg catchweight - which is an achievable weight for Usyk, the former undisputed cruiserweight champion of the world – to cut down to.
This is like one of those fantasy matchups fans concoct in their dreams wondering how they would play out, but never expect to happen. Here's hoping they keep talking about it so it gets to a point where more people are behind the idea.
New Zealand lightweight Genah Fabian returns to the Professional Fighters League cage on Saturday for the start of the new season, welcoming former Bellator MMA featherweight champion Julia Budd to the competition. Fabian has been based in the USA since August last year, as the Covid-19 travel restrictions prevented her from coming home, then timing didn't work out once those restrictions had lifted. However, she has been making the best of the situation and putting a heap of work in with some of the world's top talent, including UFC fighters Joselyne Edwards and Norma Dumont. You can catch the event live on Sky Sport 2 and Sky Sport Now on Saturday from 10am.
Sticking with MMA, one of the most anticipated pay-per-views of the year is Sunday, with UFC 274 featuring two title fights and some matchups that should lend their hand to chaos in the cage. The lightweight title goes on the line between Charles Oliveira and Justin Gaethje, and Rose Namajunas puts her strawweight belt on the line against Carla Esparza. Other fights to look out for are Michael Chander versus Tony Ferguson (pay-per-view), Brandon Royval versus Matt Schnell (preliminary card) and Randy Brown versus Kalinn 'Khaos' Williams (preliminary card). The early prelims start from 9:30am on UFC Fight Pass, with the preliminary card from midday on ESPN 2 and Sky Sport Now. The main card is on pay-per-view with Spark Sport, Sky Arena and Sky Sport Now from 2pm.
For boxing fans, Canelo versus Bivol is also on Sunday, with the event stream beginning at midday through DAZN.
The former Sharks captain skipped the fight announcement against Sonny Bill Williams.