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1️⃣ There Can Only Be One
Welcome to this week’s edition of The Fight With Teddy Atlas Newsletter, your one stop shop for all things combat sports related, brought to you by Teddy and The Fight team.
Every Friday We Bring You:
A combat sports news digest with all the headlines you need to know from Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts.
Highlights from the podcast and across the fight world.
Fight times and information you need to know ahead of time.
How to’s and tips for Boxing from Teddy himself.
Fight News From Around The 🌍
A Rare Sighting Of Gary Russell Jr
WBC Featherweight champion Gary Russell Jr is a rare sighting in the boxing world.
Exactly once a year, he'll come out, make routine title defence, and then not be heard from again for the rest of the year.
He is boxing's longest serving active world champion, having won the title back in 2015.
7 years later, he's defended the title 5 times, never fighting more than once a year.
He's become a symbol of the bargaining power that a world title gets you in the sport today.
The ability to call the shots within your promotion and take minimal risks, all whilst earning the guaranteed high six figure/low seven figure purses that come with a world title.
Great for Mr Russell Jr. For the fans? Not so much.
This weekend he takes Filipino Mark Magsayo, a protege of the legendary Manny Pacquiao. Magsayo is undefeated and will be bringing the confidence that comes with that, as well as the backing of a modern day great.
Not that Russell Jr hasn't faced challenging opponents during his lengthy reign. He's bested Olympic medallists and current world champions at the weight, so one can't exactly accuse him of shying away from challenges when they arise.
However, once a year is a ridiculously low frequency to fight, especially when you aren't a bona fide PPV star with a status as a ticket seller to protect.
Boxing's P4P king and number 1 attraction, Canelo Alvarez, set the bar sky high by fighting 4 times in the space of 12 months, cementing greatness as boxing's first Undisputed Super Middleweight champ in the process.
With that in mind, Gary Russell Jr has no excuses, especially when you consider he doesn't have an 0 to protect.
Should he win at the weekend, he should be under more pressure from the fans to pursue entertaining, unification fights against other champions.
The WBA and IBF belts currently have fights booked in respectively, but the WBO holder Emmanuel Navarette seems to have a clear schedule.
Hopefully 2022 becomes the year Gary Russell Jr fights more than once.
Former Teammates Collide At UFC 270
The UFC kicks off it's 2022 PPV calendar with a Heavyweight unification fight for the ages, with a familiar storyline.
The "old teammates, turned rivals" narrative is one that has been seen quite a few times before in the UFC.
Think Dillashaw vs Garbrandt.
Jones vs Evans.
Liddell vs Ortiz.
Whilst this one doesn't quite have the same emotional intensity (although I wouldn't be too sure), it's fascinating from a stylistic point of view.
Much has been made of the infamous sparring clip between the two when they were teammates at the MMA Factory in Paris.
Whilst it was light sparring, it highlighted the fact that Ciryl Gane is the much more technically gifted fighter, and moves extremely well for someone who is the same size as Ngannou.
Against Derrick Lewis, he was measured and composed for the first round and a half against another huge puncher, methodically breaking him down with leg kicks before moving in for the kill in the third.
Will he be able to use this same template against probably the most feared puncher in the UFC's history? It remains to be seen.
Whilst Francis does possess devastating power, he's also made underrated technical adjustments to his game that could be very important against Gane.
His footwork is better and his shot selection and accuracy has improved, which all the while contributes to making his power even more devastating.
These are two extremely talented Heavyweights, both in their physical primes and with a personal history.
What more can you ask for in a PPV main event?
Thanks Dana.
The End Of A Flyweight Saga?
In the co-main event slot, Brandon Moreno and Deiveson Figueiredo will fight for the third time in 18 months, as they look to bring a close to their epic Flyweight rivalry.
Figureido looked on course to be kick-starting a dominant era at Flyweight, having dominated Joseph Benavidez in consecutive performances to get his hands on the belt.
Enter Brandon Moreno.
The "Assassin Baby" took Figureido the distance in his first defence, fighting out to a draw, before choking the Brazilian out in the second round in their rematch months later, to become only the 4th ever UFC Flyweight champ.
Should he win again on Saturday, he'll have never lost to Figureido and have 2 wins over him, effectively ending the rivalry.
Should Figureido pick up a win, we could potentially see another fight, as they'll be 1-1-1.
Not bad for a division that was supposedly dead only a few years ago.
Fight ⏰ for this weekend
Boxing: Russell Jr vs Magsayo (Saturday 22nd/Sunday 23rd)
🇺🇸Full Card: 9pm Eastern/ 6pm Pacific | Main Event: 10pm Eastern/ 7pm Pacific
🇬🇧Full Card: 2am | Main Event: 3am
🇦🇺Full Card: 1pm Eastern/ 10am Western | Main Event: 2pm Eastern/ 11am Western
MMA: Ngannou vs Gane (Saturday 22nd/Sunday 23rd)
🇺🇸 Full Card: 10pm Eastern/ 7pm Pacific | Main Event: 11:30pm Eastern/ 8:30 pm Pacific
🇬🇧 Full Card: 3am | Main Event: 4:30am
🇦🇺 Full Card: 2pm Eastern/ 11am Western | Main Event: 3:30pm Eastern/ 12:30pm Western