🥊 Better Late Than Never

February 18, 2022

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.

Teddy Atlas and co-host Ken Rideout discuss the weekend of fights with UFC 271. They also discuss Danny Jacobs being upset by John Ryder. Thanks for being with us!

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Timestamps:

00:00 - Super Bowl…

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 tos and tips for Boxing from Teddy himself

Fight News From Around The 🌍

A Grudge Match Across The Pond

Realistically, this fight should have happened in 7 or 8 years ago. 

Both men were closer to their physical primes and within years of the pinnacles of their career. 

For Khan, this would have been his exhilarating performances to unify the Super-Lightweight division, capped off by his win over Zab Judah in 2012. 

For Brook it takes the form of his decision win over a then undefeated Shawn Porter to win the IBF Welterweight title, arguably beating the former 2x champion more decisively than the likes of Keith Thurman and Errol Spence Jr. 

The two have a long standing feud that dates back to a heated sparring session when they were both amateurs.

Khan insists that Brook has always been jealous of his amateur and professional success, which Brook obviously denies, saying that Khan's ego has been inflated and that he was the one who was avoiding him for years.

Whatever the reason was for why these two didn't face of earlier, it definitely wasn't their lack of desire to challenge themselves. 

Both men have each made admirable, but ultimately ill fated attempts to jump up two weight classes, from welterweight up to middleweight, to challenge two of the modern pound for pound greats, Canelo Alvarez (Khan) and Gennady "GGG" Golovkin (Brook). 

However, we can't turn back the clock and for better or worse, the fight goes down this weekend in the UK, in a grudge match that has been (many) years in the making. 

Khan's blistering speed and footwork was a sight to behold in his prime, and it's what helped build him into a big name both in the UK and US.

Brook has good boxing fundamentals and is the naturally bigger man, having competed as high as 160lbs when he challenged Golovkin in 2016. He also has the power advantage, and will look to test Khan's notoriously fragile chin.

Both men are 35 years old and will have retirement in their sights soon, especially considering how competitive their respective divisions (147lbs & 154lbs) are.

As they may not be able to tap into their physical attributes as much, it will have to be the mental fortitude and desire that drags the winner across the line.

This is a fight where both men feel confident in victory, and the genuine animosity between the two will make it even more competitive.

Light Heavyweight Fireworks

The post-Jon Jones era continues to deliver in the Light Heavyweight division of the UFC.

This weekend, two young top 15 contenders will face off in order to keep relevant in the division.

Johnny Walker was at one point considered the natural successor to Jon Jones, with 3 Performance of the Night bonuses in his first 3 UFC fights.

3 losses in his last 4 fights have put a firm halt to the hype train, but he is still relatively young and hungry to stay in the title picture in a division that has a vastly different landscape to when he first burst onto the scene.

He is huge for the weight, standing at over 6"6, and win or lose always brings an exciting, athletic style that fans will tune in to watch.

His fan-friendly style definitely helped in the UFC offering him new 6 fight deal earlier this year, and this weekends bout will be the first fight of his new contract.

Jamahal Hill came up into the UFC via Dana White's Contender series, earning himself a contract with the promotion.

Since signing on in 2019, he's gone slightly under the radar, despite impressive KO wins against veteran Ovince Saint Preux and fellow contender Jimmy Crute.

He'll be seeing this as his chance to really make a mark on the division and claim the scalp of a big name. He'll also be looking at breaking into the top 10 and taking Walker's ranking.

Johnny Walker will not be ceding his ranking easily. Buoyed by his new UFC deal, he'll be looking to kick it off with a bang and build back some of the momentum he had started in 2018/19.

Whoever wins this one definitely won't be in line for a title shot anytime soon, but a win will keep them in the conversation for some time in the next 18 months.

Fight ⏰ for this weekend

Boxing: Khan vs Brook (Saturday 19th/Sunday 20th)

  • 🇺🇸 Full Card: 3pm Eastern/ 12pm Pacific | Main Event: 5pm Eastern/ 2pm Pacific

  • 🇬🇧 Full Card: 8pm | Main Event: 10pm 

  • 🇦🇺 Full Card: 7am Eastern/ 5am Western | Main Event: 9am Eastern/ 6am Western

UFC: Walker vs Hill (Saturday 19th/Sunday 20th)

  • 🇺🇸 Full Card: 7pm Eastern/ 4pm Pacific | Main Event: 9pm Eastern/ 6pm Pacific

  • 🇬🇧 Full Card: 12am | Main Event: 2am 

  • 🇦🇺 Full Card: 11am Eastern/ 8am Western | Main Event: 9am Eastern/ 10am Western

Don't forget to tune in to the latest episode 🎧

Thanks for being with us and see you next week #BANG💥