🔥 Lightweight Is On Fire

December 03, 2021

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.

‎Teddy Atlas and co-host Ken Rideout discuss the weekend of fights with the huge Teofimo Lopez upset by George Kambosos Jr. along with the "Triad Combat" fights over on Triller and Showtime's card.

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Fight News From Around The 🌍

Lightweights Back In Action

We just can't get enough of the 135 lbs division these days.

A week after George Kambosos Jr's stunning upset over Teofimo Lopez (more on that later), WBC champion Devin Haney faces the tough former Super Featherweight champion and Olympian JoJo Diaz in what will be the 4th defence of his title.

The 23 year old is fresh of his most testing fight to date, a unanimous albeit challenging decision win against another former champion in Jorge Linares.

JoJo Diaz presents a different sort of problem. He's high volume and a tricky southpaw who never takes a backward step. He'll look to make Haney uncomfortable all night and will feel confident in his ability to pull off the upset.

In order to preserve any chance of an Undisputed fight taking place with the newly crowned Aussie, Haney will have to be on the A-game and tame Diaz's aggression.

Despite not having gotten a stoppage since 2019, prior to his WBC title reign, a KO victory for Haney would be a serious statement to the rest of the division and set us up nicely for a blockbuster fight with Kambosos next year.

But wait, that's not all.

Gervonta "Tank" Davis takes on his replacement opponent, Isaac Cruz in a defence of his WBA Mickey Mouse "Regular" title at Lightweight.

He'll be another prominent 135 lbs fighter who'll be claiming that no fighter in the division can be Undisputed until they beat him.

Whilst his title may be a joke, the Baltimore fighter himself, certainly definitely is not.

He's an elite talent that is still entering his prime years, with a very strong boxing IQ and devastating punching power. This is a man, who at only 27 years of age, hasn't heard the final bell since 2014. 

He'll be up against an undefeated but untested Isaac Cruz, who has a similar frame to Davis and brings an all-action Mexican style, alongside good power to boot.

Davis is the unquestionable favourite, and he'll be looking to set up fights against marquee names in the division with a win.

But if last weekend has taught us anything about the Lightweight division, it's that you can never count an underdog out.

Look Who's Back.

It feels like forever since we last previewed a UFC Fight Night, and what a great fight to return with.

Former 2x Featherweight champion and modern day MMA legend Jose Aldo takes on game contender Rob Font at Bantamweight in a 5 rounder.

One fight looms over the Bantamweight division, and that's between the current champ Aljamain Sterling and the interim champion Petr Yan. The latter will justifiably feel he is the true champion, and until that fight happens, the Bantamweight title picture remains murky.

However, it's not stopping the rest of the division from scrambling for the number 1 contender spot. Both Aldo and Font will be looking to stay in the win column and keep their name in the running for an eventual shot at UFC gold.

Of course, Aldo has already had his shot at the 135 lbs title, pushing Yan but eventually losing by KO. He's since gone on a 2 fight win streak, and with a win here he'll be able to lay out a path to one last title shot.

Font doesn't have the legendary status of Aldo to fall back on, but he does have a 4 fight win streak that he'll be looking to extend. No other top 5 Bantamweight shares that distinction and with a win against the Brazilian, he'll have a strong case for being the number 1 contender for the belt.

Both men are great strikers and we're very likely in for some great stand up action on Saturday night.

Fight ⏰ for this weekend

Boxing: Haney vs Diaz (Saturday 4th/Sunday 5th)

  • 🇺🇸Full Card: 7pm Eastern/4pm Pacific | Main Event: 10pm Eastern/ 7pm Pacific

  • 🇬🇧Full Card: 1am | Main Event: 3am 

  • 🇦🇺Full Card: 12pm Eastern/ 9am Western | Main Event: 2pm Eastern/11am Western

Boxing: Davis vs Gonzalez (Sunday 5th/Monday 6th)

  • 🇺🇸Full Card: 7pm Eastern/ 4pm Pacific | Main Event: 10pm Eastern/7pm Pacific

  • 🇬🇧Full Card: 1am | Main Event: 3am 

  • 🇦🇺Full Card: 12pm Eastern/9am Western | Main Event: 2pm Eastern/11am Western

MMA: Aldo vs Font (Saturday 4th/

  • 🇺🇸Main Card: 10pm Eastern/7pm Pacific | Main Event: 12pm Eastern/9pm Pacific

  • 🇬🇧Main Card: 3am | Main Event: 5am

  • 🇦🇺Main Card: 2pm Eastern/11am Western | Main Event: 4pm Eastern/1pm Western

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

In the era of the supposed 4 kings of the Lightweight division, George Kambosos has emerged as The Emperor.

We had the pleasure to sit down and chat with him about the victory, Cus D'Amato, being Manny Pacquiao's main sparring partner and more.

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