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🇲🇽 Past, Present & Future
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.
Fight News From Around The 🌍
An All-Mexican Affair
Canelo Alvarez and Jaimie Munguia will collide tomorrow night on Cinco de Mayo weekend, in the latest chapter of the age of boxing adage of “The Old Lion” vs “The Young Up and Comer”.
Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight title will be on the line in what he hopes will be a fourth successful defense of his crown, which he consolidated back in November 2021 against Caleb Plant.
Coincidentally, that was the last time he stopped an opponent in the ring, a feat he’s convinced he can pull off tomorrow night against the younger and bigger Munguia.
Whilst Canelo is still a pound-for-pound mainstay and modern-day great, there is no doubt that since he unified the 168 lbs division, he has started to show signs of decline.
Despite this, with the notable exception of Dmitry Bivol, no fighter has been able to exploit this and turn it into a career-changing victory, as it would be for Munguia.
The young Tijuana native has improved markedly since he burst onto the scene by snatching the WBO 154 lbs title from Sadam Ali back in 2018. He’s gone from a hard-hitting but raw prospect, who was “gifted” a title in being matched with Ali, to a genuine world-level contender.
His defensive game is better, as is his ring generalship and use of his physicality, and he’s used these assets to notch up victories against the likes of John Ryder, Sergiy Derevyanchenko and Gabriel Rosado.
He’s improved, but has he improved enough to defeat Canelo at this stage in his career?
Ability aside, the fight is a huge event, as it always is when two proud fighting Mexicans square off. The added pressure of this being a shot at the Canelo is something that can make or break a fighter, no matter how talented.
We’ll find out tomorrow if Munguia has what it takes, both physically and mentally, to dethrone one of the greats of our sport, and become the new king of the jungle.
Teddy’s Picks
A Monstrous Monday
After the weekends combat action, we are in for a special treat on Monday as Naoya Inoue makes the first defense of his undisputed super-bantamweight crown against former world champ Luis Nery.
Nery, who isn’t exactly the most popular man in Japan, is coming into his first world title fight since he lost his super bantamweight title by knockout to Brandon Figueroa back in 2021.
This time, there are 5 major belts on the line, as well as the chance to be the first man to defeat one of the most dominant forces boxing has seen in decades.
Inoue will understandably be the big favourite going into his 21st consecutive world title fight, but the hard-hitting Nery may be buoyed by a hostile crowd and the feeling that he’s up against it.
It could galvanise him into making it a close fight, as it was when Inoue was taken the distance by Nonito Donaire in their first fight.
Or, as has been the case with all but two of the “Monsters” opponents, he will not hear the final bell.
Homecoming Kings
The UFC returns to another warm Brazilian welcome as they go to Rio de Janeiro for UFC 301, headlined by a Flyweight title fight between Alexandre Pantoja and #10 Steve Erceg.
The “King of Rio” himself Jose Aldo serves as the co-headliner, where he takes on Jonathan Martinez in a 3 round bantamweight bout.
Pantoja, also a Rio native, returns home for the first time since he captured UFC gold against Brandon Moreno at UFC 290, looking to impress his hometown crowd with a resounding 2nd title defense.
He’s come as close to any flyweight in recent times to cleaning up the division entirely as in addition to, “The Cannibal” has already dispatched Manel Kape, Alex Perez, and Brandon Royval.
Victory tomorrow will establish him as the definitive top dog in the post-Moreno vs Figueiredo rivalry era of the 125 lbs division.
Meanwhile, Aldo, who is on the last fight of his current contract, will likely be looking to bow out of the UFC with a win.
The former featherweight champion has gone 3-3 since moving down to bantamweight, and whilst a double champ status eluded him, he’s represented himself very well in his final years.
In typical UFC fashion, not even legends get layup fights, and he’s been matched with a fighter in Martinez who hasn’t lost since 2021, riding a 6 fight win streak.
Whilst the Farmasi Arena in Rio will be pulling through for the King, he is up against it and will have to tap into some of the championship mettle that has made him a modern-day great.
Fight ⏰ for this weekend & beyond
Boxing: Canelo vs Munguia (Saturday 4th/Sunday 5th)
🇺🇸 Full Card: 8pm Eastern/5pm Pacific | Main Event: 11pm Eastern/8pm Pacific
🇬🇧 Full Card: 1am | Main Event: 4am
🇦🇺 Full Card: 10am Eastern/8am Western | Main event: 1pm Eastern/ 11am Western
Boxing: Inoue vs Nery (Monday 6th)
🇺🇸 Full Card: 4am Eastern/1am Pacific | Main Event: 6am Eastern/3am Pacific
🇬🇧 Full Card: 9am | Main Event: 11am
🇦🇺 Full Card: 6pm Eastern/ 4pm Western | Main event: 8pm Eastern/ 6pm Western
MMA: UFC 301 (Saturday 4th/Sunday 5th)
🇺🇸 Full Card: 10pm Eastern/7pm Pacific | Main Event: 12am Eastern/9pm Pacific
🇬🇧 Full Card: 3am | Main Event: 5am
🇦🇺 Full Card: 12pm Eastern/ 10am Western | Main event: 2pm Eastern/12pm Western