Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past four days, you will have become increasingly aware of the ongoing betting scandal in the UFC. It stems from Saturday night, when American Isaac Dulgarian was submitted in the first round by Cuban Yadier De Valle.

The UFC Heavyweight Champion… More commonly known as the “Baddest Man on the Planet” by combat sports fans.

This weekend in Abu Dhabi, the title will be fought for by two of the deadliest men on the planet — England’s Tom Aspinall and France’s Ciryl Gane.

Over the years, the UFC has built a reputation for being the most dominant mixed martial arts promotion in the world, and at the moment, there’s no sign of that construction slowing down.

Tom Aspinall — one of the nicest guys in combat sports but, without doubt, one of the most deadly. The 6’4” man mountain makes the first defence of his UFC Heavyweight Championship in Abu Dhabi this weekend against Frenchman Ciryl Gane — but could the Lancashire lad be set for a return to boxing in the near future?

Boxing is a sport built on moments—the knockouts that make headlines, the wars that turn unknown fighters into overnight stars. But while those moments are celebrated by fans, the fighters delivering them often leave with little more than a handshake and a pat on the back. Meanwhile, in MMA, standout performances don’t just earn applause—they earn cash.

Boxing is a sport built on preparation. Fighters spend months in training camp, fine-tuning their skills, sharpening their strategy, and peaking at just the right time. But what happens when all of that is thrown out the window? Short-notice fights have long been a staple of boxing’s unpredictable nature, but are they a genuine opportunity for fighters looking to break through, or just a brutal form of exploitation that stacks the deck against them?

On Wednesday afternoon, Turki Alalshikh, UFC President Dana White, and WWE President Nick Khan announced one of the most breathtaking collaborations in the history of sport, let alone boxing. The trio are set to create a new boxing league under TKO Promotions, which is expected to change the landscape of the sport forever.

All eyes will be on Saudi Arabia this weekend as Anthony Joshua takes on Francis Ngannou in one of the biggest crossover fights in history.