What's happened
As of late November 2025, Islam Makhachev secured the UFC welterweight title with a dominant win at UFC 322, while David Benavidez retained his WBC light-heavyweight boxing crown by stopping Anthony Yarde. Jake Paul prepares for a high-profile December heavyweight boxing match against Anthony Joshua in Miami, streamed live on Netflix. Meanwhile, Conor Benn avenged his loss to Chris Eubank Jr. with a unanimous decision, ending their rivalry.
What's behind the headline?
UFC and Boxing Crossroads
The recent UFC 322 event marked a significant milestone for Islam Makhachev, who not only claimed the welterweight title but also tied the UFC record for longest winning streak at 16. His grappling dominance and tactical approach underscore a shift in UFC's competitive landscape, emphasizing versatility across weight classes.
David Benavidez's stoppage of Anthony Yarde consolidates his position as a dominant force in light-heavyweight boxing, with plans to move up to cruiserweight signaling ambitions to unify more belts. His performance challenges previous doubts about his power at higher weights.
Jake Paul's upcoming heavyweight bout against Anthony Joshua represents a unique intersection of celebrity and traditional boxing. Despite Paul's relative inexperience and size disadvantage, his confidence and promotional savvy have generated significant attention, reflecting the evolving nature of boxing's audience and market dynamics.
Conor Benn's decisive victory over Chris Eubank Jr. not only settles a storied rivalry but also positions him as a serious contender in the welterweight division. His expressed interest in facing established champions indicates a strategic path toward title contention.
Broader Implications
These developments highlight a trend where combat sports athletes cross traditional boundaries, with UFC fighters moving weight classes and boxers like Paul leveraging media presence to secure high-profile fights. This fusion of sport and entertainment will likely continue to reshape fan engagement and promotional strategies.
For fans and stakeholders, these events signal a dynamic period in combat sports, where athletic excellence, media influence, and strategic matchmaking converge to redefine competition and marketability.
What the papers say
The New York Post detailed the UFC 322 event, highlighting Islam Makhachev's grappling mastery and the chaotic brawl involving Dillon Danis, emphasizing the event's intensity and Makhachev's historic achievement. AP News provided comprehensive coverage of David Benavidez's victory over Anthony Yarde, noting Benavidez's plans to challenge cruiserweight champions and Devin Haney's welterweight title win, underscoring the shifting boxing landscape.
Al Jazeera and Sky News focused extensively on Jake Paul's upcoming heavyweight bout against Anthony Joshua, capturing the promotional buildup, size disparities, and the fight's streaming on Netflix. Paul's confident predictions and Joshua's determination to reclaim status were central themes, illustrating the fight's significance beyond the ring.
BBC News and The Japan Times offered insights into Conor Benn's unanimous decision over Chris Eubank Jr., framing it as the conclusion of a heated rivalry and exploring future prospects for both fighters. Benn's ambition to challenge multiple welterweight champions and Eubank's potential move to super-middleweight were highlighted, providing context to their career trajectories.
Together, these sources paint a multifaceted picture of late 2025 combat sports, blending athletic achievement with media spectacle and evolving competitive narratives.
How we got here
Islam Makhachev moved up to welterweight after vacating the lightweight UFC title, aiming to become a two-division champion. David Benavidez, undefeated in boxing, sought to unify light-heavyweight titles. Jake Paul, a YouTuber-turned-boxer, has rapidly risen in boxing, setting up a heavyweight bout with former champion Anthony Joshua. Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr. reignited a family rivalry with two major fights in 2025.
Go deeper
- What are Jake Paul's chances against Anthony Joshua?
- How did Conor Benn end his rivalry with Chris Eubank Jr.?
- What does David Benavidez's win mean for the light-heavyweight division?
Common question
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Why Did Makhachev Move Up to Welterweight?
Khabib Makhachev, a dominant lightweight champion, recently made a surprising move by vacating his belt and stepping up to welterweight. Fans and analysts are curious about the reasons behind this shift and what it means for his career. In this page, we'll explore why Makhachev decided to move up, what his fight against Della Maddalena entails, and how this could impact the UFC landscape.
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Stay up-to-date with the hottest developments in boxing and UFC. From upcoming fights and rematches to investigations into betting scandals, this page covers everything you need to know about the current fight scene. Curious about Anthony Joshua's next move or the Eubank Jr vs Benn rematch? Keep reading for the latest updates and insights into the biggest rivalries and fights happening now.
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What Are the Biggest Upcoming Sports Events and Controversies?
Stay ahead of the game with our comprehensive guide to the most exciting upcoming fights, major controversies, and betting insights in boxing and UFC. Whether you're a fan, bettor, or just curious, find out what's happening next in the world of combat sports and the latest trade tensions affecting Italian pasta imports. Here are the key questions everyone is asking right now.
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What’s Next for Boxing & UFC Fans? Top Fight Updates & Insights
Stay ahead of the game with the latest news in boxing and UFC. From upcoming fights and fighter preparations to new contenders and fan reactions, this page covers everything you need to know about the current combat sports scene. Curious about the biggest fights on the horizon or how fighters gear up for high-stakes bouts? Keep reading for all the answers.
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How Do Tariffs and Sports News Impact Our Culture and Economy?
Recent developments in tariffs and sports events are shaping our economy and cultural landscape in ways you might not expect. From rising trade tensions affecting Italian pasta imports to the cultural significance of boxing and UFC today, there's a lot to unpack. Curious about how these issues influence your daily life? Keep reading for clear answers to the most common questions about these hot topics.
More on these topics
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Islam Ramazanovich Makhachev, is a Russian professional mixed martial artist and former Sambo competitor who currently competes in the lightweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
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Jake Joseph Paul is an American YouTuber. He initially rose to fame on the now-defunct video application Vine, before playing the role of Dirk Mann on the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark for two seasons.
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Conor Nigel Benn is a British professional boxer who has held WBA Continental welterweight title since 2018. He is the son of former two-division world champion Nigel Benn.
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The Ultimate Fighting Championship is an American mixed martial arts promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is owned and operated by Endeavor Group Holdings along with Silver Lake Partners, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and MSD Capital via Zuffa, L
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Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or in initials as MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. Located in Midtown Manhattan between 7th and 8th Avenues from 31st to 33rd Streets, it is situated atop Pennsylvania Station.
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Christopher Livingstone Eubank Jr. (born 18 September 1989) is a British professional boxer. He has held the International Boxing Organization (IBO) middleweight title since 2024. Previously, he held the World Boxing Association (WBA) interim middleweight
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Fabio Wardley is a British professional boxer who has held the English heavyweight title since 2020.
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Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Usyk is a Ukrainian professional boxer. He reigned as the undisputed cruiserweight champion from 2018 until he vacated his titles in 2019, being the first cruiserweight in history to hold all four major world championships—the W
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Valentina Anatolievna Shevchenko is a Kyrgyzstani-Peruvian professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai fighter. She currently competes in the women’s Flyweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
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Zhang Weili is a Chinese mixed martial artist. She was the former Kunlun Fight strawweight champion and currently competes in the strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, where she is the former UFC Women's Strawweight World Champion.
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Nigel Gregory Benn is a British former professional boxer who competed from 1987 to 1996. He held world championships in two weight classes, including the WBO middleweight title in 1990, and the WBC super-middleweight title from 1992 to 1996.
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The British Boxing Board of Control is the governing body of professional boxing in the United Kingdom.
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Curtis James Jackson III, better known by his stage name 50 Cent, is an American rapper, actor, television producer, and entrepreneur.
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Devin Miles Haney is an American professional boxer who has held the WBC lightweight title since 2019. As of July 2020, Haney is ranked as the world's third-best active lightweight by The Ring magazine, fourth by the Transnational Boxing Rankings Board an
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New York is a state in the Northeastern United States. New York was one of the original thirteen colonies that formed the United States. With more than 19 million residents in 2019, it is the fourth-most-populous state.
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Anthony Dwayne Duncan Yarde is a British professional boxer who challenged for the WBO light-heavyweight title in 2019.
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Anthony David Benavidez is an American professional boxer. He is a two-time WBC super middleweight champion, having held the title from 2017 to 2018 and again from 2019 to 2020.
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Edward John Hearn is an English sports promoter. He is a group managing director of Matchroom Sport, and a director of the Professional Darts Corporation. Hearn is the son of promoter Barry Hearn, the founder of Matchroom Sport.