This is Fox Sports Australia’s combat sports column Fighting Words, where we give you all the latest news and views in MMA and boxing, from Australia and abroad.
Paul Gallen reckons promoters No Limit have no faith in “s***” crossover fighter Nelson Asofoa-Solomona.
But the bookies?
Well, apparently they do.
In a shock twist to the proposed October showdown between Gallen and ‘Big Nasty’, Australian bookmakers Sportsbet have announced an opening market that has Gal as the underdog.
Despite his extensive boxing resume, the NSW Origin great has been named a $2.25 outsider for the yet-to-be-confirmed bout, with NAS wound into $1.60.
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While he may have long reigned as the undisputed king of Australia’s crossover boxing space, the fact Gallen, now 45, is 15 years older than Asofa-Solomona is undeniably part of the oddsmakers’ concerns. Same deal, the fact that if the pair eventually throw down, the Cronulla premiership hero would likely weigh up to 30 kilos lighter.
Speaking with Fighting Words this week however, Sportsbet’s Joel Caine reminded that Gal has also been the outsider in four of his biggest career showdowns already – and won three of them.
First up, the retired leaguie was the $2.75 underdog against UFC great Mark Hunt in late 2020.
Then just four months later, he was also a $2.20 outsider against former world champ Lucas Browne.
Elsewhere, Gallen was wider in his most recent win against the younger Sonny Bill Williams, paying $2.25, and a $5 roughie when throwing down against heavyweight contender Justis Huni in 2021.
“So Gal has been the roughie four times in his boxing career,” Caine said. “And three times now, he’s proven the market wrong. He’s the ultimate defier.
“Even that one time the market got him right — and Gal was a $5 outsider against Huni — it still took 10 rounds for Justis to stop him. So while it’s a brave man to take on Nelson, it’s also a brave person to bet against Gal”.
Only last month, Gallen sensationally claimed promoters No Limit have no faith in Asofa-Solomona, telling nine.com.au: “They want me to come back and beat him because they know he’s s***.
“No Limit have realised two things. Firstly, he can’t fight, he’s not a good boxer. He’s dangerous. Don’t get me wrong, he’s very dangerous. He can punch. And most footy players they put in front of him, he’ll probably knock them out.
“I’m not taking that away from him at all.
“But as far as boxing goes, he’s absolutely no chance of going anywhere, and they [No Limit] know that. That’s why they want me … they want me to come back and finish this whole shemozzle”.
Since walking out on an $800,000-a-year NRL deal, NAS has won three consecutive fights – knocking out former NRL forwards Jeremy Latimore, Jarrod Wallace and George Burgess.
SKINNY’S WARNING FOR TSZYU
UK superstar Conor Benn has declared himself ready for an Ashes blockbuster with Tim Tszyu — despite admitting the superstar’s younger brother, Nikita, used to towell him up in training.
The declaration comes as one of Australia’s own retired stars, Skinny Hussein, fears Tim Tszyu may need to do something nobody has managed to do if he is to rip the WBA middleweight strap away from Erislandy Lara.
Knock him out.
And he’s not convinced he’ll be able to.
Tszyu has eyes set on epic Lara bout | 01:34
Tszyu is closing in on a blockbuster showdown with the crafty Cuban southpaw, who may be 43 but remains one of boxing’s most awkward puzzles.
“I hope the fight comes off,” Hussein told Fighting Words. “But I’ll still pick Lara to win. I don’t think Tim can knock him out. Lara has shown he’s very durable, he can take a power shot and he hardly gets hit.
“That makes it harder for Tim because he’s a plodder … unless he fights like Jeff (Fenech) and sits on Lara’s chest the whole fight.”
Lara has not been beaten since his narrow split-decision loss to Jarrett Hurd in 2018 – and has never been stopped as a pro.
Meanwhile, Tszyu has declared himself ready to take on a whole range of rivals with victory over Lara, including American superstar Jermell Charlo and the winner of this weekend’s Las Vegas headliner between Benn and Ryan Garcia.
And the Englishman is certainly keen.
“Bro, I’ll fight anybody,” Benn said of challenging Tszyu at 160 pounds. “There’s not really anyone I won’t fight. If it makes money it makes sense. If it makes views, it makes sense. And if the public want it, then the public can get it.”
Elsewhere, Benn also spoke about being towelled up in sparring by Nikita as an amateur (see item below).
UFC STARS TIP VOLK TO LOSE CROWN
The list of fighters predicting Alex Volkanovski’s latest featherweight reign will end at UFC 333 is starting to grow.
Brazilian Jean Silva has become the latest big name to tip Movsar Evloev to dethrone the Aussie superstar in Abu Dhabi on October 24.
“I think Evloev wins,” Silva told MMA Fighting. “It’ll be me and him [fighting for the belt].”
Silva believes victory over Jose Delgado at Noche UFC this weekend will secure him the next title shot – regardless of who leaves Abu Dhabi with the belt.
Yet while backing Evloev, the Brazilian surprisingly views Volk as the more dangerous match-up.
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“He sticks to a strategy, sticks to the game plan,” Silva said. “He knows how to fight, he knows what needs to be done, and he has knockout power. Evloev doesn’t have knockout power. The first hand that gets in, he’s going down.”
Silva is not alone in predicting a big changing of the guard.
Islam Makhachev recently backed his fellow Russian to get the job done.
“Volkanovski is a tough opponent for anyone,” Makhachev said. “But I think Movsar will manage with his youth.
“Volkanovski, honestly speaking, is not at the same peak he was a couple of years ago.”
Former UFC star Jorge Masvidal is also on the Evloev bandwagon, believing his wrestling and extraordinary gas tank will make the difference.
‘JUST CALL ME’: AUSSIE CHAMP UNLOADS
Jai Opetaia has accused David Benavidez of making unnecessary demands as the Aussie knockout merchant ramps up calls for a blockbuster cruiserweight showdown.
The Central Coast star faces WBC champion Noel Mikaelian in Las Vegas this weekend, defending his Ring Magazine and Zuffa Boxing belts.
But Opetaia is already eyeing an even bigger prize against unbeaten three-division champ Benavidez, who holds the WBA and WBO cruiserweight titles.
“He’s making all these demands and s**t,” Opetaia told ESPN.
“He’s now saying he wants to fight in May on Cinco de Mayo. Well, why can’t we fight in Australia on Australia Day? Why can’t we fight on Samoan Independence Day?
“We’ve never given any pushback. They say, ‘Fight him at this time’, and we say, ‘Okay’.
“Just call me and I’ll be there. Just give me the date and I’ll be there.”
Opetaia’s road to undisputed has been complicated by an ongoing legal battle with the IBF, which stripped him of its cruiserweight title after his March win over Brandon Glanton.
Opetaia insists he remains focused on this weekend.
“Same sh*t man, you know how it is,” Opetaia said.
“F**k, every time I do interviews about the fight, I’m getting constantly asked about sanctioning bodies and court cases and stuff, but we have a job to do. That’s the only thing I’m thinking of.”
“NIKITA BASHED ME IN SPARRING”
Back on Conor Benn, and the Englishman has delivered a hilarious response to suggestions he used to get toweled up by a young Nikita Tszyu, declaring: “He did used to bash me in sparring”.
The son of UK boxing great Nigel Benn – and readying to face Ryan Garcia in Las Vegas this weekend – Conor was himself raised for a time in western Sydney, where he had 20 amateur fights.
And in the build to those fights, he sparred rounds with a young ‘Butcher’.
So as for how it all went?
“Nikita used to bash him in sparring,” Tim Tszyu told Code Sports this week. “I used to watch it all the time – Nikita used to bash him back in my gym.
Mundine’s beautiful tribute to dad | 01:20
“Obviously Benn’s gotten better since then. He went to England, started his pro career and he’s taken off.
“Back in the day, they all used to spar each other. I was bit older, so I didn’t spar them, but they were the young bucks.”
Asked for a response at his Las Vegas media day this week, Benn cackled of Nikita: “He did used to bash me in sparring. But that was sparring. And that was also … what ..how many years ago are we talking, 13 years ago?
“I had 20 amateur bouts in Australia. All of my bouts were in Australia as an amateur. Yeah, the good ‘ol days.”
‘F*** WRESTLERS’: UFC PROSPECT WANTS VOLK
Tommy McMillen has offered to step up and challenge for Alexander Volkanovski’s UFC crown in October — despite having a fight this weekend.
An undefeated featherweight prospect from Arizona, McMillen has this week offered to be the backup fighter for Volkanovski’s next defence against Movsar Evloev.
First up however, the hyped 28-year-old, who has gone 11 professional fights without loss, must face another undefeated prospect, Marwan Rahiki, at Noche UFC.
A month ago, McMillen made headlines over an interview with Full Send’s Steiny, saying he would defeat Volkanovski.
Speaking about said clip with MMA Fighting this week, he said: “Yeah, first of all, that was a clip taken a little bit out of context.
“Don’t get me wrong. The first question I got asked that day was – this kid Steiny, he wanted to do some questions like that, like who would I match up with – and he wanted to know, he asked who is the GOAT right now at 145. I said the GOAT at 145 does have to be Volk. He’s earned his spot as a GOAT.
“But Steinie then asked after that, after I mentioned Volk … he just wanted to see where my mentality is at, so he’s like, ‘Would you fight Volk?’ And I’m like, of course, bro. You don’t get to the UFC and do the things I’m doing and not just be down to fight anybody for the right amount of money. So, 100 per cent. But then the question on top of that was like, do I think I could win? And yes, 100 per cent.”
Elsewhere, McMillen also took aim at the fighting style of Evloev, who faces Volk at UFC 333 on October 25 in Abu Dhabi.
“If the UFC hit me up and they need a backup for that fight, Volk and whatever the other f***, dude – the other dude’s so boring, let’s be real,” McMillen said. “Nobody wants to see him win. F*** wrestlers, dude. You got to want to go out there and lay on people. I could do that, too. I could have done that in all my last fights.
“I could go out there and lay on these guys and f***ing be a Khamzat [Chimaev] and just do all that.
“That s**t’s boring, bro. No one wants to do that.
“So, let’s hope Volk wins. But like, 100 percent, UFC wants to pay me and be like, ‘Yo, Tommy, come be the backup for this fight.’ F***ing send me, bro. I’ll pull up there like a bag of f**ing Cheez-Its and dust any one of them boys, bro.”
McMillen is undefeated in two UFC appearances after winning his way onto the roster via Contender Series.
TSZYU PICKS PARO’S NEXT RIVAL
Tim Tszyu wants Liam Paro to face Teofimo Lopez next — convinced the Queenslander’s style will see him unify welterweight gold against the American who also lost to George Kambosos.
With Paro now holding IBF welterweight gold, there has been plenty of headlines around who he will face next, including Lopez, who holds the WBA crown, and Haney, the WBO champion.
Given Lopez only dethroned Rolly Romero last month, the most likely scenario is Paro takes a voluntary defence sometime in September or October, before then pushing for a unification blockbuster early in 2027.
“And I’d like to see Liam against Teofimo,” Tszyu said this week. “In my opinion he [Lopez] is there to be taken. I think Liam Paro has a very high chance of winning that fight. And to also be in the mix with guys like Devin Haney, that division is red hot. I’d like to see Liam unify.”
THE WILD SIDE OF AUSSIE BOXING
Aussie boxing has never been short of wild stories. The problem is, too many of them have been forgotten over the years.
That is one of the reasons that makes Anthony Cocks’ new book, The Brawl at the Sydney Opera House (And Other Aussie Boxing Yarns), such a cracking read for fight fans.
Cocks, who has been covering boxing for more than 20 years, knows the sport’s history is about far more than world titles and big names.
The infamous Opera House brawl is the headline act – complete with the recollections of Charkey Ramon, the referee throwing punches in the middle of the chaos that night.
But it is the forgotten scraps and other rarely told tales in this book that make it a must-read for Aussie fight fans.