*For Immediate Release to Publish
Roselle, Park, NJ (April 4th, 2026)– Welcome to the Real Combat Media Boxing & MMA Fights of the Week, where we discuss the week’s most significant news and the most notable fights in the sports of boxing and MMA, so you can save time by getting your best combat sports news expeditiously.
This past weekend in boxing, Moses Itauma, 21, (14-0, 12 Kos) became the first fighter to stop Jermaine Franklin Jr., 32, (24-2, 15 KOs) last Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Co-op Live Arena in Manchester, England. Many boxing pundits are comparing Itauma to a young Mike Tyson. You can watch the video highlights and read Robert Brizel’s recap here.
Sebastian Fundora, 28, (24-1, 15 kos) dominated and stopped Keith Thurman, 37, (31-2-1 NC, 23 Kos) on Saturday night on Amazon Prime on PBC PPV. Keith Thurman had no positive moments in this fight and may have to rethink the rest of his boxing career after taking a lot of damage. However, he did hang tough and was stopped on his feet in round 6. You can check out the recap, post-press conference, and video highlights here.
Tonight on DAZN in a few hours, Derek Chisora, 42, (36-13, 23 Kos) who is on a 3 fight win steak will face Deontay Wilder, 40 (44-4-1, 43 Kos), Saturday, April 4, 2026, in a heavyweight clash billed as “100,” representing the 100th combined professional fight of their careers. Deontay Wilder is in a must-win situation to stay relevant in the heavyweight division after going 4-4 in his last 8 fights. The bout takes place at the O2 Arena in London, with the main event ring walks expected around 10:45 p.m. BST / 5:45 p.m. ET. You can watch the weigh-in, betting odds, and presser here. You can sign up to watch the event here,
Pat Brown, 26, (6-0, 6 KOs), extended his stoppage streak with an 8th-round TKO win to capture his first professional titles. You can read the recap of this fight here.
Lauren Price vs. Stephanie Piñeiro Aquino takes place today. Price defends her IBF, WBA, and WBC welterweight titles in Cardiff, Wales.
Controversy is brewing as Floyd Mayweather’s camp reportedly insists on the September bout being an exhibition, while Manny Pacquiao’s team claims a professional rematch was signed to be counted on their official pro record. Real Combat Media will keep you updated on the developments for this fight in the upcoming weeks. The event is scheduled to take place at The Sphere in Las Vegas in September on Netflix.
Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather are reportedly scheduled for April 25, 2026, in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Marketed as “Legend vs. Legend,” this spectacle is planned for 8 two-minute rounds with no weight limit, though there is skepticism about the fight taking place due to potential scheduling conflicts. We still have no idea if this exhibition will take place this month. Floyd Mayweather, 49, has a lot of work to do this year with training, multiple exhibitions, paying off debts, lawsuits, and finalizing his fight contracts.
Negotiations for a fight between Devin Haney and Rolando “Rolly” Romero have officially fallen through. Haney may fight Ryan Garcia in his next fight instead of Romero.
Former world champion and Australian star Tim Tszyu, 31, (26-3, 18 KOs) takes on undefeated Italian challenger Denis Nurja, 31, (20-0, 9 KOs). You can read about this fight and watch the press conference or weigh-in video here.
Manny Pacquiao’s son, Emmanuel “Jimuel” Pacquiao Jr., secured his second professional win via second-round TKO against Darrick Gates last night at the Pechanga Resort Casino in California.
A major fight between currently retired Terence Crawford and Israil Madrimov is nearly finalized for August 3, potentially at 154 pounds.
After losing to Terence Crawford and undergoing elbow surgery, Canelo Alvarez is targeting a September 2026 return, possibly in Saudi Arabia against Christian Mbilli.
Boxing legend Gennadiy Golovkin has been elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
In a dramatic super welterweight fight of the year contender on April 3, 2026, William Crolla, who is the younger brother of Anthony Crolla secured an improbable comeback victory by knocking out Glenn Byrne in the seventh round. Crolla survived four knockdowns before stopping Byrne. You can watch the video highlights here.
Pedro Taduran vs. Gustavo Perez Alvarez took place last night at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, CA. Taduran successfully defended his IBF Minimumweight title on April 3 with a 7th-round TKO in his U.S. debut.
Caroline Dubois, 25, (12-0-1, 5 Kos) vs. Terri Harper, 29 (16-2-2, 6 Kos) are set to clash in a highly anticipated unification bout this Sunday in London, with intense verbal build-up preceding the fight. You can sign up to watch this fight here.
The undercard for Usyk vs. Rico was announced this week. You can read about it here.
You can view the current international boxing rankings here.
In MMA News, UFC Fight Night 271 last Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington#4-ranked Israel Adesanya, 36, (24-6) was stopped by#14-ranked Joe Pyfer, 29, (16-3). Adesanya has now lost 4 fights in a row and 5 of his last 6, while Pyfer has won 4 fights in a row. Pyfer claimed he had suicidal thoughts during training camp and then found God. Adesanya claims he is not retiring; however, his career is looking like the way Anderson Silva’s MMA career ended.
Former UFC World Champion, #3 Alexa Grasso, 32, (17-5-1) scored a KO of the year contender against #5 Maycee Barber, 27 (15-3), in a pivotal co-main event. You can see the terrifying Ko and full UFC Seattle results here.
Netflix and MVP Promotions signed and added many more fights to the historic Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano card, which is scheduled for May 16th, 2026. Many feel this card will compete with the UFC White House Card, which is scheduled for June. Here is how the card looks so far below.
Main Event: Ronda Rousey vs. Gina Carano
Co-Main: Francis Ngannou vs. Philipe Lins
Feature Bout: Nate Diaz vs. Mike Perry
Salahdine Parnasse vs. Kenneth Cross
Junior dos Santos vs. Robelis Despaigne
Muhammad Mokaev vs. Adriano Moraes
Tonight’s UFC event at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas is headlined by a lightweight bout between Renato Moicano, 36, (20-7-1) and Chris Duncan, 32, (15-2). In the co-main event, #3 Virna Jandiroba, 37, (22-4) takes on #7 Tabatha Ricci, 31, (12-3). You can watch the weigh-in and view the betting odds here.
UFC Macau was announced for May 30. Former champion Deiveson Figueiredo will face Song Yadong.
Colby Covington has filed a civil lawsuit against Jorge Masvidal in Miami, citing “loss of enjoyment” and damages stemming from their 2022 physical altercation, where Covington was attacked at dinner. You can read about the lawsuit here.
Conor McGregor recently confirmed he is eligible to return as of March 2026 following an 18-month suspension. Rumors are swirling about him returning for UFC 329, which is scheduled for July 11th. Conor is currently training hard for his return.
In PFL News, PFL Belfast was announced this week, and it takes place on Thursday, April 16th. You can read about this card here.
PFL Pittsburgh took place last week. You can view the recap and full card results here.
PFL MMA, the world’s #2 MMA promotion, introduced an updated rankings system. Check out the full rankings here.
UFC Fighter Removals (Cuts and Departures):
As of April 4th, 2026, the following fighters are no longer listed on the active UFC roster or have retired recently:
The UFC released three fighters this week: Luana Carolina, Antonio Trocoli, and Bruna Brasil, following recent skids or weight-miss issues. Bruna Brasil claims she found out on social media by a friend.
Michael Chiesa: retired after his fight with Niko Price at UFC Seattle.
Niko Price: retired after his loss to Michael Chiesa and was not happy with the UFC after Daniel Cormier did not let him announce it in the cage after Chiesa made his speech.
Jose Medina: Cut following a loss at UFC Mexico City, ending his run with a 0-4 record.
Felipe Bunes: Released alongside Medina after their respective bouts in Mexico City.
Montse Rendon: Removed following a submission loss to Bia Mesquita at UFC Vegas 114.
Luan Lacerda: Cut after completing his contract with a loss to Hecher Sosa; he finished his UFC tenure with a 1-3 record.
Terrance Saeteurn: Released after a short stint following a loss to Nyamjargal Tumendemberel.
Tecia Pennington (Strawweight): Retired on January 23, 2026, after a storied career in the women’s 115-lb division.
Eryk Anders (Middleweight): Retired on March 14, 2026, immediately following his unanimous decision victory over Brad Tavares at UFC Vegas 114.
Phil Rowe: A veteran knockout artist who leaves with a 4-5 UFC record after a two-fight losing streak.
Gavin Tucker: The Canadian featherweight has decided to retire from MMA following a series of injuries and back-to-back losses to Diego Lopes and Dan Ige.
Kris Moutinho: Known for his “zombie-like” resilience, Moutinho was released following his second winless stint in the promotion.
Erik Silva: The 38-year-old Venezuelan was removed after going 0-3 in the Octagon, most recently losing by submission in February.
AJ Cunningham: Released following a short tenure where he was unable to secure a victory.
Patchy Mix: Removed from the roster tracking logs as of March 11, signaling a departure from the promotion.
SOME UPCOMING UFC EVENTS:
Apr 11, 2026: UFC 327, Miami, FL Jiri Procházka vs. Carlos Ulberg
Apr 18, 2026: UFC Fight Night Winnipeg, MB Gilbert Burns vs. Mike Malott
Apr 25, 2026: UFC Fight Night Las Vegas, NV Aljamain Sterling vs. Youssef Zalal
May 2, 2026: UFC Fight Night Perth, Australia, Jack Della Maddalena vs. Carlos Prates
May 9, 2026: UFC 328 Newark, NJ, Khamzat Chimaev vs. Sean Strickland
May 16, 2026: UFC Fight Night Las Vegas, NV Arnold Allen vs. Melquizael Costa
May 30, 2026: UFC Fight Night Macau, China, Song Yadong vs. Deiveson Figueiredo
Jun 6, 2026: UFC Fight Night, Las Vegas, NV, Belal Muhammad vs. Gabriel Bonfim
Jun 14, 2026: UFC Freedom 250, Washington, D.C. Ilia Topuria vs. Justin Gaethje
Get prepared for the UFC in 2026 and sign up to Paramount+ here.
For the most current news from the #2 MMA Promotion PFL, click here.
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