Sports
MMA Fight Between Sumo Wrestler and Professional Boxer Has Clear Winner
In what might’ve been one of the strangest fights of the year, sumo wrestler Chiyotairyu Hidemasa demonstrated the precise reason why weight-classes are required in contact sports as he dominated his MMA fight against 5-0 professional boxer Jorge Menasalvas.
The peculiar bout, which pitted the 320lbs sumo wrestler against a 192lbs boxer, was put together by Spanish promotion Dogfight Wild Tournament, for their fourth event, Tokyo Blood, in Madrid, Spain.
According to their website, their events provide “an experience where the fight breaks all traditional formats and each match takes the spectacle to the next level.”
In what was dubbed their “wildest event to date”, the other bouts included a tag-team war, a five-way last-man standing, and the first-ever rap battle that ended in a physical fight.
Chiyotairyu Hidemasa vs Jorge Menasalvas
Former top-division sumo wrestler Chiyotairyu Hidemasa (whose real name is Hidemasa Meigetsuin) traded the dohyo for the cage as he faced off in a one-of-a-kind bout. After graduating from university, Hidemasa questioned whether he should continue his sumo career or quit to become a teacher after his debut tournament in March 2011 was delayed due to a match-fixing scandal that rocked the world of sumo.
Throughout his 11-year career, Chiyotairyu managed his one and only championship in the Juryo rank, the second-highest division in professional sumo. He was also awarded a special prize (Sansho) called the Gino-sho, or technique, for his impressive 11-4 in November 2013. The sumo wrestler has also gained three gold starts, which are awarded after a lower-ranked wrestler beats a yokozuna, the highest rank in sumo wrestling, after twice-beating Harumafuji and also besting Kisenosato.
His MMA opponent came in the form of professional boxer Jorge Menasalvas, who currently boasts an unbeaten 5-0 record in the ring. The Spaniard’s first professional bout came in November 2024 with a unanimous decision victory over Diego Jair Ramirez, before Ramirez was disqualified in their rematch to hand his opponent the second win of his career. A points victory over Marius Mihai Dumitru and a first-round knockout over Leonid Arseniev meant that his unanimous decision victory over Frank Rojas in November 2025 took him to a 5-0 record.
Although Menasalvas may have had much more experience of striking, Chiyotairyu’s grappling experience from his sumo days set him in good stead going into the cage. With both fighters coming in at 6’0″, there was no real reach or height advantage for either, but the almost 130lbs in weight difference would prove to be somewhat of a determining factor.
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From the outset of the fight, it was clear that there would only be one winner. Time after time, Menasalvas was met with the terrifying sight of his almost-150kg opponent sprinting across the canvas and slamming him into the fencing, with one such instance almost completely detaching the surrounding barriers. With Menasalvas up against it, the sumo wrestler would use his grappling experience to good effect, slamming his opponent to the floor and administering multiple hammer-fists.
Following five gruelling rounds, neither fighter managed to floor their opponent for good, meaning that the bout went to the scorecards. Unsurprisingly, Chiyotairyu saw his hand raised after winning via unanimous decision.
Sports
West Ham Eyeing Scott Parker and Gary O’Neil to Replace Nuno
West Ham manager Nuno Espirito Santo looks set to leave the club after their relegation, and two candidates to replace him have now been named.
The Hammers’ relegation was confirmed on Sunday after Tottenham secured a 1-0 victory over Everton.
West Ham managed a 3-0 victory over Leeds on the final day, but it wasn’t enough as they finished two points behind Spurs.
The pressure is now mounting on Nuno, and it remains to be seen whether he is going to be in the job heading into the 2026/2027 season.
There’s a chance the manager could walk before he’s pushed, but either way it looks as though he’ll be leaving the club in the coming weeks.
Two Candidates to Replace Nuno at West Ham
According to journalist Jacob Steinberg, Nuno is expected to leave West Ham following their relegation from the Premier League.
The reliable journalist confirms that former Burnley manager Scott Parker and Strasbourg boss Gary O’Neil are two candidates to replace him.
The report claims that Nuno has been called in for talks around his future, which is likely to end in the Portuguese manager leaving the club.
O’Neil and Parker, who have both played for the club previously, are two managers of interest to the West Ham board as they assess their options heading into the summer.
Problems Run Deeper at West Ham
West Ham are now looking for their fifth manager in just two years if Nuno does leave the club in the coming days or weeks, which is expected.
That shows that the problems, perhaps, run deeper than the manager, and they need to solve things behind the scenes if they want to move forward in the right direction.
Now relegation has been confirmed, work needs to happen behind the scenes for them to turn things around as quickly as possible.
Their recruitment simply hasn’t been good enough, and the upcoming transfer window is a real opportunity for them to rebuild and reset.
Sports
Liverpool Open Transfer Talks for German Star Kennet Eichhorn
Liverpool have opened talks to sign a new German star ahead of the summer transfer window, according to a report from Sky Sports reporter Florian Plettenberg.
It could be a busy summer window for the Merseyside club after a disappointing season, which saw them finish fifth in the Premier League.
The Reds qualified for the Champions League, but after winning the title last season, the campaign has to be considered a disappointment as they failed to compete in the race alongside Arsenal and Man City.
Liverpool were busy in the previous summer transfer window, bringing in a host of new additions, but some of them have failed to hit the ground running.
As a result, they need to ensure they are smarter with their recruitment, as they can’t afford another season not competing for the Premier League.
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Liverpool Open Transfer Talks
According to a report from Sky Sports reporter Plettenberg, Liverpool have opened talks to sign Kennet Eichhorn ahead of the summer transfer window.
The 16-year-old wonderkid, described as a ‘special’ talent by scout Jacek Kulig, is planning to leave Hertha Berlin in the summer transfer window, and he could move for a fee in the region of £10m due to a release clause.
Despite his age, Eichhorn featured 17 times for Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga’s second tier this season.
Patience Required With Eichhorn
There is no doubt that Liverpool fans and the club will have to be patient if they bring a player like Eichhorn to Anfield in the summer transfer window.
The 16-year-old hasn’t been a guaranteed starter for Hertha Berlin in the second tier of Germany, so there is little chance that he can make the step up to the Premier League instantly.
The German youngster is undoubtedly a huge talent with a bright future ahead, but that doesn’t mean Liverpool needs to rush into things with him if they do secure his signature.
Taking their time and allowing him to develop, even potentially sending him out on loan, is exactly what he needs in order to fulfill his potential.
Sports
Conor McGregor’s Manager Reveals Michael Chandler Was First Choice
Conor McGregor is scheduled to make a return to the UFC with a rematch against Max Holloway. However, the Irishman’s manager has revealed that the American was not the first-choice opponent for his comeback fight.
McGregor will put an end to his five-year MMA hiatus with a UFC 329 bout against Holloway on the 11th of July at the T-Moblie Arena in Las Vegas. The Irishman hasn’t fought in the Octagon since his devastating loss to Dustin Poirier in July 2021, during which the fight was stopped in the first round by the cageside doctor after Notorious suffered a broken lower tibia.
McGregor was then scheduled to fight Michael Chandler in June 2024 after the pair faced off as coaches on the 31st season of the reality television series The Ultimate Fighter. However, a broken toe suffered by the Irishman saw the bout cancelled just weeks before.
The Dublin-native’s comeback fight will feature as the co-main event in Nevada, alongside the lightweight match-up between Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett and Benoit Saint-Denis, while heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson will face-off against Elisha Ellison.
Conor McGregor’s Manager Speaks About UFC 329
Speaking to MMAJunkie.com at the Usyk vs Verhoeven boxing event in Giza, Egypt, McGregor’s manager, Audie Attar, spoke about the choice of opponent for his client’s UFC return.
“I think, from a Max Holloway perspective, we know we got one on Max, and he wants to get that back. We know they faced each other when they were 145ers, and we know that Max is game, and he’s going to put on a great performance. We just felt it was the right match-up.
“One of the things, obviously, with being out with the time Conor has been out for, it just made sense to do it at 170, right? Max was game right away and willing to step up and take the match-up at 170.”
However, while McGregor will hope to recreate the success he experienced in his first meeting with Holloway, Attar has revealed that he was not the Irishman’s first-choice opponent.
Max Holloway Not First-Choice Opponent For Return
“Conor really wanted to give [his comeback fight] to Michael Chandler. He just felt Michael deserved it, having gone through the show and experienced that camp, the unfortunate injury and the cancellation of the bout.”
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And while McGregor may not be making his comeback against his desired opponent, that is not to say it may not still be on the cards further down the line.
“Conor really, really wanted that to happen, and we did everything to try to push it. At the time, it just didn’t make sense for the UFC, but it doesn’t mean that it might not happen in the future. Michael has a great fight ahead of him at the White House (against Mauricio Ruffy), and we wish him the best. We want him to succeed. It can become a reality.”
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