In the latest combat sports updates, unfortunate circumstances led to the cancellation of a highly anticipated UFC 303 co-main event, while Tyson Fury attributed his loss to Oleksandr Usyk to external factors.
Khalil Rountree Jr., a UFC fighter slated for the UFC 303 co-main event, revealed on social media that he was forced to withdraw from the event due to inadvertently consuming a banned substance. Rountree explained that the banned substance, DHEA, entered his system through a blended supplement mistakenly provided by a company he was associated with.
Despite the accidental ingestion, Rountree emphasized that he did not intentionally cheat or seek performance enhancement. The news disappointed fans eagerly awaiting Rountree’s showdown against former light heavyweight champion Jamahal Hill, which was set to complement the headlining bout featuring Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler.
Meanwhile, in the world of boxing, Tyson Fury faced his first professional loss at the hands of Oleksandr Usyk in the main event of Ring of Fire in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Usyk’s victory not only secured him the title but also marked him as the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis.
However, Fury sparked controversy by attributing his defeat to the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Fury suggested that bias stemming from the war might have influenced the judges’ decision in favor of Usyk, who is a former military serviceman. Despite the loss, Fury asserted his intention to exercise his rematch clause, confident in his belief that he deserved the win.
In another intriguing development, rapper Drake, known for his penchant for wagering on sporting events, found himself on the losing end once again. Drake revealed on his Instagram story that he had placed a substantial bet of $565,000 on Tyson Fury emerging victorious against Oleksandr Usyk, with an estimated payout exceeding $1 million. However, Usyk’s unexpected triumph dashed Drake’s hopes of a profitable outcome, adding another chapter to the saga of his infamous “Drake Curse.”
