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Michael Chandler has insisted that his fight with Conor McGregor will go ahead, despite fears that the latter has missed the deadline to compete in 2023. Chandler vs McGregor was announced by the UFC in February, but no date, location or weight class has been announced for the fight, and it appears that McGregor is unable to compete until next year due to United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) rules. The former UFC champion is seemingly still absent from the Usada testing pool, and athletes must be in the pool for six months and return two negative results – and zero negatives – in order to fight in the UFC. However, Chandler has reassured fans that the fight will go ahead – regardless of when. The American, 37, told ESPN on Wednesday (28 June): “Listen, I understand everybody wants answers, they want results. With a fight of this magnitude – the most exciting guy in mixed martial arts versus the biggest superstar in mixed martial arts – people want answers, and they want them on their timeline. “Their timeline is now. ‘I want my answers yesterday.’ I’m with everybody else, of course, but just let the process play out. Just know that Michael Chandler steps in the cage against Conor McGregor, we put on an electrifying event, and I separate him from his consciousness in the second round. “If there’s one thing I know about Conor: He cares about his public persona, he cares about how people see him, he cares about where he is now and what he has become to the fans. [If you’re not coming back], you don’t do a documentary saying you’re coming back; you don’t tell everybody it’s the greatest comeback in combat-sports history; you’re not out there promoting yourself and saying, ‘This is my game forever, you’ll do what you’re told;’ and calling yourself the pound-for-pound king. “Conor’s coming back. There’s one guy he’s fighting: His name’s Michael Chandler, he’s from High Ridge, Missouri. We are gonna put butts in seats, it’s gonna be an electrifying performance, but I knock out Conor and then maybe he retires after that – we’ll see.” Chandler and McGregor are coaching opposing teams of athletes on the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, which began airing in May and will conclude in August. After five episodes, Team Chandler has a 5-0 lead over Team McGregor. This month, Irishman McGregor denied an allegation that he had sexually assaulted a woman at an NBA Finals game. McGregor, 34, was accused of assault in a bathroom at a Miami Heat fixture on 9 June. McGregor also recently released McGregor Forever, the second documentary around his career, and you can read The Independent’s review of the Netflix series here. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Conor McGregor doubles down on Ultimate Fighter criticism as Michael Chandler’s team dominate How to watch The Ultimate Fighter 31 in the UK Elon Musk vs Mark Zuckerberg: Who would win a fight between tech titans? Conor McGregor doubles down on Ultimate Fighter criticism Conor McGregor complains as his team lose yet again on The Ultimate Fighter Conor McGregor’s team fall to 0-3 on The Ultimate Fighter

Conor McGregor has reiterated his criticism of the bout structure on The Ultimate Fighter, after his team fell to a 0-5 skid against Michael Chandler’s team. McGregor’s fighters have lost every contest in the first five episodes of the new season of the UFC television show. In this week’s episode, Carlos Vera suffered a decision defeat by Brad Katona – a long-time training partner of McGregor. Katona won both rounds on the judges’ scorecards, with former UFC champion McGregor bemoaning the lack of a third round in The Ultimate Fighter’s bouts. “Tell them ‘three rounds’, yeah?” McGregor said after Vera’s loss to Katona, appearing to aim the comment at UFC president Dana White. “The fight’s not over, they’re unfinished fights,” the Irishman added in a backstage interview. “If they got unfinished fights, give them a third round. The guys are fighting for their life here. In those situations where they’re closely contested, back and forth, there should be a third round. “I mean, this guy [Katona] is in there, [saying]: ‘Yeah!’ What was done there? Nothing. I’m surprised that those two [fighters] were called at the second round to be honest.” McGregor, 34, also told Vera in the team’s locker room: “Unfinished fight, that’s it. They’re unfinished fights, man. Let them go another round. They’re three-rounders [that] we need. F*** two rounds. “That was great, that was great. That body kick was money, man – beautiful shot. He’s a solid fighter, I know; he’s trained with us a long time. So, keeping going, Carlos. Great work, my man. Proud of you, bud.” Vera, meanwhile, said in an interview on this week’s episode: “I hate to lose. It is what it is, and there’s a lot of things I have to work on, but I fought my fight. I have nothing to be ashamed of, nothing to be sad about. So, onto the next one.” McGregor and American Chandler are supposed to fight one another at the conclusion of The Ultimate Fighter’s run this summer, but McGregor is still not in the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s testing pool. Fighters must be in the pool for six months and return at least two negative tests – and zero positives – in order to compete in the UFC, unless an exemption is granted. As such, McGregor vs Chandler is unlikely to take place in 2023. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More How to watch The Ultimate Fighter 31 in the UK Conor McGregor denies allegation he sexually assaulted a woman at NBA Finals McGregor Forever: The problem with the new Conor McGregor documentary UFC schedule 2023: Every fight happening this year Football pays tribute to Craig Brown – Monday’s sporting social Conor McGregor complains as his team lose yet again on The Ultimate Fighter

Jared Cannonier broke a UFC record in his win over Marvin Vettori on Saturday, landing the most significant strikes ever recorded in a middleweight fight in the promotion. Cannonier was a unanimous-decision winner against Vettori at the UFC Apex institute in Las Vegas, beating the Italian with scorecards of 49-45, 49-45 and 48-46. And as much credit as the American received for his performance, Vettori was also praised by his colleagues for his resilience, which saw him absorb – and survive – more significant strikes in a single fight than any middleweight in UFC history. Cannonier landed 249 significant strikes against Vettori across five rounds, with the record previously standing at 186. Cannonier, 39, and Vettori, 29, are both former title challengers in the UFC, with both having been outpointed by incumbent champion Israel Adesanya during the Nigerian-New Zealander’s first title reign. Adesanya, who lost the belt to Alex Pereira last year but won it back from the Brazilian in April, is rumoured to be defending the gold in Australia in September, and Cannonier has said he would happily serve as the back-up fighter for such a bout. “Yeah, man, we get paid for those moments,” Cannonier told media after his win against Vettori. “I’m more than happy to step in for that opportunity and get paid even if I don’t fight. “You still get paid a little bit, so I’m happy with that, and I wouldn’t mind a trip to Sydney. I’ve never been to Australia before, I’ve always wanted to go.” At UFC 293 in Sydney, Adesanya is expected to fight the winner of July’s clash between Robert Whittaker and Dricus Du Plessis. Adesanya first won the UFC middleweight title with a TKO of Robert Whittaker in 2019, and he retained the belt against the former champion with a points win in their rematch last February. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Topuria vs Emmett live stream: How to watch UFC Fight Night online and on TV this weekend Conor McGregor denies allegation he sexually assaulted a woman at NBA Finals How to watch The Ultimate Fighter 31 in the UK

Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier will go head to head this weekend, clashing in a UFC Fight Night main event. The middleweights are both pursuing a second shot at the title, with each man having come up short against Israel Adesanya during the incumbent champion’s first reign. Italian Vettori suffered a points loss to Adesanya in June 2021, three years after losing to the Nigerian-New Zealander by the same means. Then, last July, American Cannonier was similarly outpointed by Adesanya. Vettori has gone 2-1 since his second loss to Adesanya, losing to Robert Whittaker between victories over Paulo Costa and Roman Dolidze. Meanwhile, Cannonier bounced back from his title-fight defeat with a points win against Sean Strickland in December. Here’s all you need to know about this weekend’s card. What time is it? The prelims are set to begin at 12am BST on Sunday 18 June (4pm PT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on BT Sport in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. Full card (subject to change) Marvin Vettori vs Jared Cannonier (middleweight) Arman Tsarukyan vs Joaquim Silva (lightweight) Armen Petrosyan vs Christian Leroy Duncan (middleweight) Pat Sabatini vs Lucas Almeida (featherweight) Manuel Torres vs Nikolas Motta (lightweight) Raoni Barcelos vs Miles Johns (bantamweight) Prelims Nicolas Dalby vs Muslim Salikhov (welterweight) Jimmy Flick vs Alessandro Costa (flyweight) Kyung Ho Kang vs Cristian Quinonez (bantamweight) Carlos Hernandez vs Denys Bondar (flyweight) Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs Felipe Bunes (flyweight) Tereza Bleda vs Gabriella Fernandes (women’s flyweight) Dan Argueta vs Ronnie Lawrence (bantamweight) Zac Pauga vs Modestas Bukauskas (light-heavyweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Amanda Nunes took ‘coward’s way out’ by retiring at UFC 289, says Julianna Pena Meet Charles Oliveira, the UFC’s miracle man Miami Heat mascot hospitalised after Conor McGregor punch What time does Vettori vs Cannonier start in UK and US this weekend? How to watch Vettori vs Cannonier online and on TV this weekend Conor McGregor’s team fall to 0-3 on The Ultimate Fighter

Former UFC title challengers will square off in a Fight Night main event this weekend, as Marvin Vettori faces Jared Cannonier. Vettori, one of the UFC’s few Italian fighters, came up short while challenging Israel Adesanya for the middleweight title in 2021, losing to the Nigerian-New Zealander via decision – just as he had in 2018. Thirteen months later, American Cannonier suffered a similar fate, losing to Adesanya on points after an underwhelming performance. Vettori bounced back from his second defeat by Adesanya with a points win against Paulo Costa, before losing to Robert Whittaker. However, the “Italian Dream” again responded positively this March, edging past Roman Dolidze in London. Meanwhile, Cannonier has competed once since his bout with Adesanya, defeating Sean Strickland on points in December. Here’s all you need to know about this weekend’s card. What time is it? The prelims are set to begin at 12am BST on Sunday 18 June (4pm PT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on BT Sport in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. Full card (subject to change) Marvin Vettori vs Jared Cannonier (middleweight) Arman Tsarukyan vs Joaquim Silva (lightweight) Armen Petrosyan vs Christian Leroy Duncan (middleweight) Pat Sabatini vs Lucas Almeida (featherweight) Manuel Torres vs Nikolas Motta (lightweight) Raoni Barcelos vs Miles Johns (bantamweight) Prelims Nicolas Dalby vs Muslim Salikhov (welterweight) Jimmy Flick vs Alessandro Costa (flyweight) Kyung Ho Kang vs Cristian Quinonez (bantamweight) Carlos Hernandez vs Denys Bondar (flyweight) Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs Felipe Bunes (flyweight) Tereza Bleda vs Gabriella Fernandes (women’s flyweight) Dan Argueta vs Ronnie Lawrence (bantamweight) Zac Pauga vs Modestas Bukauskas (light-heavyweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Amanda Nunes took ‘coward’s way out’ by retiring at UFC 289, says Julianna Pena Meet Charles Oliveira, the UFC’s miracle man Miami Heat mascot hospitalised after Conor McGregor punch Vettori vs Cannonier and full UFC Fight Night card this weekend How to watch Vettori vs Cannonier online and on TV this weekend Conor McGregor’s team fall to 0-3 on The Ultimate Fighter

Marvin Vettori and Jared Cannonier will clash in a UFC Fight Night main event this weekend, as the middleweights continue their respective pursuits of a second title shot. Italian Vettori failed to dethrone Israel Adesanya during the incumbent champion’s first reign, suffering a points loss to the Nigerian-New Zealander in June 2021 – three years after losing to Adesanya by the same means. Then, in July 2022, Cannonier similarly came up short in a title fight with Adesanya, losing on all three scorecards after a tepid showing. Vettori has gone 2-1 in the Octagon since his second defeat by Adesanya, outpointing Paulo Costa and Roman Dolidze either side of a decision loss to Robert Whittaker. Meanwhile, American Cannonier bounced back from his loss to Adesanya by beating Sean Strickland on points in December. Here’s all you need to know about this weekend’s card. What time is it? The prelims are set to begin at 12am BST on Sunday 18 June (4pm PT, 6pm CT, 7pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on BT Sport in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. Full card (subject to change) Marvin Vettori vs Jared Cannonier (middleweight) Arman Tsarukyan vs Joaquim Silva (lightweight) Armen Petrosyan vs Christian Leroy Duncan (middleweight) Pat Sabatini vs Lucas Almeida (featherweight) Manuel Torres vs Nikolas Motta (lightweight) Raoni Barcelos vs Miles Johns (bantamweight) Prelims Nicolas Dalby vs Muslim Salikhov (welterweight) Jimmy Flick vs Alessandro Costa (flyweight) Kyung Ho Kang vs Cristian Quinonez (bantamweight) Carlos Hernandez vs Denys Bondar (flyweight) Zhalgas Zhumagulov vs Felipe Bunes (flyweight) Tereza Bleda vs Gabriella Fernandes (women’s flyweight) Dan Argueta vs Ronnie Lawrence (bantamweight) Zac Pauga vs Modestas Bukauskas (light-heavyweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Amanda Nunes took ‘coward’s way out’ by retiring at UFC 289, says Julianna Pena Meet Charles Oliveira, the UFC’s miracle man Miami Heat mascot hospitalised after Conor McGregor punch Vettori vs Cannonier and full UFC Fight Night card this weekend What time does Vettori vs Cannonier start in UK and US this weekend? Conor McGregor’s team fall to 0-3 on The Ultimate Fighter

West Ham United stars will be hoping to write their names into club history on Wednesday, when they face Fiorentina in the Europa Conference League final. The likes of Declan Rice and Michail Antonio are aiming for the first major trophies of their careers, while as a club the Hammers are hoping to end over four decades of waiting to see silverware lifted with their ribbon colours attached. Fiorentina finished in the top half of Serie A this season so will present a huge test - West Ham came 14th in England - but La Viola have themselves gone more than 20 years without a big trophy too. In Prague, one of those clubs will end their long waits and their fans will have a celebration for the ages; the other will be left to wonder what might have been, and have to get ready to do it all again next year. Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the final. When is the match? The final kicks off at 8pm (UK) on Wednesday 7 June. Where can I watch it? The match will be shown live on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport Ultimate. It can also be streamed on the BT Sport website, BT Sport app and BT Sport YouTube channel. What is the team news? Gianluca Scamacca misses the final after having knee surgery but otherwise, the Hammers should have a full squad to choose from. For Fiorentina, it’s goalkeeper Salvatore Sirigu who will miss out, while Nicolas Gonzalez needs a late check to see if he can start. What are the predicted lineups WHU - Areola, Kehrer, Aguerd, Zouma, Cresswell, Rice, Soucek, Bowen, Paqueta, Benrahma, Antonio FIO - Terracciano, Dodo, Martinez, Milenkovic, Biraghi, Amrabat, Mandragora, Ikone, Gonzalez, Bonaventura, Cabral Odds West Ham 37/20 Draw 11/5 Fiorentina 37/20 Prediction The Hammers to bring home a long-awaited trophy. West Ham 2-1 Fiorentina Read More Carlton Cole on West Ham’s final, coaching and surprise sporting ‘love’ David Moyes ready for ‘biggest moment’ of career in first European final West Ham vs Fiorentina predicted line-ups and team news ahead of final Route to the final: How did West Ham reach the Europa Conference League showpiece? Football says goodbye to Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Monday’s sporting social Golf and water parks can help West Ham to European glory, says Thilo Kehrer

Conor McGregor’s team suffered another tough week on the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, as one of the Irishman’s mentees was declared unfit to compete and another was stopped in Round 1. McGregor and Michael Chandler, who are due to fight each other later this year, are coaching opposing teams of athletes on the new season of the UFC television show. In Episode 1, McGregor’s team member Nate Jennerman was knocked out inside eight seconds, and there was more misfortune for the Irishman’s group in Episode 2. In the episode, which aired on Tuesday (6 June), Trevor Wells developed a cold sore and was deemed medically unfit to face Timur Valiev, before Mando Gutierrez was beaten by Cody Gibson in Round 1. Gutierrez was dropped with a clean knee to the chin, before Gibson applied ground and pound to secure a TKO win. McGregor, wearing a cowboy hat given to him by Gutierrez, was visibly frustrated at ringside. “Ah, unlucky, Mando,” the former dual-weight UFC champion said. In a post-fight exchange in the team’s locker room, McGregor, 34, told Gutierrez: “Right here with you, Mando. Here with you, my man. Back to the gym now.” Gutierrez replied, “I just wanted to give my heart,” to which McGregor said: “That’s what you did, man! That’s what you f***ing did, my man!” Gutierrez responded, “Coach, I’m way better than that,” to which McGregor replied, “I know that.” “It was a tough fight, that was,” McGregor later said in an interview. “The flying knee was a good shot. Mando’s a great little fighter. I would’ve liked him to stand his ground more; he was on the float a little bit too much for my liking. We were working on cutting the Octagon in [training].” A tearful Gutierrez, sporting a severely swollen eye, added: “You know, I fought my heart out, and it wasn’t enough. I love this game, sometimes it just don’t love me back. I’ll be back, it is what it is.” All you need to know about season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter can be found at the highlighted link here, and you can read our review of the new documentary McGregor Forever here. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Conor McGregor mentee loses in eight seconds on The Ultimate Fighter How to watch The Ultimate Fighter 31 in the UK McGregor Forever: The problem with the new Conor McGregor documentary

Season 31 of The Ultimate Fighter is under way, as Conor McGregor and Michael Chandler coach opposing teams of competitors on the UFC television show. McGregor and Chandler’s teams consist of up-and-coming mixed martial artists who are bidding for a contract with the UFC, and fighters who have fought in the promotion in the past and are looking to make their way back. Only one fighter will emerge victorious on the show. McGregor has coached on the programme in the past, going up against Urijah Faber in 2015 and winning with his team. That was a rare case of two coaches taking part in the programme but not fighting each other afterwards, and McGregor vs Chandler has been announced for later this year. No date, location or weight class has been confirmed, but both fighters have promised that the bout will go ahead. The first episode of The Ultimate Fighter season 31 aired on Tuesday 30 May in the US, and on Thursday 1 June in the UK. The series will air weekly episodes until the season finale on 15 August. In the US, the programme is airing on ESPN and ESPN+. In the UK, BT Sport is broadcasting the show on TV, as well as on its website and app. Episodes go live at 10pm BST each Thursday. It is worth noting that BT Sport is being rebranded to TNT Sports in July. At the end of Episode 1 of the new season of The Ultimate Fighter, one of McGregor’s mentees was knocked out within eight seconds. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Conor McGregor mentee loses in eight seconds on The Ultimate Fighter Conor McGregor vs Michael Chandler will be ‘over in two rounds’, says Dustin Poirier McGregor Forever: The problem with the new Conor McGregor documentary

Josh Taylor will defend the WBO super-lightweight title in a main-event clash with Teofimo Lopez this weekend, as the boxers square off in New York City. Taylor, 32, previously reigned as undisputed champion in the division, and he retained that status – as well as his unbeaten record – in his most recent fight. That was a controversial decision win against Jack Catterall in February 2022, however, and Taylor vacated two belts and was stripped of another as he pursued a rematch with the Englishman. That fight fell through earlier this year, though, setting up this weekend’s bout between Scotland’s Taylor and American Lopez. Lopez, 25, is a former unified lightweight champion, who won the titles from Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020 before losing them to George Kambosos Jr in 2021. He has since bounced back from that sole professional loss with two straight wins at super-lightweight, however, stopping Pedro Campa in August and controversially outpointing Sandor Martin in December. Now Lopez is moving up a weight class in a bid to become a champion again. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? The fight will take place on Saturday 10 June, at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theatre in New York City. The main card is set to begin at 1am BST on Sunday 11 June (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET). Ring walks for the main event are then due at approximately 4am BST (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET). How can I watch it? In the US, the event will air live on ESPN and ESPN+. In the UK, Sky Sports will broadcast the fights. Sky Sports subscribers can watch the event live on TV, as well as on the broadcaster’s website and Sky Go app. Odds Taylor – 8/13 Lopez – 11/8 Draw – 12/1 Full odds via Betway. Full card (more fights to be confirmed) Josh Taylor (C) vs Teofimo Lopez (WBO super-lightweight title) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings Joe Rogan is right: Tyson Fury has ‘no chance in hell’ against Jon Jones Why is BT Sport being rebranded to TNT Sports? Eurosport merger explained What time does Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez start in UK and US this weekend? How to watch Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez online and on TV this weekend The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings

Josh Taylor has a point to prove when he takes on Teofimo Lopez this weekend, with the WBO super-lightweight title on the line in New York City. Taylor has not fought since February 2022, when he retained the undisputed titles with a controversial decision against Jack Catterall in Glasgow. The unbeaten Scot later vacated two of the belts and was stripped of another as he focused on a rematch with Catterall, which fell through earlier this year. The collapse of that fight led to the announcement of this one, however, with 32-year-old Taylor defending his remaining title against Lopez, a former unified lightweight champion. Lopez, 25, outpointed Vasiliy Lomachenko to win the lightweight belts in 2020, before losing them to George Kambosos Jr in 2021. The American has since bounced back from that sole professional loss with two straight wins at super-lightweight, though, stopping Pedro Campa in August and winning a debated decision against Sandor Martin in December. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? The fight will take place on Saturday 10 June, at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theatre in New York City. The main card is set to begin at 1am BST on Sunday 11 June (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET). Ring walks for the main event are then due at approximately 4am BST (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET). How can I watch it? In the US, the event will air live on ESPN and ESPN+. In the UK, Sky Sports will broadcast the fights. Sky Sports subscribers can watch the event live on TV, as well as on the broadcaster’s website and Sky Go app. Odds Taylor – 8/13 Lopez – 11/8 Draw – 12/1 Full odds via Betway. Full card (more fights to be confirmed) Josh Taylor (C) vs Teofimo Lopez (WBO super-lightweight title) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings Joe Rogan is right: Tyson Fury has ‘no chance in hell’ against Jon Jones Why is BT Sport being rebranded to TNT Sports? Eurosport merger explained Who is fighting on Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez undercard this weekend? What time does Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez start in UK and US this weekend? The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings

Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez are both out to make a statement at the other’s expense this weekend, with each fighter entering New York City on the back of a controversial win. The undefeated Taylor, 32, last fought 15 months ago, when he retained the undisputed super-lightweight titles against Jack Catterall in Glasgow. Most fans and pundits believed that Taylor had been beaten, however, and the Scot later vacated two of his belts and was stripped of another as he pursued a rematch with Catterall. That bout fell through earlier this year, though, leading to this weekend’s main event, in which Taylor defends his remaining title – the WBO belt – against former lightweight champion Lopez. Lopez, 25, took the unified lightweight belts from Vasiliy Lomachenko in 2020, but the American dropped them to George Kambosos Jr in 2021. He has since responded to that sole professional loss with back-to-back wins at super-lightweight, however, stopping Pedro Campa in August and controversially outpointing Sandor Martin in December. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? The fight will take place on Saturday 10 June, at Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theatre in New York City. The main card is set to begin at 1am BST on Sunday 11 June (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET). Ring walks for the main event are then due at approximately 4am BST (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET). How can I watch it? In the US, the event will air live on ESPN and ESPN+. In the UK, Sky Sports will broadcast the fights. Sky Sports subscribers can watch the event live on TV, as well as on the broadcaster’s website and Sky Go app. Odds Taylor – 8/13 Lopez – 11/8 Draw – 12/1 Full odds via Betway. Full card (more fights to be confirmed) Josh Taylor (C) vs Teofimo Lopez (WBO super-lightweight title) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings Joe Rogan is right: Tyson Fury has ‘no chance in hell’ against Jon Jones Why is BT Sport being rebranded to TNT Sports? Eurosport merger explained Who is fighting on Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez undercard this weekend? How to watch Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez online and on TV this weekend The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings