Brit star lays into ring legend KELLER PUNCH
BOXING Brook: Floyd’s cheating our sport with UFC stunt
Tom Hopkinson
KELL BROOK has accused Floyd Mayweather Junior of tarnishing boxing with his constant flirtations with UFC.
The “Money Man” fought Octagon star Conor Mcgregor in a mega-bucks match-up 15 months ago.
And now he is continually hyping up another Queensbury Rules set-to with mixed martial arts stars Khabib Nurmagomedov or Tenshin Nasukawa.
Ruining
Special K, however, is adamant that the cross- pollination of fighters is doing no good for the noble art.
He said: “I don’t think I’d ever fight someone from UFC.
“Floyd has obviously got the name where he can do anything he wants and people will come and watch him.
“But he’s ruining boxing, doing that, he’s cheating the sport. “He’s conning the people. “Him and Conor Mcgregor made money, but he’s a mixed martial arts specialist and that and boxing are completely different sports.”
Brook (below) will face Aussie Michael Zerafa at Sheffield Arena on Saturday in what will be his second outing of the year.
The 32- year- old beat Siarhei Rabchanka, a, of Belarus, at the same me venue in
March and nd he is hoping this is month’s fight is a final nal tune-up for a long- g- awaited battle with th old foe
Amir Khan. n.
Brook and Khan appear to be edging closer to o finally setting a date, with promoter
Eddie
Hearn, whose
Matchroom m stable looks s after both fighters, ghters, revealing last ast month that a date in March or May is being worked rked towards. The two rivals crossed paths at Tony Bellew’s clash with Oleksandr Usyk three weeks ago and told each other they were willing to get it on.
Either way, Brook plans to be busy after finding a new lease of life following his split with former trainer Dominic Ingle to team up with Adam Bailey.
Brook said: “Khan’ Khan’s on my hitlist, but I want to be fighting regularly.
“I want to be figh fighting the best boys, the top boys, the bi big names in America. Amer The fights where – when they get ann announced –e – everyone el else can’t s stop t talking a about it.
“Yes, I rea really want to be i involved nvol v in fights that are on eve everybody’s lips a and keep them coming. I’m born again. I feel brand new. I feel like a teenager again.
“It’s a new start, a new beginning and I’m just excited to see what I’m going to be like.
“I’m hitting my targets with ease and everyone in the team is happy with me.
“I’m just looking forward to performing now in front of my own fans.”
Brook s t e pped up to middleweight to face Gennady Golovkin in 2016, but suffered a crushing defeat.
Belt
And he then lost his IBF World welterweight title to America’s Errol Spence Junior the following year.
However, he has, by no means, given up on the hope of winning another belt.
Brook said: “I have definitely got another world-title fight in me.
“Before, I was talking about maybe having one year left, my heart wasn’t really in it.
“But now I’m actually enjoying watching boxing again and training and I’ve got many years left in me – world titles, big fights.”