To say Leo Santa Cruz was comfortable in Belfast yesterday may be misleading, but the Mexican former three-weight world champion was certainly taking comfort from personal events away from the hype that goes with prize-fighting.

New location, same old Conor McGregor. The self-anointed king of combat sports hit New York City last night with all of the trademark ferocity and farce we have come to expect, turning the final pre-fight press conference for UFC 205 into an off-Broadway pantomime.

Tuesday’s Wall Street Journal had him pride of place in their sports section, a stirring image spread across five columns of the topless Irishman screaming to his adoring masses.

Chaos erupted at the MGM Grand last night as a pre-fight press conference ahead of Conor McGregor’s UFC 202 rematch with Nate Diaz descended first into farce and then threatened to descend into a full-on riot.

The shocking death of 28-year-old Portuguese MMA fighter Joao Carvalho last Monday following a bout in Dublin has thrown Ireland’s lack of regulation of mixed martial arts firmly into the spotlight, writes Joe Callaghan

Jean-Baptiste Seckler is from France, a country that until September had never hosted a commissioned mixed martial arts event. The Ultimate Fighting Championship has yet to brought bring its all-swinging, all-dancing, seemingly all-conquering circus to French shores.

Good morning. Here’s everything you need to know before you start your day.

What next? After this, truly a night of nights... what next? Well, Motley Crue actually. And then Michael Bublé’s New Year’s Hangover Party.

It might have only lasted 13 seconds but the reaction to Conor McGregor brutally knocking out José Aldo went around the world for hours.

Avenida Atlântica might just be the most picturesque thoroughfare on the planet. It’s only four kilometres long so the best way to appreciate the majesty of it all is to just get out and walk it.

UFC teen sensation Sage Northcutt has backed Conor McGregor to beat Jose Aldo in their much anticipated title fight on December 12. 

On December 12th, two of UFC’s most feared fighters will finally lock horns in one of the most anticipated clashes of the year, if not in UFC history. Aldo and McGregor will battle it out for UFC featherweight championship title on the biggest stage, the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Carl Froch has revealed he is training every day because he remains open to offers for a comeback.

For many observers it’s simply not a sport and will never be considered one, no matter how much more popular it gets with each passing year. 

In a city where standing out from the crowd is the surest-fire way to survive, he’d get lost in a phone box. But contrary to the goading trash talk of his opposite number, that has nothing to do with his height. Chad Mendes is just simply not the stander-outer type. He’s a blender-iner.

It has been a hectic afternoon at the Palms Casino for Catherine Costigan.

Stepping out of the sliding doors of McCarran International Airport into a July mid-afternoon on the fringe of the desert is not the most settling of experiences.

On several occasions last week, I listened to avid sports fans agonising over how they would watch the so-called ‘Fight of the Century’ between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.

Floyd Mayweather has declared “the time is now” as the gaze of the sporting world turns to Las Vegas for a seismic showdown with Manny Pacquiao that will end five years of disillusion.

Boxing’s back off the canvass with the billion dollar fight of the century — and that’s bad news for the upstart UFC bidding to muscle in on the money.

Floyd Mayweather will view his success in providing financial security for his family as a greater achievement than retiring undefeated.

Floyd Mayweather Sr remembers the moment he discovered his son had a feel for the family business.

The most anticipated fight in recent years is now confirmed as Manny Pacquiao will meet Floyd Mayweather Jr on May 2 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Floyd Mayweather won his rematch with Argentinian slugger Marcos Maidana on a unanimous decision in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

Floyd Mayweather has challenged Amir Khan to beat Adrien Broner on the undercard of his bout with Marcos Maidana on May 3 in order to earn a fight with the pound-for-pound king.

WOW. It’s a small word with a big impact, and one used unsparingly in Vegas.

Mayweather turned one of the richest fights of all time into just another $41.5m (€31.2m) payday Saturday night, dominating Alvarez from the opening bell and winning a majority decision in a masterful performance that left no doubt who the best fighter of his era is.

He’d won over the judges but Danny O’Connor’s face and entire demeanour seemed more like a swollen tribute to some sort of courageous defeat.

Matthew Macklin felt the full force of Gennady Golovkin’s power on Saturday night when the undefeated middleweight retained his WBA and IBO titles with a devastating third-round stoppage.

Floyd Mayweather has confirmed he will put his unbeaten record on the line in a light-middleweight unification world title fight against Saul ’Canelo’ Alvarez later this year.

On the Camino Romantico ... in Spain

Manny Pacquiao admitted Juan Manuel Marquez deserved his victory in the pair’s fourth fight, at the MGM Grand last night.

Despite the lofty reputation of Irish boxing wherever there happens to be a ring and a bell, if undefeated Tallaght featherweight Patrick ‘The Punisher’ Hyland wins in Las Vegas on Saturday night, he would join a small and exclusive club of world champions.

A red-faced Prince Harry flew home to Britain after embarrassing pictures of him and a young woman naked in a hotel room were published on the internet.

Mike Tyson wants his next knockout to be on Broadway.

Timothy Bradley promised to shock, though the biggest shock in his fight with Manny Pacquiao came from the judges’ scorecards.

Boxing found itself mired in controversy again today following fierce criticism of the decision to award Timothy Bradley a controversial split decision victory over hot favourite Manny Pacquiao at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand last night.

The British Boxing Board of Control have withdrawn Dereck Chisora’s licence following his behaviour in Munich last month, deeming him “not a fit and proper person” to hold one.

Madonna has announced her 2012 World Tour. It includes a July 24 date in Dublin's Aviva Stadium.

Floyd Mayweather will step back up in weight to challenge Miguel Cotto for his WBA light-middleweight title on May 5 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, his promoters have confirmed.

Manny Pacquiao has confirmed he is keen to face Floyd Mayweather as their long-awaited contest moves closer to becoming a reality.