WARRANT ISSUED! GERVONTA DAVIS LOSES WBA TITLE STATUS AS POLICE HUNT BEGINS IN MIAMI
Gervonta Davis is officially "Champion in Recess." Explore the Miami arrest warrant and the WBA's plan for the vacant 135lb title.
Gervonta Davis just lost his WBA lightweight title after police issued an active arrest warrant for domestic violence.
So, is his career over? Not technically. But let's be real, nobody expects to see him fighting again anytime soon.
The Miami Gardens Police say Davis faces charges of battery, false imprisonment, and attempted kidnapping after an alleged attack on his ex-girlfriend, Courtney Rossel, at Tootsies Cabaret back in October. Surveillance video apparently backs up her story, and the cops are working with the U.S. Marshals to find Davis.
People keep calling his future “uncertain” or “in limbo”—not done, but definitely not thriving. If Davis gets arrested and convicted, he’s looking at prison time and probably losing sponsors. That could wipe out the best years of his career. On the other hand, if this case wraps up and he gets his licence back, he could technically return, since the WBA just made him “champion in recess” instead of stripping the title for good.
So who takes his place as WBA lightweight champ? For now, nobody. Davis is still the “champion in recess”. The WBA has made the lightweight belt vacant and plans to keep things rolling by setting up a fight between top contenders for the title. They haven’t announced the matchup yet, but names like Floyd Schofield Jr are already getting thrown around.
Meanwhile, social media is a mess. Some fans are still holding out hope for a comeback, but critics are piling on. Rossel's lawyer says they don’t know where Davis is and plan to serve him their lawsuit as soon as he’s found. A lot of people feel like the WBA should’ve acted sooner, considering Davis’ long history of legal trouble — not just this case, but previous domestic violence accusations and a hit-and-run.
Some folks even think he shouldn’t get to keep the “champion in recess” status at all — just strip him and move on.
At 31, Davis isn’t officially retired, but his boxing future is up in the air. He’s spent more time dealing with legal problems than actually fighting over the last couple of years, and the lightweight division isn’t waiting for him. Big fights are lined up — Shakur Stevenson vs. Teofimo Lopez and Keyshawn Davis vs. Jamaine Ortiz — and Davis’ name, once always in the mix, has basically disappeared from those conversations.
Right now, this latest news just pushes him further out of the spotlight.
NEW ERA: JON JONES EYES MVP JUMP AS UFC RELATIONSHIP HITS BREAKING POINT
Jon Jones hits back at the UFC, demanding his contract be terminated to pursue new opportunities at Most Valuable Promotions.
Jake Paul says he’s ready to promote Jon Jones if Dana White lets him walk away from the UFC.
Jones wanted a spot on the big UFC White House card in June. He hinted that the promotion even reached out about an appearance. Most people thought they’d finally line him up against Alex Pereira, who just moved up to heavyweight, but Pereira’s fighting Cyril Gane instead.
Then Dana White went public, basically saying Jones is done with the UFC and retired from MMA. That didn’t sit well with Jones. He fired back, demanding a release so he could look at other opportunities.
If he gets out of that ironclad contract, Jake Paul’s new MMA project with Most Valuable Promotions is a real option. Paul’s already signed Jones’ long-time rival, Francis Ngannou, who’s set to fight Philipe Lins on their debut card in May. Now, Paul says he’d happily work with Jones too.
At a press conference, Paul put it out there: “Jon, you’re always welcome to come over to MVP. We’ll get it popping, and we’ll get you paid what you deserve.”
Honestly, Paul trying to lure Jones over feels possible, especially since Jones has wanted to fight Ngannou for years. The fight has been teased both inside and outside the UFC, but it has never materialised.
Paul’s clearly gunning to shake up the UFC’s grip on MMA, so who knows, an offer to Jones could be coming soon.
But can Jones actually fight again? Lately, he’s talked about hip problems that have made people doubt his future. He hasn’t fought since defending his title in November 2024 against Stipe Miocic. Still, he says the injury won’t stop him.
On social media, Jones said, “Yeah, I’ve got arthritis in my hip, and it hurts, but that doesn’t mean I can’t fight. So let me get this straight: if I took the lowball offer, my hip would magically be fine, and I’d be on the White House card? That makes no sense. I even got stem cell treatment last week to be ready, and training camp was supposed to start today. I was getting prepared. If the UFC really thinks I’m finished, I’m asking to be released from my contract right now. No more spin, no more games. Thanks to the real fans who get it.”
REVENGE MISSION: EDDIE HEARN SIGNS UFC CHAMP TOM ASPINALL AFTER LOSING CONOR BENN
Eddie Hearn strikes back: Read about Tom Aspinall signing with Matchroom, Conor Benn’s $15M Zuffa deal, and the Dana White rivalry.
Dana White, the boss at UFC and the man behind Zuffa Boxing, just snagged Conor Benn away from Eddie Hearn. Although if we’re being honest, Benn did a lot of the heavy lifting himself with that $15 million price tag.
White was quick to celebrate, maybe a little too loudly, especially on the UFC side, but Hearn didn’t let him have the spotlight for long. Not even a week later, Hearn fired back by announcing he’d signed UFC heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall to the Matchroom Talent Agency.
This back-and-forth between Hearn and White is turning into one of the more interesting rivalries in combat sports right now.
Zuffa Boxing’s move to grab Benn for a one-fight, $15 million deal definitely made waves. Benn, after all, spent ten years fighting under Hearn’s banner before jumping ship. Hearn hasn’t been shy about how much the move stings, especially since he’s been trading barbs with White nonstop.
But Hearn’s not just sitting around feeling sorry for himself. He went public on Instagram, welcoming Aspinall to the Matchroom squad. “Welcome to the team, UFC Heavyweight Champ @tomaspinallofficial,” Hearn posted. “Time to get what’s yours @matchroomtalentagency.”
It’s just the latest shot in their ongoing feud. White’s been out there calling Hearn soft for getting emotional about Benn leaving. Hearn, never one to back down, fired back in an interview, saying White doesn’t care about his fighters at all.
“I hear people’s comments, like Dana White calling me names and Terence Crawford asking if I actually care about these guys,” Hearn said. “I’m not saying I’m perfect, but we’re not like Dana White and his crew. They don’t give a damn about the fighters.
“Have you ever seen Dana White show any emotion when someone wins? He just hands over the belt, does a press conference, then heads home to his mansion with a cigar and a glass of whisky, thinking, ‘Life is sweet; we just made $800 million this year.’”
So what do you think about Tom Aspinall teaming up with Hearn’s agency? Is this a good move for Aspinall, or is it going to cause problems down the line? Let’s hear your thoughts.
