Did Renato Moicano just prove he was an Islam Makhachev hater? Well, not really, but his words hinted at the same anyway. His take on the prospective Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena title fight is a rather interesting one. We will see all about that, along with two more interesting updates regarding self-proclaimed Boxing GWOAT Claressa Shields and Tyler Diamond in today’s edition of the Roundup.

Shields seems to be done with MMA, and so does Diamond, but why? The reasons could not be more different. Let’s dive in to see what’s up.

Claressa Shields calls it quits on MMA career

The undefeated boxing megastar, Claressa Shields, with a 16-0 record in her resume, recently sent MMA fans into a frenzy with her retirement news. Shields had decided to cross over to MMA in 2021, and in February 2024, she edged out 2-2 fighter Kelsey DeSantis in what was confirmed to be her last MMA outing.

‘T-Rex’ declared that she does not have enough time to train properly for MMA. The 30-year-old expressed that MMA was ‘too hard’ and therefore decided to officially retire from the sport. “MMA is done, sweetheart,” Shields revealed to Ariel Helwani, “It was fun, but I don’t have enough time to train for it. It takes eight months just to get ready to defend takedowns. I got a lot better and put in the time, I broke my arm twice. It was fun, and I enjoyed every fight I had. My family never wanted me to do it. I did it because I wanted to prove a point, and I proved that point.”

Does this mean she is retiring from combat sports altogether? Not at all. Shields is still ready to box and will return to the ring against IBF light-heavyweight titleholder Lani Daniels on July 26. Thankfully, fans will still be able to witness her boxing prowess even though her time in the cage seems to have ended. On that note, let’s move on to our next news from the cage!

Renato Moicano bets on Islam Makhachev vs. Jack Della Maddalena

WithBelal Muhammad dropping the welterweight belt to Jack Della Maddalena at UFC 315, a prospective Islam Makhachev title clash is leading the fight discussions.  Meanwhile, his former opponent Renato Moicano gave his verdict that the 18-2-0 star might have an upper hand against Makhachev. While speaking to Ariel Helwani, ‘Money’ said, “People are going to say I’m an Islam Makhachev hater, but I think JDM beats him. If I had to put my money on it, it would go on Jack Della Maddalena.”

Moicano has battled against Makhachev before at UFC 311, and he lost via submission inside the very first round. Naturally, he knows how Makahchev fights. As per Home of Fight, Moicano declared, “I think [the betting odds for Makhachev vs. Della Maddalena] should be even. Even though Islam is a good grappler, and he’s big for 155, he’s moving to 170. You never know. I think he needs to take some time to gain weight, to gain power, to gain strength. So, that’s why I think the odds are even, and I think they should be even.”

Besides, Della Maddalena will be enlisting the help of fellow Australian UFC champ Alexander Volkanovski to prepare for the Russian. ‘Volk’ has fought Islam twice and has had the most time in the cage with him. Does that tip the scale in the welterweight champion’s favor? Is Moicano thinking along the same lines? Do you agree with him? Before you answer that, let’s get on to the third news for today.

PFL star Tyler Diamond has decided to retire

Former PFL and The Ultimate Fighter veteran Tyler Diamond has decided to retire from MMA. The 34-year-old’s reason? Fighter pay. He shared the news on Instagram and posted about inadequate payment. He wrote, “More than likely, you’ve seen me compete for the last time. I’m in the prime of my life right now & feel the best I’ve ever been, but I simply don’t have the desire to fight for pennies.”

The 14-4 star having to leave because of lower pay underscores the harsh realities of MMA, especially with the pay scale, which we have seen other UFC fighters complain about as well. There are other promotions like the Oktagon and KSW, but they do not fund American fighters’ travel expenses. We also have Japan’s RIZIN, but it’s hard to break into. So, ultimately, there is not much choice apart from the UFC and maybe BKFC.

So is ‘fighting for pennies’ worth it? Many fighters like Diamond think that it’s not. What is your opinion on this? Let us know your thoughts about the news roundup down below!