Deron Williams, Frank Gore to meet in Dec. 18 boxing match

Former NBA point guard Deron Williams and longtime NFL running back Frank Gore will meet in a boxing match Dec. 18 on the Jake Paul-Tommy Fury undercard in Tampa, Showtime announced Tuesday.

It was announced last week that Williams would compete at the event. Gore was reported as a potential opponent.

The fight will be contested at 215 pounds and consist of four three-minute rounds, according to MMA reporter Ariel Helwani. It'll be sanctioned as a professional bout and will kick off the pay-per-view portion of the card.

Williams, a three-time NBA All-Star with the Utah Jazz and Brooklyn Nets, has trained in mixed martial arts and boxing for years. He owns a stake in Fortis MMA, a top MMA gym located in Dallas.

The 37-year-old also played with the Dallas Mavericks and Cleveland Cavaliers before retiring from basketball in 2017.

Gore, 38, told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport in September that he'd recently been training in boxing and was trying to schedule a fight. He's a five-time Pro Bowler who spent 16 years in the NFL, most of which came with the San Francisco 49ers. He ranks third all time in rushing yards with 16,000. Gore most recently played in 2020 with the New York Jets.

The Dec. 18 event will be headlined by an eight-round bout between Paul and Fury. Paul is an internet celebrity who began boxing in 2020, while Fury is an up-and-coming boxer with seven pro bouts. He's also the half-brother of heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The fight will air on Showtime pay-per-view.

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