LAS VEGAS: Khabib Nurmagomedov wasn’t about to wait around for a tardy Conor McGregor, who arrived at what was supposed to be their final prefight press conference together to find the UFC lightweight champion already gone.
No worries, they’ll meet soon enough when it really matters for both men.
Nurmagomedov and McGregor ended up answering questions separately Thursday, though it seemed to do little to dampen the excitement about their 155-pound showdown. The two meet Saturday night in what is expected to be the biggest fight in UFC history — a bout might even threaten the pay-per-view sales mark set last year by McGregor when he was stopped in a boxing match by Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Several thousand pro-McGregor fans packed a theater expecting to see a confrontation between two fighters who can’t stand each other. What they got instead were separate appearances, with Nurmagomedov leaving 10 minutes before McGregor — who was nearly a half hour late — arrived.
“I tried to get here, I’m just a couple minutes late,” McGregor said. “He doesn’t want to be around me. He doesn’t want to be around these people. He’s petrified.”
If Nurmagomedov was, he didn’t show it. The Russian champion held court before a crowd that booed him before ending his portion of the press conference 15 minutes into it.
“I have a schedule,” Nurmagomedov said. “I have to make weight. I have to worry about myself. If someone is late, it’s not my problem.”
UFC chief Dana White had to scramble to join Nurmagomedov, who stepped on the stage exactly at the appointed time for the final media event before Friday’s weigh-in. But in a promotion that has largely sold itself, White wasn’t terribly worried that the two fighters didn’t get a chance to confront each other.
Not with thoughts of the biggest UFC pay-per-view in his head.
“I’m not going to say we’re going to do Mayweather-McGregor numbers,” White said of a fight that sold 4.4 million pay-per-views. “But we possibly could do Mayweather-McGregor numbers.”
When McGregor did finally arrive, he was carrying a bottle of his new Irish whiskey along with a message to Nurmagomedov.
“I am coming to put a hole in this man’s skull,” he said.
McGregor is the challenger — and also the underdog — against the unbeaten Nurmagomedov, who won the vacant UFC lightweight title in April against late replacement Al Iaquinta to become the 155-pound champion.
But it is McGregor’s bombastic personality and star power that drives the hype for the fight, much like it did the last time he fought in a boxing ring last August in a knockout loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. He’s the biggest star the UFC has left after Ronda Rousey’s retirement and is being counted on to deliver the biggest UFC card ever.
“It’s good to be back,” said McGregor, who hasn’t fought since losing to Mayweather 14 months ago in a boxing match where he was badly outclassed.
McGregor said he expected to make about $50 million in a pay-per-view event that will likely shatter the previous UFC record of 1.6 million buys and will also make Nurmagomedov his biggest payday ever.
McGregor helped sell the fight before it was even announced, getting charged by New York authorities after throwing a hand truck through a bus window in Brooklyn in April at Nurmagomedov. He has loudly proclaimed he will knock the Russian out, while at the same time promoting at every opportunity the new whiskey he is marketing from his native Ireland.
“At the end of the day when I sign up you’re going to get a fight,” McGregor said. “I am starving for this man’s head. There’s nobody hungrier than me in this game.”
Nurmagomedov, for the most part, has been relatively quiet, despite being insulted by McGregor for everything from his heritage to his friendship with Russian leader Vladimir Putin. But he made it clear he has no love for McGregor or anyone around him.
“I’m a little bit emotional,” said Nurmagomedov, who lives and trains in San Jose. “My job when I go to the cage is to control my emotions. He can say whatever he wants, nobody cares about him.”
McGregor is 2-2 in his last four fights — including the boxing match against Mayweather — and just how big any future paydays will be will largely depend on how he does against Nurmagomedov, the Russian who used to wrestle bears as a youth and who has not lost in 26 MMA fights.
Unlike McGregor, who prefers striking to fighting on the ground, Nurmagomedov is skilled at getting his opponents down and forcing them into submission. That was the tactic Nate Diaz used to upset McGregor in their first fight, though McGregor came back to win a close decision in their second bout.
“I have to be careful with him,” Nurmagomedov said. “He has good timing, good boxing.”
McGregor late, Nurmagomedov not in a mood to wait
McGregor late, Nurmagomedov not in a mood to wait
- He doesn’t want to be around me. He doesn’t want to be around these people. He’s petrified: McGregor
- I am coming to put a hole in this man’s skull: Nurmagomedov
Saudi Smash 2024 set for big final weekend in Jeddah
- Patrick Franziska mounts sensational comeback against world No. 2 Fan Zhendong from China in ‘Match of the Tournament’ contender
- Standfirst 2: 6 of women’s top 10 progress to quarterfinals with India’s Manika Batra beating another top seed
JEDDAH: The top contenders in the Saudi Smash 2024 tournament are starting to emerge after day five saw Germany’s Patrick Franziska steal the show at King Abdullah Sports City with a sensational comeback against the more favored Fan Zhendong of China in the men’s singles.
There are a series of Saudi Smash quarterfinal showdowns locked in for Thursday’s day six after some exceptional matches on day five, which included the conclusion of the mixed doubles semifinals.
Organized by the Saudi Table Tennis Federation and World Table Tennis in collaboration with the Ministry of Sport, Saudi Smash is the newest WTT Grand Smash event and one of three major WTT Series tournaments.
It was a particularly memorable day for Franziska. Down 2-0 following a relentless start from the Chinese second seed in game three, the German world No. 16 stunned his opponent to level the match 2-2.
A back-and-forth battle then commenced in the fifth and final game. With Zhendong 9-10 up and one shot from victory, Franziska reeled off three successive points to take the last 12-10 and seal a first win over his opponent in five years.
“It feels pretty amazing to get through. Fan crushed me the last time we played and I didn’t have much chance against him,” Franziska said. “He was well-prepared heading into today and was very powerful in the first two sets — his forehand was destroying me. But in the end, I played more aggressively and kept going. That’s the thing against the top Chinese players; you always have to believe, keep fighting, and take your chance when it comes.”
There were 26 matches on day five across all sub-events as world No. 1 Wang Chuqin remained on course for back-to-back Grand Smash titles by booking his place in the men’s singles quarterfinals.
Competition is intense for the men’s singles championship with French fifth seed Felix Lebron and Germany’s Dang Qiu amongst those in flying form.
There are also some big encounters in the women’s singles with six of the world’s top 10 players featuring in Thursday’s day six quarterfinals. Among those in contention are China’s Sun Yingsha, Wang Yidi and Chen Meng, as well as Japan’s Hina Hayata, Miwa Harimoto and Mima Ito.
World No. 10 Ito reached the quarterfinals after her showdown with fellow Japanese star and 23 seed Miyuu Kihara.
Speaking after the most eagerly anticipated last-16 match in the women’s singles, Ito revealed: “I’ve been playing with Miyuu for years although it’s been a long time since we played against each other. We were both nervous out there because it was a big match and we know one another so well. For me, my decision-making at key moments led to winning points. It was a hard match, but I was able to calm myself down and make it through. I’m looking forward to the next round and I believe I’m getting stronger and stronger.”
India’s Manika Batra also continued her sensational Saudi Smash run on Wednesday. Having knocked out the women’s world No. 2 and reigning Singapore Smash champion on Monday, she continued her blistering form with a 3-0 win against German 14th seed Nina Mittelham to reach the last eight.
“I’m really proud that I played my best after beating Wang Manyu in the previous round,” said Batra, who had never won a WTT Grand Smash match until Saudi Smash. “That match was really important for me and I was so elated afterwards that I really had to ground myself and regain full focus. The experience I’ve built so far in this tournament allowed me to produce once again today. Everything is going so well. I love this country and I’m so grateful for the support I’ve received.”
Wang Chuqin and Sun Yingsha sealed their place in the mixed doubles final with a 3-0 win against Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto and Hina Hayata. They face China’s Wong Chun Ting and Doo Hoi Kem in Thursday’s final — the first of five finals across the weekend schedule.
Jalen Brunson returns from foot injury, sparks Knicks past Pacers for 2-0 lead in East semifinals
- Brunson fell short of becoming the second player in NBA history to score 40 or more points in five straight playoff games
- The Knicks paid tribute to Reed’s return, one of the most memorable moments in NBA and Madison Square Garden history, during the first quarter
NEW YORK: Jalen Brunson left the locker room on an injured leg, walked onto the court and sent the Madison Square Garden crowd into a frenzy, just as Willis Reed had exactly 54 years earlier.
As the roars turned into “MVP! MVP!” chants, Brunson tried to block out the pain in his body and the noise all around him as he warmed up at halftime.
“It was really cool to hear, but I just knew that I had to get my mind in the right place to figure out how I was going to attack the second half,” Brunson said.
He shook off his right foot injury to score 24 of his 29 points in the final two quarters, leading the New York Knicks to a 130-121 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night for a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
On the anniversary of Reed’s dramatic emergence from the locker room before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals to lead the Knicks to their first title, Brunson had missed the entire second quarter while the Pacers surged ahead to a double-figure lead.
Reed’s teammates have said they didn’t know if he would play that night. Brunson’s had no doubt.
“I mean, he’s a warrior. That’s all I got,” Donte DiVincenzo said. “There was no doubt in my mind that he’ll be back. All season long, no matter what is thrown at him, injury bug or whatever, he always bounces back. And we knew the severity of the game and everything, so we knew, everybody had confidence he was coming back.”
Brunson fell short of becoming the second player in NBA history to score 40 or more points in five straight playoff games, but he gave the Knicks everything they needed to move halfway to their first Eastern Conference finals appearance since 2000.
“He’s a great leader, so I think the players all have respect for that, when a guy goes out and is willing to give whatever he has, and so that says a lot about him,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said.
OG Anunoby added a career playoff-high 28 points before leaving with a left hamstring injury in the third quarter for the injury-riddled Knicks, who have already lost three key players to season-ending injuries.
But they got Brunson back and received huge efforts again from his two Villanova teammates. DiVincenzo scored 28 points and Josh Hart had 19 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists for the No. 2-seeded Knicks.
Tyrese Haliburton rebounded from a poor Game 1 with 34 points, nine assists and six rebounds for the Pacers, who finished the game without coach Rick Carlisle after he got two technical fouls and was ejected.
“Small-market teams deserve an equal shot,” Carlisle said during a postgame complaint about the officiating. “They deserve a fair shot no matter where they are playing.”
The series moves to Indiana for Game 3 on Friday and Game 4 on Sunday.
Former Knicks forward Obi Toppin added 20 points in another strong effort by Indiana’s reserves, but the Pacers hurt themselves by shooting just 10 for 17 (59 percent) from the free throw line.
Knicks fans profanely jeered Pacers Hall of Famer Reggie Miller, an enemy from the heated 1990s era of this playoff rivalry who was calling the game as part of TNT’s crew, during a delirious finish to what had been a nervous first half, when Brunson was missing for the entire second quarter.
He had made a 3-pointer for a 24-13 lead in the first quarter, giving the Knicks 10 baskets in their first 14 shots in a blistering start. But after Toppin made one for the Pacers on the other end, Brunson began waving to the bench for a substitution as he ran down the court on offense. That was early in an 11-0 run by Indiana to tie it, and it was tied again at 36 after Toppin made three free throws with 0.3 seconds remaining.
The Pacers then made 15 of 22 shots in the second quarter in Brunson’s absence, outscoring the Knicks 37-27 to take a 73-63 lead.
Brunson would only say he felt some discomfort and that once he warmed up, he knew he was going back into the game.
“I had a decision to make and I made a decision,” Brunson said.
Indiana’s lead was 79-70 before the Knicks stormed ahead with a 14-0 run, with Brunson contributing a three-point play during it as New York went ahead 84-79.
Anunoby was hurt soon after, appearing to injure his hamstring while trying to finish a fast-break layup, but Brunson guided the Knicks through the finish with 14 points in the fourth quarter.
With All-Star Julius Randle gone to shoulder surgery and key reserves Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic lost in the playoffs, the Knicks have been relying on their starters to play major minutes — all 48 of them for Hart in both games of the series.
So they can’t afford to play without Brunson, who finished fifth in the voting for MVP that Nikola Jokic won Wednesday.
He had joined Jerry West, Michael Jordan and Bernard King as the only players with at least four straight 40-point games in the playoffs, and came in as the leading scorer in the postseason with 36.6 points per game.
Brunson ended up getting fairly close to that despite playing only 32 minutes, saying afterward that teammates were teasing him with Reed jokes.
Isaiah Hartenstein finished with 14 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists for the Knicks, forced to play 39 minutes after the Knicks announced Tuesday that Robinson would miss at least six weeks with a stress injury to his left ankle.
The Knicks paid tribute to Reed’s return, one of the most memorable moments in NBA and Madison Square Garden history, during the first quarter. His No. 19 jersey, hanging in the rafters, was spotlighted, and Hall of Fame teammate Walt Frazier came onto the court for an ovation.
Spanish judge confirms Rubiales will stand trial for kiss on player after Women’s World Cup final
- The judge in January found sufficient evidence to also believe Rubiales also unsuccessfully pressured Hermoso to appear in a video he produced and published while public outroar grew against him
- A trial date has not been set
MADRID: Former Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales will stand trial on charges of sexual assault and coercion for kissing forward Jenni Hermoso without her consent after last year’s Women’s World Cup final, a Spanish judge confirmed Wednesday.
Judge Francisco de Jorge had ruled in January that Rubiales’ kiss was “unconsented and carried out unilaterally and in a surprising fashion.” Spanish news agency EFE reported that he has confirmed the charges.
Prosecutors seek a prison sentence of two and a half years for Rubiales for the alleged sexual assault and for allegedly trying to coerce Hermoso to publicly support him amid the public backlash following the World Cup decider in Sydney.
The judge also ruled that former Spain coach Jorge Vilda, the sports director of Spain’s men’s team, Albert Luque, and the federation’s former head of marketing, Ruben Rivera, will also stand trial for trying to pressure Hermoso, EFE said.
The judge in January found sufficient evidence to also believe Rubiales also unsuccessfully pressured Hermoso to appear in a video he produced and published while public outroar grew against him.
A trial date has not been set.
FIFA banned Rubiales for three years until after the men’s 2026 World Cup. His ban will expire before the next women’s tournament in 2027. Spain’s sports authority also ruled him unfit to hold a post in sports management for three years.
Olympic torch begins journey across France after festive welcome in Marseille before Summer Games
- French Olympic swimmer Florent Manaudou became the first torch carrier in France after the Olympic flame arrived in Marseille’s Old Port
- Marseille’s Mayor Benoit Payan said that more than 230,000 people attended Wednesday’s ceremony
MARSEILLE, France: Tens of thousands of people welcomed the Olympic torch Wednesday in the southern French city of Marseille, marking another milestone in the leadup to the Summer Games in Paris.
French Olympic swimmer Florent Manaudou became the first torch carrier in France after the Olympic flame arrived in Marseille’s Old Port on a majestic three-mast ship from Greece for the welcoming ceremony amid tight security.
The ship sailed into Marseille’s old port with the French national anthem “La Marseillaise” echoing from the embankment and a French Air force flyover with planes first drawing the five Olympic rings and then the red-blue-white colors of the nation’s flag.
The ship docked on a pontoon resembling an athletics track and Manaudou carried the torch to mainland France. He handed it to French Paralympic sprinter Nantenin Keita, who won a gold medal at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, to carry it to rapper Jul, a Marseille native, who lit a cauldron as tens of thousands cheered on the shore and thousands of others waved from balconies and windows.
“We can be proud,” said President Emmanuel Macron, who attended the ceremony to welcome the torch.
“The flame is on French soil,” Macron said. “The games are coming to France and are entering the lives of the French people.”
Marseille’s Mayor Benoit Payan said that more than 230,000 people attended Wednesday’s ceremony.
“Tonight, the people of Marseille won the first gold medal of these Olympic Games,” Payan said, beaming with pride.
The torch was lit in Greece last month before it was officially handed to France. It left Athens aboard a ship named Belem, which was first used in 1896, and spent twelve days at sea.
Paris 2024 Olympics Organizing Committee President Tony Estanguet said the return of the Olympic Games to France was cause for a “fantastic celebration.”
“As a former athlete, I know how important the start of a competition is. That is why we chose Marseille, because it’s definitely one of the cities most in love with sports,” added Estanguet, a former Olympic canoeing star with gold medals from the 2000, 2004 and 2012 Games.
Safety of visitors and residents has been a top priority for authorities in Marseille, France’s second largest city with nearly a million inhabitants. About 8,000 police officers have been deployed around the harbor.
Thousands of firefighters and bomb disposal squads have been positioned around the city along with maritime police and anti-drone teams patrolling the city’s waters and its airspace.
“It’s a monumental day and we have been working hard for visitors and residents of Marseille to enjoy this historical moment,” said Yannick Ohanessian, the city’s deputy mayor.
The torch relay will start on Thursday in Marseille, before heading to Paris through iconic places across the country, from the world-famous Mont Saint-Michel to D-Day landing beaches in Normandy and the Versailles Palace.
Heavy police and military presence was seen patrolling Marseille’s city center Tuesday, as a military helicopter flew over the Old Port, where a range of barriers have been set up.
French Interior Ministry spokesperson Camille Chaize said officials were prepared for security threats including terrorism.
“We’re employing various measures, notably the elite National Gendarmerie Intervention Group unit, which will be present in the torch relay from beginning to end,” she said.
The Olympic cauldron will be lit after the Games’ opening ceremony that will take place on the River Seine on July 26.
The cauldron will be lit at a location in Paris that is being kept top-secret until the day itself. Among reported options are such iconic spots as the Eiffel Tower and the Tuileries Gardens outside the Louvre Museum.
Joselu inspires Real Madrid comeback with ‘heart’ to beat Bayern, reach Champions League final
- Record 14-time winners Madrid produced a sensational comeback with Joselu netting in the 88th and 91st minutes
- Spanish champions Real Madrid face another German side, Borussia Dortmund, in the Wembley final on June 1
MADRID: Real Madrid produced a spectacular comeback with “heart” against Bayern Munich to reach the Champions League final on Wednesday with Joselu striking twice in the dying minutes, earning them a 2-1 win to progress 4-3 on aggregate.
Alphonso Davies smashed the visiting German giants ahead in the second half but record 14-time winners Madrid produced a sensational comeback with Joselu netting in the 88th and 91st minutes.
Spanish champions Real Madrid face another German side, Borussia Dortmund, in the Wembley final on June 1, after they stunned the team they call their “black beast.”
“It’s something magical, there’s no explanation,” said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, revelling in another electric night in the Spanish capital.
Journeyman striker and back-up option Joselu, on as a late substitute, wrote his name in Madrid’s history books with his last-gasp brace, giving Europe’s comeback kings another night to remember.
“(The comeback) was with feeling and with heart, as the coach told us — you have to win games with heart,” said Joselu.
Madrid had enjoyed the better of the match but it seemed Davies’ superb strike had set up a repeat of the 2013 all-German final in London.
Instead Joselu consigned Bayern to a first trophyless season since 2012, his first goal coming after a handling error from Bayern goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who had superbly kept Madrid at bay until that point.
“(Before that) there were world class saves after world class saves, but that can happen, it’s football,” said Bayern defender Matthijs de Ligt.
Bayern coach Thomas Tuchel made three changes from the first leg, benching veteran Thomas Mueller and Leon Goretzka but the hosts dominated the opening stages.
Neuer produced a superb double save to stop Madrid nosing in front, tipping the electric Vinicius Junior’s effort on to the post and then saving Rodrygo’s follow-up.
Bayern’s Serge Gnabry limped off injured with Davies replacing him before England captain Harry Kane’s first flash of danger, but Andriy Lunin pushed his vicious volley around the post.
Neuer palmed away a Vinicius free-kick as the teams ended a high-intensity, relentlessly frantic first half level.
The second period was just as fraught, with Davies’ cross deflecting onto the roof of Lunin’s goal.
Vinicius was unplayable down Madrid’s left and Rodrygo prodded his low cross agonizingly wide of the far post.
The 38-year-old Neuer made superb saves to deny both Brazilian forward again before the hour mark as Madrid ratcheted up the pressure.
However just as in Munich, when Los Blancos were at their strongest, Bayern pounced.
Canada international Davies cut inside from the left and smashed a shot beyond Lunin into the far top corner after 68 minutes.
Madrid thought they had levelled moments later through Nacho but after a VAR review the strike was ruled out as the defender had grabbed Joshua Kimmich’s face before shooting.
Tuchel took off Kane, still chasing the first trophy of his career, in the final stages to try and hold on to victory but it slipped through his fingers as Madrid produced more indelible European memories.
Ancelotti, sacked by Bayern in 2017, has kept Madrid’s squad players engaged and committed to the cause all season and it paid dividends at a crucial time.
Neuer, who had been sublime to this point, fumbled what appeared a simple Vinicius strike and substitute Joselu gratefully bundled home from close range.
“We had one foot in London, we saw ourselves going through to the final,” lamented the goalkeeper.
With Bayern reeling Madrid struck again, decisively. It was Joselu once more, the striker on loan from second-division side Espanyol, turning home after Antonio Rudiger cut the ball back to him.
The goal was ruled offside but officials overturned the decision after review, and after nearly 15 minutes of stoppage time, Madrid earned the chance to go for their 15th Champions League trophy.
“There have been a lot of times we have looked dead and buried, but we have that mentality of never say die,” said Real midfielder Jude Bellingham.
Bayern were left raging at full time after De Ligt netted but play had been stopped beforehand for an offside flag against Noussair Mazraoui.
“I don’t want to say that it’s always the referee’s mistake with Real Madrid, but that made the difference today,” grumbled De Ligt, saying play should have been allowed to continue.
“It’s bitter, completely bitter,” said Tuchel.
