BOSTON: Dominick Cruz regained the UFC bantamweight title Sunday night, outpointing T.J. Dillashaw by split decision at the TD Garden.
Cruz (21-1) received winning scores of 48-47 and 49-46, and the other judge scored the five-round bout 49-46 for Dillashaw (13-3).
Forced to relinquish the title because of a series of knee injuries, Cruz fought for the first time since 2014 and the second time since 2011. Dillashaw was making his third title defense.
“There’s no such thing as rust,” said Cruz, from San Diego. “Rust is only something you get when you don’t train hard. I’ve seen fighters do what T.J. does, but he’s faster.”
Cruz took down Dillashaw, from Denver, in each of the first four rounds and used his footwork to control the distance for most of the fight.
“I’m very disappointed,” Dillashaw said. “I felt like I was the aggressor and landed the bigger shots. I’m not a fan of his antics, but congratulations to him.”
Cruz took down Dillashaw once in the first round, grabbing a leg while Dillashaw was throwing a kick. Toward the end of the round, Cruz fought off a takedown attempt from Dillashaw.
Cruz used his foot speed in the second round, moving in and out of range to land punches. In the final minute of the round, he downed Dillashaw twice with double leg shots.
Dillashaw landed two kicks to the head in the third, opening cuts on Cruz’s lips and next to his left eye. Cruz still stayed out of range for most of the round and scored another double-leg takedown.
Dillashaw sustained a cut along the left eye in the fourth, but scored his first takedown of the fight, slipping behind Cruz and forcing him to the mat.
In the fifth, Cruz kept circling. Late in the round, Dillashaw landed a knee to the midsection.
In the co-main event, Eddie Alvarez outpointed former lightweight champion Anthony Pettis in a three-round fight. All three judges scored it 29-28, two for Alvarez (27-4) and one for Pettis (18-4).
Both fighters spent the entire second round on their feet with Pettis defending two takedown attempts. In the first, Alvarez took down Pettis twice, once with a double leg and once with an inside triple.
Bleeding from his nose in the third, Alvarez took down Pettis three times.
Also on the main card, heavyweight Travis Browne stopped former NFL player Matt Mitrione in the third round, and lightweight Francisco Trinaldo won a three-round unanimous decision over Ross Pearson.
Browne improved to 18-3-1, and Mitrione dropped to 9-5.
Trinaldo improved to 17-4, and Pearson fell to 20-10 with one no-contest.
Cruz regains UFC bantamweight title, outpointing Dillashaw
Cruz regains UFC bantamweight title, outpointing Dillashaw
Saudi fighter Al-Qahtani faces Morocco’s Bendaoud as PFL tournament makes MENA debut
- Iraq’s Ali Taleb faces Jordanian Nawras Abzakh in the bantamweight division co-main event
- The first of four PFL MENA Season events takes place in Riyadh
Riyadh: Abdullah “The Reaper” Al-Qahtani headlines the fight card when the Professional Fighters League stages its first PFL MENA event in Riyadh on May 10.
The capital hosts the opening instalment of a four-event sport-season format featuring the region’s top fighters in a groundbreaking initiative with SRJ Sports Investments.
The action at the Green Halls in Riyadh will feature fights in the featherweight and bantamweight divisions, with the best Middle Eastern and North African fighters competing in a PFL playoff win-and-advance format.
Al-Qahtani takes on Morocco’s Taha Bendaoud in a featherweight bout, while the co-main event features Iraqi fighter Ali Taleb, who will meet Jordan’s Nawras Abzakh in a bantamweight showdown.
PFL MENA Fight Card
Featherweight main event: Abdullah Al-Qahtani vs. Taha Bendaoud
Bantamweight co-main event: Ali Taleb vs. Nawras Abzakh
Bantamweight: Xavier Alaoui vs. Rachid El-Hazoume
Featherweight: Islam Reda vs. Adam Meskini
Bantamweight: Tariq Ismail vs. Jalal Al-Daaja
Bantamweight: Elias Boudegzdame vs. Hassan Mandour
Amateur female atomweight: Hattan Alsaif vs. Nada Faheem
Featherweight: Maraoune Bellagouit vs. Motaz Askar
Featherweight: Ahmed Tarek vs. Abdelrahman Alhyasat
Showcase featherweight: Mido Mohammed vs. Yazeed Hasanain
Showcase flyweight: Malik Basahel vs. Harsh Pandya
Rejuvenated Amir back for ‘unfinished work’ at T20 World Cup
- Amir was selected at the age of 15 by none other than great left-armer Wasim Akram at a fast-bowling camp
- He says his short-term goal is to win World Cup, adds it’s hard to describe the feeling of playing for Pakistan
KARACHI: Rejuvenated fast bowler Mohammad Amir said he has “unfinished work” at next month’s T20 World Cup, 15 years after dazzling as a teenager when Pakistan last lifted the trophy.
The 32-year-old, who was jailed for spot-fixing in 2011, came out of retirement last month and is grateful to have another crack at the World Cup.
“It’s a great feeling to be playing for Pakistan again,” Amir told AFP by phone from Lahore this week ahead of the tournament in the United States and the West Indies beginning on June 2.
“I want to complete the unfinished work and, for me, the short-term goal is to win the World Cup.”
The young Amir impressed in all formats after breaking into the Pakistan side in 2009 and playing at the T20 World Cup.
Within a year he was one of the hottest young talents in cricket, but his precocious career then crashed to an infamous halt in 2010.
Amir was one of three Pakistan players banned from cricket for five years for spot-fixing during a Test match in England after being caught in a newspaper sting. He was later jailed in the UK for six months.
Pakistan captain Salman Butt, who was deemed the ringleader, and fellow quick bowler Mohammad Asif were also banned and the pair were jailed for 30 and 12 months respectively.
Amir returned after his ban to play for Pakistan in 2016 but announced a shock retirement in December 2020 after poor form kept him from being selected.
He will form a potent pace bowling attack with spearhead Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Haris Rauf that sees Pakistan ranked among the World Cup favorites.
“The Pakistan Cricket Board and the team management have shown trust in me so I have to fulfil that trust,” said Amir.
“I have come back after four years and when you play for your country the feeling cannot be described.”
Amir played three of the four T20 home matches against New Zealand last month, taking three wickets in a 2-2 drawn series, and said he felt part of the attack again.
“To be honest I felt fitter than in 2019 and until you are fit you cannot express yourself, so I am ready to do better and better,” said Amir.
He will be in action when Pakistan travel to Ireland for three T20s in Dublin on May 10, 12 and 14.
Pakistan then move to England to play the defending T20 world champions in Leeds (May 22), Birmingham (May 25), Cardiff (May 28) and London (May 30).
Brought up in Changa Bangial village in Punjab province, some 60 kilometers from the capital Islamabad, Amir was determined to make his name in cricket after his five older brothers introduced him to playing.
He was picked out at the age of 15 by none other than great left-armer Wasim Akram at a fast-bowling camp and within two years grew in height and overcame a stress fracture of the back.
Amir said now he only wanted to remember the good events in his career.
“The 2009 Twenty20 World Cup winning memories are special and excite me to this day,” said Amir, who took six wickets in seven matches in the tournament.
They included the prize dismissal of Sri Lanka opener Tillakaratne Dilshan — the player of the tournament — in Pakistan’s eight-wicket final victory.
“I was selected for the first time and then became part of a champion team.
“When I landed (back) at Rawalpindi airport to go to my village there were so many cars and they were showering flowers on me,” he recalled.
“I am lucky that I am still playing. When I came, I was the youngest in the team, so here I am having another chance to win the World Cup and that is the target for me and my team.”
Hero Malcom assists and scores as Hilal edge closer to SPL title
- The Brazilian played starring role in the 2-1 Saudi Classico win against Al-Ahli in Jeddah
JEDDAH: Brazilian star Malcolm was the hero for Al-Hilal on Monday night when he managed an assist and a decisive goal in their 2-1 win over Al-Ahli in the latest Saudi Classico in Jeddah.
The match had been postponed from the 28th round of the Saudi Pro League due to Al-Hilal’s AFC Champions League commitments.
Malcolm set up Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic for the equalizer on 52 minutes after Saudi international Firas Al-Buraikan had given Al-Ahli the lead on the half-hour mark at King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
Malcom then brought Al-Hilal within touching distance of a record-extending 19th league title by scoring the winner in the 89th minute.
Al-Hilal signed Malcom on a four-year contract from Zenit St. Petersburg last summer. And with five matches remaining until the end of his first season, he has scored 22 goals for the club, 14 of which have come in the SPL.
Thailand retain Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship title in Abu Dhabi
- UAE fighters Hazza Farhan, Saeed Alkubaisi and Shamma Al-Kalbani also struck gold Sunday
ABU DHABI: Thailand has successfully defended their crown at the eighth Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship in Zayed Sports City with 13 gold medals in several disciplines.
In the adult division on Sunday, the UAE continued their dominance by securing the title for the fourth consecutive year.
On the final day of the adult competition, the UAE Jiu-Jitsu National Team delivered a stellar performance, adding seven more medals to their tally. They won a total of 18 medals, including six gold, seven silver, and five bronze.
Hazza Farhan (over 94 kg), Saeed Alkubaisi (85 kg) and Shamma Al-Kalbani (63 kg) secured gold for the hosts, while Faraj Alawlaqi (85 kg), Bashayer Almatrooshi (63 kg) and Abdullah Alkubaisi (94 kg) claimed silver medals. Ammar Al-Hosani (94 kg) won a bronze medal.
Thailand’s outstanding performance enabled them to retain their title, earning 13 gold, seven silver, and seven bronze medals across various disciplines including Duo-Classic, Show, Jiu-Jitsu, and Jiu-Jitsu Fighting. Kazakhstan secured second place with 46 medals, including 12 gold, 18 silver, and 16 bronze.
Despite competing only in the Jiu-Jitsu discipline, the UAE team earned a commendable third-place finish overall.
The championship, held under the patronage of Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al-Nahyan, crown prince of Abu Dhabi and chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Council, will run until May 8.
The UAE Jiu-Jitsu Federation’s Vice Chairman Mohamed Salem Al-Dhaheri praised the national team.
“The Jiu-Jitsu National Team’s victory in the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship underscores the dedication and sacrifices of our athletes and technical staff across all levels over the past weeks,” he said in a statement on Tuesday. “Their exceptional performance throughout the three days of competition culminated in another title win, reaffirming their continental dominance over the strongest Asian teams.”
Chanchai Suksuwan, president of the Jiu-Jitsu Association of Thailand, expressed his satisfaction with his team’s performance.
“Our team has been performing incredibly well. This is all the work we have done over the last few years to promote the sport and athletes in our country, which has brought the desired results. We have high hopes for the youth competitions as well.”
“Jiu-jitsu is getting bigger and bigger every year in Thailand, which has hosted some of the major events such as the previous edition of the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship as well as the Thailand Jiu-Jitsu Grand Prix. We are working closely with the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Union and the Jiu-Jitsu International Federation to bring more events to our country.”
Falah Alansery, coach of the Iraqi national youth jiu-jitsu team, expressed his satisfaction with their participation.
“The Iraqi Jiu-Jitsu Federation is dedicated to promoting the sport within our country, and we have adopted a comprehensive approach to its advancement over the coming years. Our primary focus is on establishing National Teams across different age groups capable of competing on both continental and international stages.”
Hazza Farhan, who scooped gold for the UAE in the Adults Jiu-Jitsu Male over-94 kg category, said: “It’s truly an indescribable feeling to witness our relentless hard work culminate in success. I dedicate this medal to the wise leadership of the UAE, our fans, our dedicated technical staff, and our supportive colleagues.”
Shamma Al-Kalbani who bagged gold in the Adults Jiu-Jitsu Female 63 kg category, added: “We exerted additional effort during training to prepare ourselves to adapt to the conditions of the competition and smoothly transition between offensive and defensive techniques. These techniques have proved invaluable during the competition. This is a moment I will cherish for a long time.”
Phung Thi Hue of Vietnam, who secured gold in the Adults Jiu-Jitsu Fighting Female 45 kg category, said: “Winning gold at the Jiu-Jitsu Asian Championship is an honor and a significant achievement that will be remembered for years to come. This championship sets global standards for excellence, and I am glad I could be a part of it and win a medal.”
Timberwolves maul Nuggets, Brunson fires Knicks over Pacers
- Remarkably, Minnesota’s dominance was achieved without Rudy Gobert, the Frenchman who is one of the defensive pillars of the Timberwolves lineup
- Knicks talisman Brunson finished with 43 points, six rebounds and six assists to give New York the early advantage in their best-of-seven conference semifinal
NEW YORK: The Minnesota Timberwolves produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory on Monday.
The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday.
Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off.
The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to Denver who posted just six steals and five blocks.
Remarkably, Minnesota’s dominance was achieved without Rudy Gobert, the Frenchman who is one of the defensive pillars of the Timberwolves lineup.
Gobert skipped the game in order to be with his partner after the birth of the couple’s son earlier Monday.
“When you don’t got the defensive player of the year, you got to step your game up,” Towns said afterwards.
“We all understood the challenge coming in against the defending champions, a really good team, with some of the best players the game’s ever seen.
“We just wanted to come here and find a way to win the game.”
The normally unflappable Nuggets may also be without star point guard Jamal Murray for Game 3.
Murray was caught on camera hurling a heat pack onto the court in the second quarter, raising the possibility of a suspension when the incident is reviewed by NBA disciplinary chiefs.
That incident was emblematic of the Nuggets’ woes in a game that saw Minnesota in control after they surged into a 28-20 lead at the end of the first quarter.
A disastrous second quarter for Denver saw them outscored 33-15 by Minneapolis, leaving the Timberwolves leading 61-35 at halftime.
Minnesota’s iron-clad defense never looked like surrendering that advantage in the second half and the visitors raced into a 32-point lead early in the third quarter to leave Denver’s Ball Arena in stunned silence.
Denver coach Michael Malone admitted: “We just got beat up in our building and we got embarrassed in front of our fans.
“The good thing is we’re not playing until Friday, so we have a chance to get away and think about what we want to do moving forward,” added Malone.
“I’m not worried about anything other than trying to win Game 3.”
In Monday’s other playoff game, Jalen Brunson had a scintillating fourth quarter as the New York Knicks edged the Indiana Pacers 121-117 in their Eastern Conference opener.
Knicks talisman Brunson finished with 43 points, six rebounds and six assists to give New York the early advantage in their best-of-seven conference semifinal.
But it was his ice-cool performance down the stretch that swept New York to victory in front of 19,812 fans at an electric Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks guard rattled in 21 points in the fourth quarter to complete his fourth straight playoff game with 40 points or more.
Donte DiVincenzo backed Brunson with 25 points while Josh Hart weighed in with a monster performance that included 24 points, 13 rebounds, eight assists, three steals and a block.
Myles Turner led the Pacers with 23 points while Pascal Siakam added 19.
“That’s what you love about Jalen,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said after the win.
“I could go on and on about him, but the thing I love about him is he’s all about the team.
“All he cares about is winning. And he cares about his teammates, and in the end, whatever it is we need, he’ll provide.
“But I think the same could be said for all the guys.”
Brunson was the difference in a pulsating contest that saw neither side gain more than a single-digit advantage across four quarters.
The Pacers opened up a nine-point lead early in the fourth quarter before the Knicks came roaring back to lead 113-109 after Brunson’s step-back jumper with 2min 42sec remaining.
DiVincenzo also came up with a huge clutch play with 40 seconds remaining, nailing a 28-foot three-pointer to put New York 118-115 ahead.
Indiana got back to within one at 118-117 but a harsh offensive foul called against Turner on DiVincenzo with 13 seconds remaining proved decisive.
Game 2 takes place in New York on Wednesday.
