Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski branded title challenger Brian Ortega a “f*cking drug cheat” in a heated staredown before the pair meet in their main event at UFC 266 in Las Vegas.
Volkanovski makes the second defense of his 135lbs belt against his American rival at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night, and ahead of the bout the Australian claimed he had only just found out about Ortega’s past ban for taking a prohibited substance.
The 32-year-old champ appears to have only just found out about Ortega’s case despite the pair appearing together as captains of rival teams on the latest edition of reality TV show ‘The Ultimate Fighter’.
In response, Ortega later told ESPN journalist Brett Okamoto that Volkanovski could “come get at me in person, one on one.”
“Where I come from, if you got an issue with me, we f*cking fight, we square up and we do what we want.”
Volkanovski scoffed at that idea, saying: “Don’t think for one minute I wouldn’t fight you in the streets as well. But the beauty of it, we get paid to do it on [Saturday].”
Volkanovski says it’s not a show for cameras #UFC266
The 22-1 Aussie picked up the featherweight strap with a unanimous decision victory over long-time ruler Max Holloway in December 2019, before defending it against the Hawaiian in a split decision win in July of last year.
Volkanovski was dismissive of the threat posed by the “unprofessional” Ortega, whose only defeat in his 17 professional outings came at the hands of Holloway at UFC 231 in December of 2018.
“I’ve said it all week. Unprofessional and weakness, you know what I mean? What upsets me the most is [he’s] unprofessional. I put the hard yards in my whole life, especially in this career. That’s how I got this belt,” said Volkanovski.
“Obviously, showing weakness a few years back popping [for PEDs], producing, that sh*t annoys me. It’s unprofessional and I ain’t about that sh*t.”
Saturday’s co-main event at the T-Mobile Arena also sees a title on the line as women’s flyweight ruler Valentina Shevchenko takes on challenger Lauren Murphy.
Also on the card is the return of fan favorite Nick Diaz to the UFC octagon following an absence of more than six years, as he meets Robbie Lawler in a rematch which comes 17 years after the pair first threw down at UFC 47.
Climber Johanna Farber appears to have removed herself from Instagram after a sexism scandal erupted at the recent World Championships in Moscow when a broadcaster showed close-up shots of the Austrian’s backside.
The International Federation of Sport Climbing (IFSC) was forced to apologize when questionable camerawork lingered on some chalk handprints on Farber’s rear during the women’s boulder event.
“The IFSC condemns the objectification of the human body and will take further action in order for it to stop, and to protect the athletes,” said the organization.
The incident was the second involving the 23-year-old Farber this year, following similar outrage at the World Cup event in Innsbruck back in June.
On that occasion, Farber is said to have lashed out on social media, writing: “Honestly wtf?”
“Having this slow-motion clip shown on NATIONAL TV and YouTube live stream is so disrespectful and upsetting.
“I’m an athlete and here to show my best performance. To be honest I do really feel so embarrassed to know that thousands of people saw this. We need to stop sexualizing women in sports and start to appreciate their performance.”
Farber, who finished 19th in the overall standings in Moscow, now appears to have had enough with Instagram as well, with her account disappearing from the platform in the wake of the latest row.
Farber’s account has been removed, according to Instagram
Images from the climber’s account had already been widely shared around the world before it disappeared, with fans now awaiting an explanation as to the situation.
The fact that Farber found herself in the same situation twice caused double the outrage from figures in the climbing world, including IFSC president Marco Scholaris, who issued a personal message.
“How many times will things have to be done wrong before we learn how to do them right?” Scholaris said.
Those sentiments were echoed by the likes of outraged editor-in-chief of Climbing.com, Natalie Berry.
“While the intentions of the camera operators and editors may not be to sexualize an athlete and instead to focus on a visually interesting chalky handprint, in the context of the sexualization of women in sport throughout history, it’s quite simply inappropriate,” said the former Great Britain climber to Sky News.
On both occasions involving Farber, the livestream of the event was removed from the IFSC’s YouTube channel and edited, before being uploaded again with the controversial sequence removed (from 30:53 in the video below).
Commentator Matt Groom issued an immediate apology on the broadcast during the Moscow event, while co-commentator and fellow climber Hannah Meul criticized the scenes.
“I’m sorry for Johanna. There are so many strong women out there, it’s about our performance in the sport,” said Meul
“I think everyone noticed what happened, and I really want everyone to know that it’s not about something like that.”
Climbing is increasing its profile after making its Olympic debut in Tokyo this year, although the latest row will cause concern for bosses as they seek to grow the sport.
Tom Felton, who played Draco Malfoy in the popular ‘Harry Potter’ film series, was rushed to hospital after collapsing during the 18th hole of the Celebrity Ryder Cup golf tournament at Whistling Straights in Wisconsin.
Felton, who turned 34 this week, suffered a “medical incident” on the course which required him to be transported to a “local hospital for treatment“, according to the PGA after he fell ill during the 11-hole event which took place a day before the start of the Ryder Cup proper.
Pictures shot at the scene show a clearly dazed Felton being tended to by several people following the collapse, as well as him being taken away from the course on a stretcher.
Details as to what prompted Felton’s collapse haven’t yet been made known.
Scary scene at Whistling Straits, where Tom Felton collapsed on the 18th green and was carted off after playing in the celebrity portion of the Ryder Cup pic.twitter.com/ssPSCBTw9S
“In today’s Ryder Cup Celebrity Match, actor and musician Tom Felton experienced a medical incident on the course while participating for Europe,” the PGA of America said in a statement released on Thursday.
“He was transported to a local hospital for treatment. No further details are available.”
Felton, who is a keen golfer, was representing Europe in the event alongside fellow stars like former Juventus star Alessandro Del Piero, NBA stars Toni Kukoc and Sasha Vujacic as well as Finnish NHL great Teemu Selanne, among others.
The US team, by comparison, featured the likes of ex-hockey player Mike Eruzione, Super Bowl winner A.J. Hawk, comedian and actor Rob Riggle and WWE superstar Mandy Rose.
Felton is a veteran of more than 50 movies but is best known for his eight-film stint in the ‘Harry Potter’ film series where he played the villainous Draco Malfoy, the young antagonist to Daniel Radcliffe’s titular character.
He also starred in the movie ‘From The Rough’, which details the story of the first woman to coach a male Division I golf team.
The impact of Covid-19 on the Premier League could still be felt in the coming months after it was reported that a host of English top flight clubs have as few as SIX of their players fully vaccinated against the virus.
The ongoing public health crisis has already laid waste to several sporting events in the past 18 months, forcing the postponement of both the Olympic Games and the European Championships last year, but as English football continues to emerge from its enforced coronavirus slumber which saw fans barred from stadiums and the European transfer market hugely affected, fears are growing that the impact of Covid-19 could still be felt in the Premier League.
Per a report by the Daily Mail, two clubs in England’s top division have as few as six players fully vaccinated against the virus – statistics which pale in comparison to the likes of Wolves, Brentford and Leeds United who are thought to have between 89 and 100% vaccination rates.
The report also suggests that as whole, around 30 to 35% of players are fully vaccinated – compared to 70% in the English Football League (EFL) – but that these figures are expected to rise as some players have received their first jab and are awaiting a second.
These statistics have caused some alarm as English football moves towards winter where viruses such as Covid-19 are more easily spread. It is also thought that teams playing in European competitions such as the Champions League or Europa League have higher vaccination rates compared to those who aren’t – though Wolves, Brentford and Leeds are thought to be exceptions.
However, it is also understood that a host of top Premier League players at some of its biggest clubs are still declining the jab. It was also suggested by the Daily Mail that some Premier League players had refused a request to become involved in a public relations campaign designed to promote the various vaccines.
The issue of player vaccinations is again likely to be a hot topic ahead of the forthcoming international window where some players will be forced to undergo mandatory isolation on return from so-called ‘red list’ countries – with clubs thought to be awaiting formal guidance from the Premier League after voting unanimously to disallow players from travelling to areas deemed as Covid-19 hot spots.
Several players, though, including Manchester United’s Edinson Cavani and Chelsea’s Thiago Silva expressed their disillusionment at the ruling after being forced to miss international fixtures earlier this month.
One potential proposal is to reduce the isolation time for vaccinated players and therefore encouraging a wider take-up of the jab, while FIFA and the UK government have engaged in talks to create Covid ‘bubbles’ which would reduce the need for a player’s isolation on their return from a ‘red list’ country.
The outcome, per reports, could lead to isolation time being reduced to just five days, meaning that players would be required to miss less training and game time with their clubs.
Figure released this week showed that in the days between 13 and 19 September, some 3,154 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19 – with just two positive tests returned as a result.
UFC flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko believes she and sister Antonina would make rapid work of YouTube siblings-turned-boxing wannabes Jake and Logan Paul if the foursome ever faced off.
Shevchenko is among the most dominant champions in her sport and is preparing to defend her women’s 125lbs title for a sixth time against American veteran Lauren Murphy in their co-main event at UFC 266 in Las Vegas this weekend.
Alongside Shevchenko to provide support will be sister and fellow UFC combatant Antonina, who together are two of the most fearsome siblings in combat sports.
According to Valentina, the Shevchenkos’ skills would make them more than a match for boxing novices the Paul bothers, both of whom have been forging controversial careers in the ring on the back of some lucrative celebrity and crossover bouts.
When asked at Thursday’s UFC 266 press conference how long it would take her and Antonina to finish the Pauls in an unspecific form of combat, Valentina had little doubt.
“Zero seconds. It’s not a question. Not even one second,” replied the smiling assassin.
Even in the current environment where crossover fights and celebrity ring cameos are all the rage, it seems unlikely that we would ever find out who would come out on top in a meeting between the far bulkier Paul brothers and the Shevchenko sisters.
However, UFC boss Dana White has previously threatened to unleash double UFC champion Amanda Nunes on Jake Paul, claiming the Brazilian would “put him in a coma.”
Leading up to her title defense against US veteran Murphy, Shevchenko has in any event dismissed the idea that she would return to boxing – even though she has stepped into the ring professionally before.
“I don’t see a reason why I have to do it,” said the 33-year-old fan favorite.
“I have like 12 professional boxing fights and I did it. I know exactly what it feels [like].
“For me being UFC champion, fighting in mixed martial arts, the universal style, when the technique is everything…
“It’s kind of like going to boxing, you can, why not but for me it’s a little bit of a downgrade,” said the UFC icon.
Shevchenko’s next challenge comes in the form of the 15-4 Murphy, who is a heavy underdog going into her bout with one of the most dominant UFC forces of all time.
The pair shared an intense staredown at Thursday’s Las Vegas press conference before they clash at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday.
“For all the years that I was fighting, it’s kind of hard to surprise me with something special if you’re not a super-human,”said ‘Bullet’ of her rival.
“I know she’s well-rounded, I know she’s strong, I know she’s dangerous. This is everything I have to know about her. But something special, that I put pressure on my shoulders? No.”
