Former UFC bantamweight champion Petr Yan has spoken on the elite MMA organization’s decision to replace his scheduled opponent and successor Aljamain Sterling with the division’s number three contender Cory Sandhagen.
Dethroned in March at UFC 259, when he was up on the cards only to drop an illegal knee on Sterling in the fourth round which handed the Jamaican-American the title, Yan has campaigned for a rematch ever since.
Sterling effectively held up the division by then undergoing neck surgery, with Yan insisting he was chickening out of a second meeting.
And with just over a month to spare until an Abu Dhabi date in at UFC 267, Sterling dropped out due to lingering neck issues with the war of words with Yan raging harder than ever.
Sterling has accused Yan of “talking sh*t about me and my fiancee” and then blocking him on social media, which the Russian denies.
But in the meantime, Yan has demanded another fight against a “top five, top seven, top ten” opponent while vowing to “show you who is the real champ”.
With a hole on the October 30 card to fill, UFC boss Dana White has given Yan his wish by swiftly matching him with Sandhagen for the interim title with the winner expected to face Sterling.
Pussy blocked me after talking shit about me and my fiancée. Guess he was upset I didn’t respond the way he wanted me to ♂️ #NoMercypic.twitter.com/2n9DC687aQ
With Aljamain Sterling out due to injury. Corey Sandhagen steps in to face Petr Yan for the interim bantamweight title at UFC 267 on October 30th pic.twitter.com/hAgEPkrwaF
Yan has already commented on his new opponent, dubbing Sandhagen“a worthy contender for the title”.
“He’s a dangerous, tough fighter, which he showed in a great fight with Dillashaw,” Yan said through the press officer of his team ‘Archangel Mikhail’, referencing Sandhagen’s split-decision defeat to former 135lbs ruler last time out.
“Yes, he lost that fight, but TJ is recovering after his operation, so they gave the chance to Cory,” Yan added.
“To be honest, I’m not satisfied that it’s only for the interim title, but that’s UFC politics, I won’t get into that.
“I’m glad that I can go out and do my job – a lot of people are waiting for my fight.
“I’m not thinking about Sterling anymore – he’s a coward. First I’ll beat Sandhagen, and then after that we’ll find out what happens next.”
Everyone give @funkmasterMMA shit, I don’t know what the he’ll they’re talking about, I had a neck surgery and minimum you need 9-12 months to heal, and if you rush it, you will be paralyzed for the rest of your life.
As Sterling has said on Twitter he will cross paths with Yan “in due time” and that it is “the only fight I want”, the agent of retired lightweight legend Khabib Nurmagomedov and reigning welterweight champion Kamara Usman has leapt to his defense.
“Everyone gives [Sterling] sh*t, [but] I don’t know what the hell they’re talking about,” said Ali Abdelaziz.
“I had a neck surgery and [at the] minimum you need 9-12 months to heal.
“And if you rush it, you will be paralyzed for the rest of your life,” he warned.
Tickets for the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics will only be on sale for people residing in mainland China while any unvaccinated athletes arriving in the country will need to remain in quarantine for 21 days, organizers have said.
After consultation with local authorities, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) outlined measures on its website which will apply to fans, athletes and any others associated with the Games, which run from February 4 to 20 in the Chinese capital.
“Tickets will be sold exclusively to spectators residing in China’s mainland, who meet the requirements of the Covid-19 countermeasures,“ the IOC said, signaling a similar ban on foreign fans to the one seen at the Tokyo Summer Olympics.
“Specific requirements on Covid-19 countermeasures for spectators from China’s mainland and the details of ticketing arrangements are under discussion and development, and will be released to the public in due course once they are finalized,” it added.
Two big developments regarding Beijing Winter Olympics. 1) foreign spectators will not be allowed, but tickets will be sold to Chinese fans. 2) any Games participants who are NOT fully vaccinated must serve a 21-day quarantine upon arrival. https://t.co/3jTNUs5nVU
Regarding vaccines for athletes, the IOC website said: “All athletes and Games participants who are fully vaccinated will enter the closed-loop management system upon arrival.
“Games participants who are not fully vaccinated will have to serve a 21-day quarantine upon arrival in Beijing.
“Athletes who can provide a justified medical exemption will have their cases considered.”
Further details on Covid countermeasure will be released in the form of ‘Playbooks’ in late October and December, the organization added.
ESPN host Sage Steele has branded the media company’s mandating of the Covid vaccine for its employees ‘sick’ and ‘scary’, and said she received her jabs purely to remain in her role on Sportscenter.
On the Uncut with Jay Cutler podcast hosted by the former Chicago Bears quarterback, Steele took the opportunity to rage against her employers, who like many others in the US are making their staff receive their Covid vaccines.
“I work for a company that mandates it and I had until September 30th to get it done or I’m out,” Steele revealed.
“I respect everyone’s decision, I really do, but to mandate it is sick and it’s scary to me in many ways,” she added.
“I just, I’m not surprised it got to this point, especially with Disney, I mean a global company like that,” Steele admitted, in regards to the entertainment conglomerate that owns ESPN.
The 48-year-old confirmed that she had her jabs but “didn’t want to.”
Another colleague, however, Allison Williams, who reported on college sports from the sidelines, had to walk away from her position this season as she said taking the vaccine “is not in my best interest” while trying to conceive a second child with her husband.
This will be the first fall in the last 15 years I won’t be on the sidelines for College Football. My heart hurts posting this but I’m at peace with my decision. pic.twitter.com/np5V3gdrfW
Yesterday, Steele retweeted a statement regarding vaccines from NBA star Jonathan Isaac, who took offense to a Rolling Stone article that dubbed him anti-vax and wrote that: “Misrepresentation only allows for others to attack straw men, and not reason with the true ideas and heart of their fellow man. It helps no one!
“True journalism is dying! I believe it is your God given right to decide if taking the vaccine is right for you! Period!,” the Orlando Magic power forward concluded.
Misrepresentation only allows for others to attack straw men, and not reason with the true ideas and heart of their fellow man. It helps no one! True journalism is dying! I believe it is your God given right to decide if taking the vaccine is right for you! Period! More to follow
Thank you!! I just wanted to show how badly I was misrepresented/ share my views on things. To see that many share my opinion is encouraging! Whether you are vaxxed or not you’re free to your own convictions And I stand with you and against bullying! Keep the faith and God bless! https://t.co/zLvVCJbxJm
Issac, who has contracted Covid once already, has been outspoken regarding his reluctance to take the vaccine as vaccination rates in the NBA stand at 90%.
On Wednesday, the league’s executive vice president of communications Mike Bass announced that any player “who elects not to comply with local vaccination mandates will not be paid for games that he misses.”
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship president Dave Feldman has said he ‘would love’ former UFC pin-up Paige VanZant to continue with the organization ahead of a sit-down with the fighter and her team to discuss their future.
Leaving the UFC last year after four defeats in her previous six octagon outings, the 27-year-old signed a four-bout deal with BKFC reportedly worth over $1 million.
Losing to Britain Hart via unanimous decision on her debut at Knucklemania, VanZant then dropped another L in the same manner to a foe she had previously beaten in the UFC, Rachael Ostovich, and has shown an interest in returning to MMA via a promotion such as Bellator.
With two fights left to run in her agreement with BKFC, however, Feldman is keen to see her stay put and will fly out to Florida to touch base with VanZant and her team to see how they plan to move forward.
“We spoke to her management team and honestly it’s up in the air,” Feldman said, according to MMA Fighting.
“We’re not 100% sure she’ll be back with BKFC. It looks like she will but at the end of the day, if her heart and her passion is [that] she wants to give MMA another shot, we may give her that opportunity.
“I’m not here to hold anybody back,” Feldman claimed.
“We’d love to have her back,” Feldman confirmed, though.
“But at the end of the day, if her heart’s not in it – and I’m not saying that it’s not – but if her heart’s not in it, and she wants to try something else, who are we to stop her from advancing her career or trying something else new with her career?
“‘Cause we thought we could give her a great opportunity and we did and she’s been great to work with. We’ll know a lot more after this week. I’d love to put her on the KnuckleMania card again as well. So we’ll see what happens with that this week,” he concluded on that specific topic.
BKFC is currently planning a second KnuckleMania show for February 11 next year, but Feldman can see the appeal of a return to MMA and specifically Bellator, where VanZant’s husband Austin Vanderford plies his trade.
“She started in MMA,” Feldman pointed out.
“Her husband fights for Bellator. If she wants to go fight with her husband … like I said, we’ll see what happens. I know that she definitely wants to go back to MMA. She always did.”
“Even when she came over to bare-knuckle, I knew that was going to come up, and with her not able to taste victory yet in BKFC, maybe she wants to go over there.
“Like I said, we’re going to know a lot more in the next two days. Hopefully she comes back, and if not, we’ll wish her the best,” Feldman finished.
Cristiano Ronaldo struck a winner deep into injury time to give Manchester United a 2-1 Champions League win over Villarreal at Old Trafford, on what was a landmark appearance in the competition for the Portuguese superstar.
Making a record 178th Champions League appearance – moving him ahead of former Real Madrid teammate Iker Casillas on the all-time list – Ronaldo pounced in the 95th minute to fire home a strike from a tight angle via the hand of despairing Villarreal goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli.
The goal was Ronaldo’s second in the Champions League since rejoining United and a 136th overall in the competition he reigns over as top scorer.
On netting the late, late winner in front of a jubilant Old Trafford, the musclebound 36-year-old whipped off his shirt before being engulfed by his teammates.
United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was no less ecstatic on the touchline after watching his team labor for much of the match against wily opposition managed by Unai Emery, who had beaten the English giants on penalties in last season’s Europa League final.
After the hosts were indebted to goalkeeper David de Gea in the first half, it was Villarreal who took the lead in the 53rd minute when Arnaut Danjuma drove past Diogo Dalot down the left flank, turning the ball across the face of the goal for Paco Alcacer to poke home.
Villarreal deserved to go ahead, with their goal coming from a predictable source after Danjuma had run Dalot ragged for much of the night.
United finally roused themselves, equalizing seven minutes later thanks to a sweetly hit volley from Alex Telles after he was cleverly teed up by a free-kick from Bruno Fernandes on the opposite side of the box.
Alex Telles' goal from the stands, taken by the one and only Usain Bolt!
United pressed and were rewarded for their efforts when Ronaldo – a largely peripheral figure until that point – sent a header towards substitute Jesse Lingard in the Villarreal box.
Lingard was unable to collect the ball but his touch sent it back towards Ronaldo, who drove it low and into the net via the hand of Villarreal’s Rulli.
The goal sent supporters in the stands wild – including watching sprint king Usain Bolt and veteran United boss Sir Alex Ferguson – while fans online saluted Ronaldo for being the match-winner on yet another Champions League night.
“Cristiano Ronaldo’s career is scripted, he’s inevitable,” gushed one fan, while transfer guru Fabrizio Romano hailed CR7’s late, late show, writing: “If you’ve [got] Cristiano Ronaldo, it’s never over.”
Five-time winner Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League:
⚽️ Most goals in history (136) Most appearances (178) Most goals in a season (17) Most goals in knockout stages (67) Only player to score in 11 straight games Only player to score in 3 finals#UCLpic.twitter.com/SyRXiouyhH
.@Cristiano#Ronaldo now has 12 career goals in the 90th minute or later in the Champions League (including extra time), double any other player in the competition's history.
The defeat gave United a first win in this season’s competition, after their shock opening Group F defeat against Young Boys in Switzerland.
“Now everything is possible, everything is open, and we believe we will go through,” Ronaldo remarked to BT Sport following his heroics.
“This is why I came back, I missed this club a lot. I made history in this club, and I want to do it again.”
“I have to say thank you to all of them [the fans], not just for me, but [for pushing] the team which will be very important especially this season,” he added.
Worth every penny of his lofty wages thus far, Ronaldo has scored five times for United in five games since rejoining the club from Juventus in a late summer transfer move.
Next up for the evergreen Portuguese five-time Champions League winner and his team is a Premier League meeting with Everton on Saturday.
