Month: December 2021

Former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov has revealed that ‘big plans’ will be announced at an upcoming press conference in Miami, as the Russian star continues to build his Eagle FC promotion.

Khabib’s time as an active fighter may have come and gone but the impressive recent growth of his Eagle FC fight promotion means that the undefeated Russia icon won’t be far from a cage. 

Speaking to Red Corner MMA, Nurmagomedov hinted at some of the future plans his fight league has the works, much of which he says will be revealed at a press conference in Miami on December 15 ahead of Eagle FC 44, which will be the promotion’s first event to take place in the United States.

It was revealed in recent days that former UFC champion Rashad Evans will compete on the card, while recent UFC refugee Kevin Lee is also strongly linked to fight – but as Khabib explained, the ambition and perhaps financial clout of Eagle FC is such that if even someone of the stature of Brock Lesnar was available, Khabib would be interested in striking a deal. 

“It’s going to be a big press conference in Miami, we’re going to show all our card, 28 January, in Miami, we’re going to announce some big signings, it’s going to be a lot of news,” Khabib told Red Corner MMA.

“They tell me, ‘don’t give inside news;… but we’re very close on [signing] Kevin Lee. At the press conference we’re going to have news.”

MMA promotions are a dime-a-dozen in the United States but Khabib says that he wants his league to be as far from a facsimile as possible, and even hinted that some of the weight classes might be different to those generally accepted in the current system in the United States.

“This is not about how big we make it,” explained Khabib.

“We want to make it a little bit different to other leagues. We’re going to make some weights maybe different, some system we want to change.

“Not everything… just use some other systems from other sports. In my league, we’re going to change some systems. We’re going to become very big around the world. The US, here in former USSR countries, in Russia of course, the Middle East.“

Some things, though, must be kept close to his chest, and to find out fans will have to tune into this week’s presser in the Sunshine State – but suffice to say, there are high level discussions taking place behind the scenes.

“I can’t talk about everything because I have press conference, I’m going to come out with some big news on December 15. We can even sign Brock Lesnar if we want and he wants. We have a good position, we have big plans. Brock Lesnar, if he wants, OK, let’s go,” he teased.

“Of course we know how big the UFC is, I don’t want to say some crazy things… but for leagues that are just beginning, we’re going to become promotion of the year.”

Over 500 female gymnasts who sued over the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of Dr. Larry Nassar will receive a $380 million settlement from USA Gymnastics, the US Olympic & Paralympic Committee, and their insurers.

The settlement was announced on Monday by the federal bankruptcy court in the Southern District of Indiana. USA Gymnastics filed for bankruptcy protection in 2018, following a deluge of lawsuits over years of Nassar’s abuse.

“This chapter is finally closed,” tweeted Rachael Denhollander, whose 2016 complaint brought Nassar’s abuses to light. “Now the hard work of reform and rebuilding can begin. Whether or not justice comes and change is made, depends on what happens next.”

This was a reference to the “restorative justice” program, which USA Gymnastics agreed to set up in addition to the payments, in order to give Nassar’s victims a say in how it deals with future allegations of sexual abuse.

Attorney Mick Grewal, who represented dozens of plaintiffs in the case, described the program as “the gold standard for every institution that has a sexual assault problem.”

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One of the largest-ever settlements in a sexual abuse case, the fund will go towards compensating victims like Olympic medalists Simone Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney, as well as others who were abused by the gymnastics team’s former head doctor. Denhollander said many of the victims have battled depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress and even suicidal tendencies in the aftermath of their abuse.

“No amount of money will ever repair the damage that has been done and what these women have been through,” she said. “But at some point, the negotiations have to end because these women need help – and they need it right now.”

While most of the settlement will be paid by insurance companies, the US Olympic and Paralympic committee will pay $34 million and give another $6 million to USA Gymnastics as a loan. Previously, the USOPC argued it could not be held liable to Nassar’s abuses, since he wasn’t their employee. The settlement will now help USOPC avoid being decertified as an Olympic organization. 

Although the FBI initially ignored complaints about Nassar, he was eventually arrested and tried for abuse of gymnasts under his care. A federal court sentenced him in 2017 to 60 years in prison on charges of possession of child sex abuse materials. The following year, he was sentenced to a combined maximum of 300 years by Michigan courts for abusing female gymnasts he treated over the years. Michigan State University, where Nassar taught and practiced between 1997 and 2016 and where much of the abuse took place, settled with survivors for $500 million in 2018.

The Premier League match between Brentford and Manchester United has been postponed after a Covid outbreak at the Old Trafford club. The decision comes as England’s top flight reported a record number of coronavirus cases.

Brentford were due to host United in west London on Tuesday night but the Premier League confirmed that the match would be rescheduled “following guidance from medical advisers due to the exceptional circumstances.”

United announced on Monday that they were temporarily shutting down first-team operations at their Carrington training base after a spate of positive tests on Sunday, just hours after they had traveled to Norwich for a Premier League game.

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“Given cancellation of training and disruption to the squad, and with the health of players and staff the priority, the Club requested the match [with Brentford] to be rearranged,” read a Manchester United statement.

“The Premier League Board took the decision to postpone based on guidance from medical advisors.”

A new date for the fixture will be announced “in due course,” the club added. The players and staff who have tested positive were not named.

Brentford, who are in their maiden season in the Premier League, apologized for the disruption to fans but said they “respect” the decision.

The postponement comes amid a record number of Covid cases in the Premier League in a one-week period.

Forty-two Premier League players and staff have tested positive for the virus in the past week – the highest number since testing began in May 2020.

Aside from United and Tottenham, other clubs to confirm cases in recent days are Leicester, Aston Villa, Norwich and Brighton.

As Prime Minister Boris Johnson rolls out new restrictions across England to combat the spread of the Omicron variant of the virus, there are fears football could face significant disruption as it approaches a traditionally busy festive period.

The glamorous wife of Manchester United and Sweden defender Victor Lindelof has revealed her fears and issued an update after he was forced out of his side’s win on Saturday because of chest pains and breathing difficulties.

Self-described influencer and designer Maja Lindelof, who has two children with the United star, watched on as the 27-year-old became the latest player to suffer a suspected heart problem.

Lindelof held his hand to his chest to indicate his discomfort with 15 minutes to go of United’s 1-0 win at Norwich in the Premier League.

“It was a scary match to watch and Victor was very [worried] afterwards,” said Lindelof, who married the former Benfica player in Sweden in 2018, via translation on her blog.

“Yesterday [Sunday] he did a lot of tests and he has had a heart monitor on for two days to make sure everything is OK.

“[It was] incredibly uncomfortable, especially when I could not get hold of him… it was a long [wait] before I got hold of someone on the team who updated me.

“Everything seems to be OK, as luck would have it, and we are waiting for answers to the final tests that will end tomorrow.”

New United boss Ralf Rangnick revealed after the game that Lindelof had been “struggling to breathe”.

The scare is the latest in a series of high-profile incidents including Christian Eriksen’s ordeal at Euro 2020 in the summer and an issue for Sergio Aguero that is expected to cause the Premier League legend to announce his premature retirement this week.

“He can’t remember how it happened but he had a collision with another player,” said Rangnick, adding that Lindelof’s heart rate had been abnormally high. “After the game, we checked him.”

Lindelof’s partner said that the family had spent the day at home resting on Sunday.

“The plan was to bake [for] Christmas with friends but we had to bake ourselves instead,” she said, calling the day “very cozy”.

The fashion fan invites fans to “follow her fast-paced life” on her blog, which she says consists of everything from “macaroni and falu sausage [to] festive galas and design meetings.”

United’s Premier League match at Brentford on Tuesday has been postponed because of a Covid outbreak at the club.

Former Manchester City defender Nicolas Otamendi has reportedly been the victim of a violent raid in which four thugs broke into his home and placed a belt around his neck while stealing cash and several valuable watches.

Benfica star Otamendi, who won two Premier League titles in a five-year stint with City, is said to be “doing well” after the attack, which happened early on Monday morning in his home south of Lisbon after he returned from his side’s Primeira Liga match against Famalicao on Sunday.

According to a report by Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha, the gang attacked the defender as he returned home and forced themselves through the front door while his wife and child were inside.

Further reports state that a belt was placed around his neck in order to restrain him and get him to reveal the location of valuables within his home.

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CNN Portugal add that the thieves got away with cash and other valuables, and that the Portuguese Judiciary Police have launched an investigation into the robbery – with a private security firm hired to guard the footballer’s home from any further attacks.

Initial reporting also suggests that as many as seven men could have been involved, with suggestions that those responsible are from Eastern Europe.

It has also been claimed that the robbery was conducted like a ‘military raid‘, and that the thieves were wore gloves and balaclavas and communicated with one another by using walkie-talkies.

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Police are also investigating a possible lead that the gang might also be responsible for various other robberies of professional footballers.

There have been similar incidents involving Porto midfielder Otavio as well as Celta de Vigo striker Iago Aspas, who lives just over Portugal’s northern border.

A statement from his club confirmed that Otamendi “was the victim of a robbery at his home during the early hours”.

“The player and his family are doing well despite the enormous discomfort generated by the situation they are experiencing.

“Benfica asks that the privacy of the player and his family be respected by all the media, pending the completion of the investigations initiated by the authorities.”

The 87-cap Argentina international has made 55 appearances for Benfica since arriving in 2020 as part of the deal which took Portugal defender Ruben Dias to City.