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‘That’s so dirty’: Female fighter shamed for disgusting move (VIDEO)

Priscila Cachoeira didn’t do much to ingratiate herself to UFC fans this week after first missing weight for her fight with Gillian Robertson, and then attempting an eye gouge after becoming stuck in a fight-ending submission.

It was a week to forget for Cachoeira, and one which might well cost the Brazilian flyweight her spot on the UFC roster.

First, she came in heavy when she stepped on the scales on the eve of her fight with Canada’s Robertson weighing a full 3lbs heavier than her contracted weight limit.

As if the spotlight wasn’t already on her, Cachoeira proceeded to attempt to escape what proved to be the pivotal submission move towards the end of the first round by repeatedly gouging Robertson’s eye – all while the referee intently scrutinized the sequence from just feet away.

In the end, Cachoeira’s attempt to avoid a loss proved fruitless as she tapped into submission with just a single second remaining in the opening frame.

“Look at this, she definitely looked like she was trying to stick her finger in her eye,” Joe Rogan said on the broadcast while analyzing the finish of the fight.

“100%, that’s so dirty.“

“Oh my goodness, she did it again,” added Daniel Cormier. 

“That’s so dirty,” Rogan again exclaimed.

“Cheating, missing weight… scratching the eye. That is so nasty.“

“I mean that was straight up thumb into the eye. Robertson still strangled her. That’s probably it for Cachoeira,” said one fan, predicting that the Brazilian might soon be handed her pink slip by the UFC.

“Buzzer beater [rear-naked choke] from Gillian Robertson to start the card off… Cachoeira was deadass tryna eye gouge Gillian to get out of it, doesn’t work, taps anyways… That was wild,” said another.

A third wrote: “Honestly shocked we don’t see more desperate eye gouges from fighters stuck in the RNC. Top tier cheating by Cachoeira, there.“

The sequence also incited a curious debate: what is a referee to do if they observe a clear and obvious foul in a potential fight-ending sequence such as this? An eye gouge can obviously lead to serious and even permanent damage to a fighter – but an official could risk the wrath of a fighter and their team if they were to pause the action to discipline a fighter in such a scenario. 

“What’s the actual correct play from the referee’s perspective? It’s an obvious foul but he can’t stop a checkmate sequence like that. Feels like a bit of a blind spot in the ruleset, no pun intended,” asked one.

“Personally think that he waits until either the sub or escape and if there’s an escape he stops and takes points away,” said another.

A third noted that the jiu jitsu community has a plans in place for such an event: “In jiu jitsu intentional eye gouging by an opponent is DQ especially if it stops you from continuing the submission.”

Either way, no harm was done on this occasion (at least hopefully) and Cachoeira will certainly face stern questions as to her future with the organization for such a clear and obvious violation of the rules. 

And just to cap a truly horrendous evening for her, she was also docked 30% of her purse for failing to make the 125lbs weight limit.

Better luck next time Pricila, if indeed there is a next time.

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‘Classy’ or ‘disrespectful’? Ukraine legend Lomachenko splits opinion with ring gestures (VIDEO)

Lightweight boxing legend Vasiliy Lomachenko was caught sending his opponent back to his corner and imploring his rival’s team to throw in the towel on more than one occasion during his latest win.

In his first fight since the summer, the Ukrainian earned a unanimous decision win over former IBF champion Richard Commey at Madison Square Garden.  

With scores of 117-110, 119-108 and 119-108 on the judge’s cards, it was a masterclass performance that put Loma in line to get back the division’s championship straps from George Kambosos Jr., who defeated the 33-year-old’s previous victor in Teofimo Lopez late last month.

But as communicated by the wide points margins, the bout perhaps could have been stopped earlier for the Ghanaian’s own good. 

Connecting with a 1-2 that rocked Commey’s head back, Lomachenko then showed his dazed foe where his corner was. 

On Twitter, the gesture was called “one of the most disrespectful things” on fan had seen in boxing. 

Later, in the seventh, there was more in store when Loma dropped Commey with a brutal left.

He gestured towards the corner again, but was this time appearing to ask Commey’s team if they wanted to throw the towel in.

They didn’t, and as the assault continued, Loma gave them the option one last time when Commey was on the ropes and Loma relented from delivering more crushing blows.

The two-time Olympic gold medalist was accused of being “arrogant” and “patronizing” for this, with one fan saying: “It’s cool to be a good fighter but that’s not cool.

“Be a professional,” he demanded.

However, others found it “genuinely classy” and said they had “massive respect” for the act, which is something that pundit Max Kellerman might agree with.

“Lomachenko didn’t have the stomach to finish a defenseless fighter, so he twice asked Commey’s corner to do the right thing, and stop the fight so he wouldn’t have to,” said Kellerman.

“They didn’t, and once Commey’s head cleared Lomachenko couldn’t. No good deed goes unpunished.”

Post-fight, the brawler himself explained the motives behind his behavior.

“I saw his situation,” he said. “It was very hard for him. That’s why I said: ‘Hey, stop the fight.’ He is a true warrior.

“He has a big heart and we continue and we show for people 12 great rounds.”

As a tearful Commey said he had let his country down, Lomachenko, who claimed the vacant WBO Inter-Continental lightweight title, made no secret of feeling he is more deserving of a shot at Kambosos than the likes of Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis.

“I will go anywhere I need to go to fight him,” he said, which could mean venturing to the WBA (Super), IBF, WBO and The Ring king’s native Australia. 

“I need this chance.”

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‘Problems breathing’: Man Utd star becomes latest footballer to face heart fears (VIDEO)

David De Gea has thrown his support behind Victor Lindelof after the Swedish defender was taken off during Manchester United’s win against Norwich on Saturday after complaining of chest pains and breathing difficulties.

Lindelof was taken off with 15 minutes remaining as Ralf Ragnick maintained his undefeated run as United interim boss at Carrow Road, after the former Benfica man appeared in obvious discomfort and held his hand to his chest, prompting immediate concern from his teammates and the Manchester United medical staff.

Reports indicate that the 27-year-old center back complained to medics that he was suffering from chest pains and a racing pulse after what appeared to have been a mild collision with an opponent during the Red Devil’s 1-0 win.

United boss Ragnick, who succeeded Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the Old Trafford hot seat at the end of November, confirmed to the media afterwards that Lindelof had complained that he was suffering from various maladies, including a shortness of breath.

“Victor had problems to breathe and his heart rate was higher than normal. He was a little shocked,” the German said after the game.

“He can’t remember how it happened but he had a collision with another player. After the game we checked him.

“It seems everything is OK but we will have to see tomorrow. Hopefully he will be fit for Tuesday against Brentford.”

Adding his concern was United goalkeeper De Gea, who was again pivotal in helping his side to victory in what was a below par performance against the relegation-threatened Norwich, and said that recent incidents involving Christian Eriksen and Sergio Aguero had initially left him fearing the worst.

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Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman has undergone an operation © Christof Stache / Reuters
Has football avoided another tragedy? Champions League winner Coman has heart surgery after experiencing ‘shortness of breath’

“As soon as it was like difficult breathing and feeling strange, the game doesn’t matter,” said De Gea afterwards. “First of all is life. Football doesn’t matter.

“We saw some players who are feeling a bit of problems with their breathing. We saw Eriksen and Aguero.

“It is difficult to see your players acting like this and I hope he is fine. As soon I saw it was difficulty with breathing, it does not matter about the game – the main thing is to be safe.”

A Cristiano Ronaldo strike from the penalty spot was enough to hand his side all three points, but attention will now turn to Lindelof’s health status ahead of Tuesday’s visit to Brentford – and with Raphael Varane another injury absentee, it could mean that Ragnick’s rearguard could be further stretched amid an intense December calendar of domestic action for his side.

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French Olympic swimming champion arrested in teenage rape case

Double Olympic swimming champion Yannick Agnel has been arrested in connection with the alleged rape and sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl.

Agnel won gold medals in the 200-meter freestyle and 4×100-meter freestyle relay for France at the London 2012 summer Games.

As reported by the AFP, he was arrested in Paris on Thursday and taken into police custody in Mulhouse, which is five hours southeast of the capital close to the borders with Germany and Switzerland. 

Prosecutor Edwige Roux-Morizot said that a complaint was filed for incidents that allegedly occurred “around 2016”, and included “rape and sexual assault on a 15-year-old minor”.

The victim is also a swimmer and trained with Agnel at the swimming club in Mulhouse from 2014 and 2016.

According to L’Equipe, several swimming colleagues were interviewed by police over the past few weeks before an arrest was made. Furthermore, the swimming club has monetary disputes with some of them who have left the institution.

Agnel, who has already been in court to collect €60,000 ($68,000) for the final year of his contract with an appeal against the ruling his favor set for March, is among their number. 

MON, which is famous for once being the home of French Minister of Sports and 2000 Olympic backstroke silver medalist Roxana Maracineanu, is also being investigated for “attempted fraud” in events dating back to 2016.

Agnel was apprehended at his Paris home on Thursday, with his custody extended Friday morning.

According to Le Parisien, he has a “Garde à Vue” status of pre-trial detention which lasts up to 24 hours, but this can be extended to up to 48 hours by prosecutors.

After this time is up, Agnel can be released without any charges, released and given a court date, or, in the most serious cases, remain behind bars until a trial as seen in the UK with his compatriot Benjamin Mendy.

Before his arrest, Agnel had been working as a columnist and podcaster on E-Sports at France Info, who have suspended his contract.

Agnel announced his retirement from swimming after failing to defend his 200m freestyle title at Rio 2016 and advance through the heats.

In addition to winning gold twice at the Olympics, he is a 2010 gold medalist in the 400-meter event at the European championships, and won two golds again in the 200-meter freestyle and the 4×100-meter freestyle at the 2013 world championships.

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Max Verstappen beats Lewis Hamilton to F1 title on last lap

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen won a dramatic Abu Dhabi Grand Prix by overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the last lap to clinch the F1 world title in a remarkable conclusion to the season.

Hamilton had seemed on course for victory and an eighth world title in total, but a late safety car allowed Verstappen to pit for fresh tires as he snatched the lead from the Mercedes man on the last lap. 

Verstappen, 24, wins the world title for the first time while Hamilton remains on seven championships alongside German legend Michael Schumacher.

After a season of twists and turns, Hamilton and Verstappen had headed into the conclusion at the Yas Marina circuit level on points, meaning it was winner-takes-all on Sunday.

However, after Verstappen’s victory Hamilton fans will be left asking questions over the contentious circumstances at the end of the race.

Mercedes will surely demand answers over a messy denouement when the safety car was deployed following a crash by Williams driver Nicholas Latifi with five laps to go. 

Verstappen pitted and the field bunched up. Crucially, race director Michael Masi made a late call to permit some drivers to overtake the safety car, having previously said they couldn’t.

That put Verstappen directly behind Hamilton on fresh soft tires rather than with stragglers to overtake, and he took full advantage by sweeping past his rival on turn five of the final lap.

Mercedes were left raging as boss Toto Wolff fumed on the radio that the situation was “not right”.

But when the dust had settled, it was Verstappen who had broken Hamilton’s streak of four successive F1 titles, also ending Mercedes’ run of seven successive wins.  

“It’s unbelievable,” said the Dutchman, who is the son of former F1 driver Jos Verstappen.  

“I don’t know what to say, my team deserve it, they are unbelievable.” 

STUNNING FINALE TO REMARKABLE SEASON

Verstappen and Hamilton were locked on 369.5 points heading into the season finale in the UAE, and the tone for yet another controversial showdown was set as early as the first lap.

Starting from second on the grid, Hamilton had made a blistering start by beating pole-starter Verstappen to the first corner, but the Red Bull driver attempted to recapture his position at turn seven, leading to the Brit heading off the track.

Hamilton rejoined in first place but a review was launched into whether Verstappen had been in the wrong by braking too late and “pushing” the Mercedes man off the track, or whether the Brit was beaten fair and square to the corner.

But race stewards decided not to investigate, meaning the places stayed as they were.

That drew fury from Red Bull and Verstappen, who described the decision as “incredible.”

Following the controversial opening Hamilton soon opened up a healthy lead as Verstappen struggled on his soft tires before swapping to hards.

Hamilton followed into the pits to swap his mediums for hard tires, and emerged behind Red Bull’s Sergio Perez, whose team were hoping he could somehow hold up the Brit to get Verstappen back into contention.  

Perez duly obliged by tussling with Hamilton, cutting his lead over Verstappen from five seconds to around two before the Mercedes driver finally found a way past.

Perez then made way for Verstappen to pass as the race returned to a straight shootout between the two championship rivals.

Hamilton had seemed in control of the race before the late drama. © Reuters



Hamilton again opened up a big lead but Red Bull seemed to be offered another glimmer of hope when the virtual safety car was deployed on lap 37 of 58 when Antonio Giovinazzi’s Alfa Romeo came to halt trackside.

Red Bull used the chance to bring Verstappen in again while Mercedes and Hamilton opted to stay out.

By that stage the Brit’s lead was touching 18 seconds, although the fresher tires meant Verstappen could attempt an unlikely a last-ditch charge for the title.

Hamilton still seemed set to hold on in relative comfort, but there was one last twist on the cards when Williams driver Latifi crashed with five laps to go.

The yellow flag came out which gave the chance for Verstappen to pit yet again in one last roll of the dice.  

When the safety car was removed the Dutchman pounced, speeding past Hamilton to take the checkered flag just over 2.5 seconds ahead of his rival, with Carlos Sainz Jr of Ferrari finishing third. 

Verstappen celebrated his win wildly. © Reuters



Hamilton, 36, was initially stunned at missing out on a record title but was gracious to Verstappen and Red Bull despite tensions often simmering over during a fiercely contested season. 

“Firstly, congratulations to Max and his team,” said Hamilton.

“I think we did an amazing job this year. The team, everyone back at the factory, all the men and women we have, worked so hard all year in a difficult season.

“I am so proud of them, and so grateful to be part of the journey with them. We gave it everything this last part of the season and never gave up, that’s the most important thing.”

Mercedes at least had some consolation in the form of the Constructors’ Title, which they won for the eighth time in a row.  

But for the first time since 2013, it was a Red Bull racer who ended the season as F1 world champion.