UFC women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko issued a stirring rebuke of Khabib Nurmagomedov’s quote that UFC ring girls are “useless” after she defended her world title against Lauren Murphy at UFC 266 in Las Vegas.
Kyrgyzstani-Peruvian star Shevchenko earned her sixth successive title defense with a dominant showing against Murphy, outworking the American in all facets of the fight before mercifully stopping her outmatched opponent in the fourth round.
A well-timed right hook floored Murphy before Shevchenko pounded to unleash a barrage of elbows on the ground which prompted the referee to step in, securing Shevchenko’s status as one of the most dominant female champions in the history of the UFC.
The win ties Ronda Rousey’s record for the most successful title defences (6) as she improved her career ledger to an impressive 22-3 – and after making a clear-voiced statement as to her fighting skills in the cage, Shevchenko made another as she exited the Octagon.
After former UFC champion Khabib Nurmagomedov’s recent comments that ring girls are “useless“, Shevchenko made a point of approaching the bikini-clad beauties on duty at UFC 266 to offer her support – and speaking to the media afterwards, she offered a stark condemnation of Khabib’s comments.
“Beautiful women is a decoration of any event. I want people to know that, and no one has the right to say that they are useless because they’re at the place that they have to be,” Shevchenko said.
“They were here at the beginning. You [can] come to any event [and] you will see beautiful women. A man, everyone enjoys it – it’s kind of like beautiful, right? This is a decoration.
Valentina Shevchenko made a point to rebuke Khabib Nurmagomedov's recent comments about ring girls being “useless.” pic.twitter.com/9F8DzEDU1m
“This is my message: a beautiful woman is a decoration of any event.”
Shevchenko’s comments are the latest in a torrent of pushback against Nurmagomedov for what many are perceiving as his ‘sexist’ statement – he was previously savaged by UFC fighter Kevin Lee, as well as former arch-rival Conor McGregor.
“For mixed martial arts, we don’t need anything. We just need an opponent, maybe referee, maybe judges. We don’t need fans, we don’t need lights, we don’t need sound, we don’t need anything.
“But what the promotion do is creating all of this. And ring girls are definitely part of it.”
After another supremely impressive showing on the sport’s biggest stages, some of the UFC’s biggest names took to social media to pay tribute to ‘The Bullet’.
Great night of fights. Valentina you are tremendous! @ufc#TheBullet
“Great night of fights. Valentina, you are tremendous!” wrote McGregor on Twitter.
“Damn! She’s a fast as a… bullet,” added middleweight kingpin Israel Adesanya.
“Got my photo, and if the champ wants to speak three languages then go ahead,” said Daniel Cormier, a confirmed Shevchenko fanboy. “Congrats on another victory, champion!“
Oleksandr Usyk looks certain to be ordered to give Anthony Joshua a shot at regaining the heavyweight titles he lost to the Ukrainian boxing great on Saturday. Realistically, will there be any surprises second time around?
Fans hoped for it from an early stage. Anthony Joshua swung for it. Ultimately, though, the full-on right hand that would have smashed to smithereens the perplexing puzzle that Oleksandr Usyk had set him never materialized for the usurped heavyweight king, leaving the lingering question of whether he will ever solve the challenge that potentially lies ahead of him again early next year.
Joshua insists he wants that second fight. Perhaps it was pride speaking in the aftermath of a clobbering contest between two giants at the top of their game, although he sounded determined to head to the gym next week and begin plotting a way to win.
Maybe no other option than a return is feasible for Britain’s most marketable boxer, with that extravagantly lucrative unification showdown with Tyson Fury now looking, at best, diminished in intrigue given the struggles he faced to break down a smaller tactician who is less decorated at the weight.
There is also the issue of how much value a rematch can offer. Usyk looked largely untroubled throughout the 12 rounds in London, even when Joshua gamely, dangerously applied pressure by repeatedly inching forward, which he had been keen to do from the first bell.
Joshua looked in danger of being entirely outclassed on the scorecards after the opening three rounds, coming back to prove his conditioning and bravery and stamp his personality and skills on the scrap by giving as good as he got and avoiding, despite his increasing desperation, being conclusively caught by one of his fellow Olympic gold medalist’s usual clever traps.
AJ deserves considerable credit for that, although he is unlikely to receive it from those who have subscribed to Tyson Fury’s emphatic view of him as a “big dosser” since his demolition by Andy Ruiz, nor from those unimpressed by his meandering press conference pronouncements and polished media profile.
“Keep Usyk and Fury away from each other by any means necessary”
Roy Jones Jr. delivers his verdict on the heavyweight scene after Anthony Joshua lost his world heavyweight titles at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Saturday pic.twitter.com/Ly6COEQBjq
Usyk, by contrast, was labeled a “strange one” by promoter Eddie Hearn, turning up in a Joker outfit in the build-up and treating the whole story with the stone-cold, gleeful nonchalance of a seasoned student of the sport, caring little about the partisan presence of more than 60,000 people attracted to a showbiz affair headlined by a favorite with a reach advantage.
It is hardly as if Joshua held off and pulled his punches in the face of the conundrum. Nor did he seem to tire badly, although that closed eye from the ninth onwards was a brutal hindrance he could so badly have done without in the championship rounds.
That does not change the fact that it would be a far greater reinvention of his tactics for him to find a way to exact revenge on Usyk than it was for him to become a defensive watchman in his successful second episode with Ruiz, an exercise in dodging the American’s firepower.
Saw the Joshua/Usyk fight: AJ seemed afraid? He lost his identity. (should I be cautious (go 12) attack with my power?) Usyk typical southpaw “if you won’t hit me I’ll be award and hit you” something’s wrong not AJ he took his punishments. Who are you AJ? pic.twitter.com/f8YwKt0LP8
Derek Chisora tried all-out attack on Usyk at times last November, suffering the same fate on the scorecards as Joshua on the former cruiserweight champion’s previous glorious night in London. In the final round on Saturday, Usyk looked the more likely to earn a knockout when Joshua had to go for broke, and his threat was clear even when he was pushed back earlier in the fight, absorbing shots while sizing up his next opening.
What are the tactics that could change the course of another instalment for Joshua? Trying his luck more would be a huge risk, and the idea of him outpointing Usyk looks a chasm away on this evidence.
Usyk said he wants to spend more time with his family as he stood in the ring with the belts. He also claimed he had expected more from Joshua, which does not seem a statement of mere bravado in light of his supremely skilful performance.
Rob McCracken is a top trainer but I’d love to know what in the world he was thinking with the strategy to have AJ outbox Usyk. That was never going to happen. Joshua needed to push Usyk backward, lean on him on the inside and go to the body. He also should have come in heavier
Even a fighter as violently enthusiastic as he is may not relish the idea of another demanding evening holding off Joshua in the near future, not least when there may be greater tests out there for him after announcing himself as a truly elite heavyweight in such style.
The division has always been lit up by split-second explosions of the kind Joshua produced to knock out Wladimir Klitschko, and the hope of a crushing combination for the cameras, in the end, is why a stadium of people paid top prices and dressed up to see him fight Usyk, unwittingly attending a technical masterclass.
A contractually-obliged repeat will carry plenty of hype and the hope, for neutrals and Brits, of a Joshua transformation to make him more of a challenge for Usyk. Forming a convincing argument for that happening is almost as difficult as the task he will face if they are to meet again.
Dallas Cowboys star left tackle La’el Collins has been issued with a five-game suspension by the NFL after he reportedly missed several drug tests and even attempted to bribe a test-collector, according to reports from the US.
Collins, 28, who has been a starter for the Cowboys since 2015, was hit with the ban after reportedly failing to submit samples to several tests, as well as attempting to offer money to a test-collector to distort drug-test results, ESPN has reported sources as saying.
Former LSU man Collins is understood to have tested positive for marijuana and, while new rules state that players cannot be suspended for that offense, Collins’ punishment is related to his missed tests and the bribery allegations.
Specific information related to the bribery claims against Collins haven’t yet been made available.
His suspension comes after the NFL Players’ Association (NFLPA), which is led by Cleveland Browns center JC Tretter, assisted in negotiations to reduce Collins’ ban to just two games.
Collins subsequently appealed that suspension – only for an independent arbiter to rule that the five-game ban should be reinstated based on the evidence available.
Collins’ legal team is again launching an appeal, with ESPN quoting sources as saying that they expect the five-game ruling to be upheld, even after the player’s latest appeal. He has already served one game of the ban, missing his team’s win against the Los Angeles Chargers last weekend.
Often with appeals, there's a presumption that there's nothing to lose. Not true with NFL-NFLPA grievance system. La'el Collins faced a 5 game suspension that was reduced to 2 due to negotiation of NFLPA, but he invoked his right to appeal & arbitrator raised it back to 5 games. https://t.co/aBOGZEw2ll
“We are extremely disappointed in how the NFL has handled this entire matter, from trampling on Mr Collins’ rights to prematurely releasing the information [while] knowing [that] a timely appeal was filed to intentionally misleading the court at the hearing,” said Collins’ agent Peter Schaefer earlier this month.
“The extent and effort the NFL went to to accomplish its ends is appalling.”
In his appeal, Collins and his legal team stated that he had numerous legitimate reasons to miss the scheduled drug tests. One was to take place on the day that the Cowboys’ strength and conditioning coach, Markus Paul, passed away last November, while another was scheduled to take place on the day of Collins’ uncle’s funeral.
As a cowboys fan I gotta say I welcome this! Our great run in the 90’s was fueled in part by cocaine so maybe this vibe is what we’ve been missing. We’re back baby!!
His appeal is expected to be unsuccessful, which would mean Collins will be eligible to return to action on October 18.
The ban will also hit him hard in the pocket, costing him around $2 million in gameday fees while also voiding the injury guarantee worth well over $6 million in his salary.
“Often with appeals, there’s a presumption that there’s nothing to lose. Not true with NFL-NFLPA grievance system,” explained sports legal expert Michael McCann on social media.
“La’el Collins faced a five-game suspension that was reduced to two due to negotiation of NFLPA, but he invoked his right to appeal and the arbitrator raised it back to five games.”
“Pretty bold if the thinking was that this wouldn’t come out during the hearing,” added another legal professional, Darren Heitner.
However, at least one Cowboys fan predicted that this might be a return to the good times in Dallas.
“As a Cowboys fan, I’ve got to say I welcome this,” he joked. “Our great run in the ’90s was fuelled in part by cocaine, so maybe this vibe is what we’ve been missing. We’re back, baby.”
Lewis Hamilton earned a late 100th F1 victory in a dramatic Russian Grand Prix, celebrating in Sochi for the fifth time after torrential rain denied the impressive Lando Norris a maiden win.
In soaking conditions that threatened to emulate the thunder and lightning which delayed qualifying, 21-year-old Norris was minutes from victory despite rain beginning to batter the track with eight laps to go.
The McLaren prodigy’s decision to persist with slick tyres meant he suffered an agonizing finish, failing to even make the podium as Hamilton hauled his way past from the back of the grid, leapfrogging arch-rival Max Verstappen at the top of the standings.
“I want to say a big thank you to all the fans – it’s such a great crowd here,” Hamilton beamed to fellow British Formula One champion Damon Hill on Sky Sports afterwards, lauding the 30,000 punters who filled the Autodrom to half-capacity by the Black Sea.
HAMILTON TO THE LEAD!!
A massive downpour in the final laps of the Russian GP sees Lando Norris' first F1 victory slide away. pic.twitter.com/MrTpV4UKXU
“I know it’s not been the best of weather but what a race we provided, so thank you for backing us. It’s taken a long time to get to 100 [wins] and I wasn’t even sure whether or not it would come.”
Norris, who spun before finishing seventh, overcame his heartbreak to share a warm handshake and embrace with Hamilton as the seven-time champion spoke in the setting where he has won on three of his last four visits.
“Lando did such an amazing job,” said Hamilton. “He had incredible pace. He’s doing such a great job for McLaren and it’s very bittersweet to see my old team ahead and doing so well. They’re doing fantastically.
“I’m incredibly grateful to all these men and women who are here and back at the factory.”
Verstappen had started at the back because of an engine penalty and looked thrilled with the result at a circuit where Mercedes has traditionally been dominant.
Norris shunned the chance to be given intermediaries while his more established rivals made decisions to switch that paid off handsomely, with prophetic Verstappen charging through to finish second, having been seventh before the downpour.
“At one point it was really slippery and I think we decided to pit at the right time,” he said after he ended the day two points behind Hamilton, setting up a tantalizing final six races of the season.
“To come from last to second is very, very good. When I work up this morning, I definitely didn’t expect this result.”
Carlos Sainz Jnr – the leader at one point – finished third, with Norris teammate Daniel Ricciardo fourth and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas, who won the race in 2017 and 2020, fifth.
Home racer Nikita Mazepin finished 18th on another difficult day for Haas, with teammate Mick Schumacher failing to finish.
Nick Kyrgios, who has gained a reputation as one of the sport’s most controversial stars, has hinted that he may be close to retiring from tennis after he announced that the Laver Cup in Boston was his final appearance of 2021.
Kyrgios, who reached as high as 13th in the world rankings in 2016, has been largely inactive from the tennis circuit for much of the past two years and has played in very few tournaments throughout the Covid-19 global pandemic.
This relative inactivity has seen his world ranking plummet to 95th, and after a straight sets defeat to Stefanos Tsitsipas during Saturday’s meeting at the Laver Cup, a disappointed Kyrgios admitted that he is unsure of his future in professional tennis.
“Definitely, this is my last event of the year,” said Kyrgios, who was participating for Team World against Team Europe in the so-called ‘Ryder Cup of tennis’.
“I need to go back home. I have been travelling for four-and-a-half months now.
“My mum is not doing too well with her health. I’d like to go back and see her.
“Obviously, I’ll get my body right and I’ll start my pre-season, spend time with my family for the Australian Open and go from there. I will reassess.”
Speaking after his 6-4, 6-3 win against the Aussie, Tsitsipas paid tribute to Kyrgios’ talents.
“He’s someone, you know, with not much practice or preparation [and] he can come out and play [some] of his best tennis due to the enormous talent that he has as an athlete,” said the Greek.
Despite not reaching a Grand Slam final throughout his career, Kyrgios has remained a fan favorite owing to his brash, outspoken character – something which has frequently landed him in hot water with the sport’s authorities.
He's talented at something he doesn't like doing it seems
Kyrgios also remains one of just a handful of players to hold wins against tennis’ three most dominant stars in Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal.
But despite never getting past the quarter-finals of a Grand Slam event, Kyrgios says that he has nothing left to prove in the sport.
“I feel like I’m not one of those players now that’s going to go hunting for points or hunting for accolades or anything like that,” he said.
Promising talent wasted by attitude and disrespect for the sport
“I feel like I have nothing left to prove to myself. I’m incredibly proud of what I have achieved.
“Where I go from here, everything’s a bonus. I’m playing Laver Cup again, and I’m not going to lie, I think this is my last year I will probably play Laver Cup.
“As long as I’m on the court, I will try and give my best, but I’m not going to lie and say that I’m going to plan to play four or five more years on tour – that’s just not me.”
The reaction online to Kyrgios potentially stepping away from tennis has been mixed, with some hailing his prodigious talent and others bemoaning the antics which have so often distracted from it.
“He’s talented at something he doesn’t like doing, it seems,” wrote one fan, while another said he would “start a row in an empty phone box.”
A third was perhaps a bit more cutting in their summation, observing: “Promising talent wasted by attitude and disrespect for the sport.”
