Sports — International

Bolt looking to his first football start in Sydney

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Sprint superstar Usain Bolt looks set to make his first start as a professional footballer Friday, a challenge he said could determine if he has a future in the sport of his boyhood dreams. Bolt said the coach of his Central Coast Mariners, Mike Mulvey, had indicated he would be in the starting line-up in a friendly against Macarthur South West United in Sydney. “For me, that’s always a good step, […]

UFC boss: Nurmagomedov won’t be stripped of MMA title

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Unbeaten Khabib Nurmagomedov will not be stripped of his UFC lightweight title despite his role in a post-match brawl Saturday, UFC president Dana White said in a website posting Tuesday. The 30-year-old Russian kept his crown with a fourth-round submission victory over Ireland’s Conor McGregor in Las Vegas, improving to 27-0 in his professional career and 11-0 in UFC bouts. Nurmagomedov had barely released his hold after McGregor tapped […]

NBA fines Boston’s Smart, Cavs’ Smith for pre-season scuffle

NEW YORk, United States (AFP) — Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart and Cleveland Cavaliers swingman J.R. Smith were each fined Monday by the NBA for their roles in an on-court altercation, the league announced. Smart was fined $25,000 for escalating an on-court incident during an altercation in which he was ejected. Smith was fined $15,000 for initiating the confrontation. The incident took place with 3:38 remaining in the first quarter of Cleveland’s 113-102 home victory […]

NBA Suns fire general manager McDonough as season looms

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Phoenix Suns managing owner Robert Sarver fired general manager Ryan McDonough on Monday, nine days before the team’s NBA season opener following poor results in a week of exhibition games. The Suns, who had the NBA’s worst record last season at 21-61, lost 106-102 at home to Sacramento a week ago and 115-93 to visiting Portland last Friday in pre-season NBA contests. Phoenix also struggled past the Australian National […]

Ronaldo’s not easy to replace, says Juve sporting director

MILAN, Italy (AFP) — Juventus sporting director Fabio Paratici said Monday it was not easy to replace a player of the calibre of Cristiano Ronaldo as he also dismissed a return to Italy for Manchester United’s French World Cup winner Paul Pogba. Ronaldo, 33, joined Juventus from Real Madrid last summer for 100 million euros ($115 million). The Spanish club have lost three and drawn one of their last four matches and are currently fourth […]

NBA fines Boston’s Smart, Cavs’ Smith for pre-season scuffle

NEW YORK, United States (AFP) — Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart and Cleveland Cavaliers swingman J.R. Smith were each fined Monday by the NBA for their roles in an on-court altercation, the league announced. Smart was fined $25,000 for escalating an on-court incident during an altercation in which he was ejected. Smith was fined $15,000 for initiating the confrontation. The incident took place with 3:38 remaining in the first quarter of Cleveland’s 113-102 home victory […]

Cricket great Hayden fractures spine in surf accident

SYDNEY, Australia (AFP) — Test great Matthew Hayden said Monday he had “dodged a bullet” after suffering head and neck injuries, including a spine fracture, while surfing during a holiday in Queensland. Hayden, a top-order batsman who was last year inducted into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame, fractured his spine near the base of his neck, tore several ligaments and hurt his forehead after being dumped into a sandbank while surfing with his son […]

Nurmagomedov beats McGregor as brawl mars UFC bout

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Khabib Nurmagomedov thwarted Conor McGregor’s bid to regain the UFC lightweight crown Saturday with a dominant submission victory in a grudge match marred by a post-fight brawl. Nurmagomedov improved to 27-0 in his professional career — 11-0 in UFC bouts — with the win at a sold-out T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The UFC lightweight champion had McGregor on the ground less than a minute into the opening round […]

McGregor returns for Nurmagomedov grudge match

LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — Conor McGregor makes a long-awaited return to the mixed martial arts octagon on Saturday, facing off against unbeaten lightweight champion Khabib Nurmagomedov in a money-spinning grudge match tipped to break pay-per-view records. Trash-talking Irish star McGregor was one of the highest earners in the sporting world in 2017 after pocketing around $100 million from his cross-combat boxing bout against Floyd Mayweather, which ended in defeat. Now the 30-year-old former […]

Nike ‘deeply concerned’ by Ronaldo rape allegations

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — US sporting goods giant Nike said Thursday the company was “deeply concerned” by rape allegations surrounding star client Cristiano Ronaldo. “We are deeply concerned by the disturbing allegations and will continue to closely monitor the situation,” a Nike spokesman said to AFP. Portugal and Juventus star Ronaldo, who has denied the allegations against him dating from an incident in 2009, signed a lifetime endorsement deal with Nike in 2016. […]

Wilder, Fury pump up volume ahead of Dec 1 heavyweight clash

LOS ANGELES, United States (AFP) — Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury were at it again on Wednesday, pushing and shoving and trading barbs as their three-city promotional tour for their heavyweight world title fight hit Los Angeles. Two days after their London press conference was broken up after they traded shoves, the two scuffled again and were separated by their teams at L.A. Live’s Novo Club — just a stone’s throw from the Staples Center […]

#MeToo movement gave Ronaldo accuser ‘courage’ to come forward

LAS VEGAS, United States (AFP) — Kathryn Mayorga, the American former model who has accused soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo of raping her in a Las Vegas hotel in 2009, decided to go public with her allegations as a result of the #MeToo movement, her lawyer said Wednesday. “The MeToo movement and the women who have stood up and disclosed sexual assaults has given Kathryn a lot of courage, and has enabled her to come forward,” […]