List of All Articles with Tag 'per'

Pakistan spinner Noman Ali took six wickets in his tear through Sri Lanka Thursday as the tourists pushed for an innings victory in the second...

Australia has won the toss for the first time this series and opted to bowl in the fifth and final Ashes test against England

Conor McGregor has paid tribute to his ‘friend’ Sinead O’Connor, following the singer’s death at the age of 56. O’Connor’s passing was confirmed in a statement by her family on Wednesday (26 July), though no cause of death was disclosed. The Dublin-born musician’s death comes just 18 months after her son Shane, 17, committed suicide. O’Connor, most famous for her cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U” (released in 1990), sang during McGregor’s walkout at UFC 189 in July 2015, and her compatriot paid tribute on Wednesday. “The world has lost an artist with the voice of an Angel,” McGregor wrote on Twitter. “Ireland has lost an iconic voice and one of our absolute finest, by a long shot. And I have lost a friend. “Sinead’s music will live on and continue to inspire! Rest In Peace, Sinead you are home with your son I am sure.” O’Connor sang “The Foggy Dew” at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas as McGregor walked to the Octagon to face Chad Mendes. McGregor knocked out the American in the second round to win the interim UFC featherweight title. The Irishman’s entrance that night (which you can watch below) is widely considered to be the most iconic walkout in UFC history. McGregor, 35, would go on to become undisputed featherweight champion later in 2015, before becoming the UFC’s first ever dual-weight champion by winning the lightweight title in 2016. O’Connor changed her name to Shuhada’ Sadaqat in 2018 after converting to Islam, but she continued to perform under her birth name. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More ‘It isn’t good’: Sinead O’Connor’s heartbreaking final video just days before her tragic death Michael Bisping: ‘The challenge of coming back to grapple appeals to me’ UFC 291 live stream: How to watch Poirier vs Gaethje online and on TV this weekend

England boss Sarina Wiegman declared she is willing to “make changes” as the Lionesses look to secure a second successive World Cup victory against Denmark on Friday. Wiegman stuck with the same starting XI for every match of England’s triumphant Euro 2022 campaign, but the retirements of striker Ellen White and midfielder Jill Scott alongside injuries to European champions Beth Mead, Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby have left her current 23-woman squad looking significantly different. The 53-year-old called for more “ruthlessness” from her side following the nervy 1-0 tournament-opening win over Haiti, decided by Georgia Stanway’s retaken penalty despite several missed chances in open play. Asked if that demand might also apply to her own team selection, Wiegman replied: “That I’m more likely to make changes doesn’t have to do with that. “I want to make changes. What we do is approach every game, and then when we get ready for that game we see who is fit and available, and then we make decisions to what we need to start with. “And then we decide whether we are going to start with the same XI or maybe make some changes.” England’s performance against underdogs Haiti fuelled concerns that the Lionesses looked rusty, particularly in an attack led by Alessia Russo in favour of Women’s Super League Golden Boot winner Rachel Daly. There was also a World Cup debut for Chelsea forward Lauren James, who some pundits wanted to start but instead replaced Manchester City’s Lauren Hemp on the left wing after 61 minutes. Like many of her players this week, Wiegman, who has a fully-fit squad to choose from, was eager to point out that this team and tournament are very different from last summer’s home European Championships. She said: “We shouldn’t compare it all the time. We’re in a new situation now, and we have some changes in team dynamics. “We have our style of playing, we want to develop our style of play every time and we want to score goals. That’s one of the parts, of course. “And that’s what we’re working on all the time, every day. What do we have (to do) to create chances and score goals? That’s what we talk about all the time too. At the end, we hope that the ball gets into the back of the net.” The Lionesses could book their place in the knockout stage on Friday if they see off Denmark and China do not beat Haiti in the late kick-off. Scoring will certainly remain a concern, as will be shutting down Denmark number nine and captain Pernille Harder, the ex-Chelsea threat whom England defender Lucy Bronze called “one of the best players in the world”. Bronze added: “Not just for Chelsea, but also when she played for Wolfsburg and also for Denmark. She’s a tough player, but equally we’ve got many of those in our England side as well.” Harder, who will go up against several former Blues team-mates, including England defensive duo Millie Bright and Jess Carter, said: “We need to enjoy it, we need to enjoy that, use the energy, even if they might not all support us, take the whole event and use it as a positive. “Put in the extra effort in the field, really enjoy the moment, that’s what we must do. It’s great to be in a World Cup, that’s for sure, and it’s really cool to play all these matches. So, you shouldn’t think about the pressure but really just think about how cool it is.” Denmark boss Lars Sondergaard added: “I started saying we were underdogs, sometimes when you enter a match you are underdogs and you need to perform well against a superpower such as England. “That’s easier said than done but, as Pernille said, there’s a World Cup every four years, you’re not getting many of these opportunities in your career, right? So it would be a mortal sin not to enjoy it.” Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live Day one of fifth Ashes Test: England aiming to deny Australia series win Billionaire whose family trust owns Spurs denies insider trading – reports Kylian Mbappe reportedly turns down chance to discuss move to Al Hilal

Travis Kelce candidly expressed feeling hurt after failing to give Taylor Swift a personalized bracelet during her Arrowhead Stadium concert

Olivia Dunne joined gymnastics for a glittering pink leotard, but fell in love with the sport at the age of eleven because of her inspiration

A Norwegian woman and her Nepali guide set the record Thursday for the fastest summit of all 14 of the world's 8,000-metre (26,000-feet) mountains...

Michael Bisping is, in his own words, “f***ing knackered”. As we sit in a long, vast hallway in a Canary Wharf hotel, it is 2pm local time. But Bisping, fresh in from the US, is mentally in another time zone completely. The 44-year-old is in London to provide commentary for this weekend’s Fight Night at the O2 Arena, where – in two days’ time – Tom Aspinall will knock out Marcin Tybura in 73 seconds. In many minds, Aspinall is Britain’s next UFC champion. Bisping, though, will always be Britain’s first. It has been seven years since the Lancashire fighter stunned Luke Rockhold on short notice to win their rematch, avenge a loss to the American, and take the middleweight title. And it has been six years since Bisping retired, following a loss to Kelvin Gastelum in Shanghai. “It’s crazy, it doesn’t feel like that at all,” he says. “It’s flown by, to be honest, but I’m still very busy and very involved in the UFC, which I’m very grateful for. This company changed my life in so many of the best ways possible. Fighting in the UFC is a very tough career, but it opened so many doors for me. I’ll forever be grateful.” Nowadays, Bisping’s main involvement with the UFC is at the commentary desk, where he can combine his charisma with insight from a Hall Of Fame career. “I take it very seriously,” he says. “From the first fighter on the prelims to the main event, they all need the same amount of attention and respect. For those people making their debut, this is their main event. You have to be just as studious for them. I know I’m very jovial, sometimes silly – a little foolish – but I’m playing the part. I take it very seriously.” During his fighting career, Bisping would often play the part of the ‘bad guy’. It was the sort of approach that saw some fans delight in his brutal knockout loss to Dan Henderson in 2009, seven years before Bisping outpointed his rival to retain the middleweight belt. Now, however, he is beloved, as is evidenced by fans’ interactions with the Briton at live events. That said, ‘fans’ isn’t a word that Bisping likes to use. “It’s never sat comfortably with me,” he explains. “I’m just a very normal guy from Clitheroe. Mixed martial arts is an incredible sport, but we’re fighters – not rockstars. I think the moment you start thinking like that, you need to give your head a bit of a wobble and have a chat with yourself.” In his penultimate fight, versus welterweight icon Georges St-Pierre, Bisping again filled the role of the bad guy, against one of the nicest guys in MMA. “GSP” would submit Bisping to take the title, before retiring from the sport. Three weeks later, after losing to Gastelum, Bisping followed suit. Now, the Briton is pondering following GSP back into action, as St-Pierre prepares to compete in the UFC Fight Pass Invitational jiu-jitsu tournament in December. “He was trying to train me and offer me to do it,” Bisping says. “I’m kind of considering it, to be honest. I have many injuries, but I can still grapple, and it’s pretty low risk on the body. If things aren’t going well, you can tap out at any time, and it’s not like there’s a world title on the line or I’m trying to build a career from it. But the challenge of coming back to a competitive realm is appealing to me, and I think the ‘fans’ would get a kick out of it...” Bisping and GSP discussed the latter’s grappling venture on YouTube recently, in a much friendlier exchange than the ones that preceded their 2017 fight. “We’ve laughed about it many times, we’ve had many a dinner together,” Bisping says. “I’m happy and proud to call him a friend. I have so much respect for the man. I always did, we actually trained together for a long period in 2006, but that’s just the way I was; if someone was gonna fight me, I’d kinda take it personally. “Everyone deals with it in different ways, and of course I was playing the bad guy. You’re trying to sell pay-per-views, but I do build some animosity in my own mind until the fight’s done. Never has a harsh word spoken between us since then. The man really is one of the nicest, most fantastic human beings.” Bisping, like St-Pierre, has often credited martial arts as a key factor in becoming a well-adjusted adult, and the former middleweight champion is not only in London for commentary duties but also to promote the city’s first UFC Gym, which will open later this year. Like the existing UFC Gyms in Nottingham and Woking, the space will offer martial arts classes, though it is not aimed at those purely wishing to get into fighting, he clarifies. “Obviously I’m biased, but I think a mixed martial artist in prime condition is one of the best-trained athletes in the world. I think UFC Gym mirrors that, in terms of what we can offer with fitness. UFC Gyms are world-class fitness centres, and there’s a real vibrancy to them. They offer jiu-jitsu, boxing, kickboxing, kids’ classes, but they’re not necessarily aimed at people wanting to be fighters. I have a UFC Gym in California, it’s got every type of class you could imagine. It’s got yoga, circuit classes, weight training, cryotherapy, saunas.” Has Bisping ever tried yoga? “I keep talking about starting, but I’m a little self-conscious!” he laughs. “I need to start, because my body is a little beat up after spending 20 years getting the crap kicked out of me. It’s on the agenda.” Before long, a bit of grappling may be on the agenda, too. Visit ufcgym.co.uk for more details. Read More UFC 291 live stream: How to watch Poirier vs Gaethje online and on TV this weekend Tom Aspinall finally banishes ghosts of the past with UFC London triumph Tyson Fury seeks UFC star Tom Aspinall’s help ahead of Francis Ngannou fight UFC 291 fight card in full as Dustin Poirier faces Justin Gaethje What time does UFC 291 start this weekend? How to watch UFC 291 online and on TV this weekend

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson has bid farewell to the club as he closes in on a move to Al-Ettifaq. The 33-year-old will bring to an end a 12-year spell at Anfield, in which he won every single major club honour, when his move to the Saudi Pro League club is confirmed. “It’s hard to put these last 12 years into words and it’s even harder to say goodbye. I will always be a Red. Until the day I die,” he posted on Instagram. “Thank you for everything. You’ll never walk alone.” He added in a video accompanying his post: “I’m in the (Liverpool) dressing room for the last time so, as you can imagine, it is very emotional. “I need to somehow explain what these last 12 years have meant for me and my family. “Being made the captain of Liverpool Football Club was one the greatest honours of my life. “From the day the armband was passed to me I did everything I could to behave like a Liverpool captain should. “Thank you for allowing me to be part of your club, thank you for your support in good time and bad.” Henderson’s move to the Middle East – where he will be reunited with former Liverpool team-mate Steven Gerrard as manager – has been in the pipeline for several weeks but on Wednesday a fan posted a video on social media of him training with his new club in Croatia. Despite the very public interest in the England international he flew out to Liverpool’s training camp in Germany 11 days ago, although he did not play in either of their friendlies out there after an offer of an initial £12million was accepted. In contrast, fellow midfielder Fabinho was left at home as a £40m bid from Al-Ittihad arrived hours before they were due to travel. The Brazil international is still awaiting the conclusion of the deal but that is expected to go through this week. Henderson’s decision to move to Saudi Arabia has come in for criticism after his staunch support for the LGBT+ community and Rainbow Laces Premier League initiative. Homosexuality is illegal and punishable by death in Saudi Arabia, while the state stands accused of a host of other abuses including placing harsh restrictions on women’s rights and the right to political protest. “Jordan Henderson is of course free to play for whoever he chooses, but we would urge him to examine Saudi Arabia’s human rights record and be prepared to speak out about human rights violations in the country,” Amnesty’s UK economic affairs director Peter Frankental told the PA news agency last week. Pride in Football, a network of LGBT+ fan groups, said in a statement: “When you see someone who has been an ally so publicly transfer to a club in a country where LGBT+ people are attacked and imprisoned, it is disappointing. “Good luck in Saudi Arabia Jordan, but you have lost the respect of so many people who valued you, and trusted you.” Liverpool’s own LGBT+ fans group Kop Outs were even more damning, saying: “Given choices he has recently made, Kop Outs doubt & question if Henderson was ever an actual ally.” While Al-Ettifaq wait to confirm Henderson’s arrival they have signed Scotland international Jack Hendry’s from from Club Brugges and former Celtic forward Moussa Dembele. Read More Jordan Henderson risks tarnishing Liverpool legacy after career built on triumph of character

Canada captain Christine Sinclair’s quest to become the first player to score in six World Cups faces uncertainty

Pakistan is eyeing a 2-0 sweep against Sri Lanka as the visitors declared on 576 for five with a first-innings lead of 410 runs on day four of the second cricket test

The Dutch almost did it, even without their best forwards