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Conor McGregor finally received his black belt in jiu-jitsu this week, with his coach John Kavanagh presenting it to the former UFC champion at the SBG Ireland gym. McGregor has begun training ahead of a planned fight with Michael Chandler in late 2023 or early 2024, and he was filmed sparring with Irish UFC prospect Ian Garry in Dublin on Sunday. While in his native Ireland, McGregor also took part in a jiu-jitsu class with his longtime coach, who ended the session by awarding the 35-year-old his black belt. “It’s not normal to give out a belt during the no-gi class,” said Kavanagh, “but nothing about this man’s career or life has been normal. An incredible exponent of martial arts his whole life, he obviously excelled in the professional area. But for me, it’s his interest and his passion about it day to day, whether it’s working with the new guys or training with pros. “It’s a huge pleasure for me to give [this to] a longtime student but also one of my best friends, Conor McGregor.” An emotional McGregor then said: “I appreciate this, guys. Thank you, John, for so much over the years. It’s just great to be home, great to be around UFC talent and see all the talent here around the gym. I’m with SBG for life, and I appreciate this. It means the world to me, thank you so much. “I’ve been doing this a long time, you know? It’s my life. To get it off John, it’s not even about... It’s deeper when you get a black belt off John. There’s not many black belts off Coach Kavanagh. It means the world. “I’ve been here, what, 20 years? So, that’s how long it takes to get a black belt off that man!” McGregor also re-posted a tweet that he first shared in November 2013, which read: “I just want two gold belts, a jiu-jitsu blackbelt, a hall of fame plaque and 25 million in the bank. Is that too much to ask? Gym time!!” McGregor would go on to become the first dual-weight champion in the UFC, after achieving the same status in Cage Warriors, and his net worth was estimated by Forbes to be $180 million in 2021. The Irishman is also a surefire UFC Hall of Famer. He last fought in July 2021, however, suffering a broken leg in his second straight loss to Dustin Poirier, who knocked him out six months earlier. Read More Mark Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions Adesanya and Volkanovski on speedboat Adesanya vs Strickland live stream: How to watch UFC 293 online and on TV this weekend Derek Chisora backs Francis Ngannou to drop Tyson Fury UFC schedule 2023: Every fight happening this year Conor McGregor makes sudden U-turn over UFC comeback Mark Zuckerberg trains with UFC champions on speedboat

Israel Adesanya returns this weekend, defending his middleweight title against Sean Strickland in the main event of UFC 293. Adesanya regained the belt by knocking out Alex Pereira in April, five months after dropping the gold to the Brazilian, and his second reign continues on Saturday as he headlines in Sydney. The Nigerian-New Zealander had his eyes on Dricus Du Plessis, but an injury to the South African means that grudge match must wait. Instead, Adesanya (24-2) defends the title against Strickland (27-5). The controversial, outspoken American is ranked fifth at middleweight, and he enters Australia on a two-fight win streak. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is UFC 293? The event is set to take place on Saturday 9 September, at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia. The early prelims are due to begin at 11.30pm BST (3.30pm PT, 5.30pm CT, 6.30pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am BST on Sunday 10 September (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then scheduled for 3am BST on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on TNT Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help: Get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Odds Adesanya – 2/13 Strickland – 9/2 Via Betway. • Get all the latest UFC betting sites’ offers Full card (subject to change) Main card Israel Adesanya vs Sean Strickland (middleweight title) Tai Tuivasa vs Alexander Volkov (heavyweight) Manel Kape vs Felipe dos Santos (flyweight) Justin Tafa vs Austen Lane (heavyweight) Tyson Pedro vs Anton Turkalj (light-heavyweight) Prelims Carlos Ulberg vs Da Woon Jung (light-heavyweight) Jack Jenkins vs Chepe Mariscal (featherweight) Jamie Mullarkey vs John Makdessi (lightweight) Nasrat Haqparast vs Landon Quinones (lightweight) Early prelims Mike Diamond vs Charlie Radtke (welterweight) Shane Young vs Gabriel Miranda (featherweight) Kevin Jousset vs Kiefer Crosbie (welterweight) Read More Deja vu for Ciryl Gane as heavyweight scores statement win at UFC Paris UFC president Dana White hits out at ‘idiot’ who tried to break into his house UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year When is the next UFC event? UFC schedule 2023: Every fight happening this year Deja vu for Ciryl Gane as heavyweight scores statement win at UFC Paris

Ciryl Gane takes on Sergey Spivak in the main event of UFC Paris this weekend, as the mixed martial arts promotion visits France for the second time. Twelve months ago, Gane beat Tai Tuivasa as the pair headlined the first ever UFC Paris event, but the Frenchman went on to lose to Jon Jones in March with the heavyweight title on the line. Gane was submitted by Jones in the first round to go 0-2 in fights for the undisputed title, having lost to Francis Ngannou in early 2022. Now the former interim champion looks to bounce back as he faces Moldovan Spivak, who is on a streak of three stoppage wins. In the co-main event, former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas moves up to flyweight to take on home fighter Manon Fiorot. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is UFC Paris? UFC Paris takes place at the Accor Arena on Saturday 2 September. The prelims are set to begin at 5pm BST (9am PT, 11am CT, 12pm ET), with the main card following at 8pm BST (12pm PT, 2pm CT, 3pm ET). How can I watch it? The card will air live on TNT Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help: Get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Odds Gane – 4/7 Spivak – 7/5 Via Betway. • Get all the latest UFC betting sites’ offers Full card (subject to change) Main card Ciryl Gane vs Sergey Spivak (heavyweight) Manon Fiorot vs Rose Namajunas (women’s flyweight) Benoit Saint-Denis vs Thiago Moises (lightweight) Volkan Oezdemir vs Bogdan Guskov (light-heavyweight) William Gomis vs Lucas Almeida (featherweight) Yannis Ghemmouri vs Caolan Loughran (bantamweight) Prelims Morgan Charriere vs Manolo Zecchini (featherweight) Taylor Lapilus vs Muin Gafurov (bantamweight) Zarah Fairn vs Jacqueline Cavalcanti (women’s bantamweight) Nora Cornolle vs Joselyne Edwards (women’s bantamweight) Ange Loosa vs Rhys McKee (welterweight) Farid Basharat vs Kleydson Rodrigues (bantamweight) Read More UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year Max Holloway knocks out Korean Zombie before legend retires at UFC Singapore Sean O’Malley sparks outrage after claiming it’s OK if he cheats on his wife UFC Paris card in full as Ciryl Gane faces Sergey Spivak in heavyweight clash How to watch UFC Paris and what time does it start tonight? UFC president Dana White hits out at ‘idiot’ who tried to break into his house

The UFC makes its second ever trip to France this weekend, as Ciryl Gane fights Sergey Spivak in a heavyweight main event in Paris. Gane is looking to bounce back from a devastating defeat by Jon Jones, who submitted the Frenchman in Round 1 in March, winning the vacant heavyweight title in the process. That was Gane’s second time fighting for the undisputed heavyweight title, and it went the same way as his first effort – a decision loss to Francis Ngannou. Now Gane takes on Moldova’s Spivak, who is riding a three-fight win streak of two TKOs and one submission. Gane will hope for a statement stoppage win – like the one he secured 12 months ago, when he headlined the first ever UFC Paris event against Tai Tuivasa. In the co-main event, former strawweight champion Rose Namajunas moves up to flyweight to take on home fighter Manon Fiorot. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is UFC Paris? UFC Paris takes place at the Accor Arena on Saturday 2 September. The prelims are set to begin at 5pm BST (9am PT, 11am CT, 12pm ET), with the main card following at 8pm BST (12pm PT, 2pm CT, 3pm ET). How can I watch it? The card will air live on TNT Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch the event, you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN round-up is here to help: Get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Odds Gane – 4/7 Spivak – 7/5 Via Betway. • Get all the latest UFC betting sites’ offers Full card (subject to change) Main card Ciryl Gane vs Sergey Spivak (heavyweight) Manon Fiorot vs Rose Namajunas (women’s flyweight) Benoit Saint-Denis vs Thiago Moises (lightweight) Volkan Oezdemir vs Bogdan Guskov (light-heavyweight) William Gomis vs Lucas Almeida (featherweight) Yannis Ghemmouri vs Caolan Loughran (bantamweight) Prelims Morgan Charriere vs Manolo Zecchini (featherweight) Taylor Lapilus vs Muin Gafurov (bantamweight) Zarah Fairn vs Jacqueline Cavalcanti (women’s bantamweight) Nora Cornolle vs Joselyne Edwards (women’s bantamweight) Ange Loosa vs Rhys McKee (welterweight) Farid Basharat vs Kleydson Rodrigues (bantamweight) Read More UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year Max Holloway knocks out Korean Zombie before legend retires at UFC Singapore Sean O’Malley sparks outrage after claiming it’s OK if he cheats on his wife How to watch UFC Paris and what time does it start tonight? UFC president Dana White hits out at ‘idiot’ who tried to break into his house UFC Paris card in full as Ciryl Gane faces Sergey Spivak in heavyweight clash

Max Holloway produced a stunning knockout of Chan Sung Jung at UFC Singapore on Saturday, before the “Korean Zombie” retired from mixed martial arts. Former champion Holloway got the better of the 36-year-old across the first two rounds of the featherweight main event, nearly securing a D’Arce choke in the second frame. However, Sung Jung had his moments, wobbling the Hawaiian more than once. • Get all the latest Usyk vs Dubois betting sites’ offers A frenzied striking exchange at the start of the third round promised disaster for one of the two men, and it was Sung Jung who hit the mat face-first when Holloway landed a clean overhand right. There were rumours that this clash with Holloway, 31, might be Sung Jung’s last fight, and that proved to be the case, with the South Korean removing his gloves after the bout, kneeling on the canvas, and bowing his head in a tearful goodbye to MMA. Re-live updates and results from UFC Singapore below. Read More UFC star Max Holloway breaks down in tears while discussing Hawaii wildfires New footage shows Sean O’Malley practising exact punch that knocked out Aljamain Sterling UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year

Former UFC champion Max Holloway broke down in tears on Thursday, while discussing the wildfires that have ravaged his native Hawaii. The Lahaina area in Maui County has been devastated by the natural disaster this month, with at least 155 people killed and more than 1,000 still missing. Holloway, 31, discussed the events at a pre-fight media day this week, ahead of his featherweight clash with Chan Sung Jung in Singapore on Saturday (26 August). “You guys saw how everything went down, how the Lahaina people were let down by the state, by the government,” Holloway said. “But the Hawaii community, they stepped up. The people stepped up, the Hawaiians stepped up. “Then, after the Hawaiians stepped up, the world stepped up. You guys are seeing everything, people helping – the UFC is helping out with ‘UFC loves Hawaii’ and so on and so on. It’s just a tough thing. I just shared my story about how some people ended up passing away. “It’s just tough, man. Those guys [in Hawaii] are the real heroes right now. They’re going through it, and my walkout song is going to be a dedication to them, and they said we should use red [fight shorts] to solidify those guys that are in the fire and going through it. “I’m actually going to be using red for the first time in my UFC career. I’ve been using the black, and I was able to be granted red for the shorts.” A tearful Holloway added: “I always go in there with Hawaii on my back, but it feels a little bit heavier now.” Holloway reigned as undisputed UFC featherweight champion from 2017 to 2019. In his most recent fight, in April, the Hawaiian outpointed British title hopeful Arnold Allen. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Maui county sues Hawaiian Electric Company over deadly Lahaina fires UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year Oleksandr Usyk may produce his greatest counter yet against Daniel Dubois

Manchester United will be without new midfielder Mason Mount for a few weeks as the club announced that he's dealing with a new injury.

Newly-released footage has shown Sean O’Malley practising the exact punch that won him the bantamweight title at UFC 292. O’Malley knocked out Aljamain Sterling early in the second round on Saturday (19 August), dropping the now-former champion with a perfect right cross then finishing him on the canvas. And the American, 28, has since taken to social media to share clips of his training for the fight, including footage of him in his locker room before the main event. The clips (which you can watch lower down in this article) specifically show “Sugar Sean” practising the right hand that dropped Sterling, with O’Malley’s technique and movements looking identical to their execution in the fight itself. The caption to the post read: “Sean & Tim [Welch, O’Malley’s coach] predicted the KO over Aljamain.” Prior to UFC 292, Sterling had won nine fights in a row, including three title defences – all against ex-champions. O’Malley, speaking in the ring after his victory, said: “It feels right, baby, it feels right. Honestly, this was the most nervous I’ve been for a fight. In my eyes, Aljamain Sterling is the greatest bantamweight of all time, but I never lost the confidence – because I know what I possess in this f***ing right hand, baby! “It only takes one mistake against me. I don’t even know if that was a mistake, I’m just that f***ing good!” Meanwhile, 34-year-old Sterling said: “Sean is a lot better than I thought, man. He did a really good job. He was elusive, stayed on the outside. This was nothing but respect at the end of the day. [We’re] chasing the dream.” O’Malley also used his post-fight interview to call out Marlon “Chito” Vera as his first challenger. Vera, who beat Pedro Munhoz on points at UFC 292, is the only fighter to defeat O’Malley. The Ecuadoran beat “Sugar Sean” via TKO in 2020. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Conor McGregor on UFC return: ‘They’re not going to let me fight’ Sean O’Malley becomes newest UFC superstar with one-punch KO of Aljamain Sterling UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year Sean O’Malley becomes newest UFC superstar with one-punch KO of Aljamain Sterling UFC 292 LIVE: Sean O’Malley stuns Aljamain Sterling with picture-perfect KO Conor McGregor on UFC return: ‘They’re not going to let me fight’

Sean O’Malley’s rapid rise up the rankings culminated in a one-punch KO of Aljamain Sterling on Saturday, as “Sugar Sean” took the bantamweight title at UFC 292. O’Malley’s crisp and flashy striking has seen him become a fan favourite with crossover potential in recent years, and that potential was realised when he dropped Sterling with a picture-perfect right hand in Boston, setting up a TKO finish. American O’Malley, 28, arrived in the main event without having taken on many top contenders – with the exception of former champion Petr Yan, whom he beat via a controversial decision – and he was similarly able to avoid significant danger in Round 1 against Sterling. The Jamaican-American, 34, was put on the back foot and unable to utilise his standout grappling skills, though O’Malley offered little output despite his forward pressure in a cagey opening frame. And the fight was over before it got going, as Sterling rushed onto a short, clean right cross from O’Malley early in Round 2, a shot that dropped “Funkmaster” at once. O’Malley then finished Sterling on the canvas with a series of punches and hammer fists, as the TD Garden in Boston was flooded with cheers. “It feels right, baby, it feels right,” O’Malley said in the ring. “Honestly, this was the most nervous I’ve been for a fight. In my eyes, Aljamain Sterling is the greatest bantamweight of all time, but I never lost the confidence – because I know what I possess in this f***ing right hand, baby! It only takes one mistake against me. I don’t even know if that was a mistake, I’m just that f***ing good!” Meanwhile, Sterling was gracious as fans booed the now-former champion, who entered UFC 292 on a 10-fight win streak and with three successful title defences to his name – all against ex-champions. “Sean is a lot better than I thought, man,” Sterling said. “He did a really good job. He was elusive, stayed on the outside. This was nothing but respect at the end of the day. [We’re] chasing the dream, something everyone in the crowd should be trying to do every day of your life.” In the co-main event, Zhang Weili dominated Amanda Lemos to win a lopsided decision (50-43, 50-44, 49-45) and retain the strawweight title. Full UFC 292 results Main card Sean O’Malley def. Aljamain Sterling via second-round TKO (punches, 0:51) Zhang Weili def. Amanda Lemos via unanimous decision (50-43, 50-44, 49-45) Ian Machado Garry def. Neil Magny via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 30-24) Mario Bautista def. Da’mon Blackshear via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) Marlon Vera def. Pedro Munhoz via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28) Prelims Brad Tavares def. Chris Weidman via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Gregory Rodrigues def. Denis Tiuliulin via first-round knockout (elbows, 1:43) Kurt Holobaugh def. Austin Hubbard via second-round submission (triangle choke, 2:39) Brad Katona def. Cody Gibson via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27) Early prelims Andre Petroski def. Gerald Meerschaert via split decision (28-29, 29-28, 29-28) Natalia Silva def. Andrea Lee via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27) Karine Silva def. Maryna Moroz via first-round submission (guillotine choke, 4:59) Read More UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year Michael Chandler gives Conor McGregor ‘huge props’ for one aspect of UFC star’s game Carl Froch tears apart Anthony Joshua’s ‘beginner’ performance against Robert Helenius UFC 292 LIVE: Sean O’Malley stuns Aljamain Sterling with picture-perfect KO Michael Chandler gives Conor McGregor ‘huge props’ for one aspect of UFC star’s game Conor McGregor ‘training’ Dillon Danis for Logan Paul fight

Sean O'Malley scored a huge upset win thanks to a big right hand.

Aljamain Sterling defends his bantamweight title against Sean O’Malley in the main event of UFC 292 tonight, after Zhang Weili puts her gold on the line. Grappling specialist Sterling has proven a divisive champion since winning the belt from Petr Yan via DQ in 2021, despite the Jamaican-American securing successful defences against Yan and other ex-champions in TJ Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo. Meanwhile, O’Malley is one of the most exciting strikers in the UFC, and his popularity among fans has seen him rise through the rankings quickly. Will Sterling prove too tough a test for the younger American? Fans will find out in this evening’s headline bout, which follows Zhang’s strawweight title defence against Amanda Lemos. Follow live updates and results from UFC 292 below. Sign up to bet365 using The Independent’s unique bonus code by clicking here. Read More Michael Chandler gives Conor McGregor ‘huge props’ for one aspect of UFC star’s game Conor McGregor ‘training’ Dillon Danis for Logan Paul fight UFC rankings: The Independent’s pound-for-pound fighters list

Two of the most divisive fighters in the UFC will clash this weekend, as Aljamain Sterling faces Sean O’Malley in the main event of UFC 292. Grappling specialist Sterling will defend his bantamweight title in the highly-anticipated bout, as the Jamaican-American looks to build upon wins over Petr Yan, TJ Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo – all former champions. Meanwhile, O’Malley has become a fan favourite due to his impressive striking and his confidence in it, and his profile has arguably fast-tracked him to a title shot. The American did, however, overcome an ex-champion in Yan last year, albeit via a controversial decision. In the co-main event, two-time strawweight champion Zhang Weili defends her title against Amanda Lemos. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? The prelims are set to begin at 1am on Sunday 20 August (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday), with the main card following at 3am BST (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on TNT Sports in the UK, with the broadcaster’s app and website also streaming the fights. In the US, ESPN+ will stream the action live, as will the UFC’s Fight Pass. Full card (subject to change) Aljamain Sterling (C) vs Sean O’Malley (bantamweight title) Zhang Weili (C) vs Amanda Lemos (women’s strawweight title) Marlon Vera vs Pedro Munhoz (bantamweight) Neil Magny vs Ian Machado Garry (welterweight) Cody Garbrandt vs Mario Bautista (bantamweight) Marlon Vera vs Pedro Munhoz (bantamweight) Chris Weidman vs Brad Tavares (middleweight) Gregory Rodrigues vs Denis Tiuliulin (middleweight) Austin Hubbard vs Kurt Holobaugh (lightweight) Andre Petroski vs Gerald Meerschaert (middleweight) Andrea Lee vs Natalia Silva (women’s flyweight) Karine Silva vs Maryna Moroz (women’s flyweight) Read More Conor McGregor confirms UFC return and three-fight plan Anthony Joshua takes swig of Conor McGregor’s Irish stout after Helenius knockout Conor McGregor calls out KSI for bare-knuckle fight after Anthony Joshua wins by KO How to watch UFC 292 online and on TV this weekend When is the next UFC event? UFC schedule 2023: Every fight happening this year