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Aljamain Sterling will defend his UFC bantamweight title against Sean O’Malley in the main event of UFC 292 this weekend. O’Malley’s rise has been a curious one, with the striking specialist attracting a strong following over the last six years but finding himself in this title fight without having faced the stiffest competition. The American did win a controversial decision against former champion Petr Yan in October, but his more testing match-ups before that did not inspire as he would have hoped; “Sugar Sean” suffered a TKO against Marlon Vera, before fighting Pedro Munhoz to a No Contest. Meanwhile, Sterling has proven a divisive champion since taking the belt from Yan via DQ. He has won narrow decisions against the Russian and Henry Cejudo, and he stopped another former champion last year in an injured TJ Dillashaw. In any case, the Jamaican-American is the favourite in Boston this weekend, with his grappling skills expected to trump O’Malley’s striking. 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? UFC 292 takes place on Saturday 19 August, at the TD Garden in Boston. 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. Odds Sterling – 2/5; O’Malley – 2/1 Zhang – 2/7; Lemos – 13/5 Via Betway. • Get all the latest UFC betting sites offers 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

Rising star Sean O’Malley will challenge Aljamain Sterling for the UFC bantamweight title this weekend, as the pair headline UFC 292. O’Malley’s crisp and flashy striking has seen him win over a lot of fans, though his personality has proven divisive. In any case, the American has managed to set up a title shot without going through the wringer that many fighters do, in large part due to his profile. “Sugar Sean” did, however, take on ex-champion Petr Yan last year, edging past the Russian with a controversial decision win. Sterling also divides fans but is crafting an impressive resume, which features successful title defences against Yan, TJ Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo – all former champions. The Jamaican-American’s grappling skills are expected to be the difference this weekend, though he must beware O’Malley’s ability to produce a one-punch knockout. 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 What time does UFC 292 start in UK and US this weekend? How to watch UFC 292 online and on TV this weekend When is the next UFC event?

Conor McGregor has confirmed his long-awaited UFC return with an ambitious three-fight plan to take on Michael Chandler, Justin Gaethje and a trilogy bout with Nate Diaz. McGregor must first spend six months in the United States’ anti-doping testing pool and return two negative tests before he is eligible to fight, having not competed since 2021 – unless he is granted a special exemption. “Chandler next, in December,” McGregor told TalkSport of his plans, speaking after Anthony Joshua’s win at the O2 Arena on Saturday night. “And then Gaethje for the BMF showdown. And following that, we’ll seal the deal with the Nate Diaz trilogy.” McGregor and Chandler have been filming the new season ofThe Ultimate Fighter ahead of their own clash, which is still without a date, location and weight class. Gaethje recently avenged a 2018 loss to Dustin Poirier by knocking out his fellow American with a stunning head kick to win the ‘Baddest Motherf*****’ (BMF) title. Afterwards McGregor used social media to call out Gaethje, saying: “I’ll slap you around.” Diaz, who submitted McGregor in March 2016 before losing to the Irishman on points that August, left the UFC in September 2022 after submitting Tony Ferguson. “I’ll get that again,” McGregor, 34, said on The MMA Hour. “We’ll get that trilogy at some stage for sure. That’s when he was gone that he was [supposed to be] doing the show. So, you know what way that is, it’s all politics and all that. “We must fight, we’re one a piece. It’s a great rivalry, and it was a great fight. So, we gotta square that away for sure. Am I a person not to get the fights made and done? Look at all the fights I’ve had. When I say it, it happens. “I have a load of bouts left in me and a load of stories incomplete, and I’m excited to continue on and get them done.”

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UFC 293 finally has its main event, as Israel Adesanya defends the middleweight title against Sean Strickland in Sydney. Adesanya had long been expected to headline the 9 September card, with fans keen to see the Nigerian-New Zealander take on Dricus Du Plessis, with whom the champion has taken issue in recent months. With Du Plessis injured, however, Adesanya will face Strickland, one of the most controversial fighters on the UFC roster. The American has come under fire in the past for claiming he would be ‘very happy’ to kill an opponent in the ring. “If I killed somebody in the ring, it’d f***ing make me very happy,” Strickland, 32, said in 2021. “Like, if Uriah [Hall] hits me and maybe I have a brain aneurysm and die, you’ll hear me saying: ‘I’m okay, that’s a good death.’ “We’re all going to die sometime. You know, might as well end in a good way. We’re all going to the same place, man. It’s either gonna be then or now. Just enjoy it.” Fifth-ranked Strickland last fought in early July, stopping Abus Magomedov in the second round. Meanwhile, Adesanya last competed in April, regaining the middleweight title by knocking out Alex Pereira. Adesanya, 34, lost the belt to Pereira in November, suffering a TKO defeat by the Brazilian to fall to 0-3 against his old rival, who previously beat Adesanya twice in kickboxing. The “Last Stylebender” finally secured a win over Pereira in their most recent clash, however, to kickstart his second reign as middleweight champion. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Charles Oliveira ‘bluffed’ about injury in bid to move UFC title fight with Islam Makhachev Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis added to KSI vs Tommy Fury card It’s time to stop taking Anthony Joshua for granted

Charles Oliveira has admitted that he ‘bluffed’ about having an injury in a bid to change the time and place of his title fight with Islam Makhachev. Oliveira will challenge Makhachev for the UFC lightweight belt in Abu Dhabi in October, 12 months after the pair clashed for the title in the same venue: the Etihad Arena. In their first fight, Makhachev submitted former champion Oliveira to win the vacant gold, and now the Brazilian will try to avenge that loss to the Russian. However, it looked at one point like Oliveira might not be fit to compete in October, leading some fans to wonder whether Makhachev would defend his title in Abu Dhabi at all. But now Oliveira has revealed that he was not injured – or, at least, not as badly as he had suggested. “What changed is that I just learned how to play. Now I’m playing,” the 33-year-old said on The MMA Hour on Monday (7 August). “What I knew was that the UFC was planning to maybe have a fight in Brazil in November, so I was trying to push it to November. “I was just playing with them. Obviously it didn’t work, so now I’m fighting in October, but that’s what I was doing: I was bluffing.” Oliveira bounced back from his loss to Makhachev by knocking out Beneil Dariush this June. “Do Bronx” previously held the lightweight title from May 2021 until May 2022, before being stripped of the gold. Oliveira was stripped of the title after narrowly missing weight, the day before his scheduled defence against Justin Gaethje. The Brazilian went on to submit Gaethje and set up his first fight with Makhachev. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Don’t sneer at the boxing crossovers – they’re lucrative, successful and here to stay ‘Boo if you’re a virgin’: Jake Paul mocks crowd after beating Nate Diaz Dillian Whyte vows to prove his innocence after doping test ‘adverse finding’

Manchester United defender Harry Maguire could be on his way out of town soon, with West Ham United putting an improved bid on the table.

20-year-old forward Rasmus Hojliund is in Manchester for his MUFC medical and people can't wait for the club to announce his signing.

Conor McGregor has taken aim at Justin Gaethje for the second time in a week, after the American played down McGregor’s callout in the wake of UFC 291. Gaethje knocked out Dustin Poirier in the second round on Saturday, avenging a 2018 loss to his compatriot and winning the ‘Baddest Motherf*****’ title. McGregor was apparently unimpressed, however, tweeting after the lightweight fight: “Justin, I’ll slap you around. I KO him one shot. Guarantee it.” Gaethje, 34, dismissed the former dual-weight champion’s callout, referencing the fact that McGregor is currently absent from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) testing pool. Athletes must be in the pool for six months and return two negative results – and zero positives – in order to fight in the UFC. Although McGregor, 35, has never failed a drug test, Gaethje said: “I’m not going to fight someone on steroids [...] I don’t want to fight someone that’s cheating [...] I think he’s turned me down six times. And usually you have to lose to fight him, so don’t know what’s going on.” McGregor has now hit back, tweeting on Tuesday (1 August): “This guy is about as smart as two planks. “He is a one shotter for me. I snipe him dead in one single shot. And easily.” McGregor has not fought in two years, since suffering a broken leg in his second straight loss to Poirier. The Irishman is set to face Michael Chandler next, but no date, location or weight class has been announced for that bout, with McGregor’s absence from the Usada pool proving problematic. Meanwhile, Gaethje has won two fights in a row since suffering a submission loss to Charles Oliveira in May 2022. The American outpointed Rafael Fiziev in March before knocking out Poirier at UFC 291. Gaethje may yet challenge for the UFC lightweight title – for the third time – in his next fight. Champion Islam Makhachev is scheduled to defend the belt against ex-champion Oliveira in October. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Justin Gaethje reacts to Conor McGregor callout after knocking out Dustin Poirier Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier share wholesome backstage moment after UFC 291 KO Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend

Justin Gaethje and Dustin Poirier paid respect to one another in a wholesome moment at UFC 291 on Saturday, speaking backstage after Gaethje knocked out his fellow American. Gaethje won the main-event bout with a stunning head kick in the second round, avenging a 2018 loss to Poirier and claiming the ‘Baddest Motherf*****’ title. And as Gaethje spoke to TNT Sports backstage after the fight, Poirier came over to congratulate his fellow lightweight. “Congratulations, man,” Poirier told Gaethje, patting him on the shoulder. “Bad motherf*****. I didn’t see it, I didn’t see the kick! Congrats, man. I’m proud of you, you worked hard for this. You took it. Have a great night.” Gaethje, 34, responded: “Thank you, man. We both are [bad motherf*****s], we both [worked hard]. That’s what we do. Let’s hang out, I’m serious.” Poirier, also 34, replied: “I’ll whip you at ping pong,” to which Gaethje laughed: “You might! I’m pretty good, but you might.” TNT Sports presenter McKenzie Pavacich then asked Gaethje what he was feeling after the interaction. “I feel bad,” he said. “I care about people, and I knew that I had to go in there and not care about him. “That hurts in a way, but it’s me or him. I chose this game, I signed up for this, and so I have to go there – luckily only twice a year, usually.” Gaethe, who suffered a TKO loss to Poirier in 2018, is positioned to fight for the UFC lightweight title next. Like Poirier, Gaethje is a former interim champion who has twice failed to become undisputed champion. In October, Islam Makhachev defends the title against Charles Oliveira, in a rematch 12 months in the making. Russian Makhachev submitted Oliveira to win the vacant belt last year, five months after the Brazilian submitted Gaethje. Oliveira, a former champion, previously submitted Poirier in 2021. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Justin Gaethje stuns Dustin Poirier with brutal head-kick knockout at UFC 291 Justin Gaethje reacts to Conor McGregor callout after knocking out Dustin Poirier Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend

Justin Gaethje has claimed that he has little desire to fight Conor McGregor, after the Irishman called him out in the aftermath of UFC 291. Gaethje avenged a 2018 loss to Dustin Poirier on Saturday, knocking out his fellow American with a stunning head kick to win the ‘Baddest Motherf*****’ title. And McGregor, as he so often does after major UFC cards, then took to social media to call out one half of the main-event fight. “I’ll slap you around,” tweeted McGregor, 35. “I KO him one shot. Guarantee it.” At the UFC 291 post-fight press conference, Gaethje was asked about the former UFC champion’s comments. The lightweight, 34, replied: “I think he’s turned me down six times. And usually you have to lose to fight him, so don’t know what’s going on. “I don’t know, I don’t really care. Whatever. I fight MMA, I like to fight big fights, I like exciting things, so it sounds pretty exciting to me. [But] I’m not going to fight someone on steroids.” Gaethje was addressing the fact that McGregor, who has never tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug, is currently absent from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) testing pool. McGregor is set to fight Michael Chandler next, but the Irishman must first spend six months in Usada’s testing pool and return two negative tests – and zero positives. As such, McGregor vs Chandler is still without a date and location. Gaethje added: “I’ve never taken steroids in my life, never will. Well, maybe when I retire, I might... but I’ve never taken steroids, and I don’t want to fight someone that’s cheating. And I probably shouldn’t even say that if I want the fight, but it’s the truth.” McGregor vs Gaethje is a fight that many fans have long wanted to see. Meanwhile, McGregor has fought Poirier three times. McGregor knocked out the 34-year-old in a featherweight bout in 2014, before suffering a KO loss to Poirier in January 2021 at lightweight. In their trilogy fight in July 2021 – also contested at lightweight – McGregor suffered a broken leg at the end of Round 1. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Justin Gaethje stuns Dustin Poirier with brutal head-kick knockout at UFC 291 Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend Next UFC Fight Night: Event start time, card and how to watch

Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will clash in the main event of UFC 291 tonight, in a rematch with the ‘BMF’ title on the line. Poirier beat Gaethje via fourth-round TKO in 2018, and the pair’s careers followed similar trajectories in the time since. Poirier, 34, won the interim lightweight title in 2019 but failed to unify the belt against Khabib Nurmagomedov, losing to the Russsian via submission; Gaethje, 34, then collected the interim gold in 2020 but was also submitted by Khabib. Each man then got a second crack at the gold but came up short again, with Poirier submitted by Charles Oliveira in 2021 and Gaethje suffering the same fate last May. However, Poirier and Gaethje have both bounced back since then, with the former stopping Michael Chandler and the latter beating Rafael Fiziev. And when Poirier and Gaethje rematch in Salt Lake City, Utah, tonight, the ‘Baddest Motherf*****’ belt will be up for grabs. The title has only appeared once before, when Jorge Masvidal beat Nate Diaz to become the inaugural champion in 2019. In this evening’s co-main event, former middleweight champion Alex Pereira moves up to light-heavyweight to face Jan Blachowicz, an ex-title holder in the division. Follow live updates and results from UFC 291, below. For the full odds on the Poirier vs Gaethje fight, click here for our betting page. Read More UFC 291 live stream: How to watch Poirier vs Gaethje online and on TV this weekend Michael Bisping: ‘The challenge of coming back to grapple appeals to me’ Conor McGregor pays emotional tribute to Sinead O’Connor after singer’s death