Conor McGregor to make long-awaited UFC return in January

Conor McGregor will make his UFC return against Donald ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone on January 18, the organisation’s president Dana White has said.

The Irishman has not fought in the octagon since losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov via submission at UFC 229 in October 2018.

McGregor announced his retirement from mixed martial arts on social media in March, but in October stated his intention to return in the new year.

And it now appears the 31-year-old will take on Cerrone at UFC 246 in Las Vegas on January 18.

“Conor has signed and Cowboy is ready to go,” White told ESPN.

McGregor has a 21-4 record in UFC and in 2016 became the first fighter to hold belts in two of the company’s weight categories at the same time.

He has fought just once in the octagon since then – the Nurmagomedov defeat – but lost to Floyd Mayweather in a professional boxing bout in August 2017.

Solskjaer praises fighting spirit in six-goal thriller

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Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer lauded his team’s never-say-die spirit after a rollercoaster 3-3 draw at promoted Sheffield United.

The visitors had trailed by two goals midway through the second half, before a three-goal burst in seven minutes gave them an unlikely lead, only to surrender it in the dying moments.

Sheffield United had lost all seven contests between the clubs since a Brian Deane double gave the Blades victory on the opening weekend of the inaugural Premier League season in 1992.

The Red Devils have won 13 league titles since then but all under the guidance of Sir Alex Ferguson.

Current boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has put his faith in youth this season and results have been inconsistent to say the least – beating Chelsea and Leicester, losing to West Ham and Newcastle.

This game was a microcosm of Manchester United this term – filled with the good, the bad and the downright ugly.

“Sometimes football is beyond tactics,” said Solskjaer. “The energy compared to ours in the first half and then we get that goal and we start to believe.

“The difference in the team this year compared to last is huge. They never give in.

“Last year we would have gone four or five down instead of coming back.We would not have been able to come back.

The Norwegian deployed a back three with Phil Jones coming in, but the former England defender was run ragged before being replaced at the break.

It was Jones who was at fault for the Blades’ opener when he was easily brushed off the ball by Lys Moussett before the Frenchman picked out John Lundstram in space in the box and when the former Everton trainee’s effort was blocked by David de Gea the ball rebounded off John Fleck and into the net.

It was tough on De Gea who moments earlier had produced an instinctive save from a David McGoldrick header to keep it scoreless.

Solskjaer reverted to a more customary back four after the break with Jesse Lingard replacing the struggling Jones, but it didn’t take long for the Blades to double their advantage.

Goalscorer Fleck released the excellent Moussett midway inside the visitors’ half who took advantage of a stagnant United rearguard to drill a low effort into the corner of the net.

United had barely laid a finger on the Blades at that point but they got back into the contest with 20 minutes remaining through an unlikely source.

Chris Basham failed to clear a Daniel James cross and Brandon Williams coolly arrowed a low effort into the far corner.

Suddenly the momentum had swung and within two minutes the visitors had leveled.

Mason Greenwood, who had replaced Andreas Pereira moments earlier, slid in to poke an inch-perfect Marcus Rashford cross into the net.

The home side were now rattled and after being barely able to lay a finger on the hosts for over an hour, Manchester United went ahead when James picked out Rashford in the box.

But this game, which had just about everything, was to have a little bit more.

With seconds remaining of normal time, Sub Oli McBurnie, who replaced a limping Moussett, volleyed home a Callum Robinson cross with De Gea only able to get fingertips to it.

There followed an agonising wait for a VAR check for handball but mercifully for the Blades replays should it came off the Scot’s chest and the goal stood.

It was the first time Manchester United had conceded three goals against a promoted side in five years, but they will just be grateful to return over the Pennines with a point.

After the dust has settled, the Blades remain a point better off than their opponents, who are nine points off the Champions League spots.

‘I’ve never seen an athlete with those genetics’: Schoolboy sprint star impresses New Zealand Rugby officials at national sevens trial

Alex McLeod 22 November, 4:24am

Schoolboy sprint star Edward Osei-Nketia has blown away New Zealand Rugby bosses in his first venture into rugby sevens at the Red Bull Ignite 7 camp in Auckland.

The 18-year-old – who claimed the New Zealand, Australia and Oceania 100m titles this year and came within 0.01 seconds of qualifying for a semi-final berth at the World Athletics Championships in Qatar in September – is one of 96 athletes attending the talent identification programme this week.

Joining Osei-Nketia at the event are members of the New Zealand Schools rugby side, nationally-ranked surf life savers, representative netballers, New Zealand age grade water polo stars and internationally decorated rowers as NZR attempts to uncover young rugby and non-rugby playing athletes with potential in sevens.

Six of those athletes will be handed a place in the All Blacks Sevens and Black Ferns Sevens development squads ahead of their upcoming seasons.

Osei-Nektia’s involvement has been limited to a non-playing capacity as he preserves his body in a bid to qualify for next year’s Tokyo Olympics as a track and field sprinter, but glimpses of his immense athleticism has been on show at The Trusts Arena.

In fact, the man who became the fourth-fastest New Zealander in history en route to claiming the Australian 100m title in Sydney seven months ago with a time of 10.19 seconds has left NZR officials in awe of his physical prowess.

“I’ve never seen an athlete with those genetics, ever,” New Zealand Rugby’s high performance sevens talent ID manager PJ Williams told Stuff.

“He is 99 per cent fast twitch muscle fibre. I’ve never seen an athlete

walk through our doors in rugby, ever. And we probably never will see one again.”

Edward Osei-Nketia races alongside former Olympic and world 100m champion Justin Gatlin (left) and reigning Olympic and world silver-medalist Andre De Grasse at the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, Qatar. (Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

When asked about Osei-Nketia’s rugby-playing potential, Williams said: “How long is a piece of string? He has got speed, he has got size, he has got an attitude that is focussed for high performance.”

The 1.90m, 95kg teenager, who is the son of the Ghanian-born New Zealand 100m record-holder Gus Nketia, has history as a rugby player, having played the sport during his time in Australia at St Edmunds College.

He told Stuff earlier this year that he averaged “three to four” tries per match while at the Canberra school, and was supposed to play for the Scots College 1st XV in Wellington this year before his athletics career took off.

“I was always stuck on the wing. But I could see myself as a fullback, centre and if I can pull my head straight, I could be a flyhalf too. I’d need to improve on my kicking game though,” Osei-Nketia said while at the Red Bull Ignite 7 event.

Former Australian rugby league winger Semi Radradra is reportedly willing to take a multi-million dollar pay cut to return to the @NRL from rugby union.https://t.co/LvH7qV1zdH

— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) November 22, 2019

While he won’t be exposed to any physical contact, the camp has provided Osei-Nketia with an opportunity to showcase running ability as well as a chance to work on his ball skills.

“I’m here trying to learn more as I go as a sprinter, learn the game, learn the people and learn as many different things about rugby as possible so that one day, if possible, we can make a switch and I can be on top of the game.

“We don’t know what is going to happen, we have to keep our options open.”

Although a place at the 2020 Olympics is a realistic prospect, it’s unknown how long Osei-Nketia’s sprinting career will last, especially given how seriously he is taking a potential career in rugby.

NZR high performance sevens development manager Chad Tuoro told Stuff last month that the youngster would need to make the jump to rugby no later than 2021 if he is to succeed at an elite level in the sport, but sources close to RugbyPass have indicated that a cross-code switch is still a very real possibility.

That doesn’t mean that Osei-Nketia has ruled out the idea of representing New Zealand at both sevens and athletics at the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

“We’ll take it one at a time at the moment but I would love to do both.”

Long Jumpers: The New Wave

Last summer saw two athletes crowned Diamond League Champion for the first time in the long jump, as Malaika Mihambo and Juan Miguel Echevarria both hit the form of their careers. Their success had been coming for some time.

By the time Germany’s Mihambo and Echevarria reached the Diamond League Final a few months ago, both of them were clear favourites to take the title. 

In the women’s event, Mihambo had won two of the four meetings on the Road To The Final, clearing seven metres on both occasions and recording a new PB of 7.07m in the process. Echevarria had been equally impressive in the men’s competition, lodging himself at the top of the standings with two winning performances in Lausanne and Rabat. 

Come the final, both athletes then emphatically lived up to their billing. In Zurich, Echevarria blew the competition out of the water with a Diamond League record jump of 8.65m, and in Brussels a week later, Mihambo cleared seven metres for a third time to claim her maiden title. 

Even for athletes in such blistering form, however, securing the Diamond Trophy in the long jump is no mean feat. This, after all, is a discipline which has not gone short of talent in recent years. Whether in the South African splendour Luvo Manyonga and Ruswahl Samaai or in the cacophony of quality provided by names such as Brittney Reese, Ivana Spanovic and Caterine Ibargüen, the sandpit has been graced by some serious heavyweights of late. 

Yet both Echevarria and Mihambo had been knocking on the door of the elite for a while. 2018 proved to be something of a breakthrough year for both of them, as Mihambo claimed European Championship gold on home soil in Berlin, while Echevarria positively sailed his way to a gobsmacking, wind-assisted 8.83m in Stockholm. 

In both cases, the success laid the groundwork for an all-out assault on top spot come 2019 and a first Diamond Trophy for the long jump’s new superstars. Based on their form this year, one suspects there may be more to come. 

Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Adam Gemili were voted British Athletes of the Year at the annual award ceremony organised by the British Athletics Writers Association (BAWA) in London on Friday (22) afternoon.

Johnson-Thompson was chosen in voting by members of the BAWA ahead of world 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith and European indoor 1500m and 3000m champion Laura Muir.

After winning the European indoor pentathlon title in Glasgow for a second time, Johnson-Thompson stood on top of the podium for the second time in 2019 with gold in the heptathlon at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha, surpassing Jessica Ennis-Hill’s British record with 6981 points. Johnson-Thompson also won the prestigious Gotzis Hypo-Meeting in May.

On the men’s side, world 200m fourth-placer Adam Gemili finished just ahead of Callum Hawkins, who finished fourth in the marathon Doha, in the voting with hammer thrower Nick Miller and past winner Mo Farah sharing third place.

Gemili just missed out on an individual medal in Doha but he was part of the British 4x100m relay team to win silver behind the United States at the Khalifa International Stadium in a European record of 37.36.

Double European U20 champion Amy Hunt and Max Burgin, the European U20 800m record-holder, were crowned Junior Athletes of the Year.

The Vikki Orvice Inspiration Award, which was newly re-named in honour of The Sun’s much-respected athletics and football writer who died of cancer earlier this year, was presented to sprinter James Ellington for his battle back from serious injuries sustained in a motorbike accident in January 2017 to return to competition this summer.

Rafael Nadal put in some late-night overtime to drag hosts Spain into the Davis Cup semi-finals but Novak Djokovic’s hopes were dashed in excruciating fashion as Serbia bowed out on Friday.

Rafael Nadal Photo: Panoramic

World No.1 Nadal rescued his country as he joined forces with Marcel Granollers to win the deciding doubles rubber of their quarter-final against Argentina and set up a clash with Britain who beat Germany 2-0.

The 33-year-old Nadal had earlier thrashed Diego Schwartzman 6-1 6-2 to claim a 26th successive singles win in the competition, cancelling out compatriot Pablo Carreno Busta’s 6-7(3) 7-6(4) 6-1 defeat by Guido Pella.

Nadal took charge as the Spaniards broke early in the decider to get home 6-4 4-6 6-3 and keep Spain on course for a first title since 2011.

An extraordinary quarter-final between Serbia and Russia went to the wire – Andrey Rublev crushed Filip Krajinovic 6-1 6-2 then Djokovic levelled the scores with a 6-3 6-3 win over Karen Khachanov.

Like his great rival Nadal later, Djokovic returned to court alongside Viktor Troicki to try and get his nation across the line.

Djokovic was battling an elbow injury but after losing the first set against Rublev and Khachanov, he and Troicki clawed their way back. Three times Serbia had match points in the deciding set tiebreak and on the third Troicki fluffed the easiest of volleys — a mistake of nightmares.

When Troicki then failed to make a return it was the Russians who were celebrating a first semi-final since 2008 in which they will face Canada in Saturday’s first semi-final.

For the second day running British captain Leon Smith elected to leave out talisman Andy Murray, the hero of the 2015 title campaign. But they are no one-man team these days.

Murray’s replacement Kyle Edmund stepped up to beat Philipp Kohlschreiber 6-3 7-5 before Dan Evans, cheered on by a healthy band of flag-waving Brits, held his nerve to beat big-hitting Jan-Lennard Struff 7-6(6) 3-6 7-6(2).

Liverpool players attend a training session on Friday, ahead of their Premier League match against Newcastle. Liverpool’s sizzling start to the Premier League season has left their title rivals breathless and the red-hot leaders are expected to maintain their perfect record against Newcastle on Saturday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side have seized the early initiative in the Premier League with four successive wins to open up a two-point lead over second placed Manchester City.

The European champions’ relentless tempo has overwhelmed Norwich, Southampton, Arsenal and Burnley, sending a message that they are determined to make amends for narrowly failing to pip City to the trophy last season.

Arsenal’s Dani Ceballos is new to English football after joining on loan from Real Madrid and the Spain midfielder admitted to being gob-smacked at the intensity Liverpool displayed in their 3-1 victory against the Gunners in August.

“I had never seen anything like it. I’ve not seen up until now a team that plays better, that presses better. That game had quite an impact on me,” Ceballos told the Daily Mail.

“They suck the air out of you. You spend so much time defending and when you want to catch your breath and get on the ball for a bit, they’ve taken it from you again.

“I think Jurgen Klopp now has the team he first had in mind when he started four years ago.”

That glowing testimony underlines the size of the task facing City as they try to stop Liverpool winning their first English crown since 1990.

City may have won the last two Premier League titles in scintillating fashion, but Liverpool look better than ever this term and Newcastle are unlikely to halt their progress at Anfield this weekend.

With City playing Norwich in Saturday’s late game, the champions could be five points behind Liverpool by the time they kick off at Carrow Road.

Pep Guardiola’s team are unbeaten and have already thrashed West Ham and Brighton, but their lone slip — a draw against Tottenham — allowed Liverpool to seize pole position and they can’t afford another against second bottom Norwich.

Across Manchester, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s United can only dream of gate-crashing the title race after a disappointing start showed how far they have fallen off the pace.

United have won only once in their first four games, adding to the incentive for their England defender Harry Maguire to inspire a victory against his former club Leicester.

Paul Pogba heads a lengthy United injury list for the visit of in-form Leicester with Solskjaer potentially missing seven first-team players.

Luke Shaw, Anthony Martial, Diogo Dalot and Eric Bailly will also definitely miss the clash with the Foxes, while Jesse Lingard and Aaron Wan-Bissaka are both doubtful after withdrawing from England’s Euro 2020 qualifiers against Bulgaria and Kosovo.

Pogba twisted his ankle in the 1-1 draw at Southampton two weeks ago and did not play for France in their two matches during the international break, with the midfielder expected to return for the match at West Ham on 22 September.

Shaw (hamstring) and Martial (thigh) have still not recovered from the injuries sustained in the 2-1 defeat to Crystal Palace on 24 August, while Dalot (hip) and Bailly (knee) are longer-term injuries.

“The treatment room has been busy and it still is,” said Solskjaer. “We don’t really know who is going to be available. Maybe Aaron and Jesse will make it but that is it from the ones that pulled out. “Paul will not be fit, not unless he has a miraculous recovery. He has not been ready to do training at 100 per cent.” Maguire is the world’s most expensive defender after his £80 million close-season move from Leicester, but he is yet to play like it, as his creaky showing in England’s midweek Euro 2020 qualifier against Kosovo emphasised.

Leicester will arrive at Old Trafford above Maguire’s men in the table after an impressive unbeaten start. Mauricio Pochettino must hope the closure of the European transfer window lifts the mood at Tottenham, who host fourth placed Crystal Palace looking to secure only their second win.

Manchester City players attend a training session on Friday, ahead of their English Premier League match against Chelsea. Jose Mourinho will inevitably be the centre of attention as he takes charge of Tottenham for the first time this weekend while Manchester City look to get their Premier League title challenge back on track against Chelsea.

The former Chelsea and Manchester United manager has been charged with rescuing Spurs’ season after this week’s sacking of Mauricio Pochettino, with the club desperate to claw their way back into the top four.

At the top of the table, runaway leaders Liverpool have a winnable-looking fixture away to Crystal Palace but the chasing pack cannot afford to allow the gap to widen further.

City, licking their wounds after their 3-1 defeat by Liverpool earlier this month, host Frank Lampard’s Chelsea, who are one point above them in the table, eight points behind Jurgen Klopp’s side.

Leicester, in second place, ahead of Chelsea on goal difference, travel to England’s south coast to take on Brighton.

Mourinho’s first match in charge of Tottenham will be away to West Ham at the London Stadium on Saturday but he will not have the luxury of a honeymoon period.

The Portuguese boss has a number of issues to sort out, including addressing the woeful away form — Spurs have not won on the road in the Premier League since January.

Last season’s Champions League finalists have had a shocking start to the season, languishing in 14th place in the Premier League after just three wins in their opening 12 games.

With their new stadium to pay for, Tottenham are reliant on Champions League revenue but the outlook is not bright. No team with as low a tally as Spurs have after 12 games — 14 points — has ever gone on to record a top-four finish.

Mourinho, often labelled a cheque-book manager, has made the right noises so far, saying at his first press conference he will not demand millions to spend in the transfer market.

“I don’t need players, I am so happy with the players I have, I just need time to understand them better, to know everything about them,” he said.

“My gift is this squad, the squad is very, very good.”

Over their past 38 league games, Liverpool have tallied 101 points and lost just once, overcoming champions Manchester City in their most recent outing.

Manager Klopp last season labelled his players “mentality monsters” and captain Jordan Henderson says that is a crucial factor in their success.

“Our mentality is just as important as the technical ability of the team,” Henderson told the club’s website.

“I think everybody sees how talented the squad is, how many good players we’ve got in the team, but mentality is huge in football.”

Lampard, who spent a season playing for Manchester City after leaving Chelsea, takes his young side to the Etihad for his first visit as a manager.

Pep Guardiola’s side host Chelsea in the unusual position of being fourth in the table, a point and place below the visitors, who have had six successive league wins. Chelsea will also be eager to gain revenge for their 6-0 mauling by City last season — their biggest-ever Premier League defeat.

Former Leicester and Tottenham forward Gary Lineker believes Brendan Rodgers’ side are better than the team that lifted the Premier League title in 2016.

The club have already played all the members of the “Big Six” apart from Manchester City and sit in second spot in the Premier League with a winnable set of matches to come.

Academy graduate Harvey Barnes, who has played in 11 of Leicester’s 12 Premier League fixtures, said confidence was key.

“It’s a great place to be at the minute,” he told the club’s website. “You can see the buzz around the club and as a player, being involved in it is great. We’re going into most games at the minute thinking we’re going to win. It’s a great feeling to be as confident as we are as a team and as individuals as well.”

English Premier League Fixtures (1500 GMT unless stated)

On Saturday: West Ham vs Tottenham (1230), Bournemouth vs Wolves, Arsenal vs Southampton, Brighton vs Leicester, Crystal Palace vs Liverpool, Everton vs Norwich, Watford vs Burnley, Manchester City vs Chelsea (1730)

Real Madrid to sell Gareth Bale to Manchester United in swap deal for Paul Pogba

The transfer of Gareth Bale and Paul Pogba between Real Madrid and Paul Pogba could take shape in as early as the New Year transfer window.

Gareth Bale file image.

Out of favour Real Madrid striker Gareth Bale could leave the club for Manchester United, who on their part could let go Paul Pogba for the Bernabeu side in a swap deal.

According to a report on English daily The Sun, the deal could take shape in as early as the New Year transfer window. And if it doesn’t, the Madrid officials are convinced it will before the next season.

The Wales striker was on the verge of going to China’s Jiangsu Suning, in the last transfer window, for a year-long contract worth £1 million a week.

However, the deal was blocked in the dying minutes after Real demanded a transfer fee as the footballer had agreed to join the Chinese outfit for free.

But according to The Sun, United are now keen to land the former Tottenham Hotspur man at Old Trafford during the winter in a bid to rescue their dismal season.

It is also believed that Real are in no mood to let Bale leave without extracting their share of profit and could use him as leverage to bring Pogba into the Zinedine Zidane-managed side.

Bale has not featured for the Los Blancos in over a month now and has not even trained with the players since the international break in October.

Madrid’s contract with their 30-year-old forward runs until January 2022 on around £650,000 a week. If United would be keen to pay such a hefty amount remains to be seen.

But given his prominence, the United officials would know the he could be a marquee signing who will bring huge commercial boost to the club.

Australian cricketer James Pattinson at a press conference during a practice session at MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Feb. 14.

Cricket Australia (CA) suspended country’s fast bowler James Pattinson on Sunday. The 29-year-old will therefore miss the first Test of the two-match series against Pakistan at the Gabba in Brisbane.

“Pattinson was found guilty of a Level Two breach of CA’s Code of Conduct during Victoria’s Marsh Sheffield Shield match against Queensland last week and, as it was his third breach of the Code in the past 18 months, it triggered a one-match ban,” said Australia’s apex cricket body in a statement.

“Pattinson apologised immediately and unreservedly to the opponent and the umpires and did not contest the charge,” the statement added.

“I made a mistake in the heat of the moment,” Pattinson was as quoted as saying by Cricket Australia.

“Straight away I realised I was in the wrong, and I apologised immediately, both to the opponent and to the umpires.

“I have done the wrong thing and accept the penalty. I’m gutted to miss a Test match, but the standards are there for a reason and the fault is mine,” he added.

In March this year, the speedster was found guilty of two different breaches, the initial one came for abuse of equipment in a match against NSW and the second for showing dissent during a Shield game in Adelaide a week later. However, these offences were considered minor and classified as Level One breaches.

The first Test between Australia and England starts from Thu