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Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford are squaring off in Las Vegas tonight, in one of the most-anticipated boxing matches in years. The American southpaws, both unbeaten, clash to crown an undisputed welterweight champion in a bout that has been years in the making. Spence, 33, carries the WBC, WBA and IBF titles into the T-Mobile Arena, while Crawford, 35, holds the WBO belt. Spence (28-0, 22 knockouts) last competed in April 2022, stopping Yordenis Ugas in the 10th round, while Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) most recently fought in December, beating David Avanesyan with a sixth-round TKO. Spence told The Independent this week: “I definitely think it’s something that would’ve been hanging over our heads for our whole careers, if we didn’t make this fight happen. I feel like it’s definitely gonna be on another level. This is a super-fight, people have it as a 50-50 fight.” Meanwhile, Crawford said: “I’m already pound-for-pound No 1, I feel. In my eyes, a win over Errol would just put me as undisputed, pound-for-pound No 1 in everybody’s eyes. There would be no debate.” Follow live updates and results from Spence vs Crawford and the undercard, below. Read More Spence vs Crawford live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend The factor that could decide Spence vs Crawford super-fight Terence Crawford wins coin toss with Errol Spence Jr to make key fight-night decision

Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will clash to crown a new ‘BMF’ champion at UFC 291, in what could be the fight of the year. Five years after Poirier stopped Gaethje in a thrilling bout, the Americans will square off again, with the vacant ‘baddest motherf*****’ belt on the line in Utah. Since their first in-ring meeting, the lightweights have lost two undisputed-title fights each, but both men have crafted impressive resumes nonetheless. And Poirier, 34, and Gaethje, also 34, will look to bolster those resumes here, as they fight for the BMF title, which has only been on the line once before. In 2019, the now-retired Jorge Masvidal beat Nate Diaz to become the inaugural champion. In the co-main event this weekend, former light-heavyweight champion Jan Blachowicz welcomes Alex Pereira to the division, in the latter’s first fight since losing the middleweight belt in April. Elsewhere, there are plenty of exciting match-ups on the card. Here’s all you need to know. When is it? UFC 291 takes place at the Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday 29 July. The early prelims are set to begin at 11.30pm on Saturday (3.30pm PT, 5.30pm CT, 6.30pm ET), with the regular prelims following at 1am BST on Sunday 30 July (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). The main card is then due to begin at 3am BST on Sunday (7pm PT, 9pm CT, 10pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The card will air live on BT Sport 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 Poirier – 10/13; Gaethje – 11/10 Blachowicz – 10/11; Pereira – 10/11 For the full odds on the Poirier vs Gaethje fight click here for our betting page. Full card (subject to change) Main card Dustin Poirier vs Justin Gaethje 2 (lightweight – vacant ‘BMF’ title) Jan Blachowicz vs Alex Pereira (light-heavyweight) Stephen Thompson vs Michel Pereira (welterweight) Tony Ferguson vs Bobby Green (lightweight) Michael Chiesa vs Kevin Holland (welterweight) Prelims Trevin Giles vs Gabriel Bonfim (welterweight) Derrick Lewis vs Marcos Rogerio de Lima (heavyweight) Roman Kopylov vs Claudio Ribeiro (middleweight) Jake Matthews vs Miguel Baeza (welterweight) Early prelims CJ Vergara vs Vinicius Salvador (flyweight) Matthew Semelsberger vs Yohan Lainesse (welterweight) Miranda Maverick vs Priscila Cachoeira (women’s flyweight) Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Tom Aspinall finally banishes ghosts of the past with UFC London triumph UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year ‘The Rock’s shoes can go f*** themselves’: UFC fighter hits out at company’s sponsors

Captain of the German national team since 2019, Alexandra Popp has established herself as one of the stalwarts of the women’s game and the German national side since making her debut in 2010. A full-back-turned-forward, the 32-year-old will be carrying her nation’s hopes on her shoulders at the Women’s World Cup as she looks to avenge their heartbreaking defeat to England in Euro 2022 final last summer. Born in Witten, in western Germany, Popp began her fledgling football career as a student at Gesamtschule Berger Feld in Gelsenkirchen. The elite footballing school trains players for the men’s Bundesliga side, Schalke, with Popp the only female student to attend the school courtesy of a special permit. Having also played for mixed-gender teams at FC Silschede, Popp eventually got her first taste of senior football at Recklinghausen in the fourth tier of German football. Her stay there would last just one year with the then 17-year-old joining top-flight Duisburg in 2008 under the tutelage of the current national team manager, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. Popp would enjoy a hugely successful first season, winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League and German Cup with Duisburg. She would follow that up the following season by retaining the German Cup with the season culminating in Popp making her debut for the senior national team in 2010. After two further years, Popp transferred to Wolfsburg in 2012 where she remains today. Much like her debut season at Duisburg, Popp would hit the ground running at Wolfsburg with a famous treble-winning campaign that saw her side capture the UEFA Women’s Champions League, Frauen-Bundesliga and German Cup. Her career at Wolfsburg went from strength to strength as Popp guided her side to a successful defence of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and Frauen-Bundesliga in the 2013-14 season. Whilst her Wolfsburg side may not have tasted European glory since that 2014 season, they have been the dominant force in domestic German women’s football with her side winning the German Cup for nine-straight seasons while also winning the Frauen-Bundesliga on five occasions. For the national team, Popp has also been a stalwart since her debut in 2010, scoring 62 goals in 128 appearances. Despite missing the final through injury, Popp scored eight goals as Germany went on to retain the Euros in 2013. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here Having lost in the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup, the national side would go on to claim gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In 2019, Popp would become captain of the national side ahead of the World Cup where they fell to Sweeden in the quarter-finals. A heartbreaking injury in the warm-up for last year’s Euros finals prevented Popp from playing as England defeated Germany in extra time. Read More FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? Germany and Alexandra Popp are out for revenge - the World Cup is the perfect chance

England goalkeeper Hannah Hampton, who has just signed for Chelsea, may only be 22 but she has already packed plenty of unusual experiences into her young life. As a small child in Birmingham, Hampton was diagnosed with a strabismus, an eye condition that affects depth perception and which she underwent three surgeries to correct by the time she turned three. Then, at five, her teacher parents relocated to Spain, where she joined the Villareal youth academy, quickly learning Spanish and playing as a striker over a five-year spell. When the family returned to Britain, she transferred to Stoke City’s junior ranks and began to play in goal. After six years at Stoke, she joined Birmingham City in 2016 where she broke into the first team by proving herself a natural replacement for the German veteran Ann-Katrin Berger, becoming a first-team regular upon the latter’s retirement. Two years followed with another Midlands club, Aston Villa, before her transfer earlier this month to the West London side. She made her England debut last year in the 2022 Arnold Clark Cup draw against Spain, in which she kept a clean sheet, as she would again in her second international appearance: a 10-0 mauling of North Macedonia in April 2022. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here A hugely promising keeper, Hampton will nevertheless have a major task on her hands if she hopes to usurp the mighty Mary Earps between the sticks at this World Cup. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule

Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly is one of the most versatile members of Sarina Wiegman’s England squad – and one of its great characters – and comes into the World Cup in the form of her life, having scored 30 goals in 30 games for her club this season in all competitions to take home the Women’s Super League’s Golden Boot. The Harrogate native, 31, started with Killinghall Nomads where she was scouted by Leeds United before making her first league appearances for Lincoln City Ladies, scoring four times across 24 games in 2011 and 2012. But she first really made a name for herself in New York playing for St John’s University Red Storm in Queens, setting the college’s record goals tally of 50 despite playing in just two years out of the three she was enrolled at the institution between 2013 and 2015. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here Thereafter relocating to California and turning out for the Los Angeles Strikers, the Los Angeles Blues and SoCal FC, she finally found a home at Houston Dash in Texas, making 118 appearances and scoring 42 goals across a seven-year stretch. A brief loan move to West Ham during the Covid-disrupted 2020/21 season brought a return to the UK that was made permanent when she signed for Villa in the summer of 2022. It was Phil Neville who first brought her into the international fold in 2016 and she has since gone on to make 69 appearances and score 13 goals. She starred at left-back in Wiegman’s victorious Euro 2022 team but more recently played up front during February’s Arnold Clark Cup, when her two headed goals saw England beat Italy 2-1 in game two, setting the Lionesses firmly on the path to another tournament win. She could well stay there in place of Alessia Russo, in which case Alex Greenwood would typically be expected to replace her at left-back, although she may now be needed at centre-back with Leah Williamson out and Millie Bright returning from injury. Read More How to watch England vs Haiti: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup opener Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule

England continue their Women’s World Cup campaign against Denmark in a crunch Group D clash in Sydney. The Lionesses got their tournament underway with a narrow 1-0 win against Haiti as Sarina Wiegman said her side lacked “ruthlessness” in front of goal. LIVE! Follow coverage of England vs Denmark with our blog Denmark also got off to a winning start as they edged China 1-0, so both teams will be looking for improvement as they target a place in the knockout stages. Wiegman hinted that England are likely to make changes for Denmark, who are led by former Chelsea forward Pernille Harder. Here’s everything you know as the Lionesses continue their World Cup campaign What time is England vs Denmark? The Group D match will kick off at 9:30am BST on Friday 28 July at the Sydney Football Stadium. What TV channel is it on? England vs Denmark will be shown live on BBC One and on the BBC iPlayer, with coverage starting from 9am. England’s final group-stage fixture is against China on Tuesday 1 August and will be shown on ITV, with the match starting at 12pm BST. Should England make it through to the round of 16, their fixture will be shown live on the BBC. Click here for the full World Cup TV guide. Team news Sarina Wiegman has a fully fit squad and the manager has hinted that she will make changes to try and spark the Lionesses into life. Wiegman, who did not make any changes to her starting line-up during the Euros, could bring in Lauren James and Rachel Daly in attack. The back-four is likely to remain the same, with Millie Bright partnering Jess Carter and Lucy Bronze and Alex Greenwood at full-back, in front of goalkeeper Mary Earps. Keira Walsh will shield the back-line alongside Georgia Stanway, England’s goalscorer against Haiti, in midfield. Ella Toone, Lauren Hemp and Chloe Kelly face competition from James, while Daly could be preferred to Alessia Russo. Predicted line-up Earps; Bronze, Bright, Carter, Greenwood; Walsh, Stanway; Kelly, James, Hemp; Daly Read More Sarina Wiegman must take chance to reset England’s World Cup bid Darts, colouring in and 1,000 bags of Yorkshire tea: Inside the Lionesses’ World Cup den Women’s World Cup schedule: How to watch every match today Alex Greenwood: The England and Manchester City defender in profile When do England women play next? World Cup fixtures and route to the final Rachel Daly: England’s prolific goalscorer in profile

England continue their Women’s World Cup campaign against Denmark in a crunch Group D clash in Sydney. The Lionesses got their tournament underway with a narrow 1-0 win against Haiti, but they were reliant on a Georgia Stanway penalty and a key save from Mary Earps as Sarina Wiegman said her side lacked “ruthlessness” in front of goal. The European champions, who have now not scored a goal from open play in three matches, will need to improve as they take on Denmark and their star forward Pernille Harder. Denmark also got off to a winning start as they edged China 1-0. Both teams will be looking for improvement as well as a place in the knockout stages. Victory in Sydney would put England on the verge of the last-16, with China facing Haiti in the other match in Group D later today. Follow the latest World Cup scores, updates and news in today’s live blog Read More How to watch England vs Denmark: TV channel and start time for Women’s World Cup fixture Sarina Wiegman must take chance to reset England’s World Cup bid Darts, colouring in and 1,000 bags of Yorkshire tea: Inside the Lionesses’ World Cup den Women’s World Cup schedule: How to watch every match today

At last. It has taken over five years to get Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr in the same ring for their wonderful fight in Las Vegas on Saturday night. The old neon city has waited patiently for a fight like this, a fight without gimmicks, a fight with undefeated boxers and a fight that just had to happen. It might lack some of the stardust associated with the strip in Las Vegas, but it remains a fight for the ages. Spence is unbeaten in 28, he holds the IBF, WBC and WBA welterweight titles; Crawford is unbeaten in 39 and he holds the WBO version. Crawford has also held world titles at lightweight and light-welterweight. Spence is 33, Crawford is 35, and they are the most perfect rivals in an imperfect sport. Spence crashed his car, suffered injuries, had a potential career-ending eye problem and Crawford was shot in the neck and left for dead before he took boxing seriously. They have a backstory or two, don’t worry. Spence won his first welterweight title one cold, May night in Sheffield when he stopped Kell Brook in 2017; the following year, Crawford won his WBO title. A fight between the two has been discussed since the summer of 2018. It might not be the longest wait between the first talks and the first bell, but it is the longest for a fight of this importance. There are no circus attachments here, no desperate men, no lost causes – it is just two very good fighters, both still in their primes, meeting. Well, actually, they are an exceptional pair of fighters, quite brilliant in many ways. Spence has looked long and hard at moving up in weight to light-middle and has so far made six defences of his welterweight title. Some, it must be said, have not been spectacular. Crawford has also made six defences and stopped or knocked out all six men. He has appeared more focused. However, both have been guilty of holding out for the type of money that came so close to ending any chances of this fight ever happening. They have both talked about the risks they take as fighters and the need to maximise their pay, their cash, their fee for fighting. Thankfully a compromise has been found to satisfy their pockets. This is strictly a fight for money, but wealth is health in the boxing game. All the talk of pride, unification and being called the best welterweight in the world are just nice and necessary tributes. There is, by the way, nothing wrong with two boxers admitting that money has kept them apart and that money has finally brought them together. Legacy, it seems, belongs in another time and place. It is the first proper unification between two men holding all the existing welterweight belts (four now, three then) since the night in Atlantic City in 1986 when Lloyd Honeyghan ruined Donald Curry. Honeyghan was the welterweight king, the man on that long and glorious night; the winner at the T-Mobile Arena will take that fanciful crown. The Curry and Honeyghan fight was anonymous, which is often forgotten. This fight has become an event during the last few days, and at about 10pm in Las Vegas on Saturday night, we will have another welterweight king. They have, often in parallel boxing worlds, beaten the best men at their weight and have, on occasion, eyed each other up close and personal. The fight was made, mentioned, desired and collapsed several times. It was, thankfully, inevitable, and all parties finally saw sense and sat and talked – and talked – and found a deal to satisfy every single ego in their respective businesses. It is also the right time because there are now a pair of quite exceptional and dangerous contenders in Jaron Ennis and Vergil Ortiz Jr waiting with menace in a line. Crawford and Spence had to fight each other before either Ennis or Ortiz Jr had their crack. The wait will be worth it and all that really matters now is that it is on. Forget the money demands, the excuses, the insults, the threats and anything else that somehow stopped this fight taking place. Forget it all. It’s on, so sit back and enjoy it. Crawford has aged better during the five years and one month they have shared as champions. That should be the factor once that first bell sounds. Read More Spence vs Crawford time: When does fight start in UK and US this weekend? Errol Spence Jr lifts lid on Anthony Joshua’s training sessions in Dallas Naoya Inoue, the best boxer in the world, fights on Tuesdays

Unilever Plc named Ian Meakins to succeed Chairman Nils Andersen, continuing an overhaul of its leadership after a

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

The Women’s World Cup continues as the Republic of Ireland fight to keep their hopes alive against Olympic champions Canada in a pivotal Group B clash. Defeat would put Ireland on the brink of elimination following their opening loss to co-hosts Australia, while Canada are looking to bounce back from their draw against Nigeria. Elsewhere today, both Spain and Japan qualified for the last-16 with a match to spare as they continued their impressive early form in Group C. Japan cruised to a 2-0 win against Costa Rica before Spain thrashed Zambia 5-0, with both teams moving to six points to advance to the knockout stages. Monday’s meeting between Spain and Japan will decide who goes through as group winners, while Zambia and Costa Rica are already out with a match left to play. On Tuesday, co-hosts New Zealand were stunned by debutants Philippines, who claimed their first ever victory at the tournament with a 1-0 win in Wellington. The result blew Group A wide open and all four teams are still able to advance after Norway were held to a goalless draw by Switzerland in the day’s late kick-off. Follow the latest World Cup scores, updates and news in today’s live blog Read More Women’s World Cup TV schedule: How to watch every match today Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? When do England women play next? World Cup fixtures and route to the final

Joe Lewis, the UK billionaire and owner of the Tottenham Hotspur football club, has been indicted in the US for what officials called a “brazen” set of insider trading schemes. “He used inside information as a way to compensate his employees or shower gifts on his friends and lovers,” US Attorney Damian Williams said in a video statement on Tuesday. “That’s classic corporate corruption,” he added. “It’s cheating, and it’s against the law.” The Independent has contacted Tottenham for comment, as well as Tavistock Group, the investment office founded by Mr Lewis. This is a breaking news story and will be updated with new information.