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The United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) will end its partnership with the UFC in January after Conor McGregor’s return to its testing pool this week, claiming that the saga has made the organisations’ relationship ‘untenable’. Usada announced on Wednesday (11 October) that McGregor had re-entered its testing pool, as the former champion prepares for his first fight since July 2021, when he suffered a broken leg in a second straight loss to Dustin Poirier. In order to compete in the UFC, athletes must have been in the pool for six months while returning zero positive test results and at least two negatives. That means McGregor’s earliest possible return date is in April, but Usada admitted that it would not be able to ensure that the Irishman serves the full six months, because it will not be renewing its partnership with the UFC in January. Usada clarified that the move was the result of its discomfort with the McGregor saga, after the UFC and the fighter suggested earlier this year that Usada might grant the 35-year-old an exemption to facilitate an earlier in-ring return. “We can confirm that Conor McGregor has re-entered the Usada testing pool as of Sunday 8 October 2023,” said Usada CEO Travis Tygart in a statement. “We have been clear and firm with the UFC that there should be no exception given by the UFC for McGregor to fight until he has returned two negative tests and been in the pool for at least six months. The rules also allow Usada to keep someone in the testing pool longer before competing based on their declarations upon entry in the pool and testing results. “Unfortunately, we do not currently know whether the UFC will ultimately honor the six-month or longer requirement because, as of 1 January 2024, Usada will no longer be involved with the UFC Anti-Doping Program. “Despite a positive and productive meeting about a contract renewal in May 2023, the UFC did an about-face and informed Usada on Monday 9 October that it was going in a different direction. We are disappointed for UFC athletes, who are independent contractors who rely on our independent, gold-standard global program to protect their rights to a clean, safe, and fair Octagon. The UFC’s move imperils the immense progress made within the sport under Usada’s leadership. “The relationship between Usada and UFC became untenable given the statements made by UFC leaders and others questioning Usada’s principled stance that McGregor not be allowed to fight without being in the testing pool for at least six months. “Fighters’ long-term health and safety – in addition to a fair and level playing field – are more important to Usada than short-term profits at the expense of clean athletes. Usada is proud of the work we’ve done over the past eight years to clean up the UFC, and we will continue to provide our unparalleled service to UFC athletes through the remainder of our current contract, which ends 31 December 2023. “As always, we will continue to uphold the rights and voices of clean athletes in all sport.” Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Kamaru Usman to face Khamzat Chimaev at UFC 294 after Paulo Costa withdraws Charles Oliveira replaced by Alexander Volkanovski in Islam Makhachev fight UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year

KSI will box Tommy Fury in Manchester on Saturday night, in a bout that will surely be one of the most watched of the year. YouTuber KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) has crossed into boxing, rapping and business in recent years, partnering with ex-opponent Logan Paul to launch the energy drink company Prime in 2022. Next up for the 30-year-old is this clash with Fury, who some will know from his stint on the reality TV show Love Island, though others will know him as the half-brother of heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury. Tommy, 24, is undefeated as a professional, while fellow Briton KSI has also never been beaten – though he has less experience in the pro ranks. In the co-main event, Paul will be in action against fellow American Dillon Danis, a former teammate of UFC star Conor McGregor. 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 the event? The fights are set to take place on Saturday 14 October at the AO Arena in Manchester. The main card is due to begin at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET). Paul vs Danis is likely to take place at around 10.30pm BST (2.30pm PT, 4.30pm CT, 5.30pm ET), with ring walks for KSI vs Fury expected at 11.30pm BST (3.30pm PT, 5.30pm CT, 6.30pm ET). How can I watch it? The event will air live on Dazn pay-per-view, at a cost of £19.99 in the UK and $54.99 in the US. 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 and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. Odds KSI – 5/2; Fury – 2/7 Paul – 2/9; Danis – 3/1 Full odds via William Hill. • Get all the latest boxing betting sites’ offers Full card (subject to change) • KSI vs Tommy Fury • Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis • Salt Papi vs Slim Albaher • Deen The Great vs Walid Sharks II • King Kenny vs Anthony Taylor • Whindersson Nunes vs My Mate Nate • NichLmao & Alex Wassabi vs Luis Alcaraz Pineda & BDave • Astrid Wett vs Alexia Grace • Swarmz vs Ryan Taylor II • Chase DeMoor vs Tempo Arts S-X vs DTG Read More Who is KSI? From ‘endearing’ class clown to YouTuber who has changed the face of boxing Tommy Fury explains why he has ‘never been fan’ of KSI ahead of crunch boxing match Let’s get ready to rumble! Inside the ropes with boxing’s ring announcers KSI ‘spits’ back at John Fury from balcony after having a bottle thrown at him Tommy Fury posts nine-week body transformation as he goads fight rival KSI Who is the back-up fighter for Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis?

KSI will box Tommy Fury in Manchester on Saturday, with Logan Paul fighting Dillon Danis moments before. KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) and Paul both rose to fame on YouTube before crossing into boxing and business, launching the energy drink company Prime together in 2022. Briton KSI, 30, has also ventured into rapping, while American Paul has enjoyed success in WWE. The pair even boxed each other in 2018 and 2019, with Paul, 28, going on to face the legendary Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition bout. Meanwhile, Fury is best known as the half-brother of heavyweight boxing champion Tyson, and the 24-year-old also starred on the reality TV show Love Island. The Briton is unbeaten as a professional boxer, while American Danis’s experience is in jiu-jitsu and – to a lesser degree – mixed martial arts. The 30-year-old, a former teammate of UFC icon Conor McGregor, is making his boxing debut this weekend. 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 the event? The fights are set to take place on Saturday 14 October at the AO Arena in Manchester. The main card is due to begin at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET). Paul vs Danis is likely to take place at around 10.30pm BST (2.30pm PT, 4.30pm CT, 5.30pm ET), with ring walks for KSI vs Fury expected at 11.30pm BST (3.30pm PT, 5.30pm CT, 6.30pm ET). How can I watch it? The event will air live on Dazn pay-per-view, at a cost of £19.99 in the UK and $54.99 in the US. 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 and includes deals on VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. Odds KSI – 5/2; Fury – 2/7 Paul – 2/9; Danis – 3/1 Full odds via William Hill. • Get all the latest boxing betting sites’ offers Full card (subject to change) • KSI vs Tommy Fury • Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis • Salt Papi vs Slim Albaher • Deen The Great vs Walid Sharks II • King Kenny vs Anthony Taylor • Whindersson Nunes vs My Mate Nate • NichLmao & Alex Wassabi vs Luis Alcaraz Pineda & BDave • Astrid Wett vs Alexia Grace • Swarmz vs Ryan Taylor II • Chase DeMoor vs Tempo Arts S-X vs DTG Read More Who is KSI? From ‘endearing’ class clown to YouTuber who has changed the face of boxing Tommy Fury explains why he has ‘never been fan’ of KSI ahead of crunch boxing match Let’s get ready to rumble! Inside the ropes with boxing’s ring announcers KSI ‘spits’ back at John Fury from balcony after having a bottle thrown at him Tommy Fury posts nine-week body transformation as he goads fight rival KSI Who is the back-up fighter for Logan Paul vs Dillon Danis?

Frankie Dettori isn’t done with horse racing just yet

Kamaru Usman will face Khamzat Chimaev in the co-main event of UFC 294, after replacing Paulo Costa on 10 days’ notice. Usman, who reigned as welterweight champion from 2018 until 2022, will make his middleweight debut in the bout, which pits him against one of the most dominant prospects in mixed martial arts. Swedish-born Russian Chimaev is 12-0 as a professional with 11 stoppage wins. The match-up was confirmed on Wednesday (11 October), when Costa revealed that he would need two elbow surgeries this week, having already undergone one two weeks ago. As such, the Brazilian is out of UFC 294, which takes place in Abu Dhabi on 21 October. The 32-year-old’s withdrawal was the second by a Brazilian in the space of two days; on Tuesday (10 October), Charles Oliveira withdrew from the main event of UFC 294 due to a severe cut over his right eye. Oliveira was due to challenge Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title in a rematch – 12 months after the Russian submitted him in the same venue in Abu Dhabi. Alexander Volkanovski, who holds the featherweight title, is stepping in to replace Oliveira and contest his own rematch with Makhachev, who narrowly outpointed him to retain the lightweight belt in February. Usman, 36, last fought in March, suffering a decision loss to Leon Edwards while challenging for the welterweight title, which Edwards took from the Nigerian-American with a brutal head kick last August. Chimaev, 29, last fought in September 2022, submitting Kevin Holland in Round 1. Chimaev was originally set to face Nate Diaz on that occasion but missed weight, leading the card to be altered on short notice. Diaz instead fought and submitted Tony Ferguson in the main event. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Usada ends UFC partnership over ‘untenable’ Conor McGregor situation Charles Oliveira replaced by Alexander Volkanovski in Islam Makhachev fight UFC schedule 2023: Every major fight happening this year

Under-fire Harry Maguire says a supportive call from former England captain David Beckham after being hounded at Hampden Park “meant everything” to him. Just over two years after being a Manchester United ever-present and part of the European Championship team of the tournament, the 30-year-old defender now finds himself as the butt of jokes. Many opposing fans have revelled in Maguire’s drop off and Scotland supporters goaded him mercilessly after coming on and scoring an own goal in England’s 3-1 win last month. Maguire immediately laughed it off as a “little bit of banter” but hearing from somebody that knows a thing or two about intense criticism meant the world to him. Few have faced sharper focus in an England shirt than Beckham, who has laid bare the pain he suffered after his 1998 World Cup red card against Argentina in a new Netflix documentary. “I actually spoke with David about three weeks ago, after the Scotland game,” Maguire said. “He got in touch with me, so it was really nice of him and I really appreciated that. It meant everything. I’ve spoken throughout my career about David Beckham being someone I looked up to and watched when I was a young boy. “Unfortunately, I didn’t end up on the right wing scoring and assisting as many goals as he has. But he was a big role model when I was growing up. “It shows how classy he is to reach out to me and to message me. It was something I really appreciated. It was touching really.” “You’re going through tough moments you’ve got to go through past experiences and past memories and where you’ve gone in your career and what you’ve been through,” he said at St George’s Park. “Every career is so up and down, especially when you reach what I’ve reached, in terms of being the captain of the biggest club in the world for three and a half years. He’s been in that position and knows what it’s like. “Obviously having watched the documentary I couldn’t believe how much he went through at the time. In the documentary Gary Neville speaks about how resilient he is as a person. I think he’s been a huge role model for many footballers growing up, especially in my era.” That chat and his experiences have helped Maguire retain belief and confidence, as has the continued faith shown in him by Gareth Southgate. The England boss has been in charge for all 59 of his caps and snapped in Glasgow at treatment he said was “ridiculous”, “a joke” and “beyond anything I’ve ever seen”. “I try and stay away from it all,” Maguire said, who says he posts on social media but avoids reading online comments. “Obviously you can’t stay away from it as your family and friends are probably seeing things, they probably read a lot more than I do. “Yeah, there has been a lot of talk about me over the last year. For that talk to happen, you have got to have built your way up to be a top performer like I’ve done over the previous five years to that. “Things haven’t gone to plan over the last year or so, but I am sure it will get back on track. A career is a long path. Many ups, many downs, it probably has been a little blip and I am trying to be back to where I was.” Maguire knows he needs to repay Southgate’s faith by playing more minutes with Euro 2024 looming large and says he can continue to “block” out any abuse. But he knows that is “a bit tougher” for his loved ones and his mother Zoe last month criticised the “disgraceful” abuse her son has been subjected to, which she claimed went far beyond football. “If she felt like that and wanted to do that, then I fully support her in terms of that,” Maguire said. “My mum’s been a big part of my career, she’s someone I go to for support and she was in the stands in the Scotland game. She probably felt affected by it and annoyed by it. “But she is more worried for myself, but I reiterate to her that I am all good and I’m strong mentally and I can deal with it. “It probably affects (my friends and family) a lot more than it does myself because they obviously do get affected by it but they also worry for me and how I’m dealing with it. But I reiterate to her all the time that I’m good.” Read More 5 Wales’ World Cup quarter-finals as Warren Gatland’s side gear up to face Pumas 5 memorable meetings between Wales and Argentina Ireland’s Rugby World Cup quarter-final hoodoo 5 classic Ireland v New Zealand encounters ahead of heavyweight World Cup clash AI scouting app gives players chance to be noticed in the professional game Josh Magennis determined to keep giving his all for Northern Ireland

Conor McGregor took another step towards returning to UFC by re-entering the United States Anti-Doping Agency’s (Usada) testing programme. The 35-year-old has not fought since July 2021 when he was beaten by Dustin Poirier for a second time and suffered a broken leg. He has been out of the Usada testing pool since, but the agency announced he has re-entered. It said in a statement: “We can confirm that Conor McGregor has re-entered the USADA testing pool as of Sunday, October 8, 2023. “We have been clear and firm with the UFC that there should be no exception given by the UFC for McGregor to fight until he has returned two negative tests and been in the pool for at least six months. “The rules also allow Usada to keep someone in the testing pool longer before competing based on their declarations upon entry in the pool and testing results.” “The Notorious” has been rumoured to fight Michael Chandler before the end of the year but that will not happen until April 2024 at the earliest due to Usada’s rules. Read More AI scouting app gives players chance to be noticed in the professional game Josh Magennis determined to keep giving his all for Northern Ireland Andy Farrell feels Ireland are becoming better at handling pressure

Artificial Intelligence can help talented players who might never normally be noticed get a chance in the professional game. Premier League clubs Chelsea and Burnley – as well as a host of MLS teams – are using an app, created by ai.io, that allows footballers around the world to complete specifically-designed drills and upload match footage of themselves. Using computer vision and deep-learning machinery, which can recognise and evaluate a player’s movement, each user receives a score and then scouts are alerted to anyone that matches set criteria. The aiSCOUT platform is the only digital scouting product invited into the FIFA Innovation Programme and already has several success stories, with Burnley signing Jez Davies and Chelsea handing a 10-week trial to Ben Greenwood, having discovered them on the app. Not every budding footballer will be visited by a scout, but almost everyone will have access to a smartphone and that provides the player with a unique opportunity. “It gives the power to the player,” ai.io COO and director of sports science Richard Felton-Thomas told the PA news agency. “You are always waiting for a scout to come and watch you, you can’t just ring them up and ask them to come. “This just puts power into the players’ hands. “We are really democratising that scouting process. Normally you go and watch and then go and collect more information afterwards, which is just inefficient. “You can’t replace the fundamentals a scout brings of going to a game, seeing how a player deals with adversity, how they transfer those raw skill sets to a match and taking instructions from a coach. “Our tech is there to do the early talent detection but then scouts have to ID that talent with the traditional method. “We give them the efficiency of enough information to say, ‘Don’t wait until the weekend to watch them’, because someone else might be doing that already. “We don’t make the future decision of the player. The scout and the recruitment do that. I don’t think anyone wants AI to decide their fate. We are there to say on certain metrics, players are worth a look.” Davies joined the Clarets when he was spotted on the aiSCOUT app shortly after being released by Tottenham and they quickly signed him up. This just puts power into the players' hands ai.io COO Richard Felton-Thomas Greenwood had a 10-week trial at Chelsea before earning a permanent deal at Bournemouth, going on to feature in the Carabao Cup and represent Republic of Ireland at under-19 level. There has also been huge success in India as players using a shared community phone have been scouted. “We have had players trial and sign for Chelsea and Burnley and in India players who have downloaded our app from a shared community phone are now in football programmes,” Felton-Thomas added. “If it wasn’t for a mobile phone they would never have the exposure. They were not playing registered football so a scout would never have found them but we are changing those lives through those opportunities with a phone. “Jez Davies signed at Burnley. He was released at Tottenham. We didn’t know about him but he entered our app uploaded his reels and you can imagine being 18 and just coming out of Tottenham, his drills were incredible. Burnley saw that and within two weeks he was signed. “The first player we trialled was a player called Ben Greenwood. He had brilliant stats, he was at a football college and had never been scouted by any team, he lived two miles away from Chelsea’s training ground in Cobham and they thought if he was that good, how come our scouts had missed him. “They brought him in for a day, just to validate our data, but he ended up staying for 10 weeks. He scored on his under-19s debut but he didn’t get a contract. “He was signed by Bournemouth and is on his second contract and played in the Carabao Cup for them. This is a player who had never once been scouted, so that was a huge success story.” Read More Josh Magennis determined to keep giving his all for Northern Ireland Andy Farrell feels Ireland are becoming better at handling pressure Charlie Savage impresses Rob Page during his Wales debut Harry Maguire supported by ‘role model’ David Beckham after Hampden experience I want to play – Harry Maguire admits lack of matches will become an issue Conor McGregor closes in on UFC return by re-entering anti-doping test programme

Maja Stark and Wichanee Meechai have each shot 6-under 66 to take a two-stroke first-round lead at the LPGA Shanghai event in the tour’s return to China after the COVID-19 pandemic

The Portland Trail Blazers are stuck in a transitional period, but Scoot Henderson doesn't expect to rebuild for very long. He's ranked No. 22 on our list of the best young players in the NBA.

Josh Magennis is determined to keep proving his worth to Northern Ireland for as long as possible. When manager Michael O’Neill said after last month’s defeat to Kazakhstan he needed to evaluate some of the older players in his squad and whether they could still deliver for the team, the 33-year-old Magennis recognised he was among those under the spotlight. But a player who has 73 caps for Northern Ireland, having made his debut against Turkey in May 2010, still savours every opportunity to represent his country. “It’s up to me to stay fit, perform at club level and when I get a chance in matches here or in training show I’m still worth having around,” Magennis told the PA news agency. “I know I’m getting on but to me that’s just an excuse, whether people say it for you or you say it yourself. If you still play with intent, with the sports science that’s available now you can play endlessly. It’s up to you to prove you are worth your place in the squad.” Magennis went as far as telling fans at a meet-and-greet event in Belfast this week that he would fancy playing at Euro 2028 when it is hosted by the UK and Ireland in four and a half years’ time, when he would be just shy of 37. “Playing for your country is the biggest accolade you’ve ever had,” Magennis said. “I’m never going to retire and nor will I ever say I’ve retired. “If Michael decides, or anyone else decides, they don’t want me to come any more that’s up to them but I can never retire on my country. That’s not how I will be going out.” His love of playing shines through as he discusses his season so far with League One Wigan and “riding the wave” of being back after an injury lay-off. Magennis saw his 2022-23 campaign cut short by a bad knee injury in April, forcing him to miss Northern Ireland’s June fixtures as he went through a lengthy rehabilitation process. Although Magennis got himself back to fitness by August, the early season form of Charlie Wyke, who has scored six in 11 for Wigan, has meant all but two of his 10 club appearances have been from the bench, but one of them saw him score a hat-trick in an EFL Trophy win over Leicester Under-21s. “Charlie has been on fire and I’ve just had to wait for my chance,” Magennis said. “At any level scoring goals is massive. The goals don’t move. I’m just feeling good to be back and ready.” Goals would certainly not go amiss for a Northern Ireland side who have only scored four in their six Euro 2024 qualifiers to date, suffering four 1-0 defeats along the way. Qualification is beyond them but there is a clear opportunity to end a five-game losing streak when San Marino, the only team O’Neill’s side have beaten so far, visit Windsor Park on Saturday. But while they can change the mood with victory, Magennis said the team does not need a reset. “It’s not about trying to change our mentality,” he said. “Michael is working towards something. “I don’t want to say we’re rebuilding but there’s been an influx of new players, a lot of players Michael’s not been around before and a lot of players who are experiencing international football for the first time. “It’s just about trying to keep going, keep grafting and trying to implement what Michael wants us to do. It’s been tough not winning. This is a results-based business and everyone wants to win but there’s a process and Michael has proved this process has worked before. We’ve got to trust in it.” Read More Andy Farrell feels Ireland are becoming better at handling pressure Charlie Savage impresses Rob Page during his Wales debut Harry Maguire supported by ‘role model’ David Beckham after Hampden experience I want to play – Harry Maguire admits lack of matches will become an issue England forward Ollie Watkins: I no longer go shopping due to recognition Conor McGregor closes in on UFC return by re-entering anti-doping test programme

The 25-under-25 is a celebration of the best young players in the NBA, but 25 is never enough. Here are the best players who just missed the cut.