List of All Articles with Tag 'sports'

Team Renegade, where UFC welterweight champion Leon Edwards trains, has told The Independent that Ian Machado Garry was ‘refused entrance’ to the gym because he did not ‘add to the team’s culture’. The gym’s statement comes after Machado Garry told The Independent last week that he was not allowed back at Team Renegade, where he recently trained with Edwards, due to ‘doubts and insecurities’ in the welterweight champion and his coach. Team Renegade said: “Sometimes the coaches allow fighters to come in from the outside, but this is very much a privilege and not the norm. If the coaches feel it’s not adding to the team’s culture, a fighter is refused entrance. Ian Garry’s more nomadic approach to preparation has given him great results, but it’s not in line with what we are creating at Team Renegade. This has nothing to do with one specific fighter or a specific coach.” Machado Garry, who has trained at numerous gyms in various countries in recent times, is ranked 10th at welterweight in the UFC. The Irishman is unbeaten and will fight former teammate Vicente Luque at UFC 296 on 16 December – on the undercard of Edwards’s title defence against Colby Covington. Machado Garry, who turns 26 in November, said in an interview with The Independent on Friday (27 October): “Leon Edwards, his head coach asked me not to come back to Renegade; told me I’m not allowed to train there. “I have to word this correctly, because I don’t wanna be… Firstly, I wanna put out there that Ash and Tom, who run Renegade… I don’t wanna give any negatives without saying a positive. I don’t want any s*** with any gyms. The guys at Renegade… it was a great energy. Tom and Ash were very welcoming, lovely and nice to me. It was nothing to do with them. “Leon and his head coach had an issue with me training on the mats and recently have asked me not to train there, because, ‘Leon doesn’t want any insecurities or doubts on his own mats, within the gym,’ which I don’t fully understand. “I get that we’re both in the top 10 and you might see me as a threat, but I’m not a threat to you right now; I’m not fighting for the title right now. His coach said the words: ‘Ian is a threat, I cannot have Leon having any doubts or insecurities.’ “That makes me think someone is weak minded and can’t have another contender training on the mat. That’s why gym conflict is annoying. For me, why not have that other elite guy on the mat? Why not train with him? Why not have him push you? Why not learn and grow from each other? “It’s very irritating, because I’m a young fighter who wants to be the best in the world, who wants to train with the best in the world, and Renegade is the best gym in the UK. I went there to learn from the guys around Birmingham and who have essentially proven that it’s the best gym in the UK; I didn’t go there to train with Leon, I went there to train with that gym, because they’re amazing. Now I’m being stopped from going to a gym, because I might potentially fight Leon in 18 months. My attitude is: If that’s the case, why not have this conversation in six months? “I love the guys at Renegade. They’re really nice and welcoming, I rang them beforehand to make sure everything was good. Then, after the second day I was there, they were like: ‘Oh, we can’t have you back, Leon and some of his team don’t want this.’” Edwards won the welterweight title in August 2022 with a stunning head-kick knockout of Kamaru Usman, who had beaten the Jamaican-born Briton on points in 2015. Edwards, 32, then retained the title against Usman in a trilogy bout at UFC 286 in March. Edwards was a decision winner against the Nigerian-American in London. The Independent’s full interview with Machado Garry will be available to read later this week. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More UFC’s Ian Garry: ‘Leon Edwards and his coach said I can’t train at their gym anymore’ Ngannou display against Fury the ‘biggest upset in boxing’, claims Hardy When will Conor McGregor return to the UFC? Ngannou display against Fury the ‘biggest upset in boxing’, claims Hardy When will Conor McGregor return to the UFC? The Independent’s pound-for-pound UFC rankings

By Christian Radnedge LONDON Australia would have found it difficult to compete with Saudi Arabia's bid to host

A person familiar with the trade tells The Associated Press the Philadelphia 76ers have traded James Harden to the Los Angeles Clippers

Emiliano Martinez was booed at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in Paris on Monday night as he collected the best goalkeeper’s Yashin Trophy. Martinez thwarted France in the 2022 World Cup final, making a crucial one-on-one save from Randal Kolo Muani in extra time to take the game to penalties, before making two more saves in the shootout to help clinch Argentina’s first World Cup since 1986. The Aston Villa goalkeeper was criticised in the aftermath of the final, however, for his overzealous celebrations when he was pictured carrying a doll of France captain Kylian Mbappe during the trophy parade in Buenos Aires. Martinez arrived at Ballon d’Or ceremony to chants of “Mbappe!” outside the venue. Later, after receiving his award from his father on stage, boos could be heard as he was interviewed by host Didier Drogba while a video played his famous save from Kolo Muani in the background. Martinez’s teammate Lionel Messi won a record eighth Ballon d'Or for the best player in the world, beating Norway's Uefa player of the year and treble winner Erling Haaland of Manchester City to the prestigious prize. The 36-year-old is now three Ballons d’Or clear of rival Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the last of his five trophies in 2017. Messi has now finished among the top three a record 14 times in total, finishing runner-up on five occasions. “I couldn’t imagine having the career that I’ve had. Everything that I’ve achieved. The fortune I’ve had playing for the best team in the world, the best team in history. It’s nice to win these individual trophies. To win the Copa America and then the World Cup, to get it done is amazing,” Messi said. “All of them (Ballon d’Or awards) are special for different reasons,” he added. “I’m happy to get that recognition that I'm getting thanks to what we have achieved with the national team,” Messi told Reuters. “This (World Cup) title we had been aiming for for so many years makes it even more special.” Asked if he would carry on until the 2026 World Cup, Messi said: “I don't think about it. I’ll enjoy (my career) day by day. There will first be the Copa America in the United States (in 2024). (The World Cup), I don’t think about it.” Spain’s World Cup winner and Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati won the women’s Ballon d’Or. “It’s an individual trophy but it can’t exist without a team,” she said. Messi, who won his first Ballon d'Or in 2009 and claimed four in a row until 2012, finished second to Haaland at the Uefa awards in August. Haaland, 23, was one of the firm favourites for his first Ballon d'Or after scoring 52 goals in 53 matches in all competitions last season as City won the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. But Argentina's magical run at the World Cup in Qatar, where Messi earned the Golden Ball for best overall player and Silver Boot (seven goals and three assists), helped him pip the Norwegian striker to the award. The World Cup was the only major trophy missing from Messi's resume as Argentina made amends for losing the 2014 final to Germany while in March he became only the third player in history to score 100 international goals. Messi also won the Ligue 1 title with Paris St Germain before moving to Inter Miami, where he helped the Major League Soccer side win the Leagues Cup -- their first major trophy. Real Madrid and England midfielder Jude Bellingham won the Kopa Trophy for the best Under-21 player, while club team mate Vinicius Jr was awarded the Socrates Award for his humanitarian work off the pitch. Additional reporting by Reuters Read More Lionel Messi leaves the Ballon d’Or stage with his legacy complete Football is about to enter the ‘Jude Bellingham era’ Messi wins record eighth Ballon d’Or as Bonmati and Bellingham also pick up awards Ballon d’Or Awards LIVE: Latest updates as Messi and Bonmati win Georgia Stanway disappointed to miss ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ Ballon d’Or ceremony Sir Bobby Charlton: England’s greatest ever player and the artist of 1966

World rugby champions South Africa have arrived back in the country to a heroes’ welcome following a feat that saw them defend their title after beating New Zealand 11-12 in France

The Carabao Cup fourth round takes place this week with the remaining teams competing for a place in the quarter-finals. Manchester United will seek to banish the memories of another Manchester derby loss when they take on Newcastle in a repeat of last year’s final on Wednesday evening. The Magpies knocked out Manchester City in the third round and will have their sights set on disappointing the red side of Manchester as they attempt to reach the last eight. Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea are all still battling for a place in the next round as are Mansfield Town, the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, with the League Two outfit taking on Port Vale who are 16th in League One. The draw for the last eight is expected to take place at the conclusion of Man Utd vs Newcastle so here’s everything you need to know: When is the quarter-final draw? The Carabao Cup quarter-final draw takes place on the November 1 after the match between Newcastle and Manchester United at Old Trafford. The match is due to kick off at 8pm, and the draw will follow after full time, starting between 10-10:10pm. How to watch on TV and online Sky Sports will broadcast both the match before and the draw. The draw will also be live streamed for free on the Sky Sports Football YouTube channel. When will the quarter-final fixtures be played? The quarter-final stage of the Carabao Cup will be played in the week commencing Monday 18 December. When is the Carabao Cup final? The Carabao Cup final is scheduled for 25 February 2024 at Wembley Stadium. Which teams are in the draw? 1. Mansfield or Port Vale 2. Exeter City or Middlesbrough 3. West Ham or Arsenal 4. Everton or Burnley 5. Chelsea or Blackburn 6. Ipswich or Fulham 7. Bournemouth or Liverpool 8. Manchester United or Newcastle United Read More Manchester United ‘have got to move on’ from humbling derby experience Pep Guardiola accepts Man City gatecrashing party was ‘uncomfortable’ for elite Pep Guardiola admits winning treble has taken toll on Manchester City Jurgen Klopp knows Liverpool must shoulder the burden of Andy Robertson’s injury Focus on goalkeeping battle is strange – Aaron Ramsdale A good break-up? How Tottenham and Harry Kane are thriving apart

England will travel to Belgium for their second match of their double-header against the side in the Women’s Nations League in just five days. At the King Power Stadium on Friday night, the Lionesses secured all three points after Lauren Hemp struck early, but despite dominating possession and having numerous chances, they were unable to kill off the game. The Netherlands sit top of the group on goal difference, having beaten Sarina Wiegman’s side, and England will want to make sure they stay level on points with the top-placed team, who travel to Scotland on Tuesday. A place in the Olympics is at stake, with the four group winners in League A (which England are in) meeting in the semi-finals and the two finalists joining France as the 2024 Olympic Games’ European representatives. England have been nominated as the nation to secure qualification on behalf of Team GB. Here’s everything you need to know about the match: When is it? England take on Belgium at the King Power at Den Dreef Stadium in Leuven on Tuesday 31 October at 7.30pm GMT. How can I watch it? The Nations League match will be shown live on ITV4 and on the streaming service ITVX, with coverage starting at 6.45pm GMT. Team news Fran Kirby pulled on an England shirt for the first time in a year when she was brought on as a substitute against Belgium in Leicester. Kirby missed the World Cup after undergoing knee surgery in March. Lauren James was ruled out of both games against Belgium with a concussion. Odds Belgium 8/1 Draw 4/1 England 3/10 Prediction As they did in Leicester England will just sneak through, although they will have to be wary of Belgium’s direct threat. England 2-1 Belgium. Read More When is the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw? A good break-up? How Tottenham and Harry Kane are thriving apart Search for Luis Diaz’s abducted father sees police search cloud forest When is the Carabao Cup quarter-final draw? A good break-up? How Tottenham and Harry Kane are thriving apart Search for Luis Diaz’s abducted father sees police search cloud forest

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan has won the toss and elected to bat against Pakistan as both teams bid to break losing streaks at the Cricket World Cup

Football Australia says it won’t bid for the 2034 World Cup, clearing the way for Saudi Arabia to host the marquee men's tournament

Rugby Australia confirms that Eddie Jones has in fact quit as head coach and that the organization will conduct a thorough search for his replacement, “however long it takes.”

Mental health and how athletes deal with it has become top of mind for athletes, coaches and sports executives alike

D’Angelo Russell scored 12 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, LeBron James added nine of his 19 in the final period, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied late for a 106-103 victory over the Orlando Magic