Luton Town have condemned “abhorrent and unacceptable” racist abuse sent to forward Elijah Adebayo.

The Championship club said the 26-year-old was sent a racially abusive message on Instagram during their 2-1 defeat by Sunderland on Wednesday.

That message has been reported to the police and Instagram owner Meta for further investigation, Luton added.

It is not the first time Luton have called out racist remarks sent to Adebayo on social media, with the striker saying last October he was “tired” of the abuse aimed at him.

“We’re angry, upset and frustrated to report that racist abuse has been directed towards Elijah Adebayo,” the club said on their website,, external in a statement titled ‘Is It Ever Going to Stop?’.

“Just like we said a year ago, and just like we will do WHENEVER a player or staff member is subjected to abuse, we will stand by and support Elijah unequivocally.

West Brom have collected just three points out of a possible 15, a run that is the worst since Carlos Corberan succeeded Steve Bruce as Baggies boss almost two years ago.

But they remain fourth in the Championship and in their last outing became the first side this season to come away with even a point at Blackburn Rovers’ Ewood Park home.

“I don’t think they’ve [West Brom] won in five… but they’re a good side; they’re disciplined out of possession and they’ve got attacking threats in possession and it’ll be a tough game – but it’s not one we’re frightened of,” Riza said.

“Their form hasn’t been great but they’re a good side, their form hasn’t been great but they’ve lost two and drawn three, we’re not approaching the game lightly, that’s for sure.

“We haven’t lost a game in three and we want to continue that. We’re going to go away from home, to a tough opposition – for us it’s a really good test to see where we’ve come from to where we are at the moment, to where we’re trying to get to.

“It’s a great gauge, we’ve got some tough games and this is the first of them coming up and we’re fully motivated to try and get a result.”

Key midfielders Aaron Ramsey and Joe Ralls remain on the injury list, with Ramsey at least three weeks away and Ralls a possibility to return against Blackburn Rovers on 9 November.

But Riza is happy with the strength in depth of his squad, with other players having stepped up in recent weeks.

“We’re a strong squad, we’ve got 25, 26 players, everyone wants to play and providing they’re working hard and respectful of each other, and they support each other, everyone has an opportunity to play and I’ve made that clear from the get-go,” Riza added.

“Young lads get the opportunity, they do well they play. The only time they come out is there’s something tactical that needs to be changed.

“You earn the shirt but you don’t just earn the shirt by performing in training and games, you earn the shirt with all your other actions as well, what you do outside of the pitch.”

ABU DHABI – Shara Magomedov is a familiar name for Armen Petrosyan.

Petrosyan (9-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) takes on Magomedov (14-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 308 main card opener at Etihad Arena (pay-per-view, ESPN+).

Petrosyan will look to capitalize on the hype that undefeated Magomedov brings and the coveted spot they’re on to open up the pay-per-view.

“Shara is very popular. He’s got a lot of hype behind him, and I think really for both of us, this is a great thing that there’s going to be so many people watching this specific fight,” Petrosyan told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC 308 media day.

Petrosyan recalls competing in the same kickboxing tournament as Magomedov. They even shared the mats before, and the 33-year-old has nothing but respect for his opponent.

“We know each other. At one point we even trained together way back when,” Petrosyan said. “The tournament you’re talking about, we fought together on the same tournament. It’s not like we fought each other. Yeah, we know each other.

“I wouldn’t say we’re best of friends, but we’re really good acquaintances. We know all of his weak parts, we know all of his good sides, so you’ll see it. For every opponent, we make sure to study him really well, so I think you’ll see everything in the fight. … It’s going to be very fiery, very exciting.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 308.

The reception that Pato O’Ward ( Pato O’ ) has received at the Mexican Grand Prix might make one believe the 25-year-old was lining up on the F1 grid alongside the likes of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Rather, the Arrow McLaren IndyCar driver has resonated so strongly with motorsport fans in his home country that he receives a hero’s welcome upon arrival in Mexico City. 

His promotion to McLaren reserve driver, and the announcement that he’ll jump behind the wheel during FP1 at this weekend’s race, has only heightened the fervor around the Monterrey-born athlete. We caught up with O’Ward earlier this month to discover some of his must-do recommendations in Mexico’s capital. 

Coyoacan district street scene in Mexico City

Photo by: Getty Images

Eat

O’Ward has one rule when it comes to tacos: street vendors are king. “Any taco stand that you see on the street will be good,” he said. “It doesn’t matter what the name is or what [they sell], any street taco stand will be phenomenal.” As for his order? “Tacos al pastor,” O’Ward said, noting that he also likes gorditas with beans and cheese. 

If you’re looking for a more traditional dining experience, O’Ward shared two of his go-to haunts. “There’s a restaurant called Sylvestre, which is wonderful,” he said of the rooftop hot spot serving up fine fare. “There’s also a restaurant called La Unica which has very, very good Mexican food.” 

Drink

O’Ward isn’t a big drinker, but there’s one beverage he recommends to anyone visiting Mexico. “In any restaurant that you go to, after you’re done with you meal, order a carajillo,” he said. The cocktail is a simple  concoction traditionally made from a Spanish liqueur called Licor 43 and a shot of espresso.

“It’s wonderful. It’s kind of like an espresso martini, but Latin style because they have them in Brazil and Argentina as well,” he went on. “I highly recommend trying it in pretty much any restaurant that you’re at.” 

Picture of a Mexican typical drink called carajillo

Photo by: Getty Images

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When O’Ward isn’t at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez during the Mexican Grand Prix weekend, he spends most of his time in one area: Polanco. The opulent, artistic neighborhood boasts art galleries, luxury shopping, and high-end restaurants in the city’s northwest.

“You can actually walk around and not feel like you have to be looking everywhere,” he explained. “I don’t leave that area to be honest. I just go to the track and then walk around Polanco and go to the restaurants … there’s probably concerts and parties going on but I like my nine hours of sleep too much so I don’t really go out.” 

Although O’Ward prioritizes his rest, he revealed he’s also a fan of the nearby Soho House, which opened last September. “It’s a beautiful facility … I recently ran into Peso Pluma there,” he said of the 25-year-old singer and rapper. “There’s a lot of Mexican celebrities you might run into.” 

Travel 

For F1 fans with a bit of extra time on their hands, O’Ward recommends heading west to the pristine sandy beaches of the private peninsula, Punta Mita. “It’s beautiful, and a very peaceful, very nice area,” he went on. “It’s a bit like Cabo [San Lucas] but less touristy.” 

THE Northern Ireland Open is underway NOW – with some of snooker’s biggest names competing.

Belfast hosts the second Home Nations Series event of the season after September’s English Open.

1

Neil Robertson was victorious in Brentwood, beating Wu Yize 9-7 in a breathtaking final.

The Aussie star is leading the way for the huge £150,000 BetVictor bonus, with three Home Nations events still to play.

Judd Trump is the reigning Northern Ireland Open champion after he claimed the Alex Higgins Trophy for a fourth time by beating Chris Wakelin 9-3 in last year’s final.

The World No1 returns in 2024 as part of a star-studded line-up, but snooker icon Ronnie O’Sullivan withdrew late on Sunday night and will miss a third successive tournament because of medical reasons.

LIVE: NORTHERN IRELAND OPEN LATEST

Rocket hasn’t played since his shock defeat to He Guoqiang in the first round of the English Open in September.

When is the Northern Ireland Open 2024?

• The final rounds of the Northern Ireland Open 2024 begin on Sunday, October 20.
• The tournament will run until Sunday, October 27.
• Waterfront Hall in Belfast will host.

What TV channel is the Northern Ireland Open 2024 on and can it be live streamed?

Northern Ireland Open 2024 format

• Rounds 1 to 5: all matches are the best of 7 frames
• Quarter-finals: best of 9 frames (with mid-session interval)
• Semi-finals: best of 11 frames (with mid-session interval)
• Final: best of 17 frames – two sessions with scheduled mid-session intervals

Northern Ireland Open 2024 schedule/results

Sunday, October 20 (Last 64)

• Judd Trump 4-0 Ishpreet Singh Chadha
• Lyu Haotian 1-4 Matthew Selt
• Stuart Bingham 4-1 Scott Donaldson
• Gary Wilson 1-4 Mark Davis
• Zhou Yuelong 4-3 Dominic Dale
• Shaun Murphy 4-2 Jiang Jun
• Mark Selby 3-4 Louis Heathcote
• Robert Milkins 4-2 Jordan Brown
• David Gilbert 2-4 Lei Peifan
• Pang Junxu 4-3 Yuan Sijun
• Luca Brecel 4-3 He Guoqiang
• Ryan Day 3-4 Stan Moody
• Jak Jones 4-0 Alexander Ursenbacher
• Oliver Lines 4-2 Joshua Cooper (qualifier)

Monday, October 21 (Last 64)

• Ronnie O’Sullivan (withdrew) vs Long Zehuang (walkover)
• Joe O’Connor 2-4 Elliot Slessor
• Si Jiahui 2-4 Tian Pengfei
• Tom Ford 4-2 Rory Thor
• Xiao Guodong 2-4 Jimmy Robertson
• Neil Robertson 4-3 Graeme Dott
• Zhang Anda 3-4 Martin O’Donnell
• Hossein Vafaei 2-4 Jimmy White
• Ricky Walden 2-4 Oliver Lines (qualifier)
• Mark Allen 4-0 Liu Hongyu
• Stephen Maguire 1-4 Anthony McGill
• Barry Hawkins 4-2 Matthew Stevens
• John Higgins 4-2 Fan Zhengyi
• Jack Lisowski 3-4 Wang Yuchen

Tuesday, October 22 (Last 64 / Last 32)

• Wu Yize 1-4 Oliver Lines (last 64)
• Ali Carter 1-4 Ma Hailong (last 64)
• Kyren Wilson 4-3 David Grace (last 64)
• Chris Wakelin 4-2 Bulcsu Revesz (last 64)
• Mark Williams 4-0 Jamie Clarke (last 64)
• Noppon Saengkham 4-3 Thepchaiya Un-nooh (last 64)
• Judd Trump 4-2 Matthew Selt (last 32)
• Tian Pengfei 4-1 Robert Milkins (last 32)
• Louis Heathcote 4-1 Jimmy Robertson (last 32)
• Stuart Bingham 4-0 Mark Davis (last 32)
• Zhou Yuelong 2-4 Shaun Murphy (last 32)

Wednesday, October 23 (Last 32)

• Pang Junxu 4-1 Luca Brecel
• Lei Peifan 4-1 Tom Ford
• Jimmy White 2-4 Martin O’Donnell
• Elliot Slessor 4-2 Long Zehuang
• Mark Allen 3-4 Oliver Lines
• John Higgins 2-4 Barry Hawkins
• Ma Hailong 4-1 Chris Wakelin
• Anthony McGill 3-4 Kyren Wilson
• Neil Robertson 4-0 Wang Yuchen
• Mark Williams 4-1 Noppon Saengkham
• Stan Moody 4-0 Jak Jones

Thursday, October 24 (Last 16)

• Martin O’Donnell 0-4 Pang Junxu
• Stuart Bingham 3-4 Shaun Murphy
• Stan Moody 1-4 Kyren Wilson
• Oliver Lines vs Neil Robertson
• Lei Peifan vs Elliot Slessor
• Louis Heathcote vs Tian Pengfei
• Judd Trump vs Barry Hawkins
• Mark Williams 4-2 Ma Hailong

• Friday, October 25: Quarter-Finals
• Saturday, October 26: Semi-Finals
• Sunday, October 27: Final

UFC 308 is finally here, and with that comes the highly anticipated main event for the UFC featherweight title between Ilia Topuria and Max Hoilloway. Can Topuria, once again, back up his unbelievable confidence, or will Holloway regain the 145-pound title?

On an all-new edition of Between the Links, special guest Action Bronson joins the panel to discuss Topuria vs. Holloway, what the fight means for both men, and how it could all play out. Additionally, topics include the fascinating co-main event betweem former middleweight champ Robert Whittaker and the returning Khamzat Chimaev, what this fight means for both competitors, the rest of the slate, a look back at PFL Battle of the Giants and Francis Ngannou’s knockout win, takeaways from UFC Vegas 99, and much more.

Host Mike Heck moderates the matchup between Bronson and #MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew.

Watch the show live at 12:30 p.m. ET / 9:30 a.m. PT in the video above.

If you missed the show live, you can still watch above, or listen to the podcast version, which can be found below and on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your pods.