Sports
Teofimo Lopez targeting one fight after Rolando Romero
Teofimo Lopez is looking to regain his world champion status when he challenges WBA (Super) welterweight champion Rolando Romero in August, but ‘The Takeover’ already knows the fight that he wants to come after that outing.
Lopez dethroned lineal champions in Vasyl Lomachenko and Josh Taylor when he claimed world honours at lightweight and super-lightweight respectively, but he was outclassed by Shakur Stevenson back in January – losing his WBO 140lb title by a wide unanimous decision.
The Brooklyn-based 28-year-old has wasted no time in thrusting himself back into the mix though, accepting a shot at Romero’s WBA world title upon his 147lb debut, seeking to become a three-division world champion.
In an interview with Ring Magazine, Lopez looked ahead to the fight and admitted that Romero’s awkwardness is what makes him a difficult obstacle, and highlighted it as the reason why he was able to trump Ryan Garcia last year.
“A true champion can adapt to anything and I think, with Rolly, he has definitely improved and he is awkward at times. He throws his punches in weird ways and I think that is what makes for an exciting fight and an exciting return for me.
“I think, just with the Ryan Garcia fight, him having that as his last win and his last fight, I think that he has great momentum.”
Lopez then went on to reveal plans for the victor of his fight with Romero to accept a unification showdown with the winner of Ryan Garcia’s September dust-up with Conor Benn, where Garcia hopes he can make a first defence of his WBC welterweight world title.
“On my end, as well, I think that this possibly leads to the winner taking on the winner out of Conor Benn and Ryan Garcia, that is what we are looking forward to.
“But, as of right now, at 147lbs, I am looking to take over and become the undisputed and three-time lineal world champion.”
Romero vs. Lopez takes place on Saturday, August 22, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
After 24 days, multiple live show appearances without divulging anything and nearly a dozen podcasts from agent Rich Paul, LeBron James finally announced his free agency decision on Friday, choosing the Philadelphia 76ers as the final chapter in his illustrious career.
The news came as a pleasant surprise for the Sixers, who found themselves as a serious contender for James after trading for Jaylen Brown earlier in the summer, and a painful snub to the Cavaliers, Heat and Warriors, who were all holding out hope that they would be the ones getting the call from James.
James stretching his free agency out for more than three weeks held up some of the NBA’s business, including creating the 2026-27 schedule, but now that he’s in Philly, teams can shift their attention to finishing their offseason tasks.
At a league level, that means the schedule can start to take shape. Philadelphia was already a focal point in the East after the Brown trade, but will now grab even more spotlight games with James in town — dates on the opening night and Christmas day slates are now highly likely for the Sixers. At a team level, the James suitors who were holding out hope to land James now have to pivot to Plan B — of which the options are limited — and that could kickstart the restricted free agent market that’s been dormant ever since Walker Kessler’s sign-and-trade to the Lakers.
Let’s dive into what we can expect to see in the coming days and weeks now that James’ situation is settled.
When will James Harden, Draymond Green get deals done?
Both Green and Harden declined player options to clear space and have patiently waited to see if the Warriors or Cavaliers could land James. Now that James has chosen the 76ers, the expectation is that both Green and Harden will work out new long-term deals to return to their respective teams at a handsome price point that will compensate them for their willingness to be good team players to aid in the pursuit of James.
Green, according to The Athletic, is expected to sign a deal in the $28 million range — just about the same amount he declined on his player option. Harden’s new deal will likely not be worth the $42.3 million he declined on an annual basis, but a sizable long-term deal is headed his way. There is still a question of when those deals get done. Both the Warriors and Cavaliers need to fill some roster spots and having a bit more flexibility with Green and Harden not yet signed could help their pursuits of rotation talent.
What happens with top restricted free agents?
James dragging out his free agency for more than three weeks put the stagnant RFA market on the back burner, but now Jalen Duren, Peyton Watson and Bennedict Mathurin become the best players on the market. This is far from the first time restricted free agents have found negotiations hard, as the way the league operates in free agency has made it nearly impossible for top RFAs to get offer sheets. We’ve seen a handful of offer sheets go out this summer — the Grizzlies successfully poached Quinten Post from the Warriors, for example — but almost all of them are in the below mid-level range.
Very few teams enter the summer with significant cap space anymore, and even when they do, teams are afraid of having that money tied up in an offer sheet another team can match. The result is RFAs end up in one-sided negotiations with their current team, who never want to make the mistake of overpaying when they are the only team bidding. The way restricted free agents change teams now is typically in a sign-and-trade, and that’s been complicated this summer by the Lakers sending the Jazz a king’s ransom for Kessler.
Jalen Duren
Duren and Detroit have been at an impasse since before free agency began, with the Pistons seemingly daring Duren to find a team willing to offer him more than what they’ve put on the table. That hasn’t happened, and the Pistons have made it clear they have no interest in letting go of Duren. Even if they were to listen on the All-NBA center, they’d ask for even more than what L.A. sent to Utah for Kessler, and now that it’s late July, the list of potential suitors for Duren has dwindled.
Peyton Watson
The Nuggets are reportedly open to discussing sign-and-trades for Watson, but are setting the bar at the same price as what the Jazz got with two unprotected firsts and two pick swaps. That’s a steep asking price and they’ll try to squeeze Watson into signing back in Denver — with apron concerns complicating those negotiations even further. Denver also has to decide what to do with Spencer Jones, who reportedly nabbed a rare offer sheet from the Thunder worth $12 million over two years. If they don’t match that, they’ll be under even more pressure to bring back Watson.
Bennedict Mathurin
Mathurin is in limbo in Los Angeles, where the Clippers were considered a suitor for Watson, making things a bit awkward with their own restricted free agent, who was the most notable player they got back in the Ivica Zubac trade. The scoring guard may find himself in the wrong kind of era, as his top skillset as a tough shotmaker is less valued around the league these days.
What factors into these decisions?
Restricted free agency has always given teams an upper hand in negotiations, but with the introduction of the aprons and teams no longer operating with cap space in the summers — instead making major moves largely via trades — players who hit the RFA market find it nearly impossible to maximize their value. That’s the unfortunate situation for Duren, Watson and Mathurin, and all three will have to decide whether to sign the deal that’s been on the table for weeks or if any of them are willing to roll the dice on the qualifying offer to hit unrestricted free agency next summer.
Which notable free agents are available?
Now that James is in Philly, the market should open back up for some of the veterans on the free agency market. DeMar DeRozan, Jonathan Kuminga, Bradley Beal, Gabe Vincent, Russell Westbrook, Bruce Brown, Nicolas Batum, Kelly Olynyk and others will now start getting earnest offers, particularly from some of the teams that missed out on James.
DeRozan could be a target for the Warriors or Heat, while a reunion in Toronto is also in play. Kuminga has reportedly garnered interest from the Cavaliers and Lakers, with Cleveland potentially pivoting to him to fill their need on the wing after missing out on James and seeing Dean Wade also leave for Philly. Beal and Vincent would both make sense as targets for the Heat as they try to fill out their backcourt with more talent to supplement their star frontcourt of Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo.
The Warriors are always on the lookout for veteran reinforcements to surround Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, and the Nuggets and Timberwolves, while they knew they were long shots for James, still have work to do to bolster their rotations to try and contend with the Thunder and Spurs at the top of the West.
Sep 27, 2015; Glendale, AZ, USA; San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Jordan Devey reacts against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Jordan Devey, a retired NFL offensive lineman who won a Super Bowl with the New England Patriots, died at age 38.
According to a GoFundMe page started to benefit his wife, Linsey, and their four young children, Devey “took his own life.” As of Saturday morning, the fund had collected more than $92,000 of its $200,000 goal.
Devey was the rare NFL player who didn’t play high school football, giving up the sport after junior high. Afflicted by a disease that causes knee inflammation and pain in children and teens, Devey played tuba in the school band.
After a two-year mission with the Church of Latter Day Saints, he enrolled in Snow College in Ephraim, Utah, and played two years of football since his knee issue had lessened. He transferred to Memphis for his final two seasons, then signed with the Baltimore Ravens after being unselected in the 2013 NFL Draft.
The Patriots signed the 6-foot-7 Devey to their practice squad that September and promoted him to the active roster in 2014 — the same season New England defeated the Seattle Seahawks to win Super Bowl XLIX.
He played with the San Francisco 49ers in 2015, appearing in a career-high 15 games (nine starts), then followed with stops with the Kansas City Chiefs, then-Oakland Raiders and Buffalo Bills through the 2020 season. In all, he played in 44 NFL games (21 starts).
Following his career, he volunteered as a coach of his kids’ teams and coached high school football coach in Idaho.
In an interview with Fox 13 in Salt Lake City, Leslie Devey said she believed the brain injury CTE contributed to her son’s death on Tuesday.
–Field Level Media
Vancouver Whitecaps defensive midfielder Andres Cubas has been named to Major League Soccer’s all-star team.
Cubas joins Whitecaps teammates Thomas Muller and Sebastian Berhalter in the midseason exhibition where the best of MLS will face an all-star team from Mexico’s LIGA MX on Wednesday.
It’s Cubas’s first time being selected to the MLS All-Star roster, having joined Vancouver in April 2022.
Cubas played a pivotal role in Paraguay’s run to the Round of 16 at the FIFA World Cup as he played every single minute and led the tournament in defensive contributions.
This season, Cubas has started 11 of his 12 appearances in MLS regular-season play, tallying three assists. He also leads the league in tackles with 58.
Vancouver continues its extended road trip on Saturday with a visit to Western Conference rivals Minnesota United FC.
Magomed Ankalaev is back in the win column.
The 34-year-old Russian defeated Bogdan Guskov by TKO at 2:41 in the fifth round of the main event of UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on Saturday.
Ankalaev struggled to find his rhythm through the opening three rounds, as Guskov took a defensive approach. Entering the fourth round, Ankalaev started finding success by taking the 33-year-old Uzbekistan native to the ground and controlling the fight from there.
He followed the same approach in the fifth round, eventually overwhelming Guskov on the mat and forcing the referee to step in for the TKO victory.
Prior to the win, Ankalaev had not competed since UFC 320 last October, when he lost the UFC light heavyweight title to Alex Pereira in a first-round knockout just 80 seconds into his first title defence.
Khalil Rountree Jr. was initially scheduled to face Ankalaev in the main event, but Guskov stepped in on short notice as his replacement.
With the win, Ankalaev is expected to be the clear frontrunner to face UFC light heavyweight champion Carlos Ulberg when he returns from his torn ACL in 2027.
Gervonta Davis has weighed in on the 160lb clash between Errol Spence Jr and Tim Tszyu this weekend.
The two former world champions will square off at Sydney’s Afterpay Arena, Australia, where it was originally agreed that they would collide at a catchweight of 158lbs.
In a late turn of events, Spence requested an additional 2lbs – which was subsequently granted – as he returns to action for the first time in three years.
Yet despite his last outing resulting in a ninth-round stoppage defeat to Terence Crawford, the 36-year-old has been made a slight favourite against Tszyu.
This is also Spence’s first meaningful assignment above 147lbs, where he remained unbeaten before losing his WBC, IBF and WBA titles to Crawford.
Tszyu, meanwhile, has lost three of his last six fights after encountering the ferocious fists of Sebastian Fundora and Bakhram Murtazaliev, who scored stoppages over the Australian in 2024 and 2025, respectively
But while he hopes to return to world level at 154lbs, the 31-year-old first looks to claim his most significant victory since outpointing Brian Mendoza in 2023.
One man pledging his support for Spence, however, is former world champion ‘Tank’ Davis, who shared his thoughts via social media on Wednesday.
“Bring it home EJ!”
Gervonta Davis showing love to Errol Spence on social media ahead of his return against Tim Tszyu 👏#SpenceTszyu | July 25 | Live on DAZN and DAZN on Prime 📺 pic.twitter.com/ibOHC4YQjk
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) July 22, 2026
Despite his three years of inactivity, many suspect that Spence is far superior from a technical perspective.
Tszyu, on the other hand, could take advantage of the American’s lack of momentum by setting a hellacious pace, perhaps exposing any signs of deterioration with his relentless pressure and consistent attacks.
Following his recent achievement of back-to-back trainers’ premierships at Hawkesbury, Brad Widdup has his in-form mare Satono Jasmine primed to extend her winning streak to four at Randwick.
The filly is set to compete in Saturday company for the B & K Group Australia Handicap (1800m), building on a hat-trick of recent wins in provincial and midweek races. Widdup admitted he hadn’t anticipated her reaching Saturday grade so quickly in her second preparation.
“If you’d asked me if I’d thought she’d get to Saturday grade this time around, I would have said, ‘no’,” Widdup shared. “She has done a really good job.”
He added, “I was half thinking about putting her in the paddock after last start, but it’s a fillies and mares race over 1800 on a Saturday worth $160,000. You’ve got to have a crack. She’s in really good order, so fingers crossed she can run well again.”
Satono Jasmine recorded consecutive victories at Gosford and Hawkesbury by a combined margin exceeding eight lengths, both on tracks with cushion in the ground. However, her ability on firmer surfaces was confirmed when she won on a good track at Warwick Farm last start.
The distance has been a constant in her wins, with all previous successes over a mile. Widdup is keen to test her over a longer distance on Saturday before she is sent for a spell.
“I’ve wanted to push her out over further and she’s found a fillies and mares’ (benchmark) 78 on a Saturday, so we’ll see what happens,” he stated.
The success of Satono Jasmine is sweetened by the fact that Brad Widdup Racing is one of two part-owners. The ownership group also campaigned her half-sister, Pro Velocity, whose best performance in 17 starts was a 2100m win at Newcastle’s Beaumont track.
“That makes it a bit better too. We had Pro Velocity, the sister and didn’t have much luck, so this one is repaying that. Fingers crossed she can keep going on with it.”
As Satono Jasmine prepares for the B & K Group Australia Handicap, explore the latest online bookmakers for betting options.
On Saturday, Anthony Joshua returns to the ring when he faces Kristian Prenga in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The fight will stream live on DAZN PPV.
On paper, this is a fight Joshua would be expected to win with ease, but external factors make what should be a tune-up for Joshua vs. Tyson Fury later this year seem more high-risk for the two-time former unified heavyweight champion.
Joshua’s most recent fight was his six-round demolition of Jake Paul on Dec. 19, a fight that left Paul with a shattered jaw and Joshua with a bounce-back victory after his own knockout loss to Daniel Dubois. Unfortunately, Joshua was involved in a car crash in Nigeria just 10 days after defeating Paul, with the crash leaving two of his friends dead.
It would have been understandable for Joshua to never fight again following such a tragic incident. But Joshua eventually made it clear he intended to continue fighting, and in the ensuing months, a fight with Fury appeared finally ready to get over the finishing line after 10 years of talk.
Joshua was in attendance for Fury’s April victory over Arslanbek Makhmudov, though he refused to enter the ring when Fury demanded it. Still, the fight has been announced and is actively being advertised on Netflix, even if it doesn’t yet have a confirmed date or location.
Before a fight with Fury can happen, Joshua needs to get by Prenga, a fighter who has never faced an opponent anywhere near Joshua’s level but sports a shiny 20-1 record with all 20 wins by knockout.
There’s not much to say about Prenga’s record. He has faced no opponent of note and has stopped seven opponents in the first round. He’s a heavyweight with enough power to take out low-level opposition and will hope that power game carries up to the elite level of the sport.
Saturday’s undercard features a pair of title fights. The biggest sees rising star Hamzah Sheeraz look to defend his WBO super middleweight title against Simon Zachenhuber. The 27-year-old is fresh off a second-round knockout of Alem Begic to claim the vacant title. He also scored a knockout of Edgar Berlanga last July to really expand his starpower. Plus, Josh Kelly looks to defend the IBF junior middleweight title against Caoimhin Agyarko.
Let’s take a closer look at the rest of the undercard before getting to a prediction and expert pick on the main event below.
Joshua vs. Prenga fight card
- Anthony Joshua vs. Kristian Prenga, heavyweights
- Hamzah Sheeraz (c) vs. Simon Zachenhuber, WBO super middleweight title
- Josh Kelly (c) vs. Caoimhin Agyarko, IBF junior middleweight title
- Reito Tsutsumi vs. Alvino Herrera Meza, junior lightweight
- Jacob Bank vs. Pawel August, super middleweights
- Oleksandr Khyzhniak vs. Lenny Patrach, light heavyweights
Prediction
As long as Joshua has his head on straight and isn’t affected by the tragic car accident that took two of his friends, it’s hard to expect anything other than a dominant performance by the far more proven boxer. Prenga has enough power that if Joshua has mental lapses, an upset could be sprung.
Joshua is a professional, though, and the expectation is he comes into the ring at something close to his current best. As long as that’s the case, there’s no doubt how this should play out. Pick: Anthony Joshua via TKO4
Sports
2026 Tour de France: American Sepp Kuss nearly suffers fatal crash, Richard Carapaz wins Stage 20 as Tadej Pogačar eyes 3rd consecutive trophy
The 2026 Tour de France completed its second-to-last stage on Saturday, and Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar is in position to win the race for the third consecutive year.
But Stage 20 also provided some unfortunate highlights for American cyclist Sepp Kuss, who crashed twice during Saturday’s competition. The second of those two crashes was particularly harrowing. Making a tight turn, Knus nearly went over the road barrier and would have fallen down the side of the mountain if not for a protective fence catching him.
At the time of his first crash, Kuss was in the lead and merely a few miles away from winning the stage, He collided with a wall outside a tunnel, yet managed to recover quickly enough to maintain his lead.
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The second crash set Kuss back further. Despite avoiding what could have been a fatal accident, he recovered yet again. However, he lost enough time behind Ecuadorian cyclist Richard Carapaz to finish third in the stage, 31 seconds behind Carapaz and five behind Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel.
Had Kuss finished first on Saturday, he would have been the first American to win a stage in five years. Kuss was actually the last U.S. cyclist to win a stage, finishing first in Stage 15 in 2021 riding from Céret to Andorra la Vella.
Ecuadorian cyclist Richard Carapaz finished first in Stage 20 of the 2026 Tour de France, earning the polka dot jersey for winning the mountain stage. (Photo by JASPER JACOBS / BELGA MAG / Belga / AFP via Getty Images)
(JASPER JACOBS via Getty Images)
Evenepoel is second in the overall standings going into Sunday’s final stage, nearly seven minutes back from Pogačar for the lead.
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Here are the overall standings going into Sunday’s final stage of the Tour de France:
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Tadej Pogačar, Slovenia: 72 hours, 53 minutes, 44 seconds
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Remco Evenepoel, Belgium: 73:00.10 (6 minutes, 26 seconds behind)
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Isaac Del Toro, Mexico: 73:03.26 (9 minutes, 42 seconds)
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Paul Seixas, France: 73:05.40 (11 minutes, 56 seconds)
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Lenny Martinez, France: 73:06.46 (13 minutes, 2 seconds)
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Mattias Skjelmose, Denmark: 73:08:43 (14 minutes, 59 seconds)
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Juan Ayuso, Spain: 73:11.32 (17 minutes, 48 seconds)
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Richard Carapaz, Ecuador: 73:13.44 (20 minutes, 0 seconds)
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Tom Pidcock, Great Britain: 73:23.12 (29 minutes, 28 seconds)
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Jordan Jegat, France: 73:27.05 (33 minutes, 21 seconds)
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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shananhan was involved in a serious car wreck last week, the team announced on Saturday.
Shanahan broke his nose, three ribs, his hand, needed over 40 stitches in his face and suffered a severe concussion in the accident, according to ESPN. The incident happened on July 14 when the 45-year-old coach collided with another SUV by his home in northern California, according to the report.
“San Francisco 49ers Head Coach Kyle Shanahan was involved in a car accident last week where he suffered non-life-threatening injuries. Coach Shanahan will participate in team activities on a limited basis at the start of training camp while he recovers. Coach Shanahan and the 49ers organization would like to sincerely thank all first responders involved for their efforts and care,” the 49ers said in a statement.
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San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan watches from the sideline during the second half of an NFL football game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tampa, Florida, on Oct. 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
“Assistant Head Coach Chris Foerster along with team coordinators will handle head coach responsibilities during this period.”
Palo Alto lieutenant Nicholas Martinez told ESPN that the other driver was not injured and that drugs or alcohol were not involved. Shanahan was taken to the hospital by local paramedics after the wreck and was released after spending much of the day there.
“Consistent with our standard release of information procedures in such cases, we do not release information regarding the cause of the collision, or which party may have been at fault,” Martinez told ESPN.
ZERO BS. JUST DAKICH. TAKE THE DON’T @ ME PODCAST ON THE ROAD. DOWNLOAD NOW!
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan calls a play during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, on Sept. 28, 2025. (Brooke Sutton/Getty Images)
He told the outlet that no one was cited for the collision.
The 49ers’ training camp starts on Sunday, but Shanahan will not be allowed to participate until he is cleared by doctors. The longtime coach told his assistant coaches about the accident on Tuesday, according to the report.
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Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay, left, greets San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan after an NFL football game, Sunday, Sept. 22, 2024, in Inglewood, Calif. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)
Shanahan is entering his 10th season as the 49ers head coach and is widely considered one of the best coaches in the NFL. Over nine seasons, he has an 82-67 record and has led the team to the Super Bowl twice.
Shanahan is believed to be recovering well and healing at home, according to the report. The 49ers’ first game of the season is against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 10 in Melbourne, Australia.
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