Brendan Allen believes UFC middleweight champion Sean Strickland is a bad matchup for Nassourdine Imavov.

Imavov (17-4 MMA, 9-2 UFC) said he’s 100 percent confident that he’s next in line for a title shot against Strickland (31-7 MMA, 18-7 UFC). Imavov hasn’t lost a bout since dropping a five-round decision to Strickland in January 2023 – a fight which Strickland took on short notice at light heavyweight.

Advertisement

Allen (27-7 MMA, 15-4 UFC), who also has a loss to Strickland, explained the difference between their short-notice fights.

“It was up at 205. I think Sean took it on Tuesday, but from what I understood from that one is Sean was out, he was chilling, that’s why it was at 205,” Allen told Submission Radio. “When I fought Sean, he had just fought two weeks before. So, he was still in really good shape. I was the one who didn’t want to make ’85 back to back. I didn’t know how my body would recover, so that’s why we fought at ’95, but he was still in really good shape. But with Imavov, I heard he’d been out. He was recovering, not really training super a lot.”

Despite the different circumstances that a rematch would take place in, Allen still sees Strickland getting the best of Imavov.

“It’s one of those things. Styles make fights,” Allen said. “I think Imavov is overall a better fighter, but maybe that style just gives him a little bit of a problem with how he leans and how he moves and things like that, and the pressure he’s going to try to put. I like Imavov. He’s a good guy. I have a lot of respect for him, but I just think that style is going to be hard. But if I’m pulling for someone, I’m going to pull for Imavov.”

This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Brendan Allen: Sean Strickland’s style tough for Nassourdine Imavov

Sakshi Chaudhary in action© Getty

Also in this edition:

In Italy, Roberto Mancini returns as national team manager. RC Lens are continuing their strong pre-season form. Bradley Barcola could be set to leave Paris Saint-Germain for Liverpool. In tennis, Arthur Fils is causing concern, while Adrian Mannarino is causing a surprise. In the NBA, Draymond Green has extended his contract with the Golden State Warriors.

The 2026 Kansas City Chiefs offense will be under a microscope as the unit hopes to make more explosive plays. Jon Gruden, known as an offensive-minded coach, weighed in on the team’s struggles in recent years.

“The standards on offense in Kansas City are sky high. They’ve always had very high standards. I got to sit there in training camp and watch them last year,” said Gruden. “In 2022, number one scoring offense, number one total offense, number one passing offense, but it’s been on a decline every year since. Take a look at it. They went from first to 15th, the 15th, 20-first last year. That’s not up to our standards in Kansas City in scoring.”

Advertisement

Gruden was a special guest of head coach Andy Reid at Kansas City’s training camp practice sessions last year.

Yet 12 weeks later, Rogers was back in the pool doing rehab. And by summer 2024 she was in Paris winning Paralympic gold. But perhaps the most remarkable thing of all is that she is quicker now than she was pre-accident.

“I never in a million years thought that I could be faster,” Rogers, who is unable to straighten her right arm, tells BBC Sport. “Yes, it looks a bit different and there is definitely an impairment there. But I’ve worked harder, I’m fitter, I’m stronger.

“My message is just ‘don’t let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do’. We’re all different. We’ve all got our own stuff. But I think anything is totally doable if you put your mind to it.”

Not many Para-athletes have done what Rogers has.

It was last year that she resolved to put her “big girl pants on” and act upon a notion she’d had for a while to test where she was in the 200m fly. And the first time she did swim it, she realised she was only just a fraction shy of her pre-accident best.

With that, her mind was made up. She spoke to the selectors and it was agreed that, as long as three other athletes did not post faster times, she could compete at the Commonwealths. They didn’t, and Rogers was in.

“I found out a couple of weeks ago and I’ve been so, so excited ever since,” said the Edinburgh University student before the heats.

“There’s no pressure. I think it’s such a privilege to have the opportunity to stand up there and and to show other people with impairments that, no matter what you are told, and no matter what gets thrown at you, like there’s a way through it.

“We quite often get told we can’t. And this is my way of proving that we can.”

India continue their Day 6 campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow on Wednesday, July 29, with medal opportunities remaining across athletics, swimming, para swimming and para athletics. Six Indian boxers will also contest quarterfinal bouts, with each victory guaranteeing at least a bronze medal.

India’s first medal opportunity of the day ended in disappointment as Sanjana failed all three snatch attempts in the women’s 77kg weightlifting final. Without a valid snatch, she could not progress to the clean and jerk or register an overall total.

There was also disappointment in swimming, where Sajan Prakash and Aneesh S Gowda failed to advance from the men’s 200m freestyle heats.

India enjoyed better results in men’s shot put qualifying. Tajinderpal Singh Toor finished second in Group A with a best throw of 20.14m, while Samardeep Singh Gill placed second in Group B after recording 19.95m. Both qualified for the final.

In para swimming, Suyash Narayan Jadhav and Chaitanya Vishwas Kulkarni finished fourth and sixth, respectively, in the men’s 50m freestyle S7 heats.

Six boxers one win away from medals

India’s boxing contingent faces a crucial series of quarterfinals on Wednesday. Sakshi Choudhary, Jaismine Lamboria, Arundhati Choudhary, Sachin Siwach, Ankush Yadav and Narender Berwal will attempt to reach the semifinals.

A quarterfinal victory would guarantee each boxer at least a bronze medal, even if they lose in the semifinal.

Sakshi will face Northern Ireland’s Caitlin Fryers in the women’s 51kg category, while Arundhati meets New Zealand’s Morgan Henderson in the women’s 70kg division. Jaismine will take on England’s Elise Glynn in the women’s 57kg quarterfinal.

In the men’s competitions, Sachin faces Botswana’s Treasure Moremi in the 60kg category, Ankush meets Seychelles’ Jade Micock in the 80kg division, and Narender takes on Samoa’s Michael Seko in the 90kg-plus event.

Sreeshankar leads athletics medal push

Animesh Kujur will next compete in the men’s 200m heats before India’s focus shifts to the evening athletics programme.

The men’s long jump final remains one of India’s strongest medal opportunities, with Murali Sreeshankar and Lokesh Satyanathan both in action shortly before midnight.

Manpreet Kaur will compete in the women’s shot put final, while Parul Choudhary will close India’s programme in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase final.

Yashas Palaksha and Santhosh Kumar Thamilarasan will also begin their campaigns in the men’s 400m hurdles heats.

Para athletes and swimmers chase medals

Devender Kumar and Sagar Thayat will compete in the men’s discus throw F42-44/F61-64 final. Mohammed Basil M and Dilip Mahadu Gavit will later contest the men’s 100m T47 final.

Suyash and Chaitanya remain listed for the men’s 50m freestyle S7 final, subject to confirmation of qualification from the heats.

Aryan Nehra will be India’s sole swimmer in a direct medal race, competing in the men’s 1,500m freestyle final.

India will also continue their bowls campaign. Dinesh Kumar and Navneet Singh face Namibia in the men’s pairs sectional round, while Nayanmoni Saikia plays Caroline Whitehead of the Isle of Man in the women’s singles.

Former Ireland and Australia head coach Joe Schmidt will work with Ulster in a consultancy role focused on the province’s coaching pathway.

The position of coach development advisor is newly created for the Kiwi and does not involve working with the senior team.

As Ulster statement said Schmidt “will support the ongoing development of coaches across the province, helping to strengthen a clear and connected coaching pathway” throughout the organisation.

The 60-year-old finished with up with the Wallabies this month after a win over Italy in the Nations Championship ended a run of six straight defeats.

“Ulster has a proud rugby tradition and further developing the coaching pathway in the region is something that we believe can add value,” said Schmidt.

Schmidt is one of Ireland’s most successful ever rugby coaches having led the national side between 2013 and 2019, winning back-to-back Six Nations titles in his first two campaigns before a Grand Slam in 2018.

He was also at the helm for Ireland’s first ever win over the All Blacks and maiden triumph over the Springboks on South African soil, both in 2016.

Prior to that, Schmidt had worked as an assistant with Clermont and served as Leinster’s head coach for three years, winning a pair of Heineken Cups with the latter.

Schmidt has recently been linked with a return to the RDS with head coach Leo Cullen set to leave the side after more than a decade in charge at the end of the 2026-27 season.

Alas Pilipinas women land in Vietnam for the SEA V Cup leg 1 in Hanoi.–ALAS PILIPINAS PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas women’s team has arrived in Vietnam ahead of the SEA V Cup Leg 1, which starts Friday at the Dong Anh Gymnasium in Hanoi.

The team’s social media page on Wednesday afternoon posted a photo of the squad arriving safely in Vietnam two days before the opener.

Japanese coach Taka Minowa makes his debut as the new women’s national volleyball team coach on Friday against host Vietnam, the champion of last year’s second leg and runner-up for six legs.

READ: Alas Pilipinas tops Myanmar for 5th place in SEA V Cup

Bannering the team are returning mainstays Jia De Guzman, Alyssa Solomon, Bella Belen, Eya Laure, Vanie Gandler, Dell Palomata, Fifi Sharma, Thea Gagate, Mars Alba, Justine Jazareno, Jen Nierva, and Dawn Catindig.

The Alas team, with the same core, has won four straight bronze medals since 2024.

Also making their Alas debut are last year’s PVL on Tour MVP Erika Santos and National University’s Vange Alinsug and Celine Marsh. Niña Ytang, who debuted in Candon last June in the AVC Women’s Cup, also joined the squad.

READ: Alas Pilipinas men head to another fifth-place match in SEA V Cup

The Philippines will play a single round robin, which determines the podium finishers.

Alas takes on Thailand on Saturday, before facing Indonesia on Sunday in its first international tournament ahead of the Asian Games in September. Leg 2 is set next week in Thailand.

Home Affairs is poised to finish the 2026 racing season as Australia’s premier freshman sire, following a dominant debut crop from Coolmore’s exciting young stallion that has surpassed all expectations.

While the exact number of stallion premierships he will secure won’t be finalised until the season’s final day, one significant title has effectively been locked away for months.

The son of I Am Invincible has joined the elite company of Danehill and Extreme Choice by siring a Golden Slipper winner from his first crop, with Guest House clinching this year’s juvenile feature. Even without the $2.95 million prize money from that victory, Home Affairs would still comfortably lead the first-season sires’ premiership by prizemoney.

Entering the final four days of the season, Home Affairs had already produced 16 winners – the most of any first-season sire – from 44 runners who had amassed $4,948,300 in prizemoney.

His closest rival is Newgate’s Golden Slipper winner Stay Inside, whose progeny have earned $950,833.

Home Affairs’ inaugural crop comprised 145 foals conceived off an introductory service fee of $110,000 (inc GST), and Coolmore Australia principal Tom Magnier commented that the stallion had delivered everything the ownership group had hoped for.

“I’m delighted for our partners in Home Affairs as he’s crowned Champion First-Season Sire,” Magnier said.

“He was purchased as a yearling in the first year we went out and sourced colts to race and to be able to reward their trust in such a way gives us all a great thrill.

“Home Affairs has been followed on by the likes of Shinzo, Switzerland and Private Life, so our partners have got a few irons in the fire yet, but to land Home Affairs straight away is what we dreamed of.

“We think he is a Champion Sire of the future and that his stock are only going to improve from two years to three years, so the future is bright.”

Beyond Guest House, his headline performer, Home Affairs has also produced Listed Redoute’s Choice Stakes winner Gin Twist as his other Australian black-type winner.

Magic Millions National 2YO Classic runner-up Natural Fling and VOBIS Gold Rush winner and Listed placegetter Marffiano have also made significant contributions to the stallion’s outstanding first-season earnings.

Home Affairs also remains a chance of claiming the Champion 2YO Sire title for 2026, trailing Snitzel by just $32,445 entering the final days of the season.

His hopes suffered a setback when Saturday Party was scratched from Wednesday’s Randwick meeting, while Snitzel still has representatives at Randwick and Kembla Grange before Home Affairs relies on three youngsters nominated to race at Geelong and Scone on Friday.

Regardless of the outcome, Home Affairs has already been rewarded in the breeding barn, with his service fee increasing from $82,500 over the past two seasons to $176,000 for 2026.

He is also set to cover an elite book of mares, including Guest House’s dam Flamboyant Lass, alongside Group 1 performers Zougotcha, Learning To Fly and Nimalee.

Check out the latest racing odds available on Australian betting sites for the upcoming season.