Conor Benn has been accused of having done very little to deserve his WBC title shot against Ryan Garcia, who many feel is a level or two above the Brit.

Regardless, the two welterweights will collide for Garcia’s world title on September 12, headlining an event at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena.

The champion claimed his strap by dethroning Mario Barrios, who many considered one of the sport’s weaker titleholders, with a unanimous decision victory in February.

This was the first time Garcia felt what it was like to have his hand raised since April 2024, when he initially claimed a majority decision triumph over Devin Haney, only for the result to be ruled a no-contest after he tested positive for banned substance ostarine.

Benn, too, has previously failed two doping tests – both for clomifene in October 2022 – but has since found himself in two high-profile middleweight encounters with Chris Eubank Jr.

Their first fight, in April 2025, saw him suffer a unanimous decision defeat, before exacting his revenge by the same verdict in their November rematch.

Most recently, though, the 29-year-old outpointed a faded and since-retired Regis Prograis in April, emerging victorious at a catchweight of 150lbs.

Based on that performance, former undisputed super-lightweight champion Josh Taylor has told Fight Your Corner that he struggles to see Benn defeating British champion Conah Walker, let alone Garcia.

“Yeah [I stand by that he’s not British level.] I think there’s guys in the UK that would beat Conor Benn. I think Conah Walker would beat him.

“In that second Eubank fight, I thought [Benn] was very good. But then I watched him against Prograis and thought he was terrible.

“I just don’t think he’s on [Garcia’s] level. I don’t think he merits that fight.”

Not only is Benn yet to face a world-class fighter in his prime but, crucially, ‘The Destroyer’ has not fought at 147lbs since his second-round finish over Chris van Heerden in 2022.

Welcome to our Who am I? game.

The rules are simple. Each day there’s a new footballer and the challenge is to guess who they are in as few attempts as possible.

After each wrong guess you unlock a new clue. The fewer clues you need to get the right answer, the more points you score.

Three is a good score, four or five points is exceptional.

So take part and return for more tomorrow.

Today’s player and clues set by BBC Sport’s Joe Rindl.

After more quizzes? Go to our dedicated Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes pages and sign up for notifications to get the latest quizzes sent straight to your device.

The new 2026/27 football season is almost here, with the Scottish Premiership kicking off on 31 July and the Premier League starting on 21 August.

The World Cup concluded barely three weeks ago, yet football supporters have little time to rest – the new club season is almost upon us and promises to be an exciting one.

With the Scottish Premiership kicking off this week and the Premier League not far behind, now is the perfect moment to ensure you’re ready to watch all the action unfold.

Sky Sports remains the premier destination for live football in the UK, broadcasting at least 215 Premier League fixtures throughout the season – and that’s merely the beginning. From the opening whistle in Scotland to the dramatic final day in May, there’s an abundance of football to anticipate.

The new Scottish Premiership season begins on Friday with an enticing opener as Derek McInnes starts his spell as Rangers manager, leading his team to face Dundee United. Just three weeks afterwards, the Premier League commences with an appetising curtain-raiser as Arsenal, aiming to retain their title, host Frank Lampard’s Coventry City.

To ensure you don’t miss any of the action, Sky TV’s Essential TV package with Sky Sports is available from £35 monthly with no upfront costs. The package provides access to Sky Stream, Netflix and Sky Sports, although it’s important to note there’s a minimum 24-month contract on this offer and prices may vary during the term.

Countdown to Kickoff: The Ultimate 26/27 Sky Sports Bundle

Sky’s Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season with more than 1,400 live games across the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.

Every subscription now comes with 135 channels alongside free subscriptions to HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu.

With the Essential package, supporters can enjoy a minimum of 215 live Premier League matches, over 1,000 EFL fixtures – including all the Carabao Cup action – plus a dedicated F1 channel and coverage of all the major golf tournaments.

Fans may also wish to add TNT Sports to the package for an additional £25 per month – fixed for 24 months – with Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League action all available at the touch of a button, beginning with Aston Villa’s UEFA Super Cup clash with PSG on Wednesday (August 12).

Further packages are also on offer, including the Ultimate TV package from just £24 a month, which incorporates HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, Hayu, and 135 live channels. Sky Sports can also be added for an extra £20 a month, though the same conditions still apply.

TNT Sports will also broadcast selected Premier League games on TV and its new streaming platform HBO Max. TNT typically holds the broadcast rights to one fixture per gameweek, with Hull vs Man United the first to be aired next season.

Supporters will require a separate TNT Sports subscription to access its coverage, priced at £30.99 via HBO Max or Prime Video’s TNT Sports channel.

Alternatively, fans may prefer to soak up the atmosphere of the opening fixtures this season by purchasing tickets through Seat Unique, which offers a wide range of hospitality options throughout the campaign.

Key TV Fixtures & Dates

Here are the list of the football matches to be shown live on TV from this weekend’s Scottish Premiership opener to to the opening weekend of the Premier League next month:

• Friday 31st July: Start of the Scottish Premiership — Dundee United v Rangers ( Sky Sports )
• Saturday 1st August: Carabao Cup Preliminary Round — Tranmere v Rochdale ( Sky Sports )
• Thursday 6th August: Carabao Cup First Round — Bristol City v Walsall ( Sky Sports )
• Wednesday 12th August: UEFA Super Cup — PSG v Aston Villa ( TNT Sports )
• Friday 14th August: Start of the Championship and EFL — Wolves v Blackburn ( Sky Sports )
• Sunday 16th August: Community Shield — Arsenal v Man City ( TNT Sports )
• Friday 21st August: Start of the Premier League — Arsenal v Coventry ( Sky Sports )
• Saturday 22nd August: Premier League — Hull City v Man United ( TNT Sports )

Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of Sri Lanka Tests! Front-runners to replace the Indian pacer listed originally appeared on Cricket News. Add Cricket News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

• Jasprit Bumrah ruled out of the Sri Lanka Test series with a knee issue.

• Recovery timeline extended beyond initial expectations despite scheduled cortisone injection.

• Auqib Nabi favourite to replace Bumrah in India’s Test squad.

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Jasprit Bumrah set to sit out Sri Lanka Tests as knee recovery drags on

India’s premier fast bowler Jasprit Bumrah will reportedly miss the upcoming two-match Test series against Sri Lanka, scheduled to begin in Galle on August 15.

According to The Times of India, the pacer is still experiencing discomfort in his left knee. It is a concern that surfaced during the second ODI against England.

The medical team at the BCCI Centre of Excellence has concluded that rushing him back onto the field wouldn’t be worth the risk, and has chosen instead to prioritise a complete recovery.

Earlier reports this week had already indicated that BCCI’s medical staff recommended Bumrah undergo an injection to address the knee trouble.

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The 32-year-old received that injection as planned last month, but his full recovery now appears to be taking longer than doctors initially anticipated. There had been some internal discussion around getting him fit in time for the second Test in Colombo, but the medical team at the Centre of Excellence has opted against taking any chances with his fitness.

More to follow…

Tony Gollan’s strategic decision to transfer the gelding Boomtown Boss to the southern states has resulted in an immediate triumph, with the Queensland sprinter capturing the first black-type race of the current Australian racing season, the Group 3 Aurie’s Star Handicap (1200m) at Flemington.

Following a truncated Brisbane winter campaign, Gollan elected to freshen the gelding after his effort in the Eye Liner Stakes before relocating him to Ciaron Maher’s Cranbourne base, preparing him for a campaign on the iconic Flemington straight.

The relocation proved to be a masterstroke, as Boomtown Boss, sent out at $13, produced a determined effort to narrowly defeat Royal Insignia ($8.50), with Arkansaw Kid finishing in third position.

Gollan commented that the expansive Flemington layout was always expected to suit the gelding’s racing style.

“He profiles as a horse who loves big tracks and a lot of room so I felt that for a little while he would make a nice straight horse,” Gollan stated.

“During his winter prep, he was going nowhere and when I zigged I should have zagged, everything was going wrong.”

“I knew this race was on the cards so I backed off him (after the Eye Liner Stakes) and sent him to Ciaron’s (Maher) at Cranbourne to really settle him in.”

“I thought the trip away, and with straight racing, I thought it would suit him and through the race he was travelling alright.”

Pre-race excitement turned to drama when the original favourite, War Machine, was scratched after escaping through the starting barriers. Further controversy ensued after the race when the connections of runner-up Royal Insignia lodged a protest against winning rider Daniel Moor, alleging excessive whip use.

Stewards noted the excessive whip use but determined it was not sufficient to alter the race’s final result, confirming Boomtown Boss’s victory by a neck.

Moor admitted that the gelding was still gaining experience in straight-track racing.

“He came here a bit unknown down the straight and he did wander about a bit and change legs a lot, but you just know that when you’re on a Tony Gollan horse that they are well prepared,” Moor commented.

This significant win represents Gollan’s second success in the Aurie’s Star Handicap, with his previous victory coming via Temple Of Boom in 2011.

Compare the latest spring carnival markets with Australia’s leading online bookmakers.

This was entirely expected.

Oh, you’re telling me the best pitcher of the past three years is available for trade? Gee, I wonder who might get him. Could it be the organization that’s landed every top prize of the past few years, the one with farm system that never seems to run out and the financial firepower to make homegrown talent entirely optional? Or would the Dodgers simply decide to sit this one out?

That was me about two days before the trade. It wasn’t the boldest take, but my point was that those entertaining alternate possibilities were setting themselves up for disappointment. This couldn’t have gone any other way. The organizations with the prospect capital to outbid the Dodgers require a pipeline of cheap talent to remain competitive, and the organizations that can buy talent don’t have the prospect capital to outbid the Dodgers (or aren’t even contenders, in the case of the Mets).

The only thing that could have stopped the Dodgers was their own follow-through, and we’ve all seen they have no shortage of that.

So what did it take for them to complete the deal? Ultimately, three prospects: one who’s pretty close to top tier, one who would also be if he wasn’t 27 years old, and one who’s lesser known but has the sort of numbers that could raise his stature in the future. Their names are Zyhir Hope, River Ryan and Brady Smith.

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Maybe that package seems light to you, but you have to remember that Skubal is only rental. Whoever got him was getting him for this year alone. It’s the sort of all-in move that only one organization was in a confident enough position to make. They’re already heavy favorites, and again, spending that prospect capital wouldn’t hurt them nearly as much as it would anyone else. For the Dodgers, it’s a pin prick for what’s likely to be a third straight World Series title. For anyone else, it’s foreclosing the future for what’s likely to be uphill battle against the Dodgers. The Tigers were under no obligation to make the Dodgers sweat here. They just needed them to give up more than anyone else, and Hope alone, for as good as he is, probably clinched that.

Hopefully, that spells it out for you. You may not like it, but everyone is acting rationally here. And if rational behavior by all parties can lead to such a dissatisfying outcome for fans, then there’s a fundamental flaw in the league’s core financial structure, just in time for new CBA negotiations. Goody.

Well, what does it mean for Fantasy Baseball? You turn to me more for that than my rosy disposition, I presume. You already know what I’m going to say here, though. Skubal joins the best supporting cast in baseball. If you didn’t already have him as the top starting pitcher rest of season, even for as good as he’s looked coming back from a midseason elbow procedure, you should now. Over his past six starts, he has a 1.95 ERA, 0.78 WHIP and 12.2 K/9.

I’m not even sure anyone loses their job here, at least not immediately. The Dodgers recently had to pull Shohei Ohtani from the starting rotation for a balky knee, with no timetable for a return given, so Skubal probably just slots into his spot, keeping the Dodgers on a six-man rotation. True, Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow are both on the road to recovery, but Eric Lauer is expendable enough. Meanwhile, Emmett Sheehan, Justin Wrobleski and Roki Sasaki are all likely to have their innings curtailed at some point. This trade ensures that even without Ohtani, the Dodgers are poised to enter the postseason with a rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Skubal, Glasnow and Snell. Goody.

What about the rest-of-season impact for the Tigers, you ask? Presumably, we’ll see Ryan before the year is done, though he’s currently recovering from a hamstring strain. I suspect we would have seen him even if he had stayed with the Dodgers, but there’s obviously less competition in Detroit. Injuries and the Dodgers’ perpetual surplus have kept him in the minors to age 27, so don’t hold that against him too much. He looked good in four starts for the big club in 2024 and was also pitching well earlier this year, despite being newly recovered from Tommy John surgery. He had a 2.81 ERA, 1.13 WHIP and 11.3 K/9 in seven starts at Triple-A before injuring his hamstring in his eighth start.

Again, Hope is the biggest prize going back to Detroit and likely pushes for a roster spot as soon as next spring. He’s a physical player with significant power who just wrapped up a monster July, batting .372 with 10 homers, six steals and an 1.184 OPS. His removal from the Dodgers system frees up a logjam of outfield prospects highlighted by Josue De Paula, Mike Sirota, Eduardo Quintero and James Tibbs. Clearly, Dodgers fans still have plenty more to look forward to.

Goody.

The French Football Federation (FFF) is set to unveil its new manager for ‘Les Bleus’ squad – but the secret is only secret by name. The new coach is expected to be Zinedine Zidane, star player of the mythical 1998 football squad captained by France’s last coach, Didier Deschamps. FRANCE 24’s Emily Boyle is on the ground and tells us about Zidane’s legendary status.

Great Britain won golds in the women’s synchronised 10m diving and artistic swimming mixed duet at the European Aquatics Championships in Paris.

Maisie Bond and Lois Toulson achieved a score of 300.06 to clinch the women’s 10m – just ahead of second-placed Germany (298.20) and Ukraine (286.20) in third.

“We came into these championships wanting to win and knowing it was possible,” said Toulson. “We’d been training really hard and looking good I think.

“That was a [personal best] for us. To be able to do that and get a gold medal – we’re really proud.”

In the mixed duet, Isabelle Thorpe and Ranjuo Tomblin narrowly claimed their first European title in the event.

The pair won with a score of 258.2383 as they beat Spain by just 0.2650 to take victory, with Italy (255.1641) in third.

“It’s incredible. I’m really happy and to have done it with Ranjuo is incredible.” said Olympic silver medallist Thorpe.

“We didn’t have the most smooth sailing preparation due to injury, but it’s good we have been able to come through it and be on top.”

Tomblin, who defended his title in the men’s solo technical event on Friday, added: “Today is more special because I get to do it with Izzy, so it’s incredible.”

In the men’s 1m springboard diving final, Jack Laugher claimed silver with a score of 418.25 and fellow Briton Jordan Houlden took bronze with 410.30 as they finished behind winner Germany Moritz Linus Wesemann (431.45).

Alex Eala of the Philippines celebrates after winning a women’s singles match against Naomi Osaka of Japan on day six of the Mubadala DC Open 2026 at William H.G. FitzGerald Tennis Center on August 01, 2026 in Washington, DC. Emilee Chinn/Getty Images/AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Amid the fame and her continuous rise in tennis, Alex Eala always makes sure to keep her feet on the ground.

Eala made headlines anew after dispatching four-time Grand Slam winner and former World No. 1 Naomi Osaka, 6-4, 6-2, to reach the Mubadala DC Open final.

The 21-year-old Eala is playing her best tennis yet, and despite her rapidly growing popularity, she has also remained steadfast and focused on becoming better on and off the court.

READ: Alex Eala marvels at Naomi Osaka after stunning win at DC Open

SHE’S BACK 🤗🇵🇭

Alex Eala joins us at our desk once again after a superb win over Naomi Osaka 👏#MubadalaDCOpen pic.twitter.com/gnng0aNA1E

— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) August 1, 2026

“For one, I still have so much motivation to become a better player, become a better person. I’m 21, so it’s not like I’m the queen of the world or anything,” Eala said.

“I think another thing is that tennis is such a humbling sport. Another thing is I look back at how far I’ve come or where I’ve come from. And I’ve come a long way. That’s another thing that keeps me grounded.”

Having a solid support system plays a big factor in keeping Eala grounded.

“There are so many things. My family keeps me grounded. My team keeps me grounded. Every error I hit on the court keeps me grounded. Every time I’m mad on the court keeps me grounded,” Eala said. “When I wake up in the morning, I have bad hair. There are so many things that keep you grounded. And I feel like these people, they’re here with me. And of course, they’re here for me.”

READ: Alex Eala sees improved self ahead of Jessica Pegula rematch at DC Open final

Apart from her family, Eala said her coach Joan Bosch is also a vital piece in her career.

“He’s the best, and I trust him so, so much on court.  I trust him so much with my tennis and, lowkey, just in life. I’ve been telling him everything, and it makes me feel like I’m not alone on court, along with the rest of my team,” Eala said. “All of us have that dedication and that drive for us to improve. I would think of all the people on tour, you would feel the least alone on court.”

Eala also attributed her rise to the Rafa Nadal Academy.

“I’ve been there for a really long time, and I spent a lot of my formative years there. I’ve made so many great relationships. And of course, the coaching staff at the academy are so knowledgeable, so experienced. And of course, Rafa himself. So I’ve learned so many things. I left at 13, and now I’m 21. So how much has improved from then to now? I think tactically, physically, technically, so many aspects,” she said.

Newcastle United have reached an agreement with Arsenal over the transfer of midfielder Bruno Guimaraes in a deal worth up to £80 million, ESPN reports.

The Premier League champions have agreed to pay an initial £70m, with a further £10m tied to performance-related bonuses. 

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The move is expected to be completed once the final formalities are finalised, with Guimaraes set to sign a long-term contract with the North Londoners.

The 29-year-old is also set to undergo a medical on Monday before the transfer is officially announced. 

Newcastle have been picked apart this summer, with Guimaraes the latest key figure on the way out of St. James’ Park in what has been a chaotic transfer window for the Magpies.

They had already lost Anthony Gordon to Barcelona and Sandro Tonali to Tottenham Hotspur before manager Eddie Howe’s shocking departure was announced.

With Guimaraes on his way out, Newcastle will need significant investment to rebuild an already depleted squad to boost their chances of competing at the top end of the table this season.

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They’ve already sorted out their managerial dilemma, with Matthias Jassle set to replace Howe.

Guimaraes’ desire to join Arsenal reportedly played a huge role in helping the transfer move forward, while Newcastle were prepared to consider offers after missing out on Champions League football.

The Brazilian has been a talismanic figure for Newcastle since joining from Olympique Lyon in January 2022 in a deal worth around £40m.

Over the past few years, he has established himself as one of the team’s leaders and a fan favourite.

He’s also considered one of the best midfielders in the Premier League, which explains why Arsenal were ready to pay a premium fee to secure his services.

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Despite missing two months of last season through injury, the Brazilian still finished as Newcastle’s top Premier League goalscorer with nine goals.

He’d become Arsenal’s third signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Greek winger Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge and goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who joined on a free transfer after leaving Leeds United.