Jai Opetaia set up a long-awaited fight with David Benavidez after his most recent win, and two-time welterweight world champion Shawn Porter has offered his thoughts on the showdown.

Opetaia knocked out then-reigning WBC crusierweight titleholder Noel Mikaelian in the co-main event of last weekend’s Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn bill, but Opetaia did not get his hands on the coveted WBC belt – with it being a non-sanctioned contest.

Instead, Mikaelian was stripped of his status as champion during the aftermath, with interim champion Michal Cieslak being elevated to full world champion and positioned for a three-belt unification clash with WBA & WBO champion Benavidez on December 12 in Phoenix, Arizona.

Whilst Opetaia did not become a three-time world champion with his triumph over Mikaelian, the victory has seen him installed as the mandatory challenger for the victor of Benavidez-Cieslak, with Cinco De Mayo already being mentioned for a possible Benavidez-Opetaia bout.

Speaking on ‘The PorterWay Podcast’, Porter described Benavidez-Opetaia as a 60/40 contest in favour of the champion.

“I think that he [Opetaia] should move past the stuff outside of the ring. Once he moves past, this is still a legitimate [fight], I think it’s a 60/40 now – it is hard for me to let that go – in David Benavidez’s favour. He [Opetaia] was flat last night.

“I think that it’s going to be good and I do think that it is next. I don’t think that David got in the ring for the show, I think that he legitimately wants to fight. I think that the piece that they had int the ring was like ‘hey, let’s make this happen.’”

Recent rumours suggest that Benavidez – or Cieslak – and Opetaia’s meeting could make up part of a mammoth May event, that may also feature a welterweight title unification involving Ryan Garcia and Teofimo Lopez.

Either Sam Burns is providing a rare show of cards, or he’s practicing a little reverse psychology.

Burns says he knows who he’s pairing with at this Presidents Cup, and unlike most competitors ahead of these team events who treat potential partnerships like trade secrets, Burns dropped an easy hint during his media availability on Tuesday.

Advertisement

“His name starts with an ‘S’,” said Burns, alluding to a reunion with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler at Medinah.

We know what many of you are thinking: Didn’t they try that already?

Yes, the two buddies don’t exactly have a sparkling record together. They went a combined 0-3-1 while teaming at the 2022 Presidents Cup and 2023 Ryder Cup before being split up for each of the past two Cups. The separation worked in 2024 with Scheffler and Burns responsible for six points in team play at Royal Montreal. But at last year’s Ryder Cup, the U.S. got a whopping half-point from the two; Scheffler went 0-4 at Bethpage before winning his singles match.

“Do I think we have unfinished business? I don’t know if I would call it that,” Burns said. “It’s been frustrating the times we have played together, and we feel like we’ve played really well and ultimately not won. I think it’s been more frustrating than anything.

Advertisement

“Yeah, this week we’re going to go out and compete as hard as we can and try to get as many points for the U.S. team as possible.”

Burns recalled a moment from the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow, where after tying Sungjae Im and Sebastian Munoz despite making nine birdies and an eagle, the American stats guys told Burns that he and Scheffler would’ve beaten any other team that day. Im and Munoz just happened to card nine birdies of their own, and even then, Scheffler left a 9-foot birdie putt on the last hole on the lip.

“When you look at best ball and alternate shot, there is a little bit of flukiness there for sure,” Scheffler said. “Sometimes you’re up against guys that have played really good.”

Still, that doesn’t quite explain why Scheffler, far and away the best player in the world for the better part of the last five years, has compiled a lackluster 6-11-4 record in Cup competition.

Advertisement

Scheffler points to his less blemished singles record – 2-2-1, plus two trips to the final of the now-defunct WGC Match Play (Scheffler and Burns each won that event once). He also went 2-1 with Russell Henley at the last Presidents Cup and added another point alongside Collin Morikawa in fourballs.

Surely, he can’t be that bad of a match player.

“I can only control what I can control,” Scheffler said, “and that’s going out there and trying to hit good shots and being a good partner for whoever it is that I’m out there with.”

Perhaps the underlying problem, Scheffler admits, is trying too hard. As a self-described hypercompetitive person, Scheffler says that extreme desire to succeed caused his putting dip a few years ago.

Advertisement

“When you look at this format, and like you said, maybe my record hasn’t matched up to what I think that it should be, could it be trying too hard? I think that’s definitely a factor for sure,” Scheffler said. “For me it’s different in the sense that you also have a partner with you and you’re playing for somebody outside yourself, and that’s a lot different as well.

“Kind of striking the balance between how much do you care, I think that’s something I’m always trying to figure out. Definitely for me, I think just trying less would be really important. It’s just one of those things that’s a lot easier said than done.”

U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker echoes that Scheffler can’t be asked “to do more than he can do. He can only deliver five points at his best, if he goes out and plays unbelievable. We just want Scottie to … be the Scottie Scheffler he is every week.”

But Snedeker has another theory.

Advertisement

“You look at the best players throughout history that have played in these events, it’s always been a challenge to kind of match them up,” said Snedeker, who is likely comparing Scheffler’s situation with Tiger Woods, who owns a 13-21-3 record in Ryder Cups and has paired with a dozen different partners. However, when you factor in Woods’ Presidents Cup success (27-15-1), he has a winning Cup record.

“I think there’s an inherent kind of – not fear for the guy they’re playing with, but a feeling of, I’m letting him down. He’s the best player in the world. He’s so good at everything; no matter what I do isn’t going to be good enough,” Snedeker continued. “So, trying to find someone who can handle that and be themselves and not try to be someone else is super important.”

Arguably no one is more equipped to do that than Burns, who probably has logged more time around Scheffler dating to their junior-golf days than the other 10 American players combined.

“I think it’s a comfortable pairing for us,” Burns said. “We obviously spend a lot of time together, play a lot of golf together. Yeah, it’ll be fun. … Anybody on this team would be very excited to play with the No. 1 player in the world, and I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

If Burns can be taken at his word, he and Scheffler are set to extend the old adage: If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, try and try again.

Celtic will “come together and support” manager Martin O’Neill after a “painful” week for the club, chief executive Michael Nicholson has said.

O’Neill had indicated that he would use the international break to consider his future following two defeats to Rangers, either side of a home loss to Ferencvaros in the Europa League.

In the wake of Sunday’s 1-0 derby defeat at Celtic Park, 74-year-old O’Neill had said “it might be time to wrap it up”.

However, Nicholson suggested the club will rally round the manager who has delivered nine trophies over two spells.

His remarks came with the latest financial figures revealing a drop of nearly £33m in revenue.

A loss of £4.8m is largely down to the failure to reach last year’s Champions League and Celtic have missed out again, squandering a 4-0 aggregate lead in their play-off with LASK last month.

“Having started well in the Premiership this season, we experienced disappointment in the Champions League play-off,” said Nicholson in a written statement accompanying the financial results.

“Reaching the league phase of the Champions League is an objective for us all, and we are sorry not to have achieved it.

“On top of that, the losses in the last week have been painful for us all. We will now come together and support Martin and the players, as we focus our efforts on achieving success domestically and in the Europa League.”

Racing Victoria and the Victoria Racing Club have collectively announced a $1 million prize money enhancement for the marquee event on the initial day of the Melbourne Cup Carnival.

The Group 1 Victoria Derby, scheduled for October 31 at Flemington over 2500 metres, will now feature a $3 million purse.

This substantial prizemoney increase follows a recent assessment by the Asian Pattern Committee concerning the Derby’s Group 1 classification. The committee ultimately decided to uphold the Derby’s Group 1 status, with further discussions regarding its ‘Black Type’ status planned for later in the season.

The additional $1 million in prize money aligns the Derby with the Group 1 Caulfield Guineas, a 1600m contest for three-year-olds held on October 10.

RV chief executive Aaron Morrison underscored the significance of the Derby on the opening day of Melbourne Cup week.

“The Victoria Derby is integral to the success of Victorian racing, in terms of its rich heritage and its role in headlining one of the biggest race days in world racing,” Morrison stated. “We believe the retention of Group 1 status for the Victoria Derby is vital given the day’s importance to our industry and the fabric of Australian racing more broadly. We must be proactive to ensure that is preserved. This prizemoney boost is an important first step. Beyond this, we’re continuing to review our feature three-year-old and staying programs, including conditions, pattern and prizemoney, to determine what is best for the industry in 2027 and beyond.”

Godolphin’s Observer claimed last year’s Victoria Derby, having previously finished a close third in the Caulfield Guineas.

Explore the latest racing betting markets for upcoming events at racing betting markets.

India cricketers after winning the Asian Games gold. (PTI Photo)

NEW DELHI: India finally opened its gold-medal account at the Asian Games 2026 on Tuesday as Harmanpreet Kaur-led side successfully defended its women’s cricket title, beating Sri Lanka in the final at Korogi Sports Park in Nisshin.The emphatic victory took India’s medal tally to seven — one gold, four silver and two bronze — and moved the country to eighth place in the medal standings at the end of Tuesday’s action.India’s first gold in Aichi-Nagoya came after the defending champions produced a dominant all-round performance. After opting to bat, India posted a mammoth 216/3 before bowling Sri Lanka out for just 69 to complete a commanding 147-run victory.Asian Games Full Coverage | Schedule | Medals TallyThe result also marked India’s second women’s cricket gold at the Asian Games. India had won the title when the sport returned to the Games in Hangzhou in 2023, while the country did not participate when cricket featured at the 2010 and 2014 editions.Pakistan, meanwhile, also have two women’s cricket gold medals, having won the inaugural women’s events in 2010 and 2014.

India finally adds gold to seven-medal haul

India had begun its Asian Games campaign with two shooting silver medals before adding three more shooting medals and a historic MMA bronze on Day 2.The women’s cricket gold now gives the Indian contingent a medal distribution of one gold, four silver and two bronze. The medal tally is expected to grow further, with India having assured itself of medals in men’s badminton and wushu.The men’s badminton team booked a semifinal place with a 3-0 victory over Japan, while Roshibina Devi reached the women’s Sanda 60kg semifinals to guarantee at least a bronze.India’s men’s hockey side also strengthened its campaign with a stunning 16-1 victory over Sri Lanka, adding to its 13-1 win over Indonesia in the opening Pool A match.The men’s cricket competition will begin later in the Games. The Shreyas Iyer-led Indian side is scheduled to enter the competition directly in the second quarterfinal on September 28. India are also the defending men’s Asian Games champions.

China continue to lead, Japan second

China continued to occupy the top position in the medal standings, with Japan in second and South Korea third.China’s dominance has been particularly visible in swimming, where 13-year-old Yu Zidi has emerged as one of the stars of the Games. Hosts Japan also celebrated a teenage swimming sensation, with 17-year-old Yumeki Kojima winning the men’s 400m individual medley in a Games-record 4:07.02.China also added more gold through its shooters, with Olympic champion Sheng Lihao combining with Wang Zifei to win the 10m air rifle mixed team event with a world-record score of 507.1.Afghanistan also celebrated a historic medal after Fariba Hashimi won silver in the women’s road race, becoming the country’s first female Asian Games medallist in cycling.

Asian Games 2026 Medal Tally after Day 3

People walk past the Costa Serena cruise ship, housing athletes for the Asian Games, at Nagoya Port, Japan. (PTI Photo)

Indian Olympic Association (IOA) president P T Usha on Tuesday questioned the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games organisers’ decision to do away with a conventional Athletes Village, saying she and several other members of the event’s coordination committee had objected to the plan.Usha, one of India’s most successful Asian Games athletes, said an Athletes Village is about more than accommodation. She said it brings athletes from different countries together and creates the atmosphere that is associated with a multi-sport event.Athletes at the Aichi-Nagoya Games are being housed at different locations, with a cruise ship serving as the principal accommodation facility instead of a single purpose-built Village. The Games organisers have cited cost and sustainability as the main reasons for the arrangement, which has divided opinions.“In fact, everybody objected. Most of the countries objected, actually…even I did,” Usha said when asked about the decision not to build a traditional Games Village.“I say that because I have travelled from 1982 until now and seen most of the villages. It is totally different from this, with the ship and everything. I think even the OCA (Olympic Council of Asia) did not want this, but somewhere or the other, they had to accept it,” she added, as quoted by news gncy PTI.Asian Games full coverage | Schedule | Medal tallyUsha, who was part of the coordination committee, said the Village system had been defended because of the interaction it allows between athletes.“I was a coordination committee member and most of the coordination team objected. We wanted the Village system because it is always good,” she said.“Everybody can come together, see each other and mix and mingle. That is what makes a Village so good.”While saying that the accommodation itself was adequate, Usha said the lack of a centralised Village could lead to logistical and coordination challenges.She also pointed to the distance between venues as another issue with the way the Games have been organised.Having competed at multiple Asian Games, Olympics and Commonwealth Games, Usha said the venues at earlier editions were closer together, making it easier to watch different sports.“The problem, for me, is that in our time, although we did not have many facilities, the venues were very close. If you wanted to go from one venue to another, it was very easy,” she said.“Here, if I have to go to shooting and then to cricket, I have to take another route. So I can only go to one venue if I want to see many Games.”Usha acknowledged that the dispersed model could help different areas benefit from sporting infrastructure, but said it also made the venues less accessible.“Maybe they (organisers) say that every place will have infrastructure and all, but this is the big difference I have felt,” she said.Usha also rejected the suggestion that the arrangement in Japan could mark the end of the traditional Games Village.“I don’t think the Village culture will change because nobody, when we were in the committee, liked this idea,” she said.

Great Britain are guaranteed at least three medals at the European Boxing Championships in Bulgaria after Chantelle Reid, Damar Thomas and Abdul Burton reached the semi-finals.

Reid cruised to a 5-0 win over Ireland’s Evelyn Igharo in a women’s light-middleweight contest at the Asics Arena Sports Hall in Sofia.

The 28-year-old Commonwealth Games silver medallist will face Serbia’s Milena Matovic in the last four on Wednesday.

Thomas won by the same margin in a men’s super-heavyweight fight against Georgia’s Nikoloz Begadze and the 21-year-old will take on Mahammad Abdullayev of Azerbaijan in the semi-finals.

Burton, 20, beat home favourite and Olympic bronze medallist Javier Ibanez 3-2 to secure a meeting with Turkey’s Semih Gumus.

“Sometimes you have got to dig in and when things went against me I had to get stuck in and show who I was,” Burton said.

“I am young, hungry and here to take over.”

Lauren Mackie, Amy Broadhurst, Callum Makin and Oladimeji Shittu are all due in quarter-final action on Wednesday, but over half of Britain’s squad of 15 are now out.

On Tuesday, flyweight Ruby White was beaten 3-2 by Olympic silver medal winner Hatice Akbas of Turkey while Emily Asquith suffered a 5-0 defeat in her light-heavyweight bout with Ireland’s Lisa O’Rourke.

In the men’s heavyweight division, Commonwealth Games champion Isaac Okoh bowed out with a 3-0 defeat by Germany’s Kevin Lebowski.

“Tonight Africa won regardless,” said a victorious Dricus du Plessis after submitting Israel Adesanya to retain his middleweight title at UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) 305 in Perth, Australia, on Sunday.

In its 31-year history, UFC has become one of the most popular sporting tickets in town. But the build-up to this contest highlighted a part of the world that has largely been ignored in its rise. Former champion Adesanya left Nigeria at the age of 10 to move to New Zealand but feels he represents both nations. That was questioned by du Plessis, of South Africa, in a fraught buildup.

“Did those belts ever go to Africa?” Du Plessis asked, also referring to fellow fighters and champions Kamaru Usman and Francis Ngannou, who were born in Nigeria and Cameroon but live in the USA and France, respectively.

As is often the case in combat sports, du Plessis and Adesanya were much more conciliatory after the fight.

UFC boss promises African event

“To share this octagon with a legend… this man has done so much for this sport and I’m really sorry it came across that I disrespected he was from Africa, it was never my intention,” said du Plessis.

Du Plessis walked out with South African rugby players Eben Etzebeth and Siya Kolisi after South Africa had beaten Australia at rugby in Perth the previous day. And it appears that du Plessis’ victory could well open the door for a first fight in Africa.

“If [Du Plessus] can beat Izzy [Adesanya] and bring that belt back to South Africa, obviously we’ll do an event there,” said UFC President and CEO Dana White in the buildup.

Cape Town mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis lent his support to the idea, tweeting “Let’s make it happen” to White before the event and doubling down on his support afterwards.

Advertisement

Like many other sports, UFC reportedly sees Africa as a significant market for expansion, with a growing audience.

A test of African appetite

“There is certainly a determination for it to happen soon. We have seen our fanbase in Africa grow over the years, with South Africa and Nigeria being two of the stand out countries,” UFC executive David Shaw said ahead of Sunday’s clash. “We’re looking forward to delivering an incredible event [in Africa] which will certainly have a significant impact on the region.”

Sunday’s fight appeared to be a test of the appetite in those two nations, with many MMA observers believing the centering of Africa in the buildup and post match reactions to be a deliberate strategy to raise interest among fans, and potential fans, in the continent.

As well as Australia, which has become a regular home of UFC fights, the organization has also visited Asia, Europe, South America and the Middle East. It looks increasingly like it will be Africa’s turn next.