ABU DHABI – How does the UFC say no to Alexander Volkanovski?

That’s the question Dana White posed to the media after the conclusion of UFC 308 on Saturday at Etihad Arena.

Of course, White is talking about the next title challenger for UFC featherweight champion Ilia Topuria, who furthered his stardom with a massive knockout of Max Holloway in the card’s main event.

After the fight, Volkanovski (26-4 MMA, 13-3 UFC) was brought in the cage as UFC commentator Daniel Cormier interviewed Topuria (16-0 MMA, 8-0 UFC). The move isn’t always done by the promotion, but is usually indicative of its future plans when it does occur.

“Volkanovski’s one of those guys,” White told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conference. “We’re not going to say no to Volkanovski.”

The two top featherweights collided back in February and Topuria won by knockout. Volkanovski has not fought since and is currently on a two-fight skid, given that he previously was knocked out in a lightweight title challenge vs. Islam Makhachev.

While other top contenders, such as UFC 308 backup fighter Diego Lopes, have emerged in the title conversation, White indicated Volkanovski’s past as a company man, willing to bail the promotion out of difficult situations has nudged the UFC in his favor.

“He’s been that guy for us any time we needed him,” White said. “He’s been on this run like (Israel) Adesanya and like Alex (Pereira) is on right now. When things don’t go our way and you’ve got to call a guy, Volkanovski has always been that guy. He really was. For him to ask for it, I don’t think anybody in this room is going, ‘Oh, this is ridiculous’ or crazy. Who wouldn’t want to see it again?”

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

Carlos Sainz scorched to pole for the Mexican Grand Prix with a 0.225-second advantage over Formula 1 championship leader Max Verstappen.

Sainz was in imperious form throughout the session and found two times good enough for pole – opening his Q3 run with a 1m16.055s and improving on his final run to a 1m15.946s to line up at the front of Sunday’s grid.

Verstappen rescued a front-row start after losing his first Q3 lap to track limits having cut both parts of the Turn 2/3 chicane, and set a 1m16.171s on his final attempt to qualify ahead of championship rival Lando Norris.

Norris’ first lap was comparatively poor and was only fifth at the end of the opening runs, but found improvement on his final tour to head the second row alongside Charles Leclerc.

The Monegasque saved a snap through the high-speed corners and managed to collect fourth, albeit three tenths down on his team-mate.

The two Mercedes drivers occupied the third row, as George Russell outqualified Lewis Hamilton as the younger Briton improved more on the final tour. They were ahead of an impressive Kevin Magnussen, who parked his car seventh on the grid over Pierre Gasly.

Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg were ninth and 10th, the German having overcooked it on the exit of Turn 12 on his last lap to lose a chance at moving further up the grid.

Yuki Tsunoda was the master of his own Q2 elimination after putting his RB in the wall ahead the Foro Sol section while on a flying lap, causing a red flag with a crash at Turn 12.

This also denied his team-mate Liam Lawson the chance to progress, as the two looked set to improve and challenge Gasly’s 10th-fastest lap.

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll were both starting their final flying laps before the session was stopped and were subsequently eliminated, while Valtteri Bottas was also denied the chance to break out of Q2 in the wake of the incident.

Oscar Piastri and Sergio Perez were the big scalps taken in Q1; the Australian failed to reclaim his FP3-topping form and also failed to progress into the second phase of qualifying – making his life more difficult by losing a lap for track limits. H

He reckoned that had he not gone beyond the Turn 12 kerb and lost a second in the process, he would have made it through.

Perez was dumped out at the first hurdle of qualifying for his home grand prix having struggled with braking in the low-speed corners throughout the session. The Mexican only got up to 15th on his final lap of the opening stage but was shuffled down the order by Charles Leclerc’s escape from the drop zone.

Esteban Ocon and Zhou Guanyu propped up the order, as Ocon’s late effort to overturn the on-the-cusp Lance Stroll crumbled in the final sector.

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI scored twice as Barcelona shattered Real Madrid’s 42-game unbeaten run in LaLiga.

But it was a night of frustration for Kylian Mbappe in his first Clasico as the Frenchman saw TWO goals ruled out for offside.

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Instead it was Lewandowski who was the star of the show as he netted his 16th and 17th goals of the season to send Barca six points clear at the top.

Lewandowski’s first, in the 54^th minute, followed a superb pass by Barca’s latest youth talent Marc Casado.

And he followed it up with a header almost immediately after the restart to silence the Santiago Bernabeu.

In fact, it should have been a historic hat-trick as Lewandowski somehow hit the post with an open goal after Raphinha’s cross cut out Los Blancos keeper Andriy Lunin.

Lamine Yamal made it a rout in the 77th when the teenage phenom somehow rifled a shot from an angle over Lunin.

Raphinha got involved in the burgundy-and-blue party when he broke free with Madrid pressing forward and chipped the keeper in the 84th.

Mbappe had a frustrating first game against Barcelona in a white shirt.

The France star was repeatedly caught offside by Barcelona’s synchronized back four and failed to beat second-choice goalkeeper Inaki Pena one-on-one with his team down two goals.

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Hansi Flick, meanwhile, had a night to remember in the first Clasico for the German coach.

Barcelona still have financial troubles that cast doubt over their future but they have made huge steps forward since Flick replaced Barcelona great Xavi Hernandez in the summer.

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Casado, an unknown reserve team player until Flick picked him to be his holding midfielder, was one of five home-grown players that Flick put in his starting line-up, the same 11 that beat Bayern Munich 4-1 in the Champions League three days before.

A total of six players under 22 years old started for Barcelona, led by 17-year-olds Yamal and Pau Cubarsi, and showed no signs of being intimidated by the scenario.

Yamal upstaged Mbappe this summer when Spain beat France en route to winning the European Championship.

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And he did it again when he displayed the finishing touch that Mbappe was lacking.

Mbappe himself was ruled offside no less than five times in the first half hour, as Barcelona pressed high up the field.

While Jude Bellingham was largely anonymous as the game slipped away from the increasingly desperate hosts.

Vinicius Junior, who is set to win the Ballon d’Or on Monday, didn’t fare much better as he missed a golden chance to give Madrid the lead in the first half.

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There’s a good reason why Robert Whittaker tapped out just a split second after Khamzat Chimaev applied a devastating face crank end their fight at UFC 308.

Following the pay-per-view broadcast, Daniel Cormier showed off a gruesome photo that Whittaker sent him showing off the damage done from Chimaev’s jaw-crushing submission.

“Khamzat Chimaev broke his tooth,” Cormier said about the photo. “Literally dislocated his jaw in a matter of two seconds. It was unbelievable.”

(Warning: UFC 308 photo below is pretty graphic.)

Chimaev’s finish is the first time that Whittaker has ever been submitted in the UFC.

It was a dominant performance from start to finish as Chimaev landed a takedown just seconds into the opening round and he never gave Whittaker a second to breathe. Chimaev was dominant but not impatient as he continued to ensure he maintained control over Whittaker as he did his best to scramble free and get back to his feet.

Again and again, Chimaev kept pulling him back down to the ground while looking to advance his position.

When he finally had full control on Whittaker’s back, Chimaev quickly secured his arms around the former champion’s face to lock up the submission. Chimaev tightened his grip and Whittaker immediately tapped out.

Whittaker apparently told Chimaev in the cage that he suffered a dislocated jaw but it wasn’t until after he got backstage that the full damage was revealed. Obviously, Whittaker will be headed for oral surgery thanks to the nasty submission applied by Chimaev.

The win moved Chiamev to 14-0 in his career and 8-0 in the UFC as he takes another step towards a potential title fight in the middleweight division.

Free agent Mario Balotelli is close to a Serie A return, West Ham could move for Chelsea’s Ben Chilwell in January, renewing Jamal Musiala’s contract is a priority for Bayern Munich.

Former Italy striker Mario Balotelli, 34, is close to joining Serie A side Genoa as a free agent. (Sky Italy), external

West Ham could make a move for 27-year-old English left-back Ben Chilwell from Chelsea in January. (Inside Track podcast, via Team talk) , external

Renewing 21-year-old Germany attacking midfielder Jamal Musiala’s contract, which currently runs until 2026, is a priority for Bayern Munich. (Bild – in German), external

Crystal Palace are reluctant to re-open talks with Newcastle United about England defender Marc Guehi, 24, in the January window. (Football Insider), external

Barcelona believe a contract renewal with Brazil winger Raphinha will happen. The 27-year-old’s current deal runs until 2027. (Diario Sport – in Spanish), external

Meanwhile, discussions over a new deal between Barca and Spain midfielder Pedri, 21, are progressing well. (Fabrizio Romano), external

Borussia Dortmund currently have no plans to replace Nuri Şahin as manager despite the club sitting in seventh place in the Bundesliga following Saturday’s defeat by Augsburg. (Sky Germany), external

Juventus are set for fresh talks with Udinese over a deal to sign 24-year-old Italy striker Lorenzo Lucca. (Rudy Galetti), external

Barcelona are interested in signing Porto’s 25-year-old Portugal goalkeeper Diogo Costa, who is also wanted by Manchester City, but his inflated price of 45m euros (£37.5m) makes a deal complicated. (Sport – in Spanish), external

Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo signed a contract extension in the summer but interest from clubs like Newcastle and Tottenham may see Bournemouth offer the 24-year-old another new deal to keep him at the club. (Football Insider), external