Jack Flaherty stars as the Los Angeles Dodgers tie a Major League Baseball record for consecutive scoreless innings pitched, reaching 33 in their 9-0 win over the New York Mets in the first game of the National League Championship Series.
Conor McGregor could be one step closer to booking his next opponent.
At Saturday’s BKFC event in Marbella, Spain, the bare-knuckle promotion’s part owner was caught on camera briefly mentioning that his next fight would be against Dan Hooker on Feb. 1. The UFC is expected to hold an event in Saudi Arabia on that date and it sounds like McGregor has plans to fight there.
“Lock it in,” Hooker said. “Yeah, I jumped in the ring, [McGregor and I] had a few words inside the ring, but yeah, Feb. 1 works for me in Saudi. We’ll get that thing straight away.”
No bouts have been booked for the Saudi Arabia event, which is yet to be announced by the UFC (though an event page has been created on the country’s official tourism website).
Should that card need a headliner, Hooker is down to make some magic happen with McGregor, especially after spending time with “The Notorious” in Spain.
“We’re kindred spirits, as you could say,” Hooker said. “We get along quite well. I think we’re both very similar, there’s a lot of similarities there. We just spoke in the ring. I’m on board, he’s on board, we just need to get the UFC on board and we’ll get this thing across the line.”
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McGregor has proven to be a valuable partner top BKFC, with frequent mentions of the organization on social media and by showing up personally to several events. Though he is currently under UFC contract and thus ineligible to actually step into the BKFC ring, he has become one of its most prominent faces from a promotional standpoint.
Hooker can vouch for the electricity currently buzzing around BKFC and hopes to compete in bare-knuckle boxing himself someday—after he’s done chasing UFC lightweight gold.
“I don’t think anyone on the face of the Earth doesn’t want to see me fight in bare-knuckle besides my missus,” Hooker said. “I’d do it for fun, you know what I mean? For the most part now, my eyes are set on the world titles and getting that strap around my waist.”
NFF media manager Promise Efoghe said no reason was given for the decision to divert their plane to Al Abraq on Sunday.
“No Libyan FA official has come to give reasons or provide any clarification,” he said.
“The Libyans made no effort to help. When the NFF tried to make alternative arrangement, we were locked inside the airport.
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“It’s like we are in a prison at the airport.”
Striker Victor Boniface said on social media that the squad were left without food, wi-fi or anywhere to sleep, and the Super Eagles account on X posted pictures of players sprawled out on airport chairs.
Troost-Ekong described their treatment as “mind games”, which the LFF denied.
“There are no grounds to accuse the Libyan security teams or the LFF of deliberately orchestrating this incident,” a statement added.
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“Such actions are inconsistent with our values and principles.
“We firmly reject any claims that suggest foul play or sabotage in this situation.”
The journey from Al Abraq to Benghazi would take over three and a half hours by road, but Troost-Ekong said the players would not want to travel by that means because of the security situation in Libya.
The country is split between two administrations – one based in the eastern region, which includes Benghazi, and the other in the west in the capital Tripoli. Both governments claim to be the country’s legitimate rulers.
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Efoghe said the Nigerian embassy in Tripoli was “handicapped” and could not intervene because of the political situation.
“We will not accept to travel anywhere by road here even with security. It’s not safe,” Troost-Ekong added.
“We can only imagine what the hotel or food would be like given to us if we continued.
“We respect ourselves and respect our opponents when they are our guests in Nigeria. Mistakes happen but these things on purpose have nothing to do with [international] football.”
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Nigeria won 1-0 when the two sides met in Uyo on Friday and top Group D on seven points, with Libya bottom of the table on one point and on the brink of elimination.
England have rarely looked troubled under Mitchell, with Canada offering by far their most difficult test.
The WXV1 hosts, whose players are still part-time, backed up their pre-game claims that they can win the World Cup.
They were made to rue missed opportunities when leading in the second half but demonstrated why they are considered the side most likely to stop England lifting the World Cup at the Allianz Stadium on 27 September.
“It is a big year next year and we will come out on top when it matters,” Canada captain Alex Tessier said.
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“The goal is still the World Cup but we are still growing, we are definitely there but there is a lot of stuff to learn.”
Canada have also beaten New Zealand in 2024, but the Black Ferns have a history of peaking at World Cups and should not be written off.
France seem to have stalled but Ireland, under former England women’s attack coach Scott Bemand, are making significant progress.
Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly live show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.
This week’s panel of Brian “Goze” Garcia, Matthew Wells and Danny Segura will join host “Gorgeous” George Garcia live at 1 p.m ET (10 a.m. PT) to discuss and debate the following topics:
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UFC Fight Night 244 saw the end of flyweight prospect Tatsuro Taira’s undefeated record. Recent title challenger Brandon Royval picked up his second win since he lost to champ Alexandre Pantoja this past December when he outpointed Taira in a hard-fought split decision. Does Royval deserve the next title shot? Where does Taira go from here? We discuss.
UFC CEO Dana White announced the headlining bouts for the promotion’s final pay-per-view of the year. A welterweight matchup between champion Belal Muhammad and challenger Shavkat Rakhmonov headlines the event, with a flyweight championship fight between Alexandre Pantoja and Kai Asakura in the co-main. We review these UFC 310 headlining bouts along with the overall strength of the card.
Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway had a digital faceoff this past week ahead of their featherweight championship bout in the main event of UFC 308. The dual interview, organized by the UFC, had plenty of highlights and tense moments. We discuss some of the comments made by Topuria and Holloway, along with the news that Diego Lopes will serve as the backup for the fight.
Saturday, the PFL will put on arguably its biggest event yet – PFL: Battle of the Giants. The pay-per-view card features the highly anticipated return of former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who takes on Renan Ferreira in the main event. Additionally, Cris Cyborg makes her PFL debut against Larissa Pacheco, A.J. McKee returns to action against Paul Hughes, and much more. We preview the card.
Be sure to visit the MMA Junkie Instagram page and YouTube channel to discuss this and more content with fans of mixed martial arts.
Six races to go: the calendar’s final quarter. The business end of the year. The last push. That bit of the year where all the races turn into an amalgamated blob of half-remembered overtakes at weird times of the day, before finally concluding in an Abu Dhabi encounter that will either be saturated in tedium, or offer a masterclass in how to put on a championship finale. And never the twain shall meet.
Thankfully, unlike 2024, the final run-in of flyaways is not a series of dead-rubber races; millions of pounds are not being expended for little material yield. This time there’s a championship battle on the cards, at least only notionally unless the gap between Max Verstappen and Lando Norris comes down to a tangible range in the final couple of races. There’s a lot left to play for, which means the usual winding-down period in development to focus on 2025 is a much more precarious situation to manage.
But it’s the constructors’ championship that pays the big bucks. Aside from who wins the title, there’s little more than honour in the other drivers’ placings; the difference between 14th and 15th in the standings will be inconsequential.
What is the difference between, say, ninth and 10th in the constructors’ title? That’s circa an extra $10 million, depending on the size of the prize pot, and can demonstrate the disparity between operating at the cost cap and falling short. Alternatively, perhaps the extra $10m pays for some new infrastructure, covers off a debt or allows for a little more fidelity with simulations. The possibilities are endless.
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That’s why the constructors’ placings are valuable, but there’s also said to be a couple of extra payment columns that also reward recent success in the championship, with extra payments made to those who have finished in the top three in recent years. The flipside to a better championship position is reduced aerodynamic testing. Would a team rather have an extra $10m, or the extra 10% in wind tunnel testing time? If so, that determines whether a team wants to force the issue for a position change in the final few races of the season.
Still, there are plenty of key battles available in the championship, with varying levels of prestige. Here are the three main ones that remain hotly contested.
McLaren took the lead in the constructors’ championship after Oscar Piastri’s win in Azerbaijan, and Lando Norris’ win in Singapore opened a 41-point buffer that looks set to extend if Red Bull cannot resume its early-season form. During Red Bull’s mid-season regression, it seemed somewhat inevitable that McLaren would overtake it in the teams’ standings; given the performance disparity between the two, it will be an arduous task for Red Bull to reclaim it.
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The eventuality that looks a smidgen more likely is that it will face a challenge from Ferrari over second, as just 34 points separate the two teams. Both Red Bull and Ferrari appear to have gotten over the respective issues that cost performance in the middle part of the season; the RB20’s ever-shifting balance created a disconnect between driver and car, while Ferrari’s floor developments instigated bouncing during the high-speed corners.
Red Bull retains a car performance advantage, but relying on Max Verstappen for the bulk of its points effectively means it goes into the race with one hand behind its back. Both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz can be expected to contribute to the Prancing Horse’s burgeoning tally, while Red Bull’s Sergio Perez seems to be nothing more than a presence in the lower reaches of the points. And, on current form, Red Bull might be spending more time looking in its rear-view mirror…
Fourth and fifth are pretty much sewn up: Mercedes is 112 points shy of Ferrari in the constructors’ standings, and 243 clear of Aston Martin. Nothing short of capitulation will change the order here.
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Despite its regression, Aston Martin’s grasp of fifth looks reasonably assured too; there’s a 52-point gap between it and the sixth-placed RB. For its part, RB is just three points ahead of Haas – and of the two, the American team outfit has the greater form behind it. Although a smaller team than RB by some magnitude, Haas under Ayao Komatsu’s leadership has become a far more diligent operation compared to its years under Gunther Steiner; its focus on getting the most bang for its buck has led to a much more felicitous season compared to 2023.
Nico Hulkenberg has been one of the stars of the midfield; the two sixth-place finishes at Silverstone and the Red Bull Ring helped the team make huge inroads into RB’s early advantage in the constructors’ title. While Kevin Magnussen has not been as prolific, the Dane has played a valuable support role to Hulkenberg this season and helped the German fortify his position within the top 10 – albeit with a sometimes-controversial modus operandi.
At RB, Yuki Tsunoda has been the main points-getter, but the addition of Liam Lawson for the final six rounds should offer a little more exuberance in the midfield. Flashes of performance from Daniel Ricciardo were just that, and the team needs a driver who is a little less sporadic. Lawson, who comfortably sat on the line between points and the positions just outside during his five-race stint for AlphaTauri last year, should be in the mix more often.
It’s going to come down to upgrades here; Haas has a new package that it has earmarked for Austin, while RB should also have a few new parts for the final six races.
Franco Colapinto, Williams FW46, Esteban Ocon, Alpine A524
Photo by: Simon Galloway / Motorsport Images
In truth, Williams could be a contender for sixth in the championship given its progression following the summer break. The upgrades that it introduced in Zandvoort were, despite the physically tiny tolerance issues that resulted in its qualifying results being thrown out, a noticeable boost to the team’s fortunes; James Vowles’ team was disappointed not to break into the top 10 in Singapore.
Adding Franco Colapinto into the mix has been a masterstroke; the Argentine has immediately got on terms with Alex Albon and scored a healthy four points in only his second race. For his part, Albon has been able to take the revised FW46 into Q3 on three of the four occasions post-summer.
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Alpine can still challenge if Williams is beset by profligacy. Under new team principal Oliver Oakes, the team has largely sharpened up its act at the circuits, while technical chief David Sanchez is tasked with directing both the development of its 2024 car and addressing the A524’s long list of shortcomings into the next design. But the team appears to have stagnated of late, and its development path has been low-key at best.
The same can be said of Sauber. Still scoreless after 18 races, the Swiss squad looks no closer to breaking into the top 10 and may have to rely on a race with an anarchic streak to even get off the mark. Should Alpine improve, it could enter Williams’ orbit – but with Williams largely on the up, the British outfit may contend for an even higher finishing position.
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