ABU DHABI – Farid Basharat has big plans for 2025 following his UFC 308 win.

After Basharat (13-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) defeated a heavy Victor Hugo on Saturday at Etihad Arena, he called for a fight against one of the consensus greatest fighters of all time.

“Beginning of 2025, I want ‘The King of Rio,’ Jose Aldo,” Basharat told MMA Junkie and other reporters at a post-fight news conferencfe. “We could do it in Brazil, America, London, Saudi, wherever. It doesn’t matter. He wins, he proves he belongs with this new generation. I win, he passes me the torch. Let’s see. Generations collide. I’ve been watching him since I was 11 or 12. I think it’s the perfect fight that makes sense.”

Aldo (32-9 MMA, 14-8 UFC) most recently competed Oct. 5 at UFC 307 and lost a controversial split decision against Mario Bautista. After the fight, Bautista found himself under fire from many viewers that criticized his wall-and-stall-heavy approach.

Basharat recognizes the possibility a grindy attack might be the easiest route to victory. But if Basharat ever fights Aldo, he said he doesn’t want that to be the path he takes.

“If I’m being completely honest, I think he won,” Basharat said. “I thought Jose won. But at the same time, how many times has Jose lost like that now where he kind of rests along the cage? Because it’s Jose, everybody loves him so much and they give him the benefit of the doubt. But you can’t just rest on the cage like that and expect to get the benefit of the doubt just because you’re a legend. I think he won. Yeah, he needs to do a little bit more sometimes.

“… I’ definitely try to approach it differently. You never really want to win like that essentially. But at the same time, he has proven to have sure holes there. But that’s not really my style to just lay and pray, lean on somebody along the cage. I’ll take you down and I’ll keep you down, but I’m not just going to lay and pray on you along the cage and keep on you. I’m going to get you down. I’m going to stick and move. I’m going to kick you. Ultimately, I feel like at this stage of my career and this stage of Jose’s career, I have the advantages in most places. Besides experience and maybe power, I think I’m better than him everywhere.”

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

The South Carolina Gamecocks won the 2024 NCAA women’s March Madness tournament, and will now begin their quest to win three out of four.

The Gamecocks won the national title in 2022, lost in the Final Four in 2023, and then won the title again this past season.

With head coach Dawn Staley at the helm, the Gamecocks, once again, are atop the oddsboard to make it two in a row.

Let’s take a full look at the early NCAA tournament betting board at DraftKings Sportsbook as of Oct. 28.

NCAA Women’s Tournament Winner 2025 odds: 

South Carolina: +180 (bet $10 to win $28 total)
USC: +450 (bet $110 to win $55 total)
UConn: +450 (bet $10 to win $55 total)
Texas: +500 (bet $10 to win $60 total)
Notre Dame: +800 (bet $10 to win $90 total)
UCLA: +1500 (bet $10 to win $160 total)
LSU: +2000 (bet $10 to win $210 total)
NC State: +2500 (bet $10 to win $260 total)
Iowa State: +4000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Duke: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Stanford: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)
Baylor: +5000 (bet $10 to win $510 total)

Second to South Carolina on the oddsboard is another No. 1 seed from last year’s tourney, the USC Trojans.

With Caitlin Clark now in the WNBA, USC has arguably the most famous college baller in Juju Watkins, who is entering her sophomore season in Socal. 

As a freshman, Watkins averaged 27.1 points, second in the nation to Clark. Her Trojans were a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Women’s Tournament after winning the Pac-12 title. 

Joining Watkins at USC is graduate transfer Kiki Iriafen, an all All Pac-12 performer at Stanford last season who averaged 19.4 points and 11 rebounds for the Cardinal.

Who are you backing to win next year’s NCAA women’s title? Follow FOX Sports for the latest!

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THE TRIAL of a TV model accused of making a false rape claim against AC Milan defender Theo Hernandez was suspended today after a no-show by her lawyer.

Luisa Kremleva’s brief called in sick at the last minute, alleging a “medical emergency”, ahead of her court appearance in Malaga after public prosecutors demanded a two-year prison sentence on conviction.

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The Russian-born beauty is understood to have been made aware of her lawyer’s health problem beforehand and opted to stay away so she didn’t have to face waiting media.

It was not immediately clear this afternoon when the long-awaited trial, which well-placed sources said today had been suspended on a previous occasion when Kremleva said she was undergoing treatment in her homeland, will now go ahead.

French international Hernandez, whose club sides have included both Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid, was told he wouldn’t be needed to testify by video-conference from Italy after the trial suspension.

A court official said outside the courtroom, about an hour after the hearing was due to get underway: “There won’t be a trial today.

“The defence has asked for a suspension because of an emergency medical issue.”

Another insider said: “Kremleva’s lawyer called in sick at the last moment. The court only found out this morning.”

Public prosecutors allege the real estate boss’ daughter, who forged a name for herself on Spanish TV reality and dating shows between modelling assignments, made up the rape after she and Hernandez had “consensual sex” in a Porsche Cayenne outside glitzy Marbella nightclub Olivia Valere but then refused to go home with her.

They claim in a three-page indictment seen by Sun Online which forms the basis of the allegations against her that she acted out of revenge.

She was charged with perjury in relation to the “non-existent rape” following her arrest in January 2020 on a warrant after she failed to answer a court summons.

We can reveal investigators took just two days to provisionally archive her rape claim after she made her police statement in June 2017.

Full indictment report

The public protection indictment states, referring to the Milan footballer and the female model by their initials or simply the initial of their first names: “In the early hours of June 4 2017 the accused was in Olivia Valere nightclub where she had arranged to meet up with T.B.F.H.

“He was in the same venue in a VIP area with a group of friends.

“About 4am both left with the intention of having a sexual encounter and went to a vehicle parked in the car parking area which a friend of T was using and had full sex which L consented to before returning to the nightclub.

“L subsequently tried unsuccessfully to persuade T to stay with her and go home with her and ended up fighting with the women who were part of T’s group before returning to her home alone about 8am.

“From there, out of revenge and to take advantage of T being well-known, she requested the presence of police and claimed she had been the victim of a sexual assault and wanted to report it.”

Outlining how she had been taken to hospital for a routine medical examination before making a formal written statement in the afternoon. the indictment added: “She maliciously stated that after initially agreeing to having sex with T, she changed her mind and despite making it clear she didn’t want to continue, T continued and forced himself on her before injuring her by pushing her out of the car and making her fall on her knees.

Phone message

“She hid from investigators the fact that she had fallen to the ground accidentally and then again in the course of the fight with T’s female friends.”

The falls are thought to have been recorded by Olivia Valere’s CCTV cameras, which also showed her returning with Hernandez to the nightclub after the “consensual sex” she claimed was a rape.

Investigators are also believed to have obtained a phone message Kremleva sent the footballer around 6.15am, after the alleged rape, asking him repeatedly when he was going to go home with her.

Attacking left-back Hernandez, capped 35 times by France at senior level, was never arrested before a court dismissed her claim and police started preparing a case against her.

In a newspaper interview after the ‘rape’ investigators subsequently dismissed Kremleva insisted: “I have proof of the attack which are on my backside and knees.

“I would love it if Theo apologised. It’s the least I deserve.”

Her mum Mila went on Spanish TV after news of her January 13 2020 detention broke to claim: “My daughter is not under arrest. She went to pick up a court notification.

“With time the truth is going to come out.”

The model subsequently wrote on social media: “I have not been arrested. I have not been convicted of any crime. The truth will come out.”

She privatised her Instagram at the start of the month after it emerged a date had been set for her trial.

As well as a two-year prison sentence Kremleva is also facing a possible POUNDS 12,000 fine if she is eventually convicted, although two-year jail sentences are normally suspended in Spain for first-time offenders.

Williams driver Franco Colapinto has dismissed rumours he is in the frame for a seat at Red Bull’s RB Formula 1 team, suggesting he will be on the sidelines in 2025.

Colapinto wowed the F1 paddock with his strong performances and calm attitude as a mid-season replacement for Logan Sargeant at Williams. In his five races thus far, the Argentinian scored five points and never finished lower than 12th, with another combative display at Sunday’s Mexican Grand Prix going unrewarded.

There is no room for Colapinto as a regular driver at Williams next year, with the team having already signed Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who won Sunday’s grand prix, to slot in alongside Alex Albon.

But the 21-year-old’s form has turned enough heads for him to be considered at Sauber and at Red Bull, which may have a slot at its RB team for Colapinto to slot into.

But while there have been casual talks between Williams and Red Bull, with Williams team boss James Vowles willing to loan his reserve driver out, Colapinto has dismissed suggestions he could be on the F1 grid next year.

“No, at the moment, I don’t understand much of what they are talking about. I don’t know from where it came from,” Colapinto told F1 TV.

“I don’t have any seat for next year, and at the moment, I’m not racing Formula 1. I’m probably going to be racing somewhere else.

“So look, it’s going to be maybe a year that I’m not going to be here, but I hope to be showing that I deserve a seat here enough to come back in ’26 or ’27. It is my goal, and it’s why I’m doing what I can race after race.

Franco Colapinto, Williams Racing

Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images

“That’s why [after qualifying] I was disappointed with the result and just trying to do my best session after session to try and show I deserve to be here.”

While Red Bull is understood to have some interest in Colapinto, driver advisor Helmut Marko suggested the team is not keen on taking outside drivers on loan when it has its own junior programme, with F2 frontrunner Isack Hadjar also waiting in the wings.

“The problem with him is that he has a long-term contract with Williams,” the Austrian told the Kleine Zeitung. “[Taking him on loan] is not interesting for any team. You do not want to train a driver for another team.”

On the subject of potentially loaning Colapinto to RB, Vowles added: “I think in all of these things at the moment, let’s start with the basics.

“He has earned his place on the grid, and what we want to help with that is finding him a place in that regard.

“What it looks like, I can’t tell you at the moment, because A, it’s very sensitive, and B, there’s really not a lot to discuss right now. “

UFC middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis kept a watchful eye over his division on Saturday when he witnessed Khamzat Chimaev potentially become the new No. 1 contender at 185 pounds.

Chimaev’s ascension ran parallel to Robert Whittaker’s demise after he saw his championship window potentially close for good when his jaw and teeth were shattered following a nasty submission that ended his night at UFC 308. Both had an impact on du Plessis with Whittaker serving as the person he beat to earn his own title shot while it’s entirely possible that Chimaev now becomes the next challenger at 185 pounds.

“Feel really sorry for Rob,” du Plessis wrote on Twitter. “He looked super ready but this is the fight game. Well done on a good performance, Khamzat. That being said I can’t wait to take your ‘O.’”

Considering the results on Saturday, du Plessis may have found his next opponent, although he’s been expected to clash with Sean Strickland in a rematch sometime in early 2025.

Strickland earned his spot as the No. 1 contender with a decision win over Paulo Costa but it’s tough to deny that Chimaev may have just jumped the line with his performance.

Even UFC CEO Dana White wasn’t ready to commit to Strickland on Saturday after watching what Chimaev did to Whittaker inside the first round.

“That’s a good question,” White said when asked about who’s next for du Plessis. “Call me on Tuesday.”

Given the attention that Chimaev’s win received and the potential for a blockbuster fight that could sell a whole lot of pay-per-views, the UFC might just sit Strickland down and begin hyping up “Stillknocks” vs. “Borz” right away.

To make matters worse for Strickland, the reigning UFC middleweight champion also retweeted a message hyping up a potential fight between him at Chimaev with the caption saying “this is the fight.”

World champions Australia are set to tour England in 2025 for three Tests – the first time an Ashes series has been held in more than 20 years.

RL Commercial, the commercial arm of the Rugby Football League, has said “initial conversations” have been held with the Australian Rugby League Commission about moving the series to England.

The revamped Test series had been due to take place in Australia after initially being announced in 2023 as part of changes to the international rugby league calendar, but that plan is now set to be switched.

It will be the first time since 2003 that the Kangaroos have travelled to play in an Ashes series – with the previous incarnation being a contest between Australia and Great Britain.

A tour was scheduled for 2020 in advance of the 2021 Rugby League World Cup but it was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

It is eight years since England last faced Australia in a home international, when the travelling Kangaroos won 36-18 at the London Stadium in the 2016 Four Nations tournament.

“We are excited by the possibility of bringing the Kangaroos to these shores for a three-match series for the first time in more than 20 years, and we are starting work on the feasibility of such a tour,” read a RL Commercial statement.

“We believe this would be welcomed by our England team, by British Rugby League supporters, by the British sporting public, and by the current generation of Australia players who would relish the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of so many great players of the past.”