GLOBE-TROTTER Ronnie O’Sullivan met Jackie Chan for the first time on his latest trip to Asia – despite the pair sharing several FaceTime chats.
The Rocket, 48, was presented with a bouquet of flowers by the Kung Fu icon, 70, last Friday while in gambling city Macau.
3
Ronnie O’Sullivan and Jackie Chan have finally metCredit: YouTube
3
Advertisement
The pair have spoken before via FaceTime
3
They posed for the cameras playing snooker
For the cameras, the pair hit a few balls on the baize along with Jak Jones, who was the runner-up at the last World SnookerChampionship at the Crucible.
It was the first time O’Sullivan and Chan had come face-to-face even though they had spoken before on the telephone through mutual pals based in Hong Kong.
The seven-time world champion explained: “We have spoken a few times on the phone, on Facetime.
Advertisement
“We have friends. Jackie has friends in Hong Kong, who are friends of mine.
“So, we have been in touch. But that was the first time we had met. A lovely guy.”
Chan, star of the Rush Hour films, is a legend of cinema, having appeared in more than 150 domestic and international movies.
And as someone who does their own stunts, he is one of the most influential people in the history of martial arts on film.
Advertisement
This is not his first meeting with a snooker star because in 2019 he went for a night out with Ireland’s former world champion Ken Doherty.
FROM his lightning breaks to blasts at officials, Ronnie O’Sullivan has fired snooker into the spotlight.
After performing trick shots together, the duo went out for dinner, smoked some cigars, downed a few drinks and even sang karaoke together.
Advertisement
O’Sullivan is in Nanjing this week for the International Championship – a ranking tournament in China that he has yet to win.
Ronnie O’Sullivan launches ‘perfect’ new side hustle as snooker legend plans ahead for life after sport
He progressed comfortably to the last 32 – where he will meet Northern Ireland Open semi-finalist Pang Junxu – following a 6-2 victory over He Guoqiang on Monday.
In his post-match press conference, O’Sullivan sounded like someone from the local tourist board as he spoke about his love and admiration for China and how he is “blown away” every time he goes out there.
Advertisement
The former world No.1 – who has been granted residency in Hong Kong – said: “I went out this morning to this lake, an amazing lake. It was beautiful.
“I just recommend anybody to come to China – it blows me away.
“Every city I come to, they always take me somewhere and I just go ‘wow’. It’s like you’re in another world, it’s an amazing place.
“So we’re probably going to go to the river on Tuesday evening because obviously there is going to be another experience.
Advertisement
“For me, it’s the best place in the world. There is no other place like China. Every city just has something amazing about it.
“Nanjing has a lot of history but I’d just say listen, forget going on holiday anywhere else, just come to China.
“Visit some of their most important cities, where all their dynasties were.
“You’ve been here yourself, I imagine you go home and you tell people how wonderful it is, and they’re like ‘really?’
Advertisement
“I always tell people you have to come to China. For me, it’s the greatest place on Earth.”
Former Nottingham Forest forward Robert Earnshaw joins The Football News Show to discuss why current Forest striker Chris Wood has started the season so strongly, why Taiwo Awoniyi is a capable understudy, and why losing Wood could upset the rhythm of the team.
EDMONTON, Alberta, Canada – UFC exec Dave Shaw revealed a roadblock stopping the UFC from returning to Ireland.
The UFC hasn’t hosted an event in Ireland since Conor McGregor knocked out Diego Brandao in July 2014 at UFC Fight Night 46 from 3Arena in Dublin. The attendance for that event was 9,500, and according to the 3Arena official website, the venue can host up to 13,000 fans.
UFC CEO Dana White attended Callum Walsh’s boxing match in September at 3Arena, but Shaw said the venue’s capacity isn’t sufficient for a UFC event.
“Great venue – but a small venue,” Shaw said after UFC Fight Night 246. “Could we take our show to that arena? It would be challenging. It’s not an insurmountable challenge – we’d be able to do it. But we’d be having a small event. It’s a small arena. It doesn’t have the space that we need necessarily.”
Advertisement
While Dublin could be a challenge, Shaw confirmed that the UFC plans on returning to the United Kingdom in 2025.
“Are there more plans? Yes,” Shaw said. “We’re going to be back in the U.K. next year. Whether that’s Dublin, (it’s) probably London for us next year, and then as we get through next year, which is the last year of our current media deal in the U.S., and we start to plan out what we want to do in 2026 and beyond in terms of the number of international events that we can have, the intention is to be able to go back to Europe more often.”
Check out Shaw’s full post-event news conference in the video above.
There was an unusual addition to the commentary team for TNT Sports’ coverage of Man City vs SportingCredit: PA
The pair were accompanied by Man City superfan and Oasis star Noel Gallagher.
Advertisement
Gallagher wasn’t only on the commentary team for TNT, but also down pitch-side ahead of kick off to discuss his beloved City’s form.
Supporters are used to seeing the Rock ‘N’ Roll Star in the crowd at City games, but his presence on the broadcast is Half the World Away from his usual Tuesday night.
Fans reacted to the unbelievable moment on social media.
One wrote: “So bizarre that Noel Gallagher is on co-commentary on TNT Sports tonight”.
Advertisement
While another added: “Noel Gallagher adding a lot to commentary tonight. So enthusiastic.”
A third posted: “Why is Noel Gallagher on punditry duty for TNT Sport?!”
And a fourth commented: “No way that’s Noel Gallagher on commentary. I thought it was just some random ex-City player”.
6
Advertisement
Oasis superstar Noel Gallagher joined TNT Sports in the gantry for commentary on the game
6
Gallagher joined the TNT Sports coverage pitch side tooCredit: Reuters
Gallagher will have been looking down on a familiar sight when watching on the game.
That’s because the City players were wearing his handwriting on the back of their shirts for the occasion.
Pep Guardiola reveals ‘incredible’ Noel Gallagher sends him text message before and after Man City games
Their cup font has been designed by Gallagher with the 57-year-old writing out every player name and number to create the unique look.
The kit, dubbed ‘Definitely City’, will be worn for select European fixtures this season, and was donned by players in City’s Champions League opener against Inter Milan earlier in the campaign.
6
The font on the back of Man City’s shirts is Gallagher’s handwritingCredit: Reuters
6
Advertisement
Gallagher helped design an Oasis themed kit for Man City this season tooCredit: Manchester City
6
The superstar posed with Pep Guardiola for the ad campaignCredit: Manchester City
On Tueday, Miura’s family released a statement on social media revealing that the former WEC welterweight title challenger passed away on Oct. 26 following a battle with acute leukemia.
“Hiromitsu Miura passed away suddenly on October 26, 2024 at the age of 43 after fighting acute leukemia since mid-September.
“We should have informed you of his death earlier, but we sincerely apologize for the delay in notifying you.
“The funeral was attended only by his immediate family.
Advertisement
“We would like to express our sincere gratitude for the kindness you extended to the deceased during his lifetime.
“Sincerely, Miura Family.
Born in Ukiha, Fukuoka, Japan, Miura made his MMA debut in 2004 at 22 years old, competing as a middleweight. After going 7-3 to start his career, Miura signed with the WEC where he would eventually drop down to welterweight. Miura is best-known in MMA for his four-round war with Carlos Condit for the WEC welterweight title at WEC 35, that Condit won by stoppage.
After his time in WEC, Miura left MMA to pursue boxing where he won his first nine fights before challenging for the OPFB super middleweight title against Yuzo Kiyota. Miura lost that fight by TKO and then returned to MMA a few years later, spending the final years of his career competing in Pancrase where he won the welterweight title by beating Akihiro Murayama in 2016.
In Tuesday’s earlier match, Wimbledon champion Krejcikova faced little challenge from a below-par Pegula, who last year reached the tournament’s final.
In a performance devoid of any positive energy, Pegula struggled to cope with the Czech’s huge serves, including 11 aces, and hit just four winners in a match lasting little more than an hour.
US Open finalist Pegula, 30, had got off to the perfect start with a love hold in her first service game, amid a catalogue of Krejcikova unforced errors.
But after Krejcikova got the initial break midway through the first set, sixth seed Pegula’s body language began to sour and she gifted her opponent the opener with a sloppy return tapped into the net from close range.
Advertisement
Form did not improve for Pegula at the start of the second set as Krejcikova broke her serve at the first opportunity, though there was a brief reprieve for the American as she cancelled that out in the next game.
But any glimmer of hope for a Pegula comeback was extinguished as she double-faulted to give her opponent the break back, after which Krejcikova – whose performance was far from polished – coasted to a straightforward victory with a solitary break point her only hurdle.
“I’m really pleased with the way I played today. I felt I had to play my best tennis,” said eighth seed Krejcikova, who is ranked 13th in the world but qualified for the WTA Finals on account of being a 2024 Grand Slam champion.
“I had some very high parts of the season, especially winning the Wimbledon title. It was something that is really indescribable, and to be here right now is a huge privilege to be playing in the final eight.”
Advertisement
The WTA Finals are being held in Saudi Arabia for the first time – a move which has been criticised by some because of the country’s human rights record.
This year’s tournament has record prize money, with the singles champion set to collect about £4m.
In Wednesday’s final Purple Group round-robin matches, Sabalenka will take on Rybakina before Jasmine Paolini and Zheng Qinwen go head-to-head for a place in the semi-finals.
Two people with knowledge of the matchup informed MMA Junkie of the change Tuesday but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.
It’s unclear why Dalby (23-5-1 MMA, 7-4-1 UFC) withdrew from the bout.
Advertisement
Dos Santos (28-4-1 MMA, 10-4-1 UFC) looks to get in the win column for the first time in three appearances. After a draw vs. Rinat Fakhretdinov in November 2023, dos Santos lost by unanimous decision to Randy Brown in June.
Scroggin (7-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is the Fighting Alliance Championship (FAC) welterweight champion. In seven pro fights, he has seven wins and five finishes.
You must be logged in to post a comment Login