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LONGSHOT

PREMIER LIGNE (3.40 Newmarket)

He comes from Hughie Morrison who does well with stayers and he’s not been out of the frame this season.

EACH WAY THIEF

BENNETOT (2.05 York)

He ran well in the Cambridgeshire last time and will enjoy another big field.

KING’S LYNN (2.40 York)

He’s quirky but likes some cut and the first-time cheekpieces may give him a boost.

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MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom goes in-depth to break down the biggest fights in the UFC. Today, he takes a closer look at the UFC Fight Night 244 main event: Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira (ESPN+).

Brandon Royval UFC Fight Night 244 preview

Brandon Royval

Staple info:

• Record: 16-7 MMA, 6-3 UFC
• Height: 5’9″ Age: 32 Weight: 125 lbs. Reach: 68″
• Last fight: Decision win over Brandon Moreno (Feb. 24, 2024)
• Camp: Factory-X Muay Thai (Denver)
• Stance/striking style: Southpaw/muay Thai
• Risk management: Fair

Supplemental info:
+ LFA flyweight title
+ Amateur MMA accolades
+ Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt
+ 4 KO victories
+ 9 submission wins
+ 10 first-round finishes
+ KO power
+ Aggressive pace and pressure
+ Active feints and footwork
+ Diverse shot selection
^ Coming forward or off the counter
+ Dangerous knees and elbows
+ Active and urgent scrambler
^ Good granby rolls
+ Excellent transitional grappler
^ Opportunistic submission threat
+/- 3-2 inside the UFC Apex

Tatsuro Taira UFC Fight Night 244 preview

Tatsuro Taira

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Staple info:

• Record: 16-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC
• Height: 5’7″ Age: 24 Weight: 125 lbs. Reach: 70″
• Last fight: *TKO-injury win over Alex Perez (June 15, 2024)
• Camp: Paraestra Okinawa (Japan)
• Stance/striking style: Orthodox/kickboxing
• Risk management: Good

Supplemental info:
+ Shooto flyweight title
+ Amateur MMA accolades
+ 5 knockout victories
+ 7 submission wins
+ 8 first-round finishes
+ Consistent pace and pressure
+ Good sense of range
^ Measures distance well
+ Steadily improving striking
^ Hard kicks from the left side
+ Strong inside the clinch
+ Solid takedown ability
^ Chains well against the fence
+ Excellent transitional grappler
^ Superb back-taker
+/- 1-0 against UFC-level southpaws
+/- 5-0 in the UFC Apex

Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira point of interest: Flyweight fisticuffs counters

Dec 16, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Alexandre Pantoja (red gloves) fights Brandon Royval (blue gloves) during UFC 296 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

The main event in Las Vegas features an important battle between top-ranked flyweights, Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira.

Royval, who is more of a free-flowing stylist, is at his best when seizing the striking initiative through his dynamic southpaw offerings.

Akin to many Factory-X fighters, Royval utilizes some crafty feints and footwork that helps both setup and pull out offense. Once he gets a beat to his liking, Royval quickly responds with solid combinations which are often punctuated with dangerous kicks and knees.

When Royval’s feeling in stride, he will incorporate slick spinning assaults either coming forward or off the counter. That said, the former title challenger is not beyond being countered for his aggression.

Enter Taira.

Fighting his frame and stylistic sensibilities, Taira will typically look to play all the way in or all the way out when it comes to his operating range.
At distance, Taira looks to set up long straight shots off his in-and-out movement. When feeling in stride, Taira will attach solid kicks to his combinations (particularly off of his lead side).

Taira has also shown a solid ability to strike into collar ties, which could come in handy when it comes to corralling a sporadic and dynamic Royval.

Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira breakdown: Protect your neck

Jul 8, 2023; Las Vegas, Nevada, USA; Tatsuro Taira (red gloves) fights Edgar Chairez (blue gloves) during UFC 290 at T-Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Considering both the stylistic dynamic and the fighting terrain, winning the wrestling will arguably be paramount for both parties this weekend.

A talented back-taker who is steadily rounding out his surrounding skill set, Taira appears to have no illusions as to where his bread is buttered.
Not only is Taira patient when it comes to setting up his shots, but the Japanese fighter does not seem easily discouraged when failing on his first attempt.

Akin to great MMA grapplers like Khabib Nurmagomedov, Taira looks to be perfectly content with using his first shot to drive his opposition toward the octagon walls. From there, Taira will chain to and from single-legs to trip takedowns that allow him to drag the fight into his world.

Nevertheless, Taira will still need to be mindful of his neck when committing to takedowns opposite a front-headlock threat like Royval.

A Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, Royval is an opportunistic submission threat who isn’t afraid to play in the proverbial dirt.

Whether he’s operating off his back or seeking out fight-ending submissions in scrambles, Royval is constantly looking to capitalize in the chaos. That said, Royval does have the propensity to allow for back exposure in said scrambles given his love for tactics like granby rolls.

Royval did show improved awareness for back exposure in his title attempt against the criminally disrespected Alexandre Pantoja, but the American still surrendered a ton of control time spamming unsuccessful submissions and strikes from the bottom.

I’ll be curious to see what getup options Royval will use this time around given that he’s facing another backpacking threat.

Taira may still be developing large parts of his game, but the 24-year-old’s back-taking abilities are potent beyond his years. Whether Taira is looking for rear-naked chokes or baiting escapes that lead to armlocks, the native of Japan will be extremely dangerous anytime he attaches himself to Royval.

=====

Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira odds

The oddsmakers and the public are favoring the Japanese fighter, listing Taira -290 and Royval +215 via FanDuel.

Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira prediction, pick

Tatsuro Taira

Between the oddsmakers loving undefeated fighters to MMA gamblers’ borderline-creepy age obsession, seeing the younger Taira get steamed with support on the betting lines comes as no shock here.

Although I’m happy to finally see an Asian fighter getting love from the fanbase and promotion alike, I’d suggest tempering expectations to anyone mimicking the unwarranted glazing that Michael Bisping was doing to the Japanese prospect last time out (in a fight where he was technically down on the cards before winning by injury over the continually disrespected Alex Perez, by the way).

But gross celebrations over potentially career-altering injuries aside, Taira quietly showed a lot to like his last time out.

From his ability to play distance with interceptions in tow to his newfound collar ties and clinch connections, the foundation of Taira’s game is starting to resemble Islam Makhachev. And inside of the smaller octagon of the Apex, Taira’s game only becomes more potent.

Aside from being a fan of Royval’s style and his camp, I’m hoping that he can survive the early rounds and extend Taira so that we can see more of the 24-year-old as well. But between this fight being in the small cage to Royval’s propensity to get controlled by top grapplers, I have a feeling that “Raw Dawg” may end up having to rely more on deterrents like knees and front-choke threats than perhaps he’d like to.

Add in the fact that injury-style TKOs are always on the table when it comes to fighters like Royval or Sean O’Malley (as freak injuries historically seem to happen to long and lanky fighters who are large for the lower weight classes), and I can’t help but favor Taira in this spot.

I’ll officially pick Taira to find a submission by the end of Round 2.

Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira start time, where to watch

As the main event in Las Vegas, Royval and Taira are expected to make their walks to the octagon at approximately 9:45 p.m. ET. The event streams on ESPN+.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 244.

Sheffield United manager Chris Wilder says he has been left “stunned and numb” by the death of George Baldock.

The England-born Greece international was found dead in the swimming pool of his house in Glyfada, southern Athens on Wednesday at the age of 31.

Baldock left Bramall Lane for Panathinaikos in the summer after making 219 appearances for the Blades, with the majority of them coming under the leadership of Wilder, who is in his second stint in charge of the club.

A visibly emotional Wilder paid tribute to the right-back, who he described as a “huge personality” and key figure in the club’s promotions to the Premier League in 2019 and 2023.

“Obviously through your life you lose people that you love and you respect, but this just feels completely different to everybody. Everybody’s just absolutely stunned and numb really. It is just tragic,” Wilder said.

A fan favourite, Baldock was known as ‘Starman’ to Sheffield United supporters, who would often sing to the tune of the David Bowie song of the same name as the full-back raced down the right flank.

“He wasn’t one to grab the headlines but George was a huge personality, a huge driver, a huge culture carrier in everything we did,” Wilder added, in an interview released by the club., external

“He was a humble person. We had rows, we had bust-ups, but we were all driving it forward and after the same outcome in everything that we did.

“Just even thinking about it now, families have lost a son, players have lost a brother. Those boys that went to battle with George, and he stood up to every challenge.

“He was an absolute pleasure to manage. He gave his maximum in everything he did and that’s what every Sheffield United fan wants.”

Leeds Rhinos face Halifax Panthers in Sunday’s Wheelchair Super League Grand Final looking to complete the season unbeaten.

The Rhinos were beaten by the Panthers in 2022’s showpiece and lost to Wigan last year.

Leeds coach James Simpson wants his side to prove their quality at the Allam Sport Centre in Hull.

“This shows you can go into these one-off games and do it all on the biggest stage,” he told BBC Look North.

“We’re looking at first and second so this is the two best teams in the competition.

“With the play-offs you have got the chance for an upset and somebody to come out of the shadows but this year it is one and two against one another.”

Halifax are looking to beat their West Yorkshire neighbours in a Grand Final for the third time, having done so before in 2019 and 2022.

Panthers player Rob Hawkins said the rivalry between the two teams goes back more than a decade.

“The rivalry has been going on for years,” he told BBC Look North.

“Since I started back in 2013 I think it was all that I have thought of is just Halifax v Leeds. It is a big Yorkshire derby.

“We won in a very close game two years ago and I am excited for Sunday.”

The UFC Vegas 98 weigh-in video features 26 fighters stepping on the scale Friday morning in Las Vegas. Watch a live stream of the official weigh-ins above, courtesy of Ag. Fight.

In the main event, Brandon Royval and Tatsuro Taira have to hit the flyweight limit of 126 pounds for the non-title fight.

Royval has won four of his past five fights, while Taira has never suffered a professional loss (16-0 overall, 6-0 in the UFC).

The UFC Vegas 98 official weigh-ins begin at 12 p.m. ET.

Check out UFC Vegas 98 weigh-in results below.

Main Card (ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET)

Brandon Royval vs. Tatsuro Taira

Brad Tavares vs. Jun Yong Park

Chidi Njokuani vs. Jared Gooden

Grant Dawson vs. Rafa Garcia

Daniel Rodriguez vs. Alex Morono

Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Josh Fremd

Preliminary Card (ESPN+ at 4 p.m. ET)

CJ Vergara vs. Ramazan Temirov

Jonathan Pearce vs. Pat Sabatini

Themba Gorimbo vs. Niko Price

Julia Polastri vs. Cory McKenna

Junior Tafa vs. Sean Sharaf

Dan Argueta vs. Cody Haddon

Clayton Carpenter vs. Lucas Rocha

RAFAEL NADAL announced his retirement from professional tennis at the end of the 2024 season.

He released an emotional, five-minute video confirming his decision to hang up his racquets after 23 years on the ATP Tour and 22 Grand Slam titles.

Here’s what he said…

Hello everyone, I’m here to let you know that I am retiring from professional tennis.

The reality is that it has been some difficult years, these last two especially.

I don’t think I have been able to play without limitations.

It is obviously a difficult decision, one that has taken me some time to make.

But in this life, everything has a beginning and an end.

And I think it’s the appropriate time to put an end to a career that has been long and much more successful than I could have ever imagined.

But I am very excited that my last tournament will be the final of the Davis Cup and representing my country.

I think I’ve come full circle, since one of my first great joys as a professional tennis player was the Davis Cup final in Sevilla in 2004.

I feel super, super lucky for all the things I’ve been able to experience. I want to thank the entire tennis industry.

All the people involved in this sport: my long-term colleagues, especially my great rivals.

I have spent many, many hours with them, and I have lived many moments that I will remember for the rest of my life.

Talking about my team is a little bit more difficult for me because in the end my team has been a very important part of my life.

They are not just co-workers, they are friends.

They have been by my side at all the times I have really needed them.

Very bad moments. Very good moments. Moments when I had to be pushed. Moments they gave me more slack.

We have lived so much together that it is hard to explain.

My family is everything to me.

My mother. I think she has made all the sacrifices she had to make so that we would always have everything.

My wife, Mery, we’ve been together for 19 years. Thank you for everything you have done.

I think you’ve been the perfect travel companion during all these years of (my) career.

To come home and see how my son is growing every day has been a force that has really kept me alive and with the necessary energy to continue.

My sister, I think we have always had an incredible relationship.

My uncle, who is the reason I started playing tennis.

I believe that thanks to him, I have also been able to overcome many situations that have been difficult in my sporting career.

And to my father, who I believe has been a source of inspiration for me in every sense of the word.

I think he has been an example of effort, of overcoming.

Many, many thanks to my father in a very, very special way.

And finally, you, the fans.

I can’t thank you enough for what you have made me feel.

You have given me the energy I have needed at every moment.

Really, everything I have experienced has been a dream come true.

I leave with the absolute peace of mind of having given my best, of having made an effort in every way.

I can only end by saying a thousand thanks to all and see you soon.