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Ronnie O’Sullivan to be shock participant in World Seniors Snooker Championship

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Ronnie O’Sullivan has stunningly decided to compete at the World Seniors Snooker Championship later this year in an attempt to do a double at the Crucible Theatre.

The seniors event runs the week after the main World Snooker Championship, from 6-10 May, at the same iconic Sheffield venue and O’Sullivan – widely considered the greatest snooker player of all time – will try to become the first man to win both events in the same year.

Changes to the eligibility rules at the seniors event means that players currently in the world’s top 64 are now eligible to take part and ‘The Rocket’ will be joined by the likes of fellow all-time great Mark Williams, 2015 world champion Stuart Bingham, former masters and UK champion Matthew Stevens and two-time ranking event winner Robert Milkins, all of whom fall into that category, in the draw.

O’Sullivan has won a record-equalling seven world titles at the Crucible despite regularly expressing his distaste for the venue and, despite falling to No 11 in the world due to opting for a much-reduced tournament schedule on the main tour and enduring a ranking title drought that now stretches for more than two years, is still a live contender to claim a history-making eighth world crown come early May.

The 50-year-old’s presence will only enhance the strongest field ever assembled for the seniors event and the press release announcing his decision to play was at great pains to point out the commercial value that O’Sullivan will bring to the tournament.

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World Seniors Snooker Tour chairman Jason Francis said: “The most commercially valuable player the sport has ever seen will make his seniors debut at the Crucible in May in an attempt to add another world title to his CV – wow!

“We’ve already sold more tickets than we did for the entire event last year, and Ronnie’s participation is set to drive even greater demand.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan has won seven world snooker titles at the Crucible

Ronnie O’Sullivan has won seven world snooker titles at the Crucible (Getty Images)

O’Sullivan will try to take the World Seniors title from last year’s winner Alfie Burden, who subsequently went on to win his first-ever ranking event on the main tour at the Snooker Shoot Out in December, while the most successful seniors player of all time – Jimmy White, who is a four-time champion – will also take part in Sheffield.

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Twelve-time women’s world champion Reanne Evans, 1997 world champion Ken Doherty, current Seniors British Open champion Joe Perry and Maltese tornado Tony Drago are among the other big names in the line-up for the tournament, which will be broadcast live on Channel 5.

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Uros Medic Makes Statement With First-Round Knockout of Geoff Neal

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UFC Houston was a mixed bag of action – the prelims were boring, some of the officiating was questionable, and Sean Strickland simultaneously got just his second finish in six years – and stirred the controversy pot around him.

But if there’s one breakout fighter from the UFC Houston card, it has to go to the other performance bonus winner, Uros Medic, who knocked Geoff Neal out in quick and devastating fashion in the evening’s co-main event.

Medic was in control from the start, coming out of the gate with forward pressure while trying to back Neal up and dictate the fight early on. And all Medic needed was 79 seconds to connect with a left hand that dropped Neal, head smacking on the mat, out cold.

Taking on Neal, who was ranked No. 12 entering the fight, and winning in that devastating fashion makes this the most important win of Medic’s career so far. And he’s shown his growth since coming into the UFC off a 2020 win on Dana White’s Contender Series.

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Medic originally dropped to lightweight to start his UFC run, and, as noted on the broadcast, in retrospect, it’s amazing how the 6’1” Serbian was able to drop to and compete at 155.

He moved up to welterweight in 2023, and while his run there started just 2-2, he’s now won three straight. And this is now three straight victories in the first round, following up on finishes of Gilbert Urbina and Muslik Salikhov in 2025.

The certainty of Medic’s success in the welterweight division isn’t too certain. While Medic’s stock is on the rise, Neal’s has been falling. This is now Neal’s fourth loss in his last five fights and his sixth loss in his last nine. It’s also his second straight fight losing via a harsh-looking, first-round knockout; this was his first fight since the knockout he suffered at the hands of Carlos Prates at UFC 319. Neal’s time in the rankings is certainly done, and now he might be fighting for his UFC future.

But the highlight knockout and the post-fight bonus money wasn’t all.

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If a fighter is looking to make a statement with a post-fight promo, but not go over the top, Medic nailed the kind of verbiage you can look for. Making a “Houston we have a problem” reference and referring to himself as the problem of the welterweight division was perfect. Additionally, his callout of former welterweight champion Leon Edwards was bold, but a solid play with the momentum he’s got.

Medic even used his time to appeal to U.S. President Donald Trump – not about competing on the UFC White House card, but to ask for his assistance in trying to get home to Serbia.

And guess what? It worked. Backstage, Medic got to speak to President Trump, who helped to ensure Medic could return to his family in Serbia without restriction, eliminating travel difficulties.

To get the biggest win of your career, a spectacular highlight knockout, cut a solid post-fight promo, get $100,000 extra with a bonus, rub elbows (over the phone) with the U.S. President, and the President helps you back home to your family?

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Yeah, that’s got to be one of the best nights of Medic’s life. Hats off to “The Doctor” and bright hopes for his next UFC outing.

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Cavaliers Exposed Again in Loss to Shorthanded Thunder

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Jan 19, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesJan 19, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell (45) drives to the basket against Oklahoma City Thunder guard Ajay Mitchell (25) during the second half at Rocket Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

It’s irresponsible to speak in broad generalities when discussing a team’s performance, but it’s happened too many times for it to be a fluke. The Cleveland Cavaliers have a culture of playing soft in big games.

Leading the way in the NBA Sunday slate, the Cavs were looking to build off their seven-game win streak by beating up on an injured Thunder team in Oklahoma City. This wasn’t just some role players out for the Thunder, either; they were missing Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams, arguably the two best players on the Thunder.

For the third time in a row, the Thunder absolutely dominated the Cavs. Culturally, something is off with Cleveland when they face OKC. They play such a scared style of basketball, and put themselves behind the eight ball time and time again. They fell behind 28-5 in this one and showed some grit to take the lead at times in the second half, but lost it with a terrible 4th-quarter performance.

It wasn’t all on the Cavs; the refs missed some crucial calls that flipped momentum in this one, the most egregious being a goaltend by Chet Holmgren that turned into a three on the other end for the Thunder.

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However, it would be beyond stupid to blame this loss on the refs. Donovan Mitchell had a solid game, but has continued to find his jumper in big games for Cleveland, finishing 0/6 from three. He and James Harden both finished with 20 points apiece, but they combined for 8 turnovers, allowing the Thunder’s defense to control the pace from start to finish.

Once again, the biggest issues for Cleveland came from the front court. Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen were thoroughly outphysicalled by Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Those two were a +17 and +23, respectively, and that’s exactly what you saw while watching the game.

They provided way more defensive rim protection for the Thunder and took over the game late in the 4th quarter when it was needed. Both Holmgren and Hartenstein took turns picking on Jarrett Allen, and he looked like he didn’t belong on the court because of it. Cleveland continues to struggle with physical centers, and it showed up as a massive issue in the 4th quarter of a very winnable game.

Another flaw that has plagued the Cavs all season is their three-point defense. They are 27th in the NBA in opponent three-point percent, and the Thunder took advantage of that weakness, knocking down twenty-one from beyond the arc.

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Cleveland had been one of the hottest teams in the league going into this one, but they went away from everything that made them the hottest team in the league. They settled for way too many threes; the guards did not apply enough consistent rim pressure; and the bigs were forgotten about once OKC started knocking down some shots.

I’ll never understand how a team can look so impressive some nights, then immediately regress to the same flawed version of themselves that we see every time an opponent is chippy with them. I’m not sure if there is a fix for that type of mental issue without having to reconstruct the roster in the offseason.

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UEFA suspends Prestianni after accusation he racially abused Vinicius Junior

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NYON, Switzerland (AP) — UEFA said on Monday it has provisionally suspended Benfica player Gianluca Prestianni for one match following accusations he racially abused Vinícius Júnior.

The decision means that Prestianni will miss Wednesday’s second leg of the Champions League playoff between Real Madrid and Benfica. Madrid won the first match in Lisbon last Tuesday with Vinícius scoring a second-half winner for a 1-0 victory.

The game was halted for nearly 10 minutes after the Brazil forward scored and celebrated by the Benfica corner flag, upsetting local fans and players. After being confronted by Prestianni, Vinícius accused the Argentine player of calling him “monkey.” Prestianni has denied racially insulting Vinícius.

The anti-racism protocol was activated but no further action was taken during the match as there was no evidence against Prestianni, who covered his mouth with his shirt while talking to Vinícius. The Madrid forward was shown a yellow card after his celebration.

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3 Reasons why this is the perfect time for Charlotte Flair to betray Alexa Bliss

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Charlotte Flair and Alexa Bliss formed an unlikely alliance last year, and it has been fruitful for them. Not many expected The Queen to work side by side with another star, but she has surprised many by forming a successful team with Bliss.

However, all good things must eventually come to an end, as cracks have started to form in the friendship between Flair and Bliss. Given The Queen’s history, it’s more than likely that she would be the one to turn on Little Miss Bliss.

With Elimination Chamber coming up, now would be the perfect time for Flair to betray her partner. Let’s look at three reasons for it.


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#3. The “Royal” mishap

Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair had an unfortunate accident at the Royal Rumble. During the titular women’s match, Flair eliminated Bliss. While it looked unintentional, one can never be sure when it comes to The Queen.

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The mishap in Saudi Arabia has caused friction between the two. While they are still together, it might not last long. With growing tensions, now would be the perfect time for the Triple H-led creative team to have Charlotte betray Alexa.


#2. Alexa Bliss has qualified for the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match; Charlotte Flair has not

After failing to win the 2026 Women’s Royal Rumble, Alexa Bliss and Charlotte Flair attempted to punch their WrestleMania 42 ticket by potentially winning the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match.

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However, while Bliss successfully qualified for the gimmick match, Flair didn’t. This could escalate the tensions between them, especially if Little Miss Bliss rubs it in The Queen’s face. The natural progression of this storyline would be to have Charlotte turn on Alexa.


#1. The Queen could take her partner’s place in the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match

Charlotte Flair has a special relationship with gold, which likely trumps any other relationship she has, including the one with Alexa Bliss. With the Five Feet of Fury competing in the Women’s Elimination Chamber Match, The Queen isn’t someone who would sit on the sidelines and watch.

Flair could find a way in the match at any cost. If she has to take out her partner to make it inside the steel structure on February 28, then that’s what she will do. Jealousy would be the driving factor behind the 14-time Women’s Champion’s actions.