Connect with us

Sports

Volkanovski moves up and sizes up Makhachev ahead of UFC 284

Published

on

Volkanovski moves up and sizes up Makhachev ahead of UFC 284

The taunts from UFC lightweight champion Islam Makhachev about a supposed lack of size aren’t likely to unsettle Alexander Volkanovski.

He’s worked as a concreter, he’s played the rugged game of rugby league and he grew up in the working-class city of Wollongong, south of Sydney. He can defend himself.

“That’s been happening forever … even on the footy field,” Volkanovski said of the taunts coming from his 31-year-old Russian rival. But, “No one’s ever just overpowered me.”

At 5-feet 6-inches, (1.68 meters) featherweight titleholder Volkanovski will give up four inches in height and 15 pounds in weight to Makhachev (23 wins, 1 loss) when he moves up a division for the lightweight title fight, the main event of UFC 284 on Sunday in Perth, capital of Western Australia state.

Advertisement

With the status of best pound-for-pound fighter on the line, Volkanovski (25 wins, 1 loss) will have a sold-out 13,000 crowd right behind him at an expected febrile RAC Arena. But even with that, Volkanovski is the underdog against the formidable wrestling and grappling prowess of Makhachev.

“He doesn’t take unnecessary risks. He doesn’t overcommit,” Volkanovski said of Makhachev, who has 11 submission victories in his 23 career wins.

“He will fight on the back foot and wait for the right time to shoot. His distance game isn’t too bad. He’s calculated, brilliant at the basics. He’s a great fighter.”

The straight-shooting Makhachev insists that his superior size will lead to a one-sided bout and defense of his lightweight belt.

“It’s another division. I’m going to beat him,” he said. “I want to knock him out. I know I’m the best MMA fighter because I have all the skills – striking, wrestling, grappling.”

Advertisement

But the 34-year-old Volkanovski, whose power and striking has fueled his rise in mixed martial arts, scoffed at his opponent’s confident prediction.

“Knockout? That’s an unnecessary risk. He won’t be doing that,” said Volkanovski, who has gorged on extra calories in a bid to gain weight.

“If he thinks I’m just going to be a weak little featherweight, then he’s in for a rude shock.”

MMA in Australia is starting to emerge from a niche base, its growing popularity obvious by the hundreds of fans who turned out for public workouts from the fighters ahead of the first UFC event staged in the country since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among the other bouts on the card, Josh Emmett will be taking on Yair Rodriguez for the featherweight interim title belt and Parker Porter is against New Zealander Justin Tafa.

Advertisement

Volkanovski has become a very recognizable name in Australia, where he’s the embodiment of the underdog who doggedly climbs the ranks.

“I don’t think I was ever athletically gifted … I’ve always been strong but that’s it,” he said. “Look where I’m at right now with the right mindset and work ethic. I’m showing people what can be done.”

In this cauldron, though, there’s little room for modest talk, even for Volkanovski, who is on a 22-fight winning streak and is known as ‘The Great’ — a nod to Alexander the Great.

“I’m chasing to be one of the greatest or the greatest. ‘Alexander the Great’ is good but we’re going for ‘Alexander the Greatest’,” he said. “People have counted me out but I’m going to shock the world on Sunday and I can’t wait to do it.”

Advertisement

Sports

World champion Brecel excited by new ‘golden ball’ format

World champion Brecel excited by new ‘golden ball’ format

Published

on

By

World champion Brecel excited by new 'golden ball' format

World champion Luca Brecel is excited to be among those looking to complete the first ever 167 break after the new golden ball was introduced at Saudi Arabia’s first professional snooker event this week.

The opening season of the Riyadh World Masters of Snooker offers players the chance to win a prize of $500,000 if they can complete a maximum 147 and then pot the golden ball.

The golden ball, worth 20 points, sits on the top cushion during the frame for as long as a player can still complete a maximum and is removed when the chance is gone.

The event, which runs until Wednesday, features players such as Ronnie O’Sullivan, Shaun Murphy, Mark Williams and Ding Junhui.

Advertisement

“Yeah, it’s exciting the golden ball. Obviously it’s a big prize and well, it’s going to be very difficult. It’s a nice challenge and I’d love to have a go at it. Even if I don’t make it I would just like to have a try,” Brecel told Reuters on Tuesday.

“The 147 in itself is really difficult but now you need to be perfect on the black as well to go to the golden ball which is even more difficult.” Former world champion Judd Trump is also enjoying the challenge.

“It’s something cool. I think it’s always good to kind of push new ideas and I think the challenge of making a different break, a 167 here, would be very special,” Trump said.

“I think the 167 is just that little bit harder now and with that comes a bigger prize. So, I think that 167 is very special for the first time.”

Following the announcement last month of the creation of a Saudi Arabia Snooker Masters which will become the ‘fourth major’, Brecel said it was good to see the sport expanding into new countries.

Advertisement

“(It’s) very good for us and for snooker. It’s nice to be able to come to these countries and hopefully maybe Qatar and Dubai will follow and in the future maybe go up to the U.S. as well and make snooker really, really big in all the countries in the world,” he said.

With a 10-year deal agreed, the tournament’s first edition will take place in Riyadh from Aug. 31 to Sept. 7. It will be a ranking event open to all tour players, plus six local wild cards. 

Continue Reading

Sports

Scaled-back opening ceremony for Paris Olympics to offer 326,000 tickets

Scaled-back opening ceremony for Paris Olympics to offer 326,000 tickets

Published

on

By

Scaled-back opening ceremony for Paris Olympics to offer 326,000 tickets

A total of 326,000 tickets are set to be sold or given away for the opening ceremony of the Paris Olympics on the River Seine, Interior Minister Gerald Darmanin said Tuesday, giving the exact number for the first time. Security fears have seen the size of the waterborne parade dramatically reduced.

“We will have 104,000 spectators on the lower bank who have paid for a ticket,” Darmanin told a hearing in the Sénat. “Then you have 222,000 people on the higher banks (with free tickets).”

Darmanin estimated that another 200,000 people would watch the event along the river from buildings that overlook the Seine, with an additional 50,000 in fan-zones in the capital.

Resistance from French security services and worries about potential terror attacks saw the number of spectators downgraded from as many as two million people.

Advertisement

However the event is still set to break records in terms of its size, with all previous opening ceremonies taking place in an athletics’ stadium.

The open-air ceremony on boats is in keeping with promises to make the Paris Olympics “iconic”, with the local organising committee keen to break from past traditions in the way it stages the world’s biggest sporting event.

A total of 180 boats are set to sail around six kilometres down the Seine, of which 94 will contain athletes, the top security official for the Paris region, Marc Guillaume, told the same hearing.

Darmanin added: “No country has informed us that they do not want to take part … They have confidence in our organisation.”

Special security

The executive in charge of planning and risk management at the Paris organising committee told AFP last week that special security measures would be considered for high-risk delegations such as those from the US or Israel.

Advertisement

“Every delegation has its own unique circumstances, and we’ll look at solutions that are adapted to the risk,” Lambis Konstantinidis said.

The Olympics have been targeted with attacks in the past, notably Munich in 1972 and Atlanta in 1996.

France was placed on its highest alert for terror attacks in October after a suspected Islamist burst into a school in northern France and stabbed a teacher to death.

The country has been consistently targeted by Islamic extremists over the last decade, particularly from the Islamic State group, while Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza is seen as exacerbating domestic tensions.

Around a million people are set to be screened in advance by French security forces for possible security risks, including the athletes, journalists, private security guards and people who live close to key infrastructure. 

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Sports

Sinisterra signs long-term deal with Bournemouth

Sinisterra signs long-term deal with Bournemouth

Published

on

By

Sinisterra signs long-term deal with Bournemouth

Luis Sinisterra has made his move to AFC Bournemouth from Leeds United permanent, signing a long-term deal with the Premier League team on Friday.

Bournemouth reportedly agreed to a £20 million fee with Championship (second-tier) side Leeds.

The 24-year-old Colombian had been impressive since joining Bournemouth in September on a loan spell from Leeds United, with three goals and three assists in his 17 appearances.

“I’m really happy to make this move. I’m excited to play for Bournemouth for the long term,” Sinisterra said. “I feel really comfortable here and the fans are really nice. When I meet them in the streets, they show the love.”

Advertisement

Andoni Iraola’s team are 12th in the table on 27 points, but are winless in their last four games. They play Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday. 

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © GLOBAL TIMES PAKISTAN