England spinner Shoaib Bashir had a spell to forget when he conceded a joint-record 38 runs in an over in a County Championship match between Surrey and Worcestershire on Monday in which Dan Lawrence smashed five consecutive sixes.
Bashir, who only joined Worcestershire on loan from Somerset earlier this month, had toiled away through 37 overs for two for 137 before he attempted to wrap up Surrey’s innings midway through the afternoon session.
With Surrey on 437 for nine, Lawrence had other ideas and launched two sumptuous maximums down the ground before a third was carried over the boundary rope, which left Bashir hunched over in disbelief.
Worst was to follow for the rookie off-spinner, who impressed during England’s 4-1 series defeat in India, when a pair of floated up deliveries were also swatted away by Lawrence.
The Surrey batter was denied a place in the history books when the sixth ball of Bashir’s over was sent down for five wides.
Bashir, in only his 12th first-class match, overstepped with his next delivery, while Lawrence took only a single before the carnage ended when Dan Worrell nobly blocked out the last ball of a 38-run over.
Image: Shoaib Bashir conceded the joint-most runs in a County Championship over, along with the 38 Andrew Flintoff took from Alex Tudor in 1998
It made it the joint-most expensive over in County Championship history along with the 38 conceded by Alex Tudor for Surrey against Lancashire in 1998, where Andrew Flintoff hit 34.
Bashir was subsequently replaced and finished with 2-162 off 38 overs before Lawrence was out for 175 when Ben Allison had him caught by Jake Libby to dismiss Surrey for 490.
England’s Test summer begins with three-match series vs West Indies at Lord’s (July 10-14), Trent Bridge (July 18-22), Edgbaston (July 26-30); three more Tests vs Sri Lanka in August/September; watch England throughout summer live on Sky
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When Marti Cifuentes arrived at Queens Park Rangers in late October, the club was one place off the bottom of the Championship. Morale was low. It was asking a lot for a relatively unknown coach to turn it around and keep them in the division.
That is exactly what he did, QPR eventually finishing outside of the bottom six. In fact, only two teams in the Championship picked up more points from mid-January onwards. One of those was Leeds, spanked 4-0 at Loftus Road on a memorable night in late April.
Cifuentes, a 41-year-old Spanish coach who had spent the past five seasons honing his craft in Scandinavia, achieved this playing a brand of football more in tune with what QPR supporters expect of their side, lifting the gloom that had descended on the club.
QPR head coach Marti Cifuentes speaking after the 4-0 win over Leeds United
No wonder that he has been linked with Premier League jobs.
“It means people value what you are doing,” Cifuentes tells Sky Sports. “But this was a team effort. I am very focused on QPR and excited about the future.” He is speaking from back home on the Girona coast, near Barcelona. “A needed break, I would say.”
As he reflects on a whirlwind year, it is acknowledged that even those close to Cifuentes saw this move as a risk as well as an opportunity. Had he been unable to have such a big impact, the next chance in England would probably never have come his way.
“I never think much about what if.” He saw only possibilities. “I think the fact that I had faced situations like this before helped. We knew that it was a very challenging situation upon my arrival. But I was convinced that it was possible. That was my mindset.”
QPR had endured a miserable start but problems ran deeper. “We realised that it was not only about the beginning of this season. Unfortunately, it was 12 to 16 months of a not very positive trend that QPR was in. To reverse that is all credit to the players.”
How did they do it? The starting point was to implement a new playing style. QPR’s possession statistics were among the very lowest in the Championship, the team struggling under predecessor Gareth Ainsworth. Cifuentes managed to change that.
He encouraged players low on confidence to believe that more was possible. “I always felt that when we grew up playing football, we wanted to have the ball at our feet not to be going around chasing it. That principle of being proactive should never change.”
He explains: “We wanted to create that spark, to get the player thinking about why they wanted to play football. We tried to trigger this from the first session. I wanted to see players laughing and enjoying themselves, while working hard. I think we achieved that.”
“It was a fresh start for everyone. I wanted to make sure we had an identity as a team that was connected to the club. I knew that QPR had this history with a lot of technical players, attacking football. That was very aligned with my way of thinking.
“We wanted the players to forget a little bit about where in the table we were. To give them a new way of thinking because they were the ones who were suffering from being in a relegation battle for a long time. That can be draining from a mental point of view.”
Easy to say but harder to do. And yet, players responded, showing they were capable of more. “Players such as Ilias Chair and Chris Willock were more suited to playing in a team that tries to attack, that tries to have the ball on the ground,” says Cifuentes.
“Players such as Jake Clarke-Salter, Jack Colback and Sam Field could develop into that kind of football. One of the things that made me most proud is that we could see the progress as we developed into a team that we could recognise more and more.”
Training was transformed with a huge focus on positioning. “It is key. If you get two seconds of space rather than one because of your position, that will help you to execute better because you have twice the time that you would have with the wrong position.”
Interestingly, the consequences of this in-possession work was that QPR’s defensive record improved dramatically. According to the expected-goals data, they have had the second-best defence in the Championship since Cifuentes was appointed.
Image: QPR’s defensive record has been transformed under Marti Cifuentes
It was not achieved through dogged resistance. It was all linked to that more ambitious approach. “Of course, we work a lot on pressing and on how we defend the box, but a big part is the way we attack and then what we do very quickly when we lose the ball.”
Cifuentes even has a name for that. “It is a concept called zero-second reaction, that for us is very key. The moment we lose the ball, there is no regret, no complaints. We just try to regain the ball very quickly and as high up the pitch as we can,” he explains.
“If you ask our players how we turned our defence into a strength, it was by working on how we attack. Only one time did we conceded three goals. Only one time did we lose by more than two goals. The identity was getting more and more into the players.”
Not that it was all straightforward. “We won three in a row and it looked like it would work quickly. The reality of the league is that it was not that easy. The lowest moment was against Millwall on Boxing Day. That made everyone realise we had to push harder.”
But Millwall were beaten 2-0 at Loftus Road in the rematch just weeks later and QPR have gone from strength to strength ever since. “It clicked.” The win over Leeds was an obvious highlight but it is one of many for Cifuentes. He smiles at the memories.
“It was the connection that we built with the fans. When we were playing away, at Leicester we had thousands supporting us. Plymouth on a Wednesday night, it was incredible. We created that feel-good factor with the supporters. It was a weapon.”
Particular favourites include a stoppage-time win over Birmingham. “Jimmy Dunne’s volley, a fantastic strike to win a six-pointer.” And a poignant draw at home to West Brom. “It was a special night for us in Stan Bowles’ memory. It was a turning point.”
That Cifuentes himself brings up Bowles, the fan favourite of the 1970s who passed away in February, is an indication that he has fully embraced the club’s past. With help from a club ambassador, he has even been having history lessons about the Hoops.
“Andy Sinton is an important figure to help me understand what this club means to people, the ups and downs. This has affected the way that I see our football. It is about the players we have now but it has to be connected with the way that this club is.”
Cifuentes has restored that feeling at QPR. Such is the nature of football, supporters will now be hoping for more, looking at that impressive form from the first half of 2024 and wondering whether it can continue and a return to the Premier League is possible.
Cifuentes is reluctant to get carried away. “We need to be very humble. There are a lot of good managers out there, a lot of clubs with more money than us. I think it would be naïve for us to expect that just because we have a good trend, it is going to work.”
But pre-season will help. “That is important.” And whatever happens, almost regardless of results, there is a sense that QPR are back. “We will lose games. That is football. But I always want the supporters to go home proud of what we were trying to do.”
Pride restored, then. So, what does all this mean to him? “A lot, and not just because it was difficult, but because of how we did it. That is why I am so happy. The togetherness with the fans has been something incredible. Hopefully, we can keep enjoying it.”
Guido Migliozzi snatched a fourth DP World Tour title after coming through a three-way play-off to claim a dramatic victory at the KLM Open.
Migliozzi had four bogeys in a six-hole stretch around the turn but birdied two of his last three holes to post a final-round 70 at The International in Amsterdam, seeing him end the week on 11 under alongside Marcus Kinhult and England’s Joe Dean.
The players returned to the par-five 18th for the play-off, where all three reached the green in two and two-putted for birdie, before Migliozzi prevailed in impressive fashion on the second extra hole.
Dean had to lay up after finding thick rough off the tee and Kinhult found the water with his second shot, leaving both posting pars, as Migliozzi reached the par-five green in two and two-putted from just over 60 feet to close out a first win since the 2022 Open de France.
“It’s been a great battle,” said Migliozzi, whose bogey on the 10th came after he could not find his original drive inside the permitted three minutes. “After I lost the ball on 10 inside me I was like ‘If I can go through this, then I can do it’.
Guido Migliozzi reflects on coming through a dramatic play-off to claim KLM Open victory
“I never thought I was done. I always try to make birdies and try to come back and here it is now. It’s an incredible feeling.”
Victory lifts Migliozzi to eighth in the latest Race to Dubai standings, while Dean and Kinhult both shared second after their final-round 68s. Migliozzi’s win sees him qualify for The Open next month at Royal Troon, via the Open Qualifying Series, with Dean taking the other spot due to his higher world ranking than Kinhult.
Image: Joe Dean has now made three top-fives this season on the DP World Tour
Dean – who also finished runner-up at the Magical Kenya Open and a part-time delivery driver earlier in the season – had finished his front nine with successive bogeys but fired five birdies after the turn to get into the play-off.
Kinhult posted back-to-back birdies from the 16th and then holed from six feet at the last to save par and also finish on 11 under, while Rasmus Hojgaard finished a further shot back in tied-fourth with Andrea Pavan.
Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin ended the week in sixth spot on nine under, as overnight leader Mikko Korhonen struggled to a closing 75 to finish in a tie for 10th.
Protest delays start to final round
Tee times had been delayed by two hours on Sunday when activists blocked the entrance to the course. The first five groups had already teed off but the remaining ones were pushed back, with the leaders eventually getting under way at 3pm local time.
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A spokesperson for the DP World Tour said: “Play was disrupted for two hours while a small group of protesters blocked the entrance to the golf course. We would like to thank the marshals, players and spectators for their help while the situation was resolved.”
What’s next?
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Harry Kane says he is “fresh and fit” to play despite concerns, but adds that England have “not played the way we wanted” ahead of their final group game with Slovenia.
Kane missed Bayern Munich’s final game of the Bundesliga season with a back injury, and some have questioned whether he is still carrying a knock after a sluggish start of Euro 2024.
However, the Three Lions captain assured fans that he is ready and offered an insight into some of the tactics of his play so far.
“I physically feel fresh and fit,” he told a press conference. “I know sometimes when I’ve had bad games, there’s always someone looking for a reason why.
“It’s a heightened environment in a tournament and there’s been more chatter, but I feel fit and ready and I’ll play for as long as the manager wants me to.
“My preparation [for the tournament] was pretty good. The first game I felt as fit as I have all season. I came off last game [against Denmark] but that was down to the manager wanting to freshen things up.
“Going into this knockout phase I want to feel 100 per cent, and I feel as if I’m there.
Image: Harry Kane scored his first Euro 2024 goal against Denmark, and was replaced in the second half
“Some games I will stay high, sometimes I’ll drop in. As a team we’re trying to find some fluidity, and we haven’t quite clicked right. But we’re all at a high level, that will come.
“Most importantly, with the ball we need to be better, keep the ball, play higher, and get in between the lines. That will come, but we need to go out and prove it. Hopefully that comes on Tuesday.”
Kane went on to admit that he and his England team-mates have not performed at their best so far in Germany, but called for calm with them top of Group C heading into the final game.
“Momentum is the right word,” the striker said. “Before the tournament if you said we’d be in a position to qualify after two games, we’d have taken it.
“We can be honest and say we have not played the way we wanted to up to now.
“Tuesday is important for the feeling of the group, for an all-round better feeling coming off the pitch and take that into the rest of the tournament. We want to finish top.
Harry Kane was made an offer he could not refuse by a local journalist ahead of England’s crucial Euro 2024 clash with Slovenia
“Calm is important. Most of us have been here and done it – we’ve given England fans some fantastic memories.
“After the tournament you can judge us. During the tournament, it’s down to us to get it right, and find how to do it right. We want to try and find a solution.
“We know 99 per cent of England fans are behind us, but everyone has a right to have an opinion.”
A win for England in Cologne on Tuesday would ensure they go through to the knockout rounds as group winners, and Kane hopes the team can use the match against Slovenia as a springboard for the rest of the tournament.
“We definitely want to win the group,” he said. “It’s not just to avoid [certain teams], but we want momentum in the knockout stages.
“We expect to finish top, but if we don’t, it’s not a panic. We want to put a marker down on Tuesday and use that for the rest of the tournament.
“We have a good environment where everyone talks openly and honestly. It’s positive messages. We know the reality of where we are, but we also know we can improve and get better. The new or younger players are catching onto that pretty quick.”
Alan Hansen has been discharged from hospital, Liverpool have announced.
Earlier this month it was revealed that Hansen had been “seriously ill in hospital”, but the 68-year-old is now recovering at home.
Liverpool said on X: “Alan has been discharged from hospital today to continue his recovery at home.
“Alan, Janet, Adam, Lucy and family would like to thank everybody for their wonderful messages of love and support. It has been overwhelming and has helped enormously.”
Hansen spent 14 years as a Liverpool player after signing from Partick Thistle in 1977, going on to win eight First Division titles, three European Cups and two FA Cups.
Hansen spent four years as captain at Anfield and his 620 appearances place him in the top 10 among all Liverpool players.
Liverpool legend Alan Hansen is recovering at home
The defender also won 26 caps for Scotland and played at the 1982 World Cup in Spain.
Following his playing career, Hansen went on to become one of the country’s preeminent pundits, spending more than 20 years with the BBC before retiring in 2014.
Britain’s Abbi Pulling dominated the first F1 Academy race in Barcelona as she beat home driver Nerea Marti.
Pulling took his fourth consecutive win of the season to extend her lead in the championship to 58 points over Doriane Pin with a lights-to-flag victory.
The Alpine junior is also on pole position for the second race – live on Sky Sports F1 at 7.45am on Sunday.
Pulling went side by side down to Turn One with Marti and took the inside, which was as close as she got to losing the race.
The Safety Car appeared on the first lap when Maya Weug and Amna Al Qubasi collided at Turn Five, with the race only restarting on Lap 7.
The top five of Pulling, Marti, Chambers, Bianca Bustamante and Hamda Al Qubasi remained the same after the restart.
Britain’s Jessica Edgar crossed the line in sixth but dropped to eighth due to a five-second time penalty for jumping the start.
Mercedes junior Pin stalled when getting off the line, falling to 12th on the first lap but recovered to seventh behind Emely de Heus.
Aston Martin representative Tina Hausmann struggled for pace and finished ninth, with Lia Block rounding out the top 10.
Image: F1 Academy Race One Result
Sky Sports F1’s live Spanish GP schedule
Sunday June 23 7.45am: F1 Academy Race 2 9am: F3 Feature Race 10.30am: F2 Feature Race 12:30pm: Grand Prix Sunday: Spanish GP build-up 2pm: The SPANISH GRAND PRIX 4pm: Chequered Flag: Spanish GP reaction
Formula 1 heads back to Europe as the championship moves on to Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix and the start of a triple-header. Watch every session at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream every F1 race and more with a NOW Sports Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime
Glasgow Warriors battled back from 13-0 down to beat the Bulls 21-16 in South Africa and win the United Rugby Championship for the first time since 2015; Stream rugby in 2024 with a NOW Sports Month Membership
Last Updated: 22/06/24 9:02pm
Glasgow Warriors players celebrate with the trophy after winning the United Rugby Championship final in South Africa
Glasgow Warriors landed the United Rugby Championship title for the first time since 2015 after a hard-fought 21-16 victory over the Bulls at a sold-out Loftus
Versfeld.
Having beaten the Stormers, the 2022 winners, and defending champions Munster to reach the Grand Final, the Warriors avoided a third loss in the showpiece with a fantastic performance in Pretoria.
A pair of Johan Goosen penalties separated the sides before Marco van Staden’s try, converted by Goosen, gave the Bulls – beaten by the Stormers in the 2022 final – a 13-0 lead.
Glasgow Warriors’ Scottish centre Huw Jones (R) celebrates with tighthead Zander Fagerson (R) after scoring a try against The Bulls (Pretoria)
Player of the match Matt Fagerson: “Words cannot describe how we’re feeling right now. It’s something we’ve been working towards all season and to do it in a place as historic as this in front of all these fans is, I can’t put it into words.
“I think in the last three or four games, we’ve really taken a liking to knock-out rugby in a sense of we’re not overplaying the ball and when you’ve got a kicker like George Horne, it makes things so much easier. We went the hard way but we wouldn’t change it for the world.”
Glasgow WarriorsHead coach Franco Smith: “The boys have played well, bought in. The half-time chat was easy. We knew we had a good plan for the second half. We let them in through our own errors, like last week. They stuck to the script.
“There’s a lot to be said about the hard edge of the European teams and we brought it tonight, especially in the last 10-15 minutes. We defended our line well and applied a lot of pressure to the maul. The boys fronted up to a very strong South African team with 50,000 people behind them. They can be very proud.
“This team shouldn’t be done after tonight. We’ve got the building blocks to go further still.”
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Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza defended his featherweight WBO title for the first time with a fourth-round TKO over Mexican countryman Sergio Chirino.
Espinoza started confidently, dropping Chirino in the opening round, and again in the third round before sealing the match with a knock-out in the fourth round.
The 6’1″ featherweight destroyer (25-0, 21 KOs) sent Chirino to the canvas in the first round with a counter left hand.
In the third round, Espinoza unleashed a right hand that nearly sent his compatriot through the ropes.
That soon signalled the beginning of the end with a flurry of shots as Chirino (22-12, 13KOs) hit the deck for the final time.
“From the beginning, the hunger that I have to triumph, to be better and to move forward was apparent. I gave my heart, and it shows,” said Espinoza.
“I like throwing punches and showing people what they want to see, which is action. That’s why I went forward as soon as the first round began.
“I’m here. It’s my time. The time of ‘El Divino.’ I want to unify, and I want the big challenges.”
Cortes Edges Nova
Andres “Savage” Cortes (22-0, 12 KOs) dug deep in the junior lightweight co-feature to beat former world title challenger Abraham Nova (23-3, 16 KOs) by unanimous decision.
After months of trash talk, the action was tense in an even match-up.
Cortes took an early lead in the opening rounds pushing forward from a high guard to connect hooks and right hands to Nova’s head and body, and was successful with a right uppercut on the inside.
Nova started to find his rhythm as Cortes began to tire in the eighth round, and stunned Cortes with an overhand right in the ninth round.
Nova’s spirited late surge was not enough though, with Cortes scoring 97-93, 2x and 96-94.
“I knew he was a tough competitor. He just went 12 rounds with a world champion. So, I knew it would be a tough one,” said Cortes.
“He called me a dirty fighter, but he was really dirty in there. All these headbutts and stuff. But it was a good fight. No excuses. I dug deep and got the victory.”
Nova said, in response: “I started a bit slow. But then I got my rhythm. I went in there, and I did what I had to do. He hit me a lot behind the head.
“This is boxing. All I’ve got to go is back to the drawing board, fix a couple of things and come back.”
Isley wins battle of former amateur rivals
Troy Isley (13-0, 5 KOs) kept his unbeaten record intact as he scored a unanimous decision over Javier Martinez (10-1-1, 3 KOs).
Isley secured the North American Boxing Organisation (NABO) title with scores of 97-91, 2x and 96-92.
The pair had split four fights as amateurs but as professionals, it was Isley’s constant aggression and intelligent boxing that put him ahead.
Martinez resorted to low blows in the seventh round, getting a point deducted, and Isley followed suit in the ninth round.
Martinez tried a late surge in the final two rounds but Isley remained ahead to claim the victory.
“His two wins over me as an amateur meant nothing. The talent gap showed. We’re on to bigger things now. I want the champions soon,” said Isley.
Other results
Bantamweight: Floyd Diaz (12-0, 3 KOs) earned his second victory of the year with an eight-round points triumph over Mexican veteran Francisco Pedroza (18-12-2, 10 KOs).
Scores: 78-73, 3x.
Junior Lightweight: DJ Zamora III(13-0, 9 KOs) authored a workmanlike unanimous decision win over Jose Antonio Meza(9-10, 2 KOs) following eight rounds of sustained action.
Scores: 80-72, 2x and 79-73.
Junior Bantamweight: Steven Navarro (2-0, 1 KOs) dazzled in his Top Rank debut and coasted to a unanimous decision victory over Juan Pablo Meza (7-4, 2 KOs).
Scores: 60-54, 3x.
Middleweight: Bryan Polaco(7-0, 5 KOs) stopped Richard Acevedo (6-1-1, 5 KOs) in the third round of a scheduled six-rounder.
It’s the final day of Royal Ascot and it’s time for the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes – live on Sky Sports Racing!
3.45 Royal Ascot – Kinross and Mill Stream headline
Ralph Beckett’s star sprinter Kinross was last seen finishing a narrow second behind the re-opposing Art Power in the British Champions Sprint here last October and is fancied to make a winning return under new jockey Rossa Ryan in the Queen Elizabeth II Jubilee Stakes.
Jane Chapple-Hyam’s Mill Stream has gradually progressed through the ranks and having produced a career best when landing the Group Two Duke Of York last month, he looks to have strong each-way claims under William Buick.
George Boughey’s Believing makes a quick return to the track having finished a staying-on fourth in the King Charles III Stakes and must be feared as she steps up to six furlongs.
Of the others, Art Power would appreciate a softer surface, while the hat-trick seeking Shartash heads up in grade for Archie Watson and James Doyle.
3.05 Royal Ascot – Continuous and Middle Earth clash
All eyes will be on Aidan O’Brien’s St Leger hero Continuous who makes his long-awaited reappearance under Ryan Moore in the Hardwicke Stakes. Last seen finishing fifth in the Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe in October, he should have too much class for this field and can take this en route to top-table targets.
Image: Ryan Moore and Continuous pull clear to win the St Leger at Doncaster
The John and Thady Gosden team have been among the winners this week and they saddle Roaring Lion colt Middle Earth. A son of Roaring Lion, he showed a great attitude to fend off King Of Conquest to land the Group Three Aston Park Stakes on his last start and rates a huge danger under in-from Oisin Murphy.
Desert Hero took the King George V Stakes at this meeting last year but will need to bounce back from a disappointing effort at Newbury.
4.25 Royal Ascot – River Tiber and Haatem star in 20-runner Jersey
The Richard Hannon-trained Haatem finished in the money in both the English and Irish 2000 Guineas this season and could prove tough to beat as he drops in class and distance under new pilot James Doyle in the Jersey Stakes.
Image: Haatem wins at Newmarket for Sean Levey and Richard Hannon
Aidan O’Brien’s River Tiber claimed the Group Two Coventry Stakes at this meeting last season, and looks sure to run a big race especially if able to build on his encouraging third behind Haatem at the Curragh last month.
Unexposed pair Night Raider and Task Force are worth a mention, both finished well beaten in the 2000 Guineas and should find this a little easier.
Best of the rest
It’s Coolmore versus Godolphin in the Chesham Stakes at 2.30, as Age Of Gold and Bedtime Story head an intriguing market. Later in the day, Saint Lawrence looks to defend his Wokingham Stakes title but will have Dark Trooper for company in what looks a cracking race. Hand Of God goes to post in the Golden Gates Stakes at 5.40, before Joseph O’Brien’s Dawn Rising looks to go back-to-back at 6.15.
Watch every race from Royal Ascot live on Sky Sports Racing this week.
Conor McGregor has revealed an injured toe forced him out of the upcoming UFC 303 event on June 29, which he was scheduled to headline against Michael Chandler.
McGregor was meant to fight sixth-ranked lightweight contender Chandler, but the first indication that bout was in trouble was when his news conference on June 3 in Dublin was abruptly cancelled, with no immediate explanation provided.
The fight was called off last week, with UFC’s light-heavyweight champion Alex Pereira drafted in to face top-ranked challenger Jiri Prochazka on the Las Vegas bill.
Welterweight champion Leon Edwards says the chance to fight Conor McGregor in the future would add to his ‘greatness’
McGregor insisted he had been “super ready” for his fight but an accident happened.
In a social media post, he said: “It is absolutely gut wrenching.
“We had a lapse in concentration and engaged in a training session without wearing the full protective gear and I hit the toe off the elbow and broke the toe clean. It needs a few weeks – that’s it.”
He added: “I couldn’t justify to my team, or fans, that I make the walk hindered again. That walk has been seen. This next walk has got to be, and it will be, 100 per cent Conor McGregor.
“The fans deserve it and we are getting close. A slight lapse in concentration and a nuisance of an injury was picked up. That’s it. Take the lesson and move forward. I will get this back.”
He maintains he will make a return to the octagon still, even if it doesn’t come against Michael Chandler.
“I’ve got two fights left on my contract,” he said. “I’m coming to shine. I got to just take my time.
“I’ll be back. See you soon. See you at the top. Chandler or not.”
Speaking on the MMA Club podcast, Jake Gyllenhaal reveals what it was like working with former UFC champion Conor McGregor on the set of their movie, Roadhouse
Losing McGregor, who has not competed inside the octagon in three years, marks a blow to the UFC. At 35, he is past his prime, but remains a strong attraction.
The UFC is at a crossroads, with stars such as McGregor, Jon Jones and Amanda Nunes either near the end of their careers or having already retired.
There is a group of younger fighters still building their fan bases that the UFC is counting on to lead the next generation.
