Far from what most content creators want to know, most digital marketing content is forgettable. Why? Well, millions of new pieces of content are created daily, including over 7 million blog posts! In the sea of sameness that floods our screens daily, brands struggle to […]
Foreign fighters have been targeted by overnight bombardment, officials in Moscow have claimed Russian forces have struck a detachment of foreign mercenaries in the Ukrainian town of Krivoy Rog, the Defense Ministry in Moscow said in a statement on Thursday. A detachment for foreign fighters […]
Washington is trying to back out of providing security for its European allies, Valery Zaluzhny has claimed Washington’s actions threaten the existing world order and the future of NATO, former top Ukrainian general Valery Zaluzhny said on Thursday. Attempts by US President Donald Trump’s administration […]
Islam Makhachev takes on the biggest challenge of his career next month If Islam Makhachev is to become the first fighter in a decade to defeat UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, he must do so without the influence of close friend and training partner Khabib […]
Islam Makhachev takes on the biggest challenge of his career next month
If Islam Makhachev is to become the first fighter in a decade to defeat UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, he must do so without the influence of close friend and training partner Khabib Nurmagomedov in his corner.
Makhachev takes on the first defense of the UFC lightweight title he won last October when he welcomes reigning featherweight king Volkanovski to 155lbs at next month’s UFC 284 in front of what is expected to be a fiercely partisan Perth crowd cheering on the Australian champion.
The scale of the task awaiting Makhachev is already apparent but it has been made that much more difficult by the impending absence of former champion Nurmagomedov, who recently announced that he has decided to step away from mixed martial arts entirely to spend more time with his family.
But, according to Makhachev, this won’t change the outcome of the fight.
“When the cage door close, no one is there for you,” Makhachev said this week at a media event in Australia promoting the fight alongside Volkanovski.
“Of course, it’s going to be different but I’ve already fought without [Khabib there] a couple of times. And he cannot always be with me. Of course, it’s very good when he is here.
“I always like when he is with me because he knows all the games being played. He knows what you need for the fight, for the weight cut, you don’t have to worry about any of this.
“It’s always good when you have someone as experienced as him. You don’t have to spend your energy thinking about other things. But I understand that he has to spend more time with his family. Because with all the fighting, the training, his family miss him too. Even though he is retired he’s still traveling a lot.
“That’s why I understand.”
Despite Khabib’s insistence that he was withdrawing from the sport, many had expected him to do so only after February’s fight.
Nurmagomedov, who previously held the UFC lightweight title which now rests on Makhachev’s shoulder, seemed to be key in helping to arrange the fight – even calling for Volkanovski to be the first title defense just moments after Makhachev won the vacant championship by submitting Charles Oliveira.
Khabib had a tremendously successful coaching run in 2022, overseeing the rise to world titles of both Makhachev and his cousin Usman Nurmagomedov, who won the Bellator lightweight championship in November.
But the man whose goal it is to seize the title belt next month in Perth says that he is only concerning himself with the fighter who will be standing opposite him when the cage door shuts on February 11.
“They better not use it as an excuse once this is all done,” Volkanovski said.
“At the end of the day, Makhachev will prepare and we’re going to fight. He doesn’t need someone to hold his hand. Doesn’t need someone to be in there with him. That’s not a real fighter.
“So when my hand gets raised, that better not come up.”
Russian football teams have been suspended from European competition since last February The Russian Football Union (RFU) will hold further talks with UEFA in February regarding the reinstatement of Russia’s club and national sides in European competitions, the RFU press office said in a statement […]
Russian football teams have been suspended from European competition since last February
The Russian Football Union (RFU) will hold further talks with UEFA in February regarding the reinstatement of Russia’s club and national sides in European competitions, the RFU press office said in a statement on Tuesday.
UEFA joined FIFA last year in imposing a large-scale suspension on Russia’s club and international teams following the outbreak of the Ukraine conflict, restricting the ability of Russian clubs to compete in European competitions such as the UEFA Champions League.
The Russian national team was also excluded from a qualification series which could have resulted in their participation at the recent FIFA World Cup in Qatar.
It was revealed in November by its president Alexander Dyukov that the RFU was considering an application to leave UEFA and join its Asian equivalent, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as a result of the ongoing suspension.
However, these discussions were postponed indefinitely and the RFU initiated a task group mandated to interact with UEFA officials regarding a potential return to the European football fold – with talks held on Tuesday ahead of Wednesday’s meeting of the UEFA executive committee in Nyon, Switzerland.
“The working meeting between the RFU and UEFA is over,” the RFU statement read. “The key issue on the meeting’s agenda was the return of the Russian national teams and [football] clubs to international tournaments.
“Both sides have come to the terms of their further interaction and agreed to maintain contact. The next face-to-face meeting between the RFU and UEFA is scheduled for February.”
The Russian national team has played three friendly matches since the implementation of the suspension. Valeri Karpin’s men secured a 2-1 victory against Kyrgyzstan in September, but were held to 0-0 draws against both Tajikistan and Uzbekistan in November.
In addition to the national team, Russian club sides have also been restricted from participating in competitions such as the UEFA Champions League.
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recommended sanctions on Russian sport following the launch of military action against Ukraine in February 2022, measures which have since been adopted by numerous other sports federations around the globe.
George Foreman is one of the most famous heavyweights in boxing history Former world heavyweight champion boxer George Foreman, 74, has filed counter legal proceedings against a woman who has accused him of sexual abuse more than 40 years ago, when she was a minor. […]
George Foreman is one of the most famous heavyweights in boxing history
Former world heavyweight champion boxer George Foreman, 74, has filed counter legal proceedings against a woman who has accused him of sexual abuse more than 40 years ago, when she was a minor.
Foreman, who fought Muhammad Ali in the most famous boxing match in history – The Rumble in the Jungle – is alleging that he is being targeted in an extortion attempt, in a statement released last summer, referring to accusations that he’d sexually abused two women in the 1970s as “baseless threats and lies.”
On Monday, the ex-boxer filed a counter lawsuit against one of the women, known only as Gwen H., who had alleged that she was groomed and eventually abused by Foreman while she was underage.
In legal documents seen by TMZ Sports, Foreman’s legal team are said to be aware that they are powerless to sue the woman over the allegations in her own lawsuit but state that he is now entitled to pursue legal proceedings due to a news conference held by the alleged victim three months after she initially filed her claim.
Foreman’s countersuit says that the allegations made against him are “entirely fabricated” and that there is “zero corroborating evidence in the form of documents, photographs, letters, or witnesses to support … false claims against Foreman.”
It is understood that the father of Gwen H. was employed by Foreman at the time and she claims that she was told by the boxer that her father would be fired if she went public with the alleged abuse.
Foreman has also detailed that Gwen H. had allegedly demanded a sum of $12 million from him in order to prevent the launch of legal proceedings.
He also claims that he has suffered from “anxiety, sleeplessness, worry, shock and humiliation” since his accuser’s news conference. He is seeking unspecified damages in his lawsuit.
Foreman began his professional boxing career in 1969 and retired in November 1997 with a record of 76-5. He became the oldest world heavyweight champion in boxing history when he defeated Michael Moorer for the world title in 1995 at the age of 46 years, five months and 18 days.
The country will also be stripped of hosting rights for the UEFA Super Cup Russian football clubs will remain banned from participating in European club competitions, following a meeting of UEFA’s executive committee on Wednesday, according to Sky News. UEFA and FIFA imposed a large-scale […]
The country will also be stripped of hosting rights for the UEFA Super Cup
Russian football clubs will remain banned from participating in European club competitions, following a meeting of UEFA’s executive committee on Wednesday, according to Sky News.
UEFA and FIFA imposed a large-scale suspension on Russian football clubs in February last year, soon after the onset of the conflict with Ukraine, while the Russian national team was also effectively suspended from participating in the recent FIFA World Cup in Qatar after a playoff fixture was cancelled.
Russia’s women’s team were also banned from last year’s European Championships, and the men’s team has also been suspended from qualification for the 2024 European Championships.
The measures were later upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following appeals by the Russian Football Union (RFU) and various club teams.
It was reported that figures from within the RFU had anticipated discussions with UEFA surrounding the potential reintegration of Russian clubs and national sides to European competitions such as the UEFA Champions League or European Championships at Wednesday’s executive committee meeting.
However, Sky News reported that UEFA has opted to extend the current suspension – meaning that Russian football will continue to remain outside the accepted European football infrastructure.
UEFA is also said to be eager to discuss the more general state of Russian domestic football and how Russian teams might one day be reinstated, though it appears that any such move may be dependent on the reduction of hostilities with Ukraine.
Neither the RFU nor UEFA have so far commented on the reports.
UEFA is also expected to announce that Kazan has been removed as the host city for the 2023 UEFA Super Cup fixture which takes place annually between the winners of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League.
A new host city is expected to be announced in due course.
This comes after Saint Petersburg was removed as the host of the 2022 UEFA Champions League final, with the match instead being moved to Paris.
Russia, which previously hosted the 2018 FIFA World Cup, has also been heavily linked to a potential switch from European football’s governing body UEFA to its Asian equivalent, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).
The Blues has spent vast sums of money since Roman Abramovich sold the Premier League club UEFA is set to close a financial loophole exploited by Chelsea in recent months which has seen the Premier League giants spread the cost of their transfer spend over […]
The Blues has spent vast sums of money since Roman Abramovich sold the Premier League club
UEFA is set to close a financial loophole exploited by Chelsea in recent months which has seen the Premier League giants spread the cost of their transfer spend over as many as eight seasons, according to reports.
European football’s governing body has heeded complaints from several Premier League clubs that objected to Chelsea’s eye-watering transfer spree, which has seen them spend more than £460 million ($566 million) since the summer transfer window opened in 2022.
Chelsea, who are now operated by US businessman Todd Boehly, have largely bypassed Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations by using an accounting technique called amortization to spread transfer fees over extended periods – such as the eight years over which Mikhail Mudryk’s transfer fee will be applied to Chelsea’s books.
Ukraine international Mudryk joined the club earlier this month for a potential fee of £88 million ($108 million) from Shakhtar Donetsk on an eight-and-a-half-year contract.
Chelsea a fait signer des contrats de 7 et 8 ans sur ses nouveaux joueurs afin de réduire le coût des transferts sur la période de reporting du FPF. Face à cette technique comptable, l'UEFA voudrait imposer dès cet été une durée maximum de 5 ans sur l'analyse des contrats https://t.co/E5l9q1Q8JB
FFP regulations state that clubs may only spend a certain percentage of their financial revenue on transfer fees – but this has been bypassed by Chelsea, who will account for the Mudryk transfer sum over the course of eight years at an average annual cost of around £11 million ($13.5 million), a figure which falls well within the club’s FFP requirements.
However, it has been reported by the Daily Mail that from next summer clubs will only be able to amortize transfer spend across a maximum of five years. Clubs, though, will continue to be able to offer contracts which extend for more than five years.
Boehly, who is also the co-owner of the Major League Baseball franchise the LA Dodgers, has developed a reputation in the early days of his control of Chelsea for offering unusually lengthy contracts – mirroring similar measures which are commonplace in US sports.
In addition to Mudryk, other signings like Marc Cucurella, Wesley Fofana, David Datro Fofana and Benoit Badiashile have signed long contracts since joining Chelsea.
The changes to be implemented by UEFA, though, will not come into effect until this summer at the earliest, meaning Chelsea will have until the end of the January transfer window to continue their spending.
Chelsea’s £460 million ($566 million) outlay under Boehly has shattered the previous Premier League spending record, which Manchester City set at £328 million ($403 million) in the 2017-18 season.
Their colossal spend shows no sign of stopping. Argentina’s World Cup winning midfielder Enzo Fernandez remains linked to Chelsea in a potential deal which could cost in excess of £100 million ($123 million), while 19-year-old French defender Malo Gusto is also a target.
Chelsea are currently languishing in tenth place in the Premier League standings, ten points off the Champions League places.
The Serb has been battling a hamstring complaint throughout the Australian Open Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has fired back at critics who accused him of faking a hamstring injury at the Australian Open, saying it only gives him more motivation to claim a tenth […]
The Serb has been battling a hamstring complaint throughout the Australian Open
Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic has fired back at critics who accused him of faking a hamstring injury at the Australian Open, saying it only gives him more motivation to claim a tenth title Down Under.
Djokovic, 35, will play Russia’s Andrey Rublev in a Wednesday quarter-final match in the Rod Laver Arena as he hunts a tenth Australian Open crown and a record-equalling 22nd Grand Slam win.
However, his run through the tournament has come amid constant reports of a hamstring injury to his left leg, which prompted injury timeouts in his second- and third-round matches.
Nonetheless, Djokovic has proceeded through the event with relative ease to this point – and looked in impressive form in Monday’s fourth-round clash with Alex De Minaur, losing just five games in an emphatic three-set win.
But his run through the tournament has come amid whispers that Djokovic has been overplaying the extent of the injury – an accusation which he says would only be applied to him.
“I leave the doubting to those people – let them doubt,” he said.
“Only my injuries are questioned. When some other players are injured, then they are the victims, but when it is me, I am faking it. It is very interesting. I don’t feel that I need to prove anything to anyone.
“I have got the MRI, ultrasound and everything else, both from two years ago and now. Whether I will publish that in my documentary or on social media depends on how I feel. Maybe I will do it, maybe I won’t.
“I am not really interested at this point what people are thinking and saying. It is fun, it is interesting to see how the narrative surrounding me continues, [a] narrative that is different compared to other players that have been going through similar situations.
“But I am used to it and it just gives me extra strength and motivation. So I thank them for that.”
Djokovic has overcome injury in high-profile tournaments in the past. He battled an abdominal complaint two years ago in Australia to eventually claim the title, and appeared to be in difficulty due to another injury against Andy Murray in the same event in 2015, only to recover and win.
However, injury knocked him out of Wimbledon in 2017 and the US Open two years later.
I hate how media will always create controversy and takes things out of context to make a headline. Got outplayed and outclassed yesterday. How about we focus on the tennis for once. I will get back to work and improve you can count on that. Thank you Australia ❤️
Alex De Minaur, the man defeated by Djokovic on Monday, also waded into the row on social media, saying he got “outplayed and outclassed” but bemoaned that Djokovic’s notoriety often focuses a media glare on outside-of-the-court allegations.
“I hate how media will always create controversy and takes things out of context to make a headline,” he wrote on social media.
“Got outplayed and outclassed yesterday. How about we focus on the tennis for once. I will get back to work and improve. You can count on that. Thank you Australia.”
Karen Khachanov is into the last four in Melbourne after Sebastian Korda retired in their quarterfinal Russia’s Karen Khachanov has booked a spot in the Australian Open semifinals for the first time in his career after American opponent Sebastian Korda retired with injury in the […]
Karen Khachanov is into the last four in Melbourne after Sebastian Korda retired in their quarterfinal
Russia’s Karen Khachanov has booked a spot in the Australian Open semifinals for the first time in his career after American opponent Sebastian Korda retired with injury in the third set of their match in Melbourne on Tuesday.
Khachanov was leading the quarterfinal after taking the opening two sets 7-6 (7-5) 6-3, and was 3-0 ahead in the third set when Korda could no longer continue due to an issue with his right wrist. The American, who had received medical treatment during the second set, was forced to withdraw with Khachanov already well on his way to victory at Rod Laver Arena.
The Russian 18th seed has now reached consecutive Grand Slam semifinals after his appearance at the same stage of the US Open in September. He will next face the winner of the quarterfinal between Greek third seed Stefanos Tsitsipas and unseeded Pole Jiri Lehecka, who play later on Tuesday.
It was a disappointing end to the Australian Open for the 22-year-old Korda, who is the son of former tournament winner Petr Korda. Seeded 29th in Melbourne, Korda has enjoyed a career-best run at a Grand Slam and saw off Russian former two-time finalist Daniil Medvedev in the third round and then beat Polish 10th seed Hubert Hurkacz.
Khachanov, 26, will meanwhile attempt to reach a Grand Slam final for the first time after becoming just the 50th man in the Open Era to reach the quarterfinal stage of each of the four majors on the tennis calendar.
“Back-to-back semi-finals in a Grand Slam feels great,” Khachanov said on court after his win. “Obviously not the way you want to finish the match. I think until a certain point it was very competitive, a very good battle…
“Sebastian beat one of my friends, Daniil [Medvedev], in three sets and won in five sets against Hurkacz. He is playing great tennis… I’m feeling good, to be honest. I’m really happy about my level, about the way I compete, and looking forward to the semifinals here in Australia for the first time.”
Hoping to join Khachanov in the last four is compatriot Andrey Rublev, who emerged from an epic five-set match with Denmark’s Holger Rune on Monday. Rublev, who is seeded fifth, faces the formidable challenge of nine-time tournament winner Novak Djokovic in their quarterfinal on Wednesday.
Number four seed Djokovic demolished local hero Alex de Minaur in straight sets on Monday, producing one of his best performances of the year and laying down a statement of intent after previously being hindered by a hamstring injury in Melbourne.
Valery Karpin said the incident had been inflated into a ‘political’ row after several Estonian players apologized for appearing in a picture with him Russian men’s national team head coach Valery Karpin has dismissed a row surrounding a photo with several Estonian footballers as “pure […]
Valery Karpin said the incident had been inflated into a ‘political’ row after several Estonian players apologized for appearing in a picture with him
Russian men’s national team head coach Valery Karpin has dismissed a row surrounding a photo with several Estonian footballers as “pure politics.” The players were forced to apologize earlier this month after being pictured in a restaurant with Karpin.
“The first reaction is misunderstanding,” Karpin told Russia’s Match TV when asked about the scandal. “A misunderstanding of what’s happening. I probably can’t say anything more than that. It was a misunderstanding of what’s happening now in our world.”
Karpin, who was born in Narva and holds Estonian citizenship as well as Russian, was photographed at a restaurant in Tallinn at the end of December as part of a group which included several Estonian football stars, past and present. Among them was current national team captain Konstantin Vassiljev and his teammate Sergei Zenjov.
Sharing a photo of the gathering on social media, former Estonian international defender Andrei Stepanov wrote: “One company, 10 friends, 100 memories, 1000 games. New Year party to remember.”
But the image prompted anger among some in Estonia, with claims that the players shouldn’t be fraternizing with a prominent Russian football figure amid the conflict in Ukraine. Estonian Culture Minister Piret Hartman also argued that Estonians should do “everything [they] can not to support the aggressor,” according to national media outlet ERR.
The reaction prompted the Estonian football association to issue an apology on behalf of Vassiljev, Zenjov, and assistant coach Andres Oper to “everyone whose feelings were hurt by our dinner and the publication of a photo of that on social media.”
The apology came despite Estonian FA president Aivar Pohlak previously being more understanding of the photo, telling local media that “at a human level, it is our duty not only to show compassion and help to those suffering, but also to think about not losing key human rights, including the right to be acquainted with differently-minded people and the right to meet them.”
In his interview with Match TV published on Monday, Karpin said that despite the broader political tensions between the two nations – which have intensified this week with accusations by Moscow of Estonia pursuing a policy of “total Russophobia” – he felt comfortable in the Baltic state.
“I can probably reassure someone: having been in Estonia for a month, I’m ready to say with confidence that this is purely a political issue. Everything that concerned my stay, my family and Russians in Estonia in general, this isn’t reflected in any way at the everyday level, absolutely,” said Karpin.
“I don’t speak Estonian, I spoke only Russian, and absolutely all the Estonians [I spoke with] switched to Russian and communicated. I didn’t feel a single sideways glance or anything else. Not to mention the fact that quite a lot of people came up to me there and wished me good luck. I felt great there and feel great. Everything that is inflated is pure politics.”
Karpin’s Russia team played just three matches last year following a ban from all UEFA and FIFA competitions because of the Ukraine conflict. The Russian Football Union (RFU) has established a working group alongside UEFA in a bid to resolve the issue, and has said it is targeting five friendly matches for Karpin’s team in 2023, starting in March.
Khamzat Chimaev said Muslims in Sweden should be shown respect after far-right figure Rasmus Paludan publicly burned a copy of the holy book Russian-born UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev has said Muslims cannot look the other way after a far-right political was permitted to publicly burn […]
Khamzat Chimaev said Muslims in Sweden should be shown respect after far-right figure Rasmus Paludan publicly burned a copy of the holy book
Russian-born UFC fighter Khamzat Chimaev has said Muslims cannot look the other way after a far-right political was permitted to publicly burn a copy of the Koran in Chimaev’s adopted homeland of Sweden.
Danish-Swedish lawyer Rasmus Paludan, who leads the right-wing ‘Stram Kurs’ (Hard Line) party in Denmark, set fire to the book on Saturday near the Turkish Embassy in Stockholm. Police had permitted Paludan to carry out the desecration of the Muslim holy book, despite an outcry from Turkish officials and criticism from among the Swedish political elite.
Chimaev, 28 made his feelings clear in an Instagram post to his 4.7 million followers on Sunday. “He is a terrorist for us,” wrote the fighter in Swedish, sharing an image of Paludan holding a copy of the Koran.
“I am Muslim but have never been against anybody’s religion and have never done what he’s done to anybody’s religion. Why do you let him do this Sweden?” added the MMA star, along with a series of ‘thumbs-down’ emojis. “We all shouldn’t keep quiet, you call us brothers so show us some respect.”
Chimaev was born in Chechnya but moved to Sweden in his late teens and fights out of the Allstars Gym in Stockholm. Throughout his rise in the UFC – where he has won all six of his fights to date – Chimaev has maintained close contact with his Chechen birthplace and is often seen alongside local leader Ramzan Kadyrov and his family.
Chimaev was far from the only figure to be angered by the actions of Paludan. Protesters set a Swedish flag ablaze in Istanbul later on Saturday in response to the actions of the far-right figure. The row also comes as Sweden and Finland bid to join military alliance NATO – of which Türkiye is already a member. NATO members must give unanimous consent before any new nations are admitted into the alliance.
The Serb continued his pursuit of a 10th Australian Open title with a commanding victory over Alex de Minaur in Melbourne Nine-time tournament winner Novak Djokovic will face Russia’s Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open after the Serb crushed local hero Alex […]
The Serb continued his pursuit of a 10th Australian Open title with a commanding victory over Alex de Minaur in Melbourne
Nine-time tournament winner Novak Djokovic will face Russia’s Andrey Rublev in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open after the Serb crushed local hero Alex de Minaur in their fourth-round match on Monday.
Djokovic shrugged off any lingering concerns over a hamstring injury as he overpowered the helpless De Minaur in straight sets, 6-2 6-1 6-2, at Rod Laver Arena. Number 22 seed De Minaur had little answer to Djokovic’s dominance as the Serb – seeded fourth this year in Melbourne – won six of the 12 break points he manufactured on his rival’s serve without facing any in return.
Djokovic, 35, was forced to contend with a left hamstring injury in previous rounds in Melbourne, and although his leg was again heavily strapped, the issue did not seem to bother him as he put paid to local hopes – and the odd outbreak of heckling in the crowd – in clinical fashion.
“Obviously I was dealing with an injury, I don’t feel anything today. I thank my medical team, my physio, I thank God. I don’t take anything for granted, so let’s keep it going,” Djokovic said on court after his win.
“I’ve been taking a lot of pills, it’s not ideal… but not those kind of pills, guys, anti-inflammatory pills. Really today was the best day so far and hopefully it stays that way.”
Djokovic saw off the 23-year-old De Minaur in clinical fashion.
Rublev, 25, admitted after that match that “no one wants to face Novak” in the draw. The Russian has managed to win one of the pair’s three career meetings to date – on clay in Belgrade last year – although Djokovic won both their indoor hardcourt matches, most recently at the ATP Finals in Turin last November.
For Rublev it will be a seventh appearance in a Grand Slam quarterfinal, and he has failed to progress from any of his previous six. Djokovic, meanwhile, is into the last eight of a Grand Slam for the 54th time and on the 13th occasion in Melbourne.
Djokovic has returned to Australia after his infamous deportation last year in a row over his vaccine status, which prevented him from defending his title at Melbourne Park. He has picked up where he left off on court, winning the ATP 250 title in Adelaide earlier this month and now extending his unbeaten record at the Australian Open to a remarkable 25 matches.
Djokovic is chasing a 22nd Grand Slam title overall, which would put him level with Rafael Nadal at the top of the all-time list. Should he triumph in Melbourne, Djokovic would also become only the second player alongside Nadal to win 10 or more titles at a single Grand Slam – with Nadal winning 14 crowns on the clay courts of the French Open.
