Sports
Israel Adesanya Loses UFC Middleweight Championship To Strickland
Nigerian-born New Zealand professional mixed martial artist and kickboxer, Israel Adesanya, has lost his UFC middleweight champion title to Sean Strickland.
Naija Latest Gist reports that Strickland, an American mixed martial arts scored higher points above Adesanya at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney, Australia.
A first-round knockdown by the American was the highlight of the fight that went the whole five rounds.
All three judges scored the fight 49-46 in favour of Strickland, the new middleweight world champion. The 32-year-old puts nonstop pressure and steady hits on Adesanya to win the fight.
It is back to the drawing board for the Nigerian-born fighter Adesanya as he was on the back foot throughout the clash at UFC 293.
This is his third loss bringing his record to 24-3 now, while Strickland improves to 28-5.
Israel Adesanya Insists Strickland Won’t Be Difficult To Beat
Two days before the clash, Adesanya boasted that beating Sean Strickland wouldn’t be difficult for him.
Recall that Adesanya was supposed to fight South African MMA star, Dricus Du Plessis, but he withdrew from the UFC 293 due to fitness issues.
Hence, Sean Strickland, who is said to be at loggerheads with Adesanya, had to come in for Du Plessis, which is an opportunity for them to continue their rivalry.
Reports claimed that Strickland dislikes Adesanya because he likes anime, wears nail polish, and is, in his opinion, generally reliable.
On the other hand, Adesanya seizes every chance to antagonize Strickland. He recently declared that he would face off against the American while sporting painted nails.
When asked about his forthcoming fight with Strickland earlier, Adesanya said the American fighter wouldn’t be as much of a problem for him to handle.
Adesanya recounted his ordeal with Brazilian fighter Pereira who defeated the Nigerian fighter three times before he bounced back to defeat him earlier this year.
“Difficulty? Nah, I don’t think it’s that difficult”, Adesanya said of his forthcoming fight with Strickland.
“But again this is this is where you don’t underestimate someone, and also, you don’t overestimate someone. I don’t think it’s that difficult I’m not going to put him on a pedestal like he’s God I never did that with Pereira and after he beat me three times, I was just like I can beat this guy, I know I can beat this guy I don’t fear any man so. This guy is not on that level, and I know I can beat him he’s not that difficult,” he said.
Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili made a spectacular debut at the Paris 2024 Olympics, delivering an impressive performance in the women’s 200m event.
After a disappointing setback in the women’s 100m, Ofili showcased her resilience by clinching victory in her heat with a new season’s best time of 22.24 seconds on Sunday, August 4. The victory has qualified her for the 2024 Olympics 200m women’s semi-finals which will take place this evening.
Argentine football icon, Lionel Messi, has stressed that he doesn’t care how much movement he makes in a game as people continue to take note of his walking technique.
In recent times, videos of Lionel Messi practically walking while his team are off the ball have kept many football enthusiasts talking. Many believe that it is a technique to prevent being injured, some say he does that because other players are doing the hard work for him.
But in an interview with Clank Media, Lionel Messi who turned 37-year-old earlier today, June 24, 2024, said not running when he is off the ball has been a part of his game from his days at his boyhood club, Newell, in his native country, Argentina.
“When I was at Newell’s, there were two or three times a week we were sent to run around the grounds. I used to hide behind a tree. Running without a ball was never my thing. Heh”, Lionel Messi said.
“I have always been very self-critical. I am the first to know what I do right and what I do wrong. When I walk, I analyse the opponent’s positioning, how we stand when we don’t have the ball, get away from the marker and be able to initiate a counterattack.
“I don’t pay much attention to GPS, statistics or data. I never cared how much I ran in a match.”
Note that Lionel Messi had used his walking technique while off the ball to win virtually everything in world football including 10 La Liga titles, four Champions League, one FIFA World Cup, and a record 8 Ballon d’Or.
In just two matchdays in the ongoing European Championship (Euro 2024), three countries have secured their place in the tournament’s round of 16.
Interestingly, the Three Lions of England and France, seen as the Super favourites to win the Euro 2024, will have to wait until the last day of the group stage to confirm their place.
Earlier today, June 22, 2024, Portugal’s national team, ably led by five-time Ballon d’Or winner, Cristiano Ronaldo, defeated Turkey 3-0 to book themselves a place in the round of 16.
Goals from Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, and an own goal from Samet Akaydin made all the difference.
Ronaldo provided an assist for Portugal’s third goal, which was his 7th in the history of the tournament, and the all-time highest in the European Championship.
Recall that Portugal defeated the Czech Republic 2-1 in their opening game in Group F. Hence, the Portuguese side now have 6 points in two games.
Whether or not they beat Georgia in their last group stage game on Wednesday, June 26, the Portuguese side will play in the round of 16. However, they need to win the game to ensure they finish top of Group F.
Other two teams that have already booked themselves a place in the Euro 2024 round of 16 with a game in hand are the hosts, Germany, and Spain.
Germany are topping Group A with 6 points in 2 games, while Spain are topping Group B with 6 points in two games.
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