By the time Leon Edwards had reached his final faceoff with Colby Covington, he was “fuming and shaking” from everything the three-time welterweight title challenger had said.
Nothing was more disturbing than Covington’s insults directed at his father, who was murdered when he was growing up. But after a talk with his mom and his team, he composed himself and got his head straight.
“F*** this guy, basically,” said Edwards at the post-UFC 296 press conference after routing Covington on the scorecards with unanimous 49-46 scores. “Focus on yourself. This is what he wants. He wants you to come out there and try to swing and take you down. What he said was f***** up, but … let’s go out and do your job.”
That meant being ready for the onslaught that Edwards expected when the opening bell rang. Covington is a well-known pressure fighter in addition to his wrestling prowess, so he expected a flurry of punches and a level change. He was shocked when Covington not only didn’t come out swinging, but backpedaled.
“I came out orthodox for the first round, and I was waiting for him to charge forward, like he normally does, but I feel like the pressure got to him,” Edwards said. “The switching of the stances, my range, it all just threw him off. He just kind of went into a little shell, and he didn’t come out of it.”
Over five rounds, Covington threw about half the strikes he did in his previous fight, a grudge match with ex-training partner Jorge Masvidal that he won by unanimous decision. Edwards also threw about half the total attacks as his previous bout, a unanimous decision over Kamaru Usman in their trilogy.
As a result, Saturday’s main event was a lot less action-packed than anyone, Edwards included, expected.
“It definitely wasn’t one of my best performances,” he said. “I thought it would be a way more active fight. He just went on his back foot straight away, and I thought, ‘What’s this guy doing?’ Talking all that s*** that he did this week, I thought he would come out and do more. But I feel like he’s done it before. He gasses the fight up, and then he just doesn’t show up.”
Covington’s pre-fight trash talk was roundly criticized by fellow fighters. The brash welterweight apologized for none of it, but Edwards said there should be lines for that sort of thing in the future.
“I feel like kids are out of it,” he said. “I feel like murdered parents should definitely be out of it. I don’t get how you use that as a way to sell a fight or entertainment, and I think that put him in his shell. I think my reaction to it kind of threw him off a bit. The fans turned against him and media was like, ‘What are you doing?’
“But he’s a coward, and he’ll always been a coward. Even when he lost the fight, he kept making excuses that, ‘Oh, I won the fight.’ When Usman knocked him out and broke his jaw, he’s like, ‘Oh, it’s [referee] Marc [Goddard’s] fault.’ It’s always someone else’s fault when he loses.”
Edwards had a potential third opponent in the cage in his emotions when he faced Covington. Thanks to some mental jiu-jitsu, he managed to get through it and get a victory over a true rival.
“It was definitely one of the most emotional fights I’ve ever had to do, as far as the comments that he made. But like I said, I’ve got a great support system around me, and they got me in the right space to be as an athlete. Because in my mind and my body, I wanted to go out and have a war with him, but when I talked to my coaches and my mom, shut it all off, 25 minutes, and afterward you can deal with the emotions.”
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
