UFC 290 results: Biggest winners, loser for ‘Volkanovski vs Rodriguez’ last night | Canada News Media
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UFC 290 results: Biggest winners, loser for ‘Volkanovski vs Rodriguez’ last night

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UFC 290 blew the roof off T-Mobile Arena last night (Sat., July 8, 2023) in Las Vegas, Nevada, which saw Alexander Volkanovski retain his Featherweight title by stopping former interim title holder, Yair Rodriguez, in round three via strikes (see it here). In the co-main event, Alexandre Pantoja defeated Brandon Moreno again, this time via split-decision to become the new UFC men’s Flyweight champion in what truly was an instant classic (full recap here).

 

 

 

 

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

 

Biggest Winner: Alexander Volkanovski

After coming up short in his Lightweight title fight against Islam Makhachev, Volkanovski returned back to 145 pounds and reminded everyone that despite his setback in a higher weight class, he is still the man at Featherweight, and now the only champion in the division. Rodriguez was supposed to be one of “The Great’s” toughest tests to date but the hard-hitting Aussie passed with flying colors and earned his fifth straight title defense, leaving Max Holloway in the dust as the best Featherweight the sport has ever seen. Volkanovksi is absolutely unstoppable at Featherweight and shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon, which means we could witness one of the greatest title runs in the history of the sport when it is all said and done, up there with the likes of Anderson Silva’s and Georges St-Pierre’s.


 

 

 

 

Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images

 

Runner (s) Up: Alexandre Pantoja and Driccus Du Plessis

In what was one of the best fights of 2023, Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja went to war for 25 minutes in a bloody back-and-forth brawl that saw Pantoja get a split-decision win to earn his first taste of UFC gold. Pantoja now moves to 3-0 against Moreno and aims to start a long reign as 125-pound champion. While one of the judges didn’t know what he was looking at (see why here), Pantoja clearly won the fight thanks to his outstanding grappling mixed in with well-timed strikes that ultimately neutralized Moreno’s flow.

Du Plessis, meanwhile, stunned the combat word with a sizzling performance against former Middleweight champion and fan-favorite, Robert Whittaker, stopping him via technical knockout (TKO) in the second round to earn his eighth straight win, sixth inside the Octagon (see it again here). He also earned himself a shot at the division champion, Israel Adesanya, who demanded (and got) a face off inside the cage against his next opponent, which will likely go down at UFC 293 on Sept. 9.


 

 

 

 

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

 

Honorable Mention: Robbie Lawler

Very few fighters can leave the hurt business after a lengthy career on a winning note, but Lawler did just that after he knocked out Niko Price in just 38 seconds of the first round in what was the final fight of his legendary career. Afterward, the promotion honored “Ruthless” with a highlight reel of his career, which brought the former Welterweight champion of the world to tears. Not a bad way to go off into the sunset after a 22-year career that will see him go down as one of the best to ever don UFC gloves. From UFC, PRIDE, Elite XC, Strikeforce and back to UFC, seeing “Ruthless” go out with a highlight-reel knockout was something everyone was hoping to get.


 

 

 

 

Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

 

Biggest Loser: Shannon Ross

While it may seem like odd choice at first, it makes sense when you realize that Ross’s UFC run has been horrible, getting knocked out in the very first round in his first two tries inside the Octagon. After a 59-second defeat to Kleydson Rodriguez at UFC 284 four months ago in his debut, “The Turkish Delight” suffered a 17-second knockout loss to Jesus Aguilar, who stunned Ross with a one-hitter quitter. And when you add the fact that Ross was also knocked out in his fight on the Contender Series in Aug. 2022, it makes you wonder if this is the end of the road in his short-lived UFC tenure.


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Cavaliers and free agent forward Isaac Okoro agree to 3-year, $38 million deal, AP source says

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CLEVELAND (AP) — Restricted free agent forward Isaac Okoro has agreed to re-sign with the Cleveland Cavaliers on a three-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press on Saturday.

Okoro’s new deal is worth $38 million, according to the person who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the contract has not been signed or announced by the team.

ESPN.com first reported the agreement, citing Okoro’s representation.

The fifth overall pick in the 2020 NBA draft, Okoro is Cleveland’s best perimeter defender, often drawing the assignment of guarding the opponent’s top scorer. Okoro also has worked to improve his offensive game.

The 23-year-old averaged 9.4 points and 3.0 rebounds in 69 games — 42 starts — last season for the Cavs, who beat Orlando in the opening round of the playoffs before losing to eventual champion Boston.

Okoro shot a career-best 39% on 3-pointers, forcing teams to come out and guard him.

His agreement caps an extraordinarily busy summer for the Cavs that began with coach J.B. Bickerstaff being fired and replaced by Kenny Atkinson. All-Star guard Donovan Mitchell signed a three-year, $150 million extension in July, ending months of speculation that he wanted out of Cleveland.

Also, power forward Evan Mobley signed a five-year, $224 deal and center Jarrett Allen signed a three-year, $91 million extension.

___

AP NBA:

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Canada’s Marina Stakusic falls in Guadalajara Open quarterfinals

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GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Canada’s Marina Stakusic fell 6-4, 6-3 to Poland’s Magdalena Frech in the quarterfinals of the Guadalajara Open tennis tournament on Friday.

The 19-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., won 61 per cent of her first-serve points and broke on just one of her six opportunities.

Stakusic had upset top-seeded Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (0) on Thursday night to advance.

In the opening round, Stakusic defeated Slovakia’s Anna Karolína Schmiedlová 6-2, 6-4 on Tuesday.

The fifth-seeded Frech won 62 per cent of her first-serve points and converted on three of her nine break point opportunities.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

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Kirk’s walk-off single in 11th inning lifts Blue Jays past Cardinals 4-3

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TORONTO – Alejandro Kirk’s long single with the bases loaded provided the Toronto Blue Jays with a walk-off 4-3 win in the 11th inning of their series opener against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.

With the Cardinals outfield in, Kirk drove a shot off the base of the left-field wall to give the Blue Jays (70-78) their fourth win in 11 outings and halt the Cardinals’ (74-73) two-game win streak before 30,380 at Rogers Centre.

Kirk enjoyed a two-hit, two-RBI outing.

Erik Swanson (2-2) pitched a perfect 11th inning for the win, while Cardinals reliever Ryan Fernandez (1-5) took the loss.

Blue Jays starter Kevin Gausman enjoyed a seven-inning, 104-pitch outing. He surrendered his two runs on nine hits and two walks and fanned only two Cardinals.

He gave way to reliever Genesis Cabrera, who gave up a one-out homer to Thomas Saggese, his first in 2024, that tied the game in the eighth.

The Cardinals started swiftly with four straight singles to open the game. But they exited the first inning with only two runs on an RBI single to centre from Nolan Arendao and a fielder’s choice from Saggese.

Gausman required 28 pitches to escape the first inning but settled down to allow his teammates to snatch the lead in the fourth.

He also deftly pitched out of threats from the visitors in the fifth, sixth and seventh thanks to some solid defence, including Will Wagner’s diving stop, which led to a double play to end the fifth inning.

George Springer led off with a walk and stole second base. He advanced to third on Nathan Lukes’s single and scored when Vladimir Guerrero Jr. knocked in his 95th run with a double off the left-field wall.

Lukes scored on a sacrifice fly to left field from Spencer Horwitz. Guerrero touched home on Kirk’s two-out single to right.

In the ninth, Guerrero made a critical diving catch on an Arenado grounder to throw out the Cardinals’ infielder, with reliever Tommy Nance covering first. The defensive gem ended the inning with a runner on second base.

St. Louis starter Erick Fedde faced the minimum night batters in the first three innings thanks to a pair of double plays. He lasted five innings, giving up three runs on six hits and a walk with three strikeouts.

ON DECK

Toronto ace Jose Berrios (15-9) will start the second of the three-game series on Saturday. He has a six-game win streak.

The Cardinals will counter with righty Kyle Gibson (8-6).

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.

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