US President-elect Donald Trump was greeted by chanting fans as he attended the Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight bout at New York's Madison Square Garden on Saturday. Trump entered the arena shortly before the start of the main card accompanied by UFC chief executive Dana White, who was a prominent backer during his election campaign. Several political allies of Trump were also in attendance for the mixed-martial arts fights, including entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, who have been asked by Trump to lead efforts to cut government inefficiency. Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who Trump has nominated to be health secretary, was also at the fight and a photo posted on X showed the pair flying to the event together on Trump's private plane. The night had the feel of a post-election night out for the Republicans. Tulsi Gabbard, the former Democratic congresswoman tapped for the role of director of national intelligence, was also in the crowd along with Trump's sons Eric and Don Jr and musician Kid Rock -- a regular at Trump rallies. Also Read: Rory McIlroy sees Donald Trump win as key to bridging divisions between PGA Tour and LIV Golf After waving to the chanting crowd, Trump warmly greeted UFC broadcast analyst Joe Rogan, the popular podcast host who also endorsed Trump after he appeared as a guest on his show. The venue's "jumbotron" giant screen above the cage where fighters did battle then showed a video featuring highlights of the election campaign with soundbites from Trump. Trump became the focal point of attention as he made his entrance to The Undertaker's iconic theme song. Trump, known for his penchant for WWE themes at public events, opted for the "American Badass" theme this time—The Undertaker’s entrance music during his early 2000s transformation, when the wrestler rode a motorcycle to the ring. This theme was a staple for nearly four years. PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP AND ELON MUSK ARE WALKING OUT WITH DANA WHITE!!! 🇺🇸#UFC309 | LIVE on TNT Sports Box Office ➡️ https://t.co/uXQAMHNTBd pic.twitter.com/VpggsWHtwZ — UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) November 17, 2024 The film ended with the numbers 45 and 47 on the screen, representing the Republican's previous and upcoming presidency. Fans chanted "USA, USA," a refrain frequently heard at Trump rallies, including one he held at Madison Square Garden last month. Also Read: When MS Dhoni took a swing at US politics...on golf course with Donald Trump: WATCH Trump watched the fights alongside Musk from front row seats next to the caged octagon. After Jon Jones defended his heavyweight title with a third-round technical knockout against fellow American Stipe Miocic in the main event, the fighter celebrated with Trump's trademark 'YMCA' dance. "I want to say a big thank you to President Donald Trump for being here tonight," said Jones, receiving a huge roar of approval from the crowd. After leading the crowd in another round of "USA, USA" chant, Jones then passed his heavyweight championship belt to Trump and spent some time in conversation with the President-elect. Trump frequently attends UFC events and attended three fights during his campaign for the White House. His ties to the fight world run deep. He featured retired WrestleMania star Hulk Hogan at the Republican convention in August and hosted UFC bouts at his casinos in the early days, when the series struggled to gain traction and well before it became today's multi-billion success. (With AFP inputs)
17 November,2024 03:11 PM IST | New York | mid-day online correspondentJake Paul believes he can fight for a championship belt within two years. Mike Tyson might be finished in the ring after the 58-year-old former heavyweight champion's first sanctioned pro bout since 2005. An event hyped like a prize fight turned into a glorified sparring session, the eight-round bout won by Paul in a lopsided unanimous decision at the home of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys on Friday night. There will continue to be questions for Paul over when he will fight a contender in his prime, as opposed to aging former champs, mixed martial artists or journeymen boxers. The 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer's answers have been consistent, and now he has a timeline. "I think it could happen in the next 24 months," Paul said. "I truly, truly believe in my skills and my ability and my power. And the cruiserweight division is seemingly open for the taking on that timeline." Tyson, whose last fight before retiring was a loss to Kevin McBride 19 years ago, said he was confident in taking on Paul because of an entertaining exhibition against Roy Jones Jr. in front of no fans during the pandemic in 2020. Also Read: Leaked 'script' claims Mike Tyson vs Jake Paul wasn't what it seemed A shorter fight (instead of 10 or 12 rounds) with shorter rounds (two minutes instead of three) and heavier gloves fell far short of entertaining. The International Boxing Hall of Famer came at Paul hard in the opening seconds, and briefly again to start the second round. Otherwise, he mostly let Paul come to him, and Paul said he thought Tyson was too fatigued to be a threat beyond the third round. Still, Tyson wouldn't say immediately afterward it was his last fight after the officially recorded loss dropped his record to 50-7 with 44 knockouts. "It depends on the situation," Tyson said before suggesting a fight with Paul's older brother, Logan Paul, who was standing near him in the ring. "I'll kill you, Mike," Logan Paul shot back, using an expletive for emphasis. But Tyson said he had gone in the ring "one last time" in a social media post Saturday that provided details about the health scare he faced that forced the postponement from the fight's original date this summer. "I almost died in June," Tyson wrote on X. "Had 8 blood transfusions. Lost half my blood and 25lbs in hospital and had to fight to get healthy to fight so I won." There's no question the younger Paul will be back in the ring. The former social media influencer started boxing about 4 1/2 years ago and has always said he wants to be a championship fighter. "He's a very good fighter," said Tyson, the undisputed heavyweight champ from 1987-90, after Paul won 80-72 on one judge's scorecard and 79-73 on the other two. Also Read: Rapper Drake loses Rs 2.9 crore bet after Paul wins against Tyson in boxing Paul still has plenty to prove, though. He is 11-1 with seven knockouts, the only loss to Tommy Fury, the less-accomplished brother of former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. The former Disney Channel star has proven he can create hype for just about any fight. The first live sports event on Netflix was viewed in 60 million households, the streaming company said Saturday. Netflix said further details on viewership would be available next week. According to reports, Paul's payday was $40 million, compared with $20 million for Tyson. Paul mentioned his number during a promotional event over the summer. Organizers estimated the AT&T Stadium crowd at 72,000, and it appeared to be a legitimate number. "There may never be another moment like this in boxing, but I believe we can find something," Paul said. "And I think there are a few names out there that make sense, that the events will be just as big." In the days before his fight with Tyson, Paul mentioned super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez, considered one of the best boxers in the world. An opponent of that magnitude is probably at least several fights away for Paul, and it might not be long before age becomes an issue for the 34-year-old Alvarez. Paul's camp will never question its ability to put on a show. "Boxing is ebbs and flows, ups and downs, big events, small events, medium-size events," said Nakisa Bidarian, Paul's promoter. "Our philosophy is it's not about what is the decision that happens in the ring. It's about the attitude that you have and the product you create and how you entertain the fans. And there's no more entertaining of an athlete than Jake Paul." This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 November,2024 02:48 PM IST | Texas | mid-day online correspondentThe much-anticipated showdown between boxing legend Mike Tyson and YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul took place in front of a packed crowd at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and it was Jake Paul who emerged victorious. The 27-year-old Paul clinched a unanimous decision after eight rounds, with the judges scoring the bout 79-73 in his favor. Paul’s superior speed, agility, and movement were on full display as he outclassed the 58-year-old Tyson, who struggled to keep up with his younger, faster opponent. From the outset, it was clear that Tyson, despite his legendary status, was not the same fighter who once ruled the heavyweight division. His reflexes appeared sluggish, and his punches lacked the power and precision that defined his prime. Tyson managed to land just 18 out of 97 punches, a stark contrast to Paul's more active and effective offense. In comparison, Paul threw an impressive 278 punches, connecting on 78 of them. Tyson found himself in trouble early in the third round when Paul unleashed a flurry of punches, but the veteran continued to fight on, showing heart and determination despite his visible limitations. Also Read: Rs 8.4 crore on Tyson’s fists! Indian boxer Neeraj Goyat 'goes all in' in this wild boxing bet As the final seconds of the eighth round ticked down, Paul even took a moment to bow in respect to Tyson, acknowledging the former champion’s career and legacy. The fight, which many had expected to end sooner, lasted a full eight rounds—defying the predictions of some who had anticipated Paul would knock Tyson out by the fifth. Possibly leaked script for the Tyson vs Paul fight. pic.twitter.com/vBbaJdi3gC — OutlawPatriot (@Outlaw_Patriot1) November 16, 2024 Prior to the fight, a fake 'script' of the match had gone viral on social media, with the document suggesting Paul would knock out Tyson in the fifth round. This only fueled the controversy surrounding the fight, as fans questioned whether the bout had been fixed. However, the thrilling back-and-forth action in the ring contradicted these rumors, and the fight concluded with Paul’s clear superiority. The financial stakes of the fight were equally monumental. Reports indicated that the total prize purse for the event was a staggering $60 million. According to Forbes, Jake Paul’s share amounted to $40 million (approximately Rs 338 crore), while Tyson earned a still impressive $20 million (roughly Rs 169 crore). The hefty paydays further emphasized the massive commercial appeal of this spectacle, solidifying both fighters as key players in the boxing world, even as questions about the integrity of the match lingered.
17 November,2024 01:46 PM IST | Texas | mid-day online correspondentU.S. Open runner-up Taylor Fritz reached another big final at the ATP Finals by beating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 3-6, 7-6 (3) on Saturday. Fritz became the first American finalist at the elite eight-man event since James Blake lost the 2006 final to Roger Federer. The last American to win the trophy was Pete Sampras in 1999. "I trust my game and I trust my level and I don't feel nearly as uncomfortable in these situations anymore because I've been I've been playing the top guys at big events a lot lately," Fritz said. "I'm getting more comfortable in the moment. I'm really, really confident in my game." In Sunday's final, Fritz will face top-ranked Jannik Sinner " the player he lost to in the U.S. Open final " or Casper Ruud, who were playing later. Sinner also beat Fritz in straight sets in the group stage this week. Fritz's run in New York made him the first American man to reach a Grand Slam singles final in 15 years. He's playing at the finals for the second time. On debut two years ago, he beat Rafael Nadal in his opener and made it to the semifinals, losing to Novak Djokovic. Also Read: Dhairya, Ahaan make MSSA U-16 tennis final "It's awesome to come back and already go a step further," Fritz said. "I'm all about always trying to do better than the year before." At the start of the week, Fritz told The Associated Press in an interview that his "career has always been a very steady progression and just improving a little bit each year." It was Fritz's fourth consecutive victory over Zverev, who replaced Carlos Alcaraz at No. 2 in the rankings this week. Fritz, who is No. 5, also beat Zverev at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open, plus the Laver Cup. It was a matchup of big servers between the 6-foot-5 (1.96-meter) Fritz and the 6-foot-6 (1.98-meter) Zverev, and when Fritz broke Zverev for 4-2 in the first set, it marked the first time that Zverev lost a service game in four matches in Turin. Eventually, though, the match turned into a physical duel from the baseline. Fritz rallied from 0-40 and held his serve for 3-2 in the third after a nine-minute game full of long rallies " winning one such exchange that lasted 30 strokes. Fritz was then under pressure one service game after another but somehow managed to keep holding. Fritz got ahead early in the tiebreaker and finished Zverev off with an audacious inside-out forehand winner on his first match point. "I lose at least one of those (break) points and that's probably it," Fritz said. "That's how it kind of goes with playing Sascha. Whoever takes their chances between the two of us is going to win the match just because you don't get too many and we're both big servers." Fritz finished with 15 aces to Zverev's 10 in a match that last 2 hours, 20 minutes. Zverev, the finals champion in 2018 and 2021, entered the semifinals on an eight-match winning streak after taking the Paris Masters. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 November,2024 01:08 PM IST | Turin | AP | PTIFrancesco Bagnaia produced a commanding performance to win Saturday’s sprint at the Barcelona MotoGP, ensuring that the battle for the world championship title would go to the last race of the season. Championship leader Jorge Martin finished third behind Bagnaia’s Ducati-Lenovo teammate Enea Bastianini and will take a reduced 19-point lead into Sunday’s grand prix. “Job done for today, but tomorrow we need to repeat what we did,” Bagnaia told TNT. “I just tried to be smooth in the first sector. As soon as I was leading I knew my pace was good enough to open a gap. That was the objective for today. I didn’t need to push too much to open the gap. Jorge did a fantastic job so it’s fantastic that it’s like this. But let’s see tomorrow.” This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 November,2024 08:40 AM IST | Barcelona | AFPThe boos from a crowd wanting more action were growing again when Jake Paul dropped his gloves before the final bell, and bowed toward 58-year-old Mike Tyson. Paying homage to one of the biggest names in boxing history didn’t do much for the fans that filled the home of the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys on Friday night. Also Read: Rapper Drake loses Rs 2.9 crore bet after Jake Paul wins against Mike Tyson in boxing fight Paul won a unanimous decision over Tyson as the hits didn’t match the hype in a fight between the 27-year-old YouTuber-turned-boxer and the former heavyweight champion in his first sanctioned pro fight in almost 20 years. The fight wasn’t close on the judge’s cards, with one giving Paul an 80-72 edge and the other two calling it 79-73. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 November,2024 08:38 AM IST | Arlington (USA) | AP | PTIDefending champions India stunned Olympic silver medallist China 2-0 to seal a semi-final spot at the women’s Asian Champions Trophy hockey tournament here on Saturday. India scored two field goals through Sangita Kumari (32nd miniute) and skipper Salima Tete (37th) before tournament’s highest scorer Deepika (60th) converted a penalty corner in the final minute. Also Read: India eye more goals vs Thailand The win against world No. 6 China was India’s fourth consecutive win in the tournament. The hosts are now on top of the standings with eight points from four games. China have dropped to the second place with six points from four matches. India will square off their round robin campaign against Japan on Sunday. The top four teams from the six team continental tournament will qualify for the semi-finals. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 November,2024 08:37 AM IST | Rajgir (Bihar) | PTIWorld No. 1 Magnus Carlsen and three-time World Women’s Blitz champion Kateryna Lagno occupied the top spot while India’s R Praggnanandhaa took second place at the halfway mark of the Tata Steel Chess India Blitz here on Saturday. Carlsen concluded the first nine rounds with an impressive 6.5 points out of a possible 9. The Norwegian maestro had a dominant start, but his momentum was halted in round eight by Arjun Erigaisi, who defeated him in spectacular fashion in just 20 moves. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 November,2024 08:36 AM IST | Kolkata | PTICarlos Alcaraz was the big name missing when the last two semi-final spots were filled at the ATP Finals on Friday. Alcaraz’s 7-6 (5), 6-4 loss to Alexander Zverev meant the French Open and Wimbledon champion—who has been sick this week—was eliminated from the elite, eight-man tournament. In Saturday’s semi-finals, Zverev will meet Taylor Fritz and top-ranked Jannik Sinner will play Casper Ruud. Ruud advanced by beating Andrey Rublev 6-4, 5-7, 6-2. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 November,2024 08:31 AM IST | Turin | AP | PTIPoland’s Iga Swiatek beat home favorite Paula Badosa of Spain to knock out the host of the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in the opening round on Friday, while Britain eliminated Germany. The World No. 2 Swiatek sealed Poland’s spot in the quarter-finals against the Czech Republic after she beat No. 12 Badosa 6-3, 6-7 (7), 6-1 on the indoor hard-court. Badosa scrapped to get back in the match by winning the second-set tiebreaker. But Swiatek roared back with a dominant third set and a break advantage of 8-3. This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever
17 November,2024 08:31 AM IST | Malaga (Spain) | AP | PTIThe much anticipated Mike Tyson and Jake Paul controversy fight ended in a one-sided defeat for the legendary 58-year-old Tyson. Youtuber-turned-prizefighter Jake Paul cruising to victory by unanimous decision against the heavyweight icon in Texas. In the mega eight-round bout, Mike Tyson was rarely seen landing any punches at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington. Jake Paul won by big margins on all three cards, 80-72, 79-73 and 79-73. Jake Paul aged 27 used his speed and movement to dominate the legendary Mike Tyson. Paul's speed had the former undisputed heavyweight champion in trouble after landing a flurry of punches in the third round. Yet the younger fighter was unable to land the knockout blow he had promised to deliver during Thursday's ill-tempered weigh-in, where Tyson slapped him across the face. Tyson, however, looked every bit of his 58 years, managing to land only a handful of meaningful punches during the fight. Also Read: IND vs SA 4th T20I: Know all the records achieved by Team India Final statistics showed Tyson connected with just 18 of 97 punches thrown while Paul threw some 278 punches and landed 78 of them. In the final 10 seconds of the eighth round, Jake Paul bowed in front of Mike Tyson in order to pay respect towards him. The bout between Neeraj Goyat and Whindersson Nunes was a professional six-round super middleweight fight at 165 lbs. Neeraj secured victory with a unanimous decision by a 60-54 margin in the six-round, non-title fight. The first round was a one-way traffic, with Goyat overwhelming Nunes with his explosiveness. He connected with a counter left hook and effortlessly slipped in punches to impose his dominance. In the last round, Neeraj Goyat was clearly on the winning side and the only way for Nunes to turn the tides was to pull off a knockout. The star Indian boxer did not allow the Brazilian to take any step ahead of him. Goyat himself went for the finishing blow. With a combination of punches in bulk, Goyat tried to knock Nunes out before the bell but failed to pull it off in time. (With Agencies Inputs)
16 November,2024 11:45 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondentADVERTISEMENT
