Police on Thursday raided Spain's football refereeing headquarters as part of a probe into claims FC Barcelona paid for favourable decisions in a fresh blow...

Ilia Topuria has a question for you. Actually, he has a few. “Do you know how good I am?” is the first. Initially, I’m not quite sure whether I should answer on your behalf. He asks again. “Do you know how good I am?” To my relief, he quickly follows up. “I can submit him, I can knock him out. I can do with him whatever I want.” The German-born Georgian, fighting out of Spain, is not actually talking about Josh Emmett – whom he faces in a UFC Fight Night main event on Saturday. Rather, he is reflecting on his win against Bryce Mitchell. In December, Topuria submitted the submission specialist to the surprise of many, and that is why he asks: “Do you know how good I am?” It is also why he asks: “Do you know how dangerous my takedowns are, how dangerous my ground game is?” I had entered our interview presuming I would be asking the questions, but by this point, the unbeaten featherweight might have overtaken me. “I don’t care what people say about me,” he adds. “People were talking like: ‘He’s good on the ground’. I’ve been a black belt since I was 20 years old. For me, there’s no surprise if I submit Bryce Mitchell or anyone in my division. I know that I can finish anyone. Brazilian jiu-jitsu grappling is my world.” As the conversation turns to Emmett, the next obstacle in Topuria’s way as he hones in on a title shot, the 26-year-old has even more questions. “With Josh, people say: ‘His right hand is so dangerous.’ Do you know how dangerous my right hand is? Do you know how dangerous my left hand is?” The answers to all of Topuria’s questions are found fairly easily, so any frustration he has towards those fans who have missed them is understandable. Twelve of the Georgian’s 13 professional wins have coming via stoppage – eight by submission and four by knockout. Nine months before Topuria entered the featherweight top 10 with his arm-triangle choke against Mitchell, he knocked out Jai Herbert on the Briton’s home soil in London. After surviving a knockdown from a picture-perfect head kick, Topuria melted Herbert with a singing left hook to the liver and a molten right hand to the chin. While that bout took place at lightweight, it registered as a message to all UFC featherweight contenders when Topuria later dropped into the division. And, now done asking questions, Topuria has a message for you: “Shut up. Just watch the fight and enjoy.” Topuria will certainly enjoy his clash with Emmett in Jacksonville this weekend, as he looks to hand the American, 38, a second straight defeat, four months after Emmett lost to Yair Rodriguez with the interim featherweight belt on the line. “When I’m in the ring, I’m really happy and really thankful to God,” Topuria tells The Independent, “because I asked him to put me in this position. It was my goal to become a UFC champion, and this is the way I have to pass. When I go inside the cage, I feel very happy to have that opportunity, because I have the chance to fight for my dreams, and right now there are a lot of people in hospitals, [fighting] for their lives. “I’m working for my happiness every day. When I wake up, I’m not happy just for something I did in the past; I can’t live off that for my whole life. I’m just focused on myself and achieving my goals. I don’t care about anyone else – just me, my family, and my friends. That’s it.” Among the small group dearest to Topuria is his three-year-old son – already a “man”, in his father’s words. “He knows [what I do], he knows,” Topuria says. “He calls me every day, supporting me. He speaks perfectly. He’s a man. I don’t know if he’s gonna do MMA. If that’s the call [he makes], I’ll support him in anything he chooses in this life. “If he wants to fight, I’m gonna support him; if he wants to... I don’t know... study, I’m gonna support him. If it makes him happy, I don’t care. Go for that, because in this life, people are always looking for success. What’s success for me? Success is when you’re happy with yourself, that’s it.” In that sense, Topuria is already a very successful man. Winning the UFC featherweight title would only reaffirm that fact. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Topuria vs Emmett live stream: How to watch UFC Fight Night online and on TV this weekend Conor McGregor complains as his team lose yet again on The Ultimate Fighter How Ciryl Gane’s Jon Jones dream turned into a nightmare Topuria vs Emmett and full UFC Fight Night card this weekend What time does Topuria vs Emmett start in UK and US this weekend? How to watch Topuria vs Emmett online and on TV this weekend

Russian is evacuating thousands of people and a major highway has been shut down in the Crimean peninsula after a fire broke out at a military training base in the Kirovske district. “It is planned to temporarily evacuate residents of four settlements – this is more than 2,000 people,” said Russian-installed governor Sergei Aksyonov. An ammunition depot was on fire at the base after an overnight Ukrainian air raid, reported Russian Telegram channels linked to Moscow’s security services. Neither Ukraine nor Russia has confirmed the reports of an attack. Big flames and plumes of smoke were seen in videos shared online showing an uninhabited area, broken by a series of detonations. Some Telegram channels indicated that the fire was still not contained as of Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, Ukraine’s port city of Odesa witnessed “hellish” scenes overnight as it sustained more Russian airstrikes, officials said, a day after Vladimir Putin pulled out of a deal to allow safe grain exports from the region. Authorities were still assessing the scale of damage and casualties from the “very powerful, truly massive” attack, said Serhiy Bratchuk, spokesperson for the Odesa military administration. Read More Aftermath of Russian missile attack on Odesa captured in bodycam footage South African leader says that arresting Putin if he comes to Johannesburg next month would be 'war' In Ukraine, a family's ordeal to identify and honor a veteran killed in Bucha ends after 16 months Chris Christie mocks Trump’s ‘top secret’ plan for ending Ukraine war: ‘Move over Churchill’

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Captain Josh Laurent scored twice as Stoke thrashed Rotherham 6-1 to book their place in the third round of the Carabao Cup. The win extends the Potters’ perfect home record to four victories in all competitions this season – a run that started with a 4-1 triumph over the Millers on the opening day of the new Championship campaign. Stoke took an early lead when Dutchman Wouter Burger, making his full debut having recently signed from FC Basel, drove home from long distance after picking up Cameron Humphreys’ headed clearance. Ryan Mmaee doubled the home side’s advantage in the 18th minute, beautifully bending the ball into the net after Mehdi Leris, also making his full debut having signed from Sampdoria, had pulled a cross back to him. Rotherham skipper Sean Morrison’s header from a Cafu corner swiftly halved the deficit, but Stoke restored their two-goal lead just before the half-hour mark as Laurent arrowed a shot into the bottom corner after picking up possession outside the box. The advantage was further extended as half-time approached, with Tyrese Campbell curling his effort in off the crossbar after toying with defender Jamie McCart in the area. Any slender hopes the visitors had of staging a comeback were dashed in the 55th minute, when Laurent latched onto Campbell’s headed pass and rifled the ball into the net for his second goal of the night. Leris completed the rout with a fine finish 18 minutes from time, scoring a first goal for his new club after being played through by Laurent. Read More Charity boss speaks out over ‘traumatic’ encounter with royal aide Ukraine war’s heaviest fight rages in east - follow live

By Rachel Nostrant Thousands of Americans will converge on Washington on Saturday to commemorate the 60th anniversary of