This Updated Pegboard Game Helps Stroke Victims Relearn Motor Skills
One startup is using games to make physical therapy more engaging.
1970-01-01 08:00
Alexander Volkanovski’s bravest move yet? Talking about his mental health
First came the crack in Alexander Volkanovski‘s defence. Then, the crack in his voice. If the first crack was consequential, allowing Islam Makhachev to skim his shin off the Australian’s head, the latter was a consequence in itself – a consequence of one of the best fighters alive staying silent on his struggles with mental health. That is, until now. Volkanovski would have emerged from UFC 294 with credit anyway; he stepped in on 11 days’ notice and moved up in weight to challenge a man who had beaten him eight months prior. Even in this surprising, first-round defeat by Makhachev, Volkanovski lost very little. His featherweight title still rests firmly on his shoulder, and he will soon return to that weight class where he has been unbeatable. But soon may be too soon. In his post-fight press conference, Volkanovski began the dissection of this defeat – his second this year, but just his third as a professional mixed martial artist, with his first having occurred a long decade ago. The 35-year-old started to dissect the technical reasons for this knockout loss, but it soon became apparent what was of greater importance: the psychological reasons for his presence in Abu Dhabi. “He’s not somebody you should be taking a short-notice [fight] with, but I needed it,” Volkanovski began. “Obviously a lot of people will say it’s for the money and all that, but it was much more than that. It is hard, it is really hard for athletes... Sorry, um... I never thought I would struggle with it,” he continued, ignoring the blood over his eye, instead wiping a tear from beneath it. “But for some reason when I wasn’t fighting or in camp... F***, sorry,” he said, attempting a laugh, looking away and to the ceiling, then gently rapping his hand on the table to bring himself back into the room. “I was just doing my head in,” he continued, tears floating at the bottom of his eyes. “I needed a fight, and this opportunity came up. I’ll be honest: I wasn’t training as much as I should have, but I thought I had to do it. I had to take it. I’m telling myself, ‘It’s meant to be.’ I was struggling a little bit not fighting, doing my head in. I don’t know how; everything’s fine, I’ve got a beautiful family. But, I don’t know... I think you just need to keep busy. I need to be in camp, otherwise, I’m going to do my head in. “It’s weird, [it’s not that I] never ‘believed in that stuff’, but I never got it. It was something that – I don’t know – maybe the more and more I learn about myself, the more I understand. I talked about us having a smile on my face, me and my wife. My wife could see it does get hard, I don’t know why.” Volkanovski pointed to the birth of his third child, in August, and surgery on an injury this summer as reasons why he had not been training. Clearly, the knock-on effect of those moments – as joyous as the former seemed to be – has led Volkanovski’s mental health to suffer. Last week, all the talk was of how brave the Australian was to face Makhachev on short notice; braver was this admission that he is struggling, which simultaneously offers a different lens through which to view his choice to fight. Keeping himself engaged and busy is healthy, but that is complicated by the inherent risk in his profession. “Maybe it was just a silly decision under the circumstances,” he admitted. Perhaps it was, though it was also understandable. Volkanovski’s next challenge, however, will come outside of the ring. It must. He naturally sees the antidote to his current struggles as a quick turnaround to fight again, likely against the dangerous Ilia Topuria in January. Yet, that fight could go the same way as Saturday’s against Makhachev, if the Australian does not first tackle these thoughts and feelings, and find the right balance for him. We knew Alexander Volkanovski was brave. That is even clearer now than it was last week. Now, however, he must be sensible, and get to work outside the ring before he can return to work in it. Read More Islam Makhachev stuns Alexander Volkanovski with head-kick KO in first round at UFC 294 Conor McGregor reacts to ‘illegal’ strikes in Islam Makhachev win at UFC 294 Khabib explains why he wasn’t in Islam Makhachev’s corner at UFC 294
1970-01-01 08:00
Is Tottenham vs Fulham on TV? Channel, time and how to watch Premier League fixture tonight
Tottenham can return to the top of the Premier League when they host Fulham tonight. Spurs have made their best-ever start to a Premier League season and have won six and drawn two of their opening eight games so far under Ange Postecoglou. Victory over Fulham would see Tottenham go two points clear of Manchester City and Arsenal in the early standings, ahead of Friday night’s trip to Crystal Palace. Fulham are 13th having three wins and three defeats from their first eight league games, but Marco Silva’s side are the only team to have beaten Spurs this season after their victory in the second round of the Carabao Cup. Fulham have not beaten Tottenham in the Premier League since 2013, however. Here’s everything you need to know before tonight’s London derby clash. When is Tottenham vs Fulham? The match will kick off at 8pm BST on Monday 23 October at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. How can I watch it? It will be shown live on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Premier League, with coverage starting from 6:30pm. Sky Sports subscribers can also stream the match on Sky Go or Now TV. If you’re travelling abroad and want to watch major sporting events then you might need a VPN to unblock your streaming app. Our VPN roundup is here to help: get great deals on the best VPNs in the market. Viewers using a VPN need to make sure that they comply with any local regulations where they are and also with the terms of their service provider. What is the team news? Tottenham midfielder Yves Bissouma will serve a one-match suspension after his sending off in the 1-0 win against Luton and is expected to be replaced by Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. Son Heung-min and Cristian Romero are expected to be fit following international duty. Marco Silva confirmed that there are no fresh injuries from the international break, but Issa Diop is now sidelined along with Adama Traore, Kenny Tete and Tosin Adarabioyo. Predicted line-ups Tottenham: Vicario; Porro, Romero, Van de Ven, Udogie; Sarr, Hojbjerg; Kulusevski, Maddison, Richarlison; Son Fulham: Leno; Castagne, Ream, Bassey, Robinson; Reed, Palhinha, Perreira; Iwobi, Vinicius, Willian Prediction Tottenham 3-0 Fulham Read More Tottenham reveal Rodrigo Bentancur injury update as key midfielder nears return Can Tottenham’s best-ever Premier League start really go the distance? Baltimore boss John Harbaugh thrilled to end ‘heck of a week’ in London on high James Maddison says timing of international break is ‘annoying’ for Tottenham A closer look at the UK and Ireland’s host venues for Euro 2028 A closer look at the UK and Ireland’s host venues for Euro 2028
1970-01-01 08:00
Stolen ancient artefacts from Ukraine recovered in Spain
Authorities say the Scythian gold was smuggled out of Ukraine in 2016.
1970-01-01 08:00
Israel's criticism of Irish president 'unhelpful'
The Israeli ambassador has accused the Irish president of making misinformed comments on the Israel-Gaza war.
1970-01-01 08:00
Iron Man game to be made with regular feedback from Marvel fans
Marvel fans will unite to help make the 'Iron Man' game the best possible experience.
1970-01-01 08:00
Marvel's Spider-Man 2 Cuban flag fix on the way
Insomniac Games is going to ensure the flag issue is resolved.
1970-01-01 08:00
Final Fantasy 14 director eyes Diablo crossover, admits 'It's a tricky one'
Naoki Yoshida admits that whilst it's on his wish list for collaborations, it won't be easy.
1970-01-01 08:00
ESG investing is dying on Wall Street. Here's why
The market for environmental, social and corporate governance, or ESG, investing is fundamentally broken.
1970-01-01 08:00
Khabib explains why he wasn’t in Islam Makhachev’s corner at UFC 294
Khabib Nurmagomedov has clarified why he missed childhood friend and UFC protege Islam Makhachev’s stunning victory over Alexander Volkanovski. The former UFC champion, who finished his career with an unbeaten 29-0 record, said it was not unusual for him to not be in the corner in Abu Dhabi on Saturday night. Nurmagomedov became Makhachev’s coach following his retirement in 2020, but the ‘Eagle’ announced earlier this year that he had taken a step back from the UFC. Makhachev stunned Volkanovski with a first-round knockout at UFC 294, retaining the lightweight title in their rematch. In February, Makhachev outpointed Volkanovski – who holds the featherweight belt – in the latter’s native Australia, in a competitive clash that left many fans desiring a rematch. Nurmagomedov congratulated Makhachev on his victory before responding to fans who had questioned his absence from ringside. “If you guys ask me where have I been? Why wasn’t I in the corner, I already answered this question,” he posted on Instagram. “I don’t go to fights, I don’t go to the corner and I completely left everything related to MMA. I ask you to accept my decision the same way as my brothers, friends and sparring partners did. What our team achieved will forever be in the history of MMA.” Makhachev had already addressed the fact that Nurmagomedov would not be in his corner before UFC 294, telling reporters that he understood and supported his mentor’s decision. “Here is my explanation: We have a very big team,” Makhachev said. “What if Khabib is there for one of us? We’re all equal. “No matter if somebody’s a champion and the other guy is still on his way up, we all support each other. If he is there for my fight, he will need to be there for every single one from our team to not let anyone feel abandoned. “He has already said that he will not attend the fights and he will not corner anyone. And we all support him in this decision.” Midway through the first round of the main event, southpaw Makhachev skimmed his left shin off Volkanovski’s head, wobbling and dropping the featherweight king. Makhachev, 31, followed up with a fierce flurry of hammer fists to the grounded Aussie, whose brow split open amid the onslaught. Referee Marc Goddard stepped in, confirming an emphatic victory and title defence for Makhachev, the mentee and childhood friend of UFC lightweight great Khabib Nurmagomedov. The result extended Makhachev’s win streak to 13 fights, dating back to 2015, when he suffered the sole loss of his professional career. Meanwhile, Volkanovski was beaten for the third time as a pro, though he remains undefeated at his preferred weight of 145lbs. Read More Alexander Volkanovski’s bravest move yet? Talking about his mental health Conor McGregor reacts to ‘illegal’ strikes in Islam Makhachev win at UFC 294 Makhachev stuns Volkanovski with head-kick KO in first round at UFC 294 UFC 294 LIVE: Volkanovski vs Makhachev fight results after shock KO Islam Makhachev demands two words from Alexander Volkanovski ahead of UFC 294 Volkanovski vs Makhachev gamble shows the best and worst of the UFC
1970-01-01 08:00
Braga vs Real Madrid - Champions League: TV channel, team news, lineups & prediction
Previewing Real Madrid's Champions League group stage game against Braga on Tuesday night, including how to watch on TV, live stream, predicted lineups and score prediction.
1970-01-01 08:00
Skulls and flowers on parade at Mexico's Catrinas procession
Mexicans dressed as skeletons parade through the streets of the capital ahead of the Day of the Dead.
1970-01-01 08:00
