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Justin Gaethje has claimed that he has little desire to fight Conor McGregor, after the Irishman called him out in the aftermath of UFC 291. Gaethje avenged a 2018 loss to Dustin Poirier on Saturday, knocking out his fellow American with a stunning head kick to win the ‘Baddest Motherf*****’ title. And McGregor, as he so often does after major UFC cards, then took to social media to call out one half of the main-event fight. “I’ll slap you around,” tweeted McGregor, 35. “I KO him one shot. Guarantee it.” At the UFC 291 post-fight press conference, Gaethje was asked about the former UFC champion’s comments. The lightweight, 34, replied: “I think he’s turned me down six times. And usually you have to lose to fight him, so don’t know what’s going on. “I don’t know, I don’t really care. Whatever. I fight MMA, I like to fight big fights, I like exciting things, so it sounds pretty exciting to me. [But] I’m not going to fight someone on steroids.” Gaethje was addressing the fact that McGregor, who has never tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug, is currently absent from the United States Anti-Doping Agency (Usada) testing pool. McGregor is set to fight Michael Chandler next, but the Irishman must first spend six months in Usada’s testing pool and return two negative tests – and zero positives. As such, McGregor vs Chandler is still without a date and location. Gaethje added: “I’ve never taken steroids in my life, never will. Well, maybe when I retire, I might... but I’ve never taken steroids, and I don’t want to fight someone that’s cheating. And I probably shouldn’t even say that if I want the fight, but it’s the truth.” McGregor vs Gaethje is a fight that many fans have long wanted to see. Meanwhile, McGregor has fought Poirier three times. McGregor knocked out the 34-year-old in a featherweight bout in 2014, before suffering a KO loss to Poirier in January 2021 at lightweight. In their trilogy fight in July 2021 – also contested at lightweight – McGregor suffered a broken leg at the end of Round 1. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Justin Gaethje stuns Dustin Poirier with brutal head-kick knockout at UFC 291 Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend Next UFC Fight Night: Event start time, card and how to watch

Jake Paul will box another UFC star this weekend as he faces Nate Diaz. YouTube star Paul has gone 6-1 as a professional boxer in recent years, and the 26-year-old holds wins over ex-UFC champions Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva – including a knockout of the former – and a KO of Ben Askren, who was also an MMA champion before joining the UFC. Now the American, who was outpointed by Tommy Fury in February, goes up against fan favourite Diaz, who left the UFC in September and is making his boxing debut here. Diaz, 38, holds a special place in the hearts of many mixed martial arts fans, and he became a crossover star in 2016 when he submitted Conor McGregor. With that victory, as well as his submission of Tony Ferguson in his final UFC fight last year, Diaz showed off his immense jiu-jitsu skills. However, the American is also known for his impressive cardio and resilience, and he will look to use those against his younger opponent this weekend. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is the fight? Paul vs Diaz will take place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday 5 August. The main card is due to begin at 1am BST on Sunday 6 August (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). Ring walks for the main event are then expected at around 4am BST on Sunday (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The event will air live on the streaming platform Dazn. It will be available to existing subscribers, and it will also be purchasable on Dazn Pay-Per-View for non-subscribers – at a cost of £14.99. A Dazn subscription is available to purchase here, with monthly plans starting at £9.99. Odds Paul – 1/3 Diaz – 3/1 Draw – 14/1 Via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz (cruiserweight) Amanda Serrano (C) vs Heather Hardy 2 (undisputed women’s featherweight titles) Shadasia Green vs Olivia Curry (women’s super-middleweight) Ashton Sylve vs William Silva (lightweight) Alan Sanchez vs Angel Beltran Villa (welterweight) Kevin Newman II vs Quilisto Madera (middleweight) Chris Avila vs Jeremy Stephens (super-middleweight) Noel Cavazos vs Jose Aguayo (welterweight) Luciano Ramos vs Cee Jay Hamilton (super-lightweight) Read More KSI vs Tommy Fury: When is fight and how to watch Justin Gaethje stuns Dustin Poirier with brutal head-kick knockout at UFC 291 Terence Crawford’s masterclass puts him in conversation to be an all-time great How to watch Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz online and on TV this weekend When is KSI vs Tommy Fury and how to watch The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings

Jake Paul will fight Nate Diaz in a crossover boxing match this weekend, as Diaz competes for the first time since leaving the UFC. YouTube star Paul has quickly gained experience and slowly earned respect as a boxer in recent years, going 6-1 as a professional. Prior to his points loss to Tommy Fury in February, the American was unbeaten, and he holds a decision win against UFC legend Anderson Silva as well as knockouts of former UFC champion Tyron Woodley and MMA star Ben Askren. Now, the 26-year-old will take on another UFC icon in the form of Diaz. The 38-year-old was always a fan favourite in mixed martial arts but became a crossover star by submitting Conor McGregor in 2016. With that win, Diaz showed off his immense jiu-jitsu experience, though he is also famed for his resilience and cardio – attributes that he implemented to overwhelm some opponents in striking exchanges. American Diaz left the UFC in September after submitting Tony Ferguson, and now fans wait to see how he will fare in his boxing debut – against a younger opponent no less. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is the fight? Paul vs Diaz will take place at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas, on Saturday 5 August. The main card is due to begin at 1am BST on Sunday 6 August (5pm PT, 7pm CT, 8pm ET on Saturday). Ring walks for the main event are then expected at around 4am BST on Sunday (8pm PT, 10pm CT, 11pm ET on Saturday). How can I watch it? The event will air live on the streaming platform Dazn. It will be available to existing subscribers, and it will also be purchasable on Dazn Pay-Per-View for non-subscribers – at a cost of £14.99. A Dazn subscription is available to purchase here, with monthly plans starting at £9.99. Odds Paul – 1/3 Diaz – 3/1 Draw – 14/1 Via Betway. Full card (subject to change) Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz (cruiserweight) Amanda Serrano (C) vs Heather Hardy 2 (undisputed women’s featherweight titles) Shadasia Green vs Olivia Curry (women’s super-middleweight) Ashton Sylve vs William Silva (lightweight) Alan Sanchez vs Angel Beltran Villa (welterweight) Kevin Newman II vs Quilisto Madera (middleweight) Chris Avila vs Jeremy Stephens (super-middleweight) Noel Cavazos vs Jose Aguayo (welterweight) Luciano Ramos vs Cee Jay Hamilton (super-lightweight) Read More KSI vs Tommy Fury: When is fight and how to watch Justin Gaethje stuns Dustin Poirier with brutal head-kick knockout at UFC 291 Terence Crawford’s masterclass puts him in conversation to be an all-time great What time does Jake Paul vs Nate Diaz start this weekend? When is KSI vs Tommy Fury and how to watch The Independent’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings

KSI and Tommy Fury will fight each other in a boxing match in October, as their brewing rivalry threatens to boil over. YouTube star KSI, 30, has fought several times, notably drawing with Logan Paul in 2018 then beating him in 2019, and most recently fighting Joe Fournier to a No Contest. KSI (real name Olajide Olatunji) knocked out Fournier with an illegal elbow in May, and the result was later overturned. Meanwhile, Fury – half-brother of WBC heavyweight champion Tyson – is unbeaten like KSI but with much more professional experience. The 24-year-old is 9-0 as a pro, having most recently beaten Jake Paul on points in February. After KSI’s contest with Fournier, ex-Love Island contestant Fury entered the ring for a face-off, and the pair will share a ring again when they square off in October. Here’s all you need to know. We may earn commission from some of the links in this article, but we never allow this to influence our content. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent. When is the fight? KSI vs Fury will take place at the AO Arena in Manchester on Saturday 14 October. No timings for the event have yet been announced, but the main card is likely to begin at 7pm BST (11am PT, 1pm CT, 2pm ET). Ring walks for the main event are likely to follow at around 10pm BST (2pm PT, 4pm CT, 5pm ET). How can I watch it? The event will air live on the streaming platform Dazn. It will be available to existing subscribers, and it will also be purchasable on Dazn Pay-Per-View for non-subscribers. A Dazn subscription is available to purchase here, with monthly plans starting at £9.99. Who else is fighting? Logan Paul, KSI’s opponent-turned-business partner at their Prime energy-drink company, will fight in the evening’s other ‘main event’. It has not yet been announced who the YouTube star will box. Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More Errol Spence reveals date of Terence Crawford rematch – ‘We got to do it again’ Terence Crawford’s masterclass puts him in conversation to be an all-time great Justin Gaethje stuns Dustin Poirier with brutal head-kick knockout at UFC 291

Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje will clash in the main event of UFC 291 tonight, in a rematch with the ‘BMF’ title on the line. Poirier beat Gaethje via fourth-round TKO in 2018, and the pair’s careers followed similar trajectories in the time since. Poirier, 34, won the interim lightweight title in 2019 but failed to unify the belt against Khabib Nurmagomedov, losing to the Russsian via submission; Gaethje, 34, then collected the interim gold in 2020 but was also submitted by Khabib. Each man then got a second crack at the gold but came up short again, with Poirier submitted by Charles Oliveira in 2021 and Gaethje suffering the same fate last May. However, Poirier and Gaethje have both bounced back since then, with the former stopping Michael Chandler and the latter beating Rafael Fiziev. And when Poirier and Gaethje rematch in Salt Lake City, Utah, tonight, the ‘Baddest Motherf*****’ belt will be up for grabs. The title has only appeared once before, when Jorge Masvidal beat Nate Diaz to become the inaugural champion in 2019. In this evening’s co-main event, former middleweight champion Alex Pereira moves up to light-heavyweight to face Jan Blachowicz, an ex-title holder in the division. Follow live updates and results from UFC 291, below. For the full odds on the Poirier vs Gaethje fight, click here for our betting page. Read More UFC 291 live stream: How to watch Poirier vs Gaethje online and on TV this weekend Michael Bisping: ‘The challenge of coming back to grapple appeals to me’ Conor McGregor pays emotional tribute to Sinead O’Connor after singer’s death

Errol Spence Jr and Terence Crawford are squaring off in Las Vegas tonight, in one of the most-anticipated boxing matches in years. The American southpaws, both unbeaten, clash to crown an undisputed welterweight champion in a bout that has been years in the making. Spence, 33, carries the WBC, WBA and IBF titles into the T-Mobile Arena, while Crawford, 35, holds the WBO belt. Spence (28-0, 22 knockouts) last competed in April 2022, stopping Yordenis Ugas in the 10th round, while Crawford (39-0, 30 KOs) most recently fought in December, beating David Avanesyan with a sixth-round TKO. Spence told The Independent this week: “I definitely think it’s something that would’ve been hanging over our heads for our whole careers, if we didn’t make this fight happen. I feel like it’s definitely gonna be on another level. This is a super-fight, people have it as a 50-50 fight.” Meanwhile, Crawford said: “I’m already pound-for-pound No 1, I feel. In my eyes, a win over Errol would just put me as undisputed, pound-for-pound No 1 in everybody’s eyes. There would be no debate.” Follow live updates and results from Spence vs Crawford and the undercard, below. Read More Spence vs Crawford live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend The factor that could decide Spence vs Crawford super-fight Terence Crawford wins coin toss with Errol Spence Jr to make key fight-night decision

There are certain players that may want a move to Saudi Arabia, and their clubs could be only too happy to oblige, including the likes of Chelsea's Romelu Lukaku or Manchester United's Harry Maguire nad Fred

The city is continuing the relationship built by hosting Eurovision.

Errol Spence Jr knew this time would be different. For the best part of five years, fans had debated what a fight between the two best welterweights of their generation would look like. Promoters had spoken in public and in private about whether fans would get a look at that fight at all. On more than one occasion, the contest seemed to be within grasp before drifting out of reach. But when Terence Crawford texted him, Spence Jr knew this time would be different. “I think it really took us just getting on the phone, and talking to each other,” Spence told The Independent over Zoom, a week out from Saturday’s fight at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “It took us relaying different messages to each other about the negotiations, and basically me just giving him stuff that he wanted to make the fight happen. I didn’t really want much. The big obstacles were the [purse] split and the ring walk.” Such obstacles could not have been overcome without Spence and his fellow American sharing a mutual respect, both fighters told The Independent, with Crawford saying on a call with other reporters: “You’ve got a lot of people that put on a little circus act and start going about things the wrong way – being disrespectful, taking it to another level that it doesn’t need to be taken to. Sometimes, you can’t come back from that.” There was no such problem when Crawford, 35, and Spence, 33, picked up the phone, initially bypassing promoters, agents and handlers to try to hash out a deal for a historic fight – one between two unbeaten title holders, to crown an undisputed welterweight champion. “There’s definitely a respect between us, I respect him a lot,” Spence acknowledged, while Crawford said: “It was never nothing [antagonistic], it was all business and respect [on the phone]. “I hit him up on 1 January,” Crawford added. “I sent him a text, just telling him that we need to actually fight, to make history. He was in agreement about us fighting. And at that particular time, I reached out to [promoter] Al Haymon and started back up the conversation. Errol got back on a phone call and started talking about the structure of the fight, the deal. That’s how the fight was made.” “The conversations were just us talking about what was going on with the negotiations, and seeing if we could get to the middle of it – the meat of it,” Spence explained. “Basically there was some stuff that he wanted, which me and my team didn’t agree to [at first].” Eventually, however, agreements were reached. It has been a year of mixed results in terms of talks over marquee fights. Tyson Fury’s prospective clash with Oleksandr Usyk collapsed, despite the latter agreeing to a 70-30 purse split in the Briton’s favour. The Ukrainian made that concession in spite of holding three of the four major heavyweight belts, compared to Fury’s one, and holding an unbeaten record like his potential opponent. A long-awaited bout between Fury and compatriot Anthony Joshua also crashed and burned before it got off the ground, and not for the first time. However, a highly-anticipated showdown between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Ryan Garcia did materialise, as did huge title fights between Vasiliy Lomachenko and Devin Haney and Josh Taylor and Teofimo Lopez. So, should more fighters take the approach that Spence and Crawford did? “If they’re mature enough, they definitely need to get on the phone with each other and talk,” Spence said. “But I don’t know if they’re as level-headed as me and Terence are, talking and having disagreements but trying to make the fight happen. You’ve got to have a level head to talk to another fighter and just come up with the same scenario. [It was me] talking to my people, and then at some points we had my team and his team, himself and myself. We were always on a call with each other, trying to figure out how to make the fight happen.” Crawford then told The Independent: “If you have two grown men that are willing to set aside their pride and put the hype to the side and come together and both want the same thing, then yes,” before telling another reporter: “I can’t speak on other people’s situations, because I’m not the one trying to make the fight happen with them, but boxers are the ones in charge. “Once a fighter realises that, the advisers, promoters and managers go to work. They’ve got to give the fighter what he wants. You’ve had two cases recently: ‘Tank’ and Garcia wanted to fight each other, and they made sure that deal got done, just like you have Terence Crawford and Errol Spence wanting to fight each other. We both went to our people and got the fight done, so it all comes down to the fighters at the end of the day. “Yeah, our handlers want to look out for our best interests and make sure we make the best business decision at the right time, but it’s up to us as fighters to say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. There’s a lot of fighters that can say, ‘No, I don’t wanna fight this guy; I want him, give me him,’ and if the opposing fighter is saying the same thing, there’s nothing anyone can do but to make the fight happen.” And now, one of the most-anticipated fights of a generation will happen, when Spence carries the WBC, WBA and IBF welterweight titles into the T-Mobile Arena, while Crawford brings the WBO belt. “I definitely think it’s something that would’ve been hanging over our heads for our whole careers, if we didn’t make this fight happen,” Spence admitted. “It’d have been tied to us all the time. ‘Man, Spence, I wish he would’ve fought Terence.’ Or, ‘Man, I wish Terence would’ve fought Spence.’ It would’ve been that super-fight that didn’t happen. “I feel like it’s definitely gonna be on another level. This is a super-fight, people have it as a 50-50 fight. [It will crown] the undisputed welterweight champion, we’re both undefeated. The accolades that he has, the accolades that I have...” Meanwhile, Crawford said: “It means a lot, given the history that’s on the line, but at the same time there are a lot of other fights in the history of boxing that didn’t happen. So, if the fight with Errol didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be the first and I wouldn’t be the last to have people talking about them like that. It’d just be another fight on the list.” Both boxers are grounded as the fight approaches, even while acknowledging that it could define both men’s careers. Spence told The Independent: “Just because it’s a big fight, that doesn’t mean it isn’t just another day in the ring for me. I’ve been treating it as that, as far as my emotions and how I feel, but I’ve definitely been training hard and focused a lot more on my craft, my abilities, and my training. But when I wake up on the day of the fight, it’s gonna be another day in the office. [My first thought] will probably be what I’m gonna eat!” “This fight week feels the same,” Crawford said. “It definitely feels bigger, but at the same time, in my mind it’s no different. I’m already pound-for-pound No 1, I feel. In my eyes, a win over Errol Spence Jr would just put me as undisputed, pound-for-pound No 1 in everybody’s eyes. There would be no debate.” On Saturday, a maximum of 12 rounds will end five years of debate. And all thanks to one text. TNT Sports Box Office will show Errol Spence Jr vs Terence Crawford exclusively live on Saturday 29 July. Learn more at https://www.tntsports.co.uk/boxoffice Read More Spence vs Crawford live stream: How to watch fight online and on TV this weekend The factor that could decide Spence vs Crawford super-fight Terence Crawford wins coin toss with Errol Spence Jr to make key fight-night decision Exclusive look at Terence Crawford’s ring gear ahead of clash with Errol Spence Jr The meaning behind Terence Crawford’s ring gear in Errol Spence Jr clash Terence Crawford wins coin toss with Errol Spence to make key fight-night decision

Terence Crawford's ring gear has been revealed ahead of his titanic bout with Errol Spence Jr this Saturday. Spence likes to refer to himself as the "Big Fish", and Crawford is taking no prisoners with his outfit. The ring gear features hooks and other fishing-related imagery. “I was able to do a lot of research into deep-sea fishing, the fabrics and hardware they use, and I implement that into the design", said Imtayaz Qassim of Bespoke Boxing, where Crawford’s outfit was designed and created. The two professional boxers are set to clash to crown an undisputed welterweight champion in their match. These two Americans are both currently unbeaten, but Crawford's WBO belt is on the line, as are Spence's WBC, WBA and IBF titles. Read More Moment Biden forgets to sign executive order in Maine Distressing moment dachshund stolen from Essex home by masked thief Driver Snapchats speeding at 80mph before killing passenger in crash

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Captain of the German national team since 2019, Alexandra Popp has established herself as one of the stalwarts of the women’s game and the German national side since making her debut in 2010. A full-back-turned-forward, the 32-year-old will be carrying her nation’s hopes on her shoulders at the Women’s World Cup as she looks to avenge their heartbreaking defeat to England in Euro 2022 final last summer. Born in Witten, in western Germany, Popp began her fledgling football career as a student at Gesamtschule Berger Feld in Gelsenkirchen. The elite footballing school trains players for the men’s Bundesliga side, Schalke, with Popp the only female student to attend the school courtesy of a special permit. Having also played for mixed-gender teams at FC Silschede, Popp eventually got her first taste of senior football at Recklinghausen in the fourth tier of German football. Her stay there would last just one year with the then 17-year-old joining top-flight Duisburg in 2008 under the tutelage of the current national team manager, Martina Voss-Tecklenburg. Popp would enjoy a hugely successful first season, winning the UEFA Women’s Champions League and German Cup with Duisburg. She would follow that up the following season by retaining the German Cup with the season culminating in Popp making her debut for the senior national team in 2010. After two further years, Popp transferred to Wolfsburg in 2012 where she remains today. Much like her debut season at Duisburg, Popp would hit the ground running at Wolfsburg with a famous treble-winning campaign that saw her side capture the UEFA Women’s Champions League, Frauen-Bundesliga and German Cup. Her career at Wolfsburg went from strength to strength as Popp guided her side to a successful defence of the UEFA Women’s Champions League and Frauen-Bundesliga in the 2013-14 season. Whilst her Wolfsburg side may not have tasted European glory since that 2014 season, they have been the dominant force in domestic German women’s football with her side winning the German Cup for nine-straight seasons while also winning the Frauen-Bundesliga on five occasions. For the national team, Popp has also been a stalwart since her debut in 2010, scoring 62 goals in 128 appearances. Despite missing the final through injury, Popp scored eight goals as Germany went on to retain the Euros in 2013. Get all the latest Women’s World Cup odds here Having lost in the semi-finals of the 2015 World Cup, the national side would go on to claim gold at the 2016 Rio Olympics. In 2019, Popp would become captain of the national side ahead of the World Cup where they fell to Sweeden in the quarter-finals. A heartbreaking injury in the warm-up for last year’s Euros finals prevented Popp from playing as England defeated Germany in extra time. Read More FIFA Women’s World Cup fixtures and full schedule Women’s football world rankings: Who could take No 1 at the World Cup? Germany and Alexandra Popp are out for revenge - the World Cup is the perfect chance