Arsenal & West Ham make breakthrough in Declan Rice talks
Arsenal and West Ham have had a breakthrough in their talks over Declan Rice, who the latter intend to receive at least £100m for.
1970-01-01 08:00
Amanda Nunes took ‘coward’s way out’ by retiring at UFC 289, says Julianna Pena
Julianna Pena has labelled Amanda Nunes a ‘coward’ for retiring at UFC 289. Nunes, 35, retained the bantamweight title with a points win over Irene Aldana on Saturday, before calling time on a career seen by many as the greatest in women’s mixed martial arts history. One of the few blemishes on the Brazilian’s career came in 2021, when Nunes – who also holds the UFC women’s featherweight title – was submitted by Pena with the bantamweight belt on the line. Nunes avenged the upset loss by dominating the American in 2022, and the pair were due for a trilogy bout at UFC 289 until Pena withdrew due to injury. Pena, 33, was in attendance in Vancouver to see Nunes retire, and the former champion said on The MMA Hour on Monday: “There was a part of me that really wanted to storm the cage. I had so many people like, ‘Yes, we’ll do it, we’ll throw you over the gate!’ Then my coach was like, ‘Don’t do it. Be classy and don’t do it.’ So, I let her have my moment, but it was really difficult for me, because there were so many times where my urge was to go, ‘Now is the time, go, go go.’ “But at the end of the day, she’s retired, she’s off in the sunset, she’s dead to me at this point, and we’ve just got to keep the division moving. Now we’re stepping into day one of the ‘Pena Power’ era. I’m the champ, I’ve always been the champ in my heart and in my head [...] It’s just a matter of time before the belt’s around my waist again. “I’ve been telling you from the beginning: She’s been wanting to retire, she was one foot out the door the entire time. “She even said it herself: She was going to retire after she tapped to me, but she didn’t, because she decided I’m too good looking and she doesn’t want me to have the belt. Seriously, she’s got a problem with me.” Pena has not fought since losing the bantamweight title to Nunes last July. The rivals were set to headline UFC 289 until a rib injury forced Pena out of the bout, leading Aldana to step in. “At the end of the day, Amanda didn’t want the fight,” Pena said. “The whole time, the UFC asked her to make the trilogy, she didn’t want to make it, and they made that clear to me. They said, ‘She doesn’t want to fight you.’ That’s why it took so long to book the trilogy, and when I fell out because of injury, she said it was ‘less heavy’ for her. “Hopefully she comes back. That would be best-case scenario, so we can squash this thing and finish this trilogy. It was literally going to be the greatest trilogy in women’s MMA. It’s never happened before, and she lost that opportunity to make it happen. I lost that opportunity because I got injured, she lost that opportunity because she wants to retire early. I say she took the coward’s way out, and that’s all there is to it.” Click here to subscribe to The Independent’s Sport YouTube channel for all the latest sports videos. Read More MMA great Amanda Nunes retires after win over Irene Aldana at UFC 289 Miami Heat mascot hospitalised after Conor McGregor punch Meet Charles Oliveira, the UFC’s miracle man
1970-01-01 08:00
China’s Stimulus Runs Into Wall of Doubts in a Bearish Market
The lack of confidence is so entrenched among China’s equity investors that government efforts to boost growth are
1970-01-01 08:00
Nuggets NBA Win Continues Billionaire Kroenke’s Winning Streak
With the Denver Nuggets closing out the National Basketball Association Finals on Monday, billionaire real estate developer Stan
1970-01-01 08:00
US moves to block Microsoft's Activision takeover
Regulators have asked a judge to block the proposed deal, arguing it could harm competition levels.
1970-01-01 08:00
Rasmus Hojlund breaks silence over alleged Man Utd transfer talks
Rasmus Hojlund reveals whether reports of an alleged video call with Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag are accurate. The 20-year-old is one of a number of strikers being targeted by the Red Devils as they look for added reinforcements.
1970-01-01 08:00
Ceding ground in Ukraine, Russia kills civilians in apartment block strike
By Max Hunder KRYVYI RIH, Ukraine A Russian missile strike killed at least six civilians in an apartment
1970-01-01 08:00
At least 9 people injured in a mass shooting in Denver, police say
At least nine people have been injured in a mass shooting in Denver, police said.
1970-01-01 08:00
Using high-tech laser gear, UN-backed team scans Ukraine historical sites to preserve them amid war
Two United Nations-backed engineers are using a high-tech laser to create incredibly high-resolution, three-dimensional renderings of historic sites in Ukraine
1970-01-01 08:00
German Investor Outlook Improves Slightly After Winter Recession
Investor confidence in Germany’s economy unexpectedly improved, though doesn’t signal a strong recovery from its first recession since
1970-01-01 08:00
German investor morale improves but challenges remain - ZEW
BERLIN German investor morale improved unexpectedly in June, the ZEW economic research institute said on Tuesday, but warned
1970-01-01 08:00
Solar Power Provider Seeks $100 Million for Nigeria Growth
WATT Renewable Corp. aims to raise as much as $100 million by the end of 2024 to expand
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