Sport

Bellingham’s start to the season was inevitably difficult, having had shoulder surgery in July for a long-standing injury he sustained in 2023.

He missed 63 days of training and playing, including five matches for Los Blancos.

In his first appearance back in late September, he was welcomed to the pitch with a huge roar as his return thrilled the Madridistas.

“Bellingham has nothing to prove on Sunday,” said Real supporter Carlos Campillo. “He already does that with every game he plays in and every assist he makes. He doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone but himself.

Fellow fan Juan Antonio Lillo added: “It’s not a decisive game for him. He needs to keep picking up pace and getting a feel for the game. It’s just one more step towards reaching the level he needs to be at and he’ll get there sooner or later.”

Since Bellingham’s return, he has appeared in six more fixtures in all competitions, slowly increasing his minutes and trying to rediscover his best form.

For much of that stretch, however, his influence was limited – until this week, where his match-winning goal in the Champions League against Juventus reignited the Bernabeu’s belief – and perhaps his too.

“It’s a great feeling, a long time now since I’ve scored, a lot of time out and dreaming of that moment, back in the Champions League and against a big team”, Bellingham told US broadcaster CBS after scoring his first goal of the season.

“To score a winner here at home, it’s unbelievable. I felt comfortable, really good. To play well was important, and to score the winning goal helps the team a lot.”

Bellingham shone in his debut season at the Bernabeu, scoring 19 goals in La Liga, but his form dipped slightly in 2024–25 as Madrid finished the campaign without a major trophy.

“I didn’t think last year was a disaster,” he reflected. “[It was] still 15 goals, 14 assists, but I know the general feeling was that it was worse. But I was a part of that, how we didn’t play as well last year.

“There were still good moments, but not the level I want to play at, not the level like the first year. Now I’ve had my shoulder surgery, a new manager, he’s got that shape, how we want to play.”

While Brook has had two weeks in New Zealand, Root, Smith and fellow opener Ben Duckett were in the middle for the first time in more than six weeks.

The two remaining matches in this series, plus the one warm-up in Australia, will be their only further opportunities to find form before the first Test on 21 November.

Four runs combined for three players so crucial to England’s hopes is clearly not ideal but significant credit must be given to New Zealand’s new-ball bowlers.

Henry began the match with a delivery that jagged back significantly to bowl Smith through the gate and barely relented with his accuracy throughout his opening spell of eight overs.

Playing only his second ODI, Zak Foulkes was highly impressive and found 0.96 degrees of seam movement plus 1.99 degrees of swing in the first 10 overs – a significant jump from the recent average of 0.89 and 1.41 respectively at this ground.

Duckett nicked a Foulkes ball from round the wicket that angled in before moving away and Root was bowled by a hooping inswinger, albeit one not full enough for his booming drive.

Perhaps the 23-year-old’s best delivery was saved for Jacob Bethell.

The left-hander looked to play another from Foulkes straight down the pitch but was bowled when the ball swung away late to beat his outside edge.

It left Bethell helpless as he tried to apply more pressure to Ollie Pope’s position as Test number three.

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

Second Round

DIVISION 3

Lakewood St. Joseph d. Crescenta Valley, 3-2

Flintridge Prep d. North Torrance, 26-24, 21-25, 25-12, 25-14

Corona del Mar d. Burbank Burroughs, 3-2

Foothill d. South Pasadena, 3-0

Saugus d. Pasadena Poly, 25-22, 21-25, 21-25, 25-18, 15-9

St. Margaret’s d. El Dorado, 19-25, 25-17, 25-13, 25-15

Cypress d. Long Beach Wilson, 25-19, 25-11, 25-13

Millikan d. Village Christian, 3-2

DIVISION 5

Ontario Christian d. Downey, 3-1

Culver City d. San Marino, 25-21, 17-25, 25-11, 25-22

Gahr d. Orange County Pacifica Christian, 25-20, 14-25, 25-19, 25-21

Santa Barbara d. Sacred Heart LA, 3-1

Placentia Valencia at Alta Loma

Royal d. Valencia, 25-20, 25-20, 25-22

El Toro at San Gabriel, Monday at 6 p.m.

Chadwick d. Corona, 25-14, 25-19, 25-17

DIVISION 7

Elsinore d. Ontario, 3-1

San Jacinto Leadership Academy at Esperanza, Monday at 5 p.m.

West Valley d. Faith Baptist, 25-17, 25-20, 25-20

Bell Gardens d. Eisenhower, 25-18, 25-19, 16-25, 25-23

Cate d. Castaic, 3-1

Santa Fe d. Tustin, 3-0

Coastal Christian d. Pasadena, 25-19, 35-33, 20-25, 25-20

CAMS d. Geffen Academy, 3-1

DIVISION 9

Westminster La Quinta d. Beacon Hill, 3-0

Tarbut V’Torah at Avalon, Monday at 4:30 p.m.

Santa Ana Valley d. United Christian Academy, 3-0

Nogales d. Lawndale, 3-0

Nordhoff d. Estancia, 25-13, 17-25, 25-21, 25-17

Fairmont Prep d. Buena Park, 3-1

Riverside North d. Miller, 3-0

South El Monte d. Loara, 25-13, 25-18, 25-22

TUESDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted)

Quarterfinals

DIVISION 1

Temecula Valley at Sierra Canyon

Mira Costa at Marymount

Harvard-Westlake at Mater Dei

San Juan Hills at Redondo Union

WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted)

Quarterfinals

DIVISION 2

San Marcos at Long Beach Poly

Redlands at Santa Margarita

Bishop Montgomery at JSerra

West Ranch at Orange Lutheran

DIVISION 3

Flintridge Prep at Lakewood St. Joseph

Foothill at Corona Del Mar

St. Margaret’s at Saugus

Cypress at Millikan

DIVISION 4

La Canada at Marlborough

Dana Hills at Corona Santiago

Oak Park at Linfield Christian

Ventura at Paloma Valley

DIVISION 5

Culver City at Ontario Christian

Gahr at Santa Barbara

Alta Loma/Placentia Valencia at Royal

San Gabriel/El Toro vs. Chadwick

DIVISION 6

Garden Grove Pacifica at Pasadena Marshall

Arrowhead Christian at Cantwell-Sacred Heart

Wiseburn Da Vinci at Burbank Providence

Valley View at Capistrano Valley Christian

DIVISION 7

San Jacinto Leadership/Esperanza vs. Elsinore

West Valley at Bell Gardens

Santa Fe at Cate

Coastal Christian at CAMS

DIVISION 8

Malibu at Foothill Tech

Arroyo Valley at Schurr

Loma Linda Academy at Paramount

Artesia at Vistamar

DIVISION 9

Westminster La Quinta at Tarbut V’Torah/Avalon

Nogales at Santa Ana Valley

Nordhoff at Fairmont Prep

Riverside North at South El Monte

DIVISION 10

Colton at Thacher

Rosemead at Anaheim

San Luis Obispo Classical at Mesa Grande

Glendale Adventist at Moreno Valley

Note: Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 1; Division 1 Finals Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. at Cerritos College; Finals (Divisions 2-10) Nov. 6-8 (sites & times TBA).

Tom Aspinall’s first defence of his undisputed heavyweight title ended in bitter disappointment after an accidental eye poke from Ciryl Gane left the Briton unable to continue at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.

At the end of a competitive first round, France’s Gane poked Aspinall in both eyes while attempting a punch, with the referee stopping the contest.

Aspinall, 32, could be seen telling the doctor “I can’t see” as he held a cloth to his eye, and with the Briton unable to fight on the referee deemed the bout a no-contest.

The result meant Aspinall retained his title – but not in the way he wanted to and he showed his frustration in his post-fight interview as the crowd booed the outcome.

“Guys, I just got poked knuckle deep in the eyeball. Why are you booing? I can’t see,” said a crestfallen Aspinall.

“The fight was just getting going. I can hardly open my eye. Look! It was a double eye poke.”

Aspinall was taken to hospital after the fight and did not appear for the post-fight news conference.

Calling the fight a no-contest means the referee deemed the foul accidental rather than intentional, which would have resulted in a disqualification.

A disqualification would have gone down as a win for Aspinall.

Gane was equally annoyed at the outcome and could be seen pacing around the edge of the octagon, shaking his head, as the result was announced.

“I feel sorry. I’m sorry for the crowd, for the fans, I’m sorry for Tom Aspinall and sorry for myself,” said Gane.

“We put a lot of energy in this fight so I’m disappointed, but this is the sport, this is life.

“I don’t know what is going to happen for the future, but we will see.”

SOUTHERN SECTION PLAYOFFS

SATURDAY’S RESULTS

Second Round

DIVISION 2

Bishop Amat 25, Cajon 0

Newbury Park 26, Portola 18

Ventura 40, Northwood 27

Corona Del Mar 7, Linfield Christian 6

Downey 25, San Clemente 6

Westlake 20, Beckman 6

El Toro 19, Aliso Niguel 18

Upland 33, Gahr 23

DIVISION 3

La Serna 20, Foothill 13

Sunny Hills 20, Moorpark 0

Long Beach Poly 26, Norco 7

Glendora 13, Millikan 12

Mission Viejo 20, Corona Santiago 6

El Modena 25, Rancho Cucamonga 6

Eastvale Roosevelt 16, Santa Paula 13

La Habra 27, Bellflower 8

DIVISION 4

Canyon Springs 26, Temecula Prep 13

West Ranch 19, Inglewood 6

Riverside King 41, Gardena Serra 25

Great Oak 25, Schurr 18

Temecula Valley 33, St. Mary’s Academy 22

Riverside Poly 20, Chaminade 14

Compton 25, Claremont 13

Royal 14, Antelope Valley 6

DIVISION 5

Moreno Valley 13, Quartz Hill 12

Rancho Alamitos 18, San Gorgonio 7

Norte Vista 19, Northview 13

Castaic 14, Hacienda Heights Wilson 12

Don Lugo 12, Azusa 6

Anaheim 20, Long Beach Jordan 19

Vasquez 12, Westridge 0

Vista Murrieta 7, Buena Park 0

DIVISION 6

Leuzinger 25, Brentwood 13

Cerritos 8, Montebello 6

Loara 18, Garey 14

Adelanto 12, Artesia 7

Estancia 13, El Rancho 6

Alemany 12, Paramount 6

Palm Desert 13, Gabrielino 7

Hillcrest 20, Godinez 6

MONDAY’S SCHEDULE

(Games at 5 p.m. unless noted)

Quarterfinals

DIVISION 1

JSerra at Santa Margarita

Dos Pueblos at Edison

Huntington Beach at Camarillo, 7 p.m.

Orange Lutheran at San Marcos

Note: Quarterfinals (Divisions 2-6) Oct. 28; Semifinals (all divisions) Nov. 1; Finals (all divisions) Nov. 7-8 at Fred Kelly Stadium.

Yoshinobu Yamamoto pitched a rare four-hitter to get the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers back in the World Series.

Japanese ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto flipped the World Series script in favour of the reigning champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are headed home for three games and flying high after a 5-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Game 2 on Saturday.

Yamamoto was spectacular while pitching a complete game, striking out eight batters and walking none, while Will Smith drove in three runs, including a solo home run in the seventh inning that put the Dodgers ahead for good.

“Yeah, he was just locked in tonight,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said of Yamamoto. “It was one of those things he said before the series: losing is not an option, and he had that look tonight.”

The win leve;led the best-of-seven series at 1-1 and put the star-studded Dodgers back on track in their bid to become Major League Baseball’s (MLB) first repeat champions in 25 years.

Baffled hitters

A day after a humbling 11-4 defeat that exposed the thinness of the Dodgers’ bullpen, and may have allowed some doubt to creep into their clubhouse, the team turned the ball over to their ace in the hopes he could right the ship.

Making his first start since pitching a complete-game gem in the National League Championship Series, Yamamoto again went the distance, and left Blue Jays hitters baffled one day after they were seemingly hitting pitches at will.

“Going into the game, the pregame bullpen, I was feeling really good with the splitter,” Yamamoto said about his signature pitch.

“I’m very happy and proud of the fact that I was able to bring a big contribution and give a chance for the team to win.”

Fast Start

The Dodgers made a fast start as Freddie Freeman hit a two-out double in the first inning before Smith singled to put the visitors ahead 1-0.

Toronto threatened in the bottom half of the inning, getting runners on first and third with no outs, but Yamamoto retired the next three batters to get out of the jam and never looked back.

Yamamoto was so dominant that he retired the final 20 batters he faced on the night, a remarkable run that started when he got Alejandro Kirk out on a sacrifice fly that scored George Springer in the third.

“He made it hard for us to make him work,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said of Yamamoto’s performance. “He was in the zone, split was in and out of the zone. It was a really good performance by him.”

‘Pitchers duel’

The Dodgers, who also had their hands full with Toronto starter Kevin Gausman, broke through in the seventh when Smith homered into the second deck in left field before Max Muncy’s solo shot two batters later.

Los Angeles added two more runs in the eighth on a wild pitch before Smith grounded into a fielder’s choice that scored Shohei Ohtani.

Gausman, who prior to Smith’s homer had retired 17 Dodgers batters in a row, took the loss after allowing three runs and striking out six batters in 6-2/3 innings.

“I thought Kev matched [Yamamoto] pitch for pitch, really,” said Blue Jays manager John Schneider. “They both had low pitch counts. It was kind of a classic pitchers’ duel, and they made a couple more swings.”

Game 3 is on Monday.

Bryan Mbeumo’s match-winning goal in stoppage time elevated Manchester United to fourth on the Premier League ladder.

Manchester United’s improvement under coach Ruben Amorim continued as Matheus Cunha, Casemiro and two goals from Bryan Mbeumo secured a 4-2 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion on Saturday, their third successive Premier League win.

Looking to build on last weekend’s first victory at Liverpool since 2016, Cunha arrowed home a sublime 24th-minute strike into the bottom corner, the Brazilian’s first goal for United.

There was fortune about the second from Casemiro 10 minutes later, his shot taking a huge deflection before finding the net, but Mbeumo’s well-taken third just after the hour mark put the hosts in complete command.

Danny Welbeck’s sublime free kick against his former club pulled one back for Brighton, before Charalampos Kostoulas’s header in stoppage time ensured a nervy finish at Old Trafford.

With Brighton committing everyone forward in search of the equaliser, Mbeumo fired a fine strike into the roof of the net to lift United to fourth in the standings. Brighton stayed 12th.

“I enjoy it a lot here,” Mbeumo told Sky Sports. “It hasn’t been easy at the start. It’s a new environment, a new expectation, but I think with the link-up with the team, everything is going the right way.

“The work we put in, the togetherness we give on the pitch, is key. I like the challenges, I came here to a big club, and we want to fight for the best places.”

Brighton big test for United

The visitors provided a big test for an improving United, given that since the start of the 2021-22 season no team has won more league games against United than Brighton.

United’s victory against Liverpool last weekend was the first time Amorim had achieved back-to-back league wins since taking charge 11 months ago, but the manager insisted the revival would be undone if they slipped to another loss to Brighton.

Welbeck forced a fine save from United goalkeeper Senne Lammens early on as Brighton started brightly, but Cunha’s pinpoint finish settled home nerves. Since the start of last season, Cunha has scored more goals from outside the box than any other Premier League player in all competitions.

Casemiro’s deflected strike deservedly put a dominant United further ahead, with more chances coming and going to extend the hosts’ lead before the break.

Mbeumo followed up his goal at Liverpool with the third to put United into a seemingly unassailable position.

Proof that they are far from the finished article yet came, however, as mistakes crept in and Welbeck started the Brighton comeback.

United appeared on the ropes when Kostoulas pounced to narrow the deficit to 3-2, but Mbeumo’s 96th-minute strike secured the three points as the home side won three straight league victories for the first time since August 2024.

“We put ourselves in a really difficult position,” Welbeck said. “We have a great group. We got two goals and were close to maybe getting a third. It didn’t happen, but it is a good sign we showed character.”

Pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto and catcher Will Smith starred as the Los Angeles Dodgers beat the Toronto Blue Jays 5-1 to draw level at 1-1 in the best-of-seven World Series.

Japanese right-hander Yamamoto needed only 105 pitches to record his second successive complete game of the postseason.

Meanwhile, Smith led the Dodgers’ offence with three runs batted in (RBI) as the Blue Jays had a night to forget.

In contrast to the free-scoring opener, game two was a pitching duel for long stretches at Toronto’s Rogers Centre.

The Dodgers went ahead in the top of the first inning when Smith drove in Freddie Freeman, but were tied down after that by Blue Jays starting pitcher Kevin Gausman, who retired the next 17 Dodgers hitters he faced without allowing a baserunner.

Though the Canadian side drew level in the bottom of the third inning when Alejandro Kirk’s sacrifice fly scored George Springer, the game remained deadlocked until the top of the seventh when Smith and Max Muncy both lifted Gausman over the left-field fence with solo home runs to give the 2024 champions a two-run cushion.

The Blue Jays fell apart in the top of the eighth as, with the bases loaded, the Dodgers scored on a wild pitch, before Smith recorded his third RBI of the evening to make it 5-1.

And while the Dodgers’ bullpen had taken a beating in game one, Yamamoto was able to give his relievers a night off as he pitched all nine innings without any late scares.

The series now switches to Los Angeles for the next three games, with game three at Dodger Stadium on Monday evening.

India’s ageing stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli rebounded strongly in what may be their last match on Australian soil.

Rohit Sharma smashed his 33rd one-day international hundred, and Virat Kohli rebounded from back-to-back ducks with a meticulous half-century, as India avoided a whitewash against Australia with a nine-wicket win to close their three-match series, in what may have been their final ODI international in Australia.

Sharma, 38, and Kohli, 36, will not feature in the upcoming five-game T20 series against Australia tour starting on October 29, although neither player has confirmed Saturday’s fixture was their final match Down Under.

Sharma made an unbeaten 121 off 125 balls, with 13 fours and three sixes, and Kohli scored 74 not out, as both batters knocked off 237-1 with more than 11 overs to spare in what could be their last international innings in Australia.

Fast bowler Harshit Rana’s career-best 4-39 bowled out Australia for below-par 236 after India lost its 18th consecutive toss in an ODI, but all six of its bowlers were among the wickets.

Australia had clinched the series 2-0 by winning Thursday’s match in Adelaide by two wickets. That followed a seven-wicket victory in the rain-interrupted opener in Perth.

“We had a near-perfect game,” said India captain Shubman Gill, who scored 24 off 26 balls before falling to Josh Hazlewood. “Rohit and Kohli have done it for so many years – [a] delight to watch.

Sharma, Kohli return to form

Sharma and Kohli got loud cheers from the crowd of nearly 40,000 at the Sydney Cricket Ground as they shared a 168-run partnership – the first century stand between the two since January 2020.

Sharma’s century was punctuated by strong sweeps against the spinners on front of square, and he twice lofted Adam Zampa (0-50) for sixes on either side of the wicket before raising his hundred with a single against the leg-spinner.

Kohli, who was dismissed without scoring at Perth and Adelaide, pumped his fist gently as he drove Hazlewood for a single to wide mid-on from the first ball he faced. Kohli grew in confidence when he cut Zampa to the point boundary and welcomed Mitchell Starc with a straight driven boundary.

Kohli survived a close LBW review on 36 when he went to pull Nathan Ellis’s short ball before completing his half-century off 56 balls.

Kohli also overtook Kumar Sangakkara (14,234), and with 14,255 runs, he is now behind only Sachin Tendulkar’s all-time record of 18,426 runs.

Earlier, Matt Renshaw (56) scored his maiden ODI half-century before Australia collapsed and got bowled out in 46.4 overs.

Australia’s first six batters all crossed the 20-run mark, but could not convert them into big scores. The home team lost four wickets for 18 runs after sitting pretty at 183-3 in the 34th over as India kept picking up wickets with regular intervals.

Travis Head (29) started aggressively before he offered a tame catch at backward point off Mohammed Siraj, and Mitchell Marsh’s promising start came to an end when he gave himself too much room against left-arm spinner Axar Patel and was clean bowled on 41 in the 16th over.

Renshaw and Alex Carey added 59 runs for the fourth-wicket stand, before Shreyas Iyer took a stunning catch while running from backward point. Renshaw was out LBW in the 37th over when he advanced down the wicket to the off-spin of Washington Sundar (2-44), but was hit low on the pads. Ellis played a little cameo of 16 with three boundaries before Australia got bowled out.

“We needed one more stand in the back-end of our first innings,” Marsh said. “Had a great platform at 183-3, but couldn’t cash in.”

TORONTO — As Shohei Ohtani leads a wave of international baseball popularity, major league officials are working with the players’ union and LA28 officials to conclude an agreement for major league players to participate in the 2028 Los Angeles Games.

The concepts on the table include an extended Olympic break during the 2028 season, which could include an All-Star Game in San Francisco to keep baseball’s best players on the West Coast for two weeks rather than shuttling them around the country, and an Olympic baseball schedule that could start before the opening ceremony.

There is no final deal. But, for the first time over years of discussions, commissioner Rob Manfred said publicly that the owners have stopped wavering about whether to interrupt the major league season for a week so that baseball’s biggest stars can play in the Olympics.

“I am positive about it,” Manfred said Saturday at the World Series. “I think the owners have crossed the line in terms of, we’d like to do it if we can possibly make it work, but there are logistical issues that still need to be worked through.”

Manfred suggested that major leaguers participating in the Olympics might be a one-time event. Stopping the season for one week and flying players to Los Angeles, he said, would be very different than stopping the season for two weeks in 2032 and flying players to Australia.

“The chances that we’re playing in Brisbane? Difficult,” Manfred said. ‘“Way more difficult than being in L.A.”

Manfred said the World Baseball Classic would “remain our centerpiece” for international competition. With a Canadian team in the World Series, and with Ohtani as the face of the sport, ratings and merchandise sales are soaring outside the United States.

In the Olympics, Ohtani would play at Dodger Stadium.

“Shohei has just absolutely been the greatest benefit to the game you can imagine throughout the year,” Manfred said. “In the LCS, he had probably the greatest game of all time, and we are fortunate to have him here in the World Series.”

Tom Aspinall retains heavyweight title after Ciryl Ganes accidently pokes him in both eyes at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.

Champion Tom Aspinall and top-ranked Ciryl Gane could not make it through the opening round of their heavyweight main event at UFC 321 inside Etihad Arena before the match was ruled a no-contest.

Aspinall (15-3-0) and Gane (13-2-0) both came out with a lot of energy until an accidental double eye poke prompted an official timeout at the 4:35 mark of the first round.

Aspinall (15-3-0) could not see out of his right eye during the allotted five-minute break, and at 4:09 into the stoppage, the match was ruled a no-contest.

It was Aspinall’s first defence as the undisputed heavyweight champion.

“What am I supposed to do about it? I can’t see,” said a disappointed Aspinall, speaking in the ring in response to the chorus of boos throughout the arena. “This is [expletive]. The fight was just getting going.”

Gane dropped to his knees, also disappointed, as the ring announcer made the official announcement.

“I’m feeling sorry,” Gane said. “I’m very sorry about that.”

Aspinall was off to a fast start, as the champion wasted no time in throwing heavy shots at Gane.

Known for his elusive footwork, Gane showed no intimidation and stood toe-to-toe while taking command in the centre of the cage.

Gane used a sharp jab to bloody the champ. And when Aspinall took his shot for a takedown, Gane successfully defended it midway through the round. When Aspinall tried to cut off the cage, Gane did a good job of circling out of it while landing jabs and low kicks.

Inside the final minute of the round, Gane continued to out-strike Aspinall until his poke to the eye.

Dern downs Jandiroba

In an intense co-main event in which both women left the cage with battered right eyes, fifth-ranked contender Mackenzie Dern (16-5-0) won the vacant strawweight belt over top-ranked Virna Jandiroba (22-4-0) with a unanimous decision.

Though both fighters had impressive moments within some tightly contested rounds, Dern’s left hand was much more effective and damaging.

Upon hearing the ring announcer announce her name as the new champ and having the belt wrapped around her waist, the 32-year-old Brazilian fell to her knees in tears.

“It feels amazing,” Dern said. “I need to see Moa. This is for Moa.”

Dern was then joined in the cage by her six-year-old daughter, Moa, who draped the UFC belt over her shoulder.

In earlier bouts, No 2 Umar Nurmagomedov (19-1-0) earned a unanimous decision over No 8 Mario Bautista (16-3-0) in a battle of top-ranked bantamweights.

Second-ranked heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov (39-11-0) won by split decision over No 5 Jailton Almeida (22-4-0)

In the light heavyweight division, 10th-ranked Azamat Murzakanov (16-0-0) made quick work of No 7 Aleksandar Rakic (14-6-0).

Murzakanov’s first-round stoppage extended the second-longest active UFC win streak in the division to six consecutive wins.

Lewis Hamilton hailed his best qualifying result at Ferrari for Sunday’s Mexico City Grand Prix as a “huge step” after what he described as a “hard slog” of a season so far with the team.

The seven-time world champion will start third after an impressive display from Ferrari, with team-mate Charles Leclerc finishing second fastest behind Lando Norris, who secured pole position.

Hamilton has endured a difficult time since joining from Mercedes last winter – and has yet to win a race for the team.

He faces a tough task in changing that statistic this weekend with Norris looking imperious, although three of the past five races in Mexico have been won from third.

But Hamilton is just happy to see things improving for the team.

“Definitely happy to be making progress and finally be up there,” he said.

“Charles has been used to these results, or at least being close to the front most of the year, but for me it has been a hard slog, being like sixth, seventh or eighth – mostly eighth.

“So to get P3 is a huge step for us and I am really grateful for the efforts of the team and the amazing support I’ve had from the team.”

This is also the first time this season that both Ferraris have qualified in the top three and Hamilton added: “These guys have been so quick all year and it’s an amazing feeling.

“The team truly deserve it, so we are just working as hard as we can and I’m super grateful to everyone in this team for continuing to push and not give up.”

TAMPA, Fla. — Jake Guentzel and Anthony Cirelli each scored twice and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Ducks 4-3 on Saturday to break a four-game skid.

Nikita Kucherov had an assist for his 1,000th career point as Tampa Bay got its first home win of the season. Victor Hedman registered his 800th career point and Brandon Hagel picked up career point No. 300.

Jonas Johansson finished with 37 saves for Tampa Bay, which ended an 0-2-2 stretch with just its second win of the season (2-4-2)

Troy Terry, Jacob Trouba and Ryan Poehling scored for Anaheim, which lost in regulation for the first time in four games. Lukas Dostal finished with 29 saves.

Cirelli scored the tiebreaking goal on the power play with his second of the night with 3:15 left in the third period with a quick shot from the low slot.

Guentzel and Cirelli scored 2:01 apart in the second period to take a 3-1 lead. Guentzel directed Brayden Point’s pass in off his skate with 7:41 left on a play Kucherov got his 1,000th point.

Cirelli made it a two-goal lead as he pounced on a rebound with 5:40 remaining. Hedman and Hagel each hit their milestones on the goal.

Poehling and Terry scored 59 seconds apart to tie it 3-3 at 8:10 of the third.

Guentzel opened the scoring for the Lightning 9:10 into the first period as a rebound found his stick in the low slot.

Anaheim tied it at 4:42 of the second after an offensive zone faceoff win landed on the stick of Trouba for a slap shot off the inside of the near post and in.

It was a who’s who of the British heavyweight scene in the arena with Tyson Fury, Daniel Dubois, Moses Itauma, Derek Chisora and Dillian Whyte among the onlookers.

Usyk was not here, but he was the man this bout was all for.

Wardley walked to the ring decked out in Ipswich Town colours with the football club’s crest emblazoned on his kit.

He spoke in the build-up how it was remarkable that when Parker was winning the WBO heavyweight title in 2016, he was only competing in white-collar boxing.

Yet here he was on the same stage as the veteran Kiwi in a fight to determine the next challenger for Usyk, the greatest heavyweight of this era.

With Lee in his corner, Parker was a red-hot run coming into this bout of six wins including victories over the likes of Zhilei Zhang, Deontay Wilder and Martin Bakole.

As cries of ‘Oh Fabio Wardley’ rang around the arena, Parker established control with a ramrod of a jab that soon brought blood from the bridge of the Ipswich fighter’s nose.

The finish to the first three minutes was emphatic from the favourite as Parker powered through with a rocket of a right hand.

Parker’s control vanished when a right hand from Wardley rocked him in the second.

It would be a precursor to what would follow later in the fight. It was a beautiful shot and brought those ringside to their feet as the New Zealander looked unsteady on his.

The experience of Parker, in his 40th professional fight, looked like it was going to be crucial here. Wardley was always dangerous, but Parker was landing the better shots through the middle rounds.

The Kiwi’s left uppercuts to the body and right hands over the top were a particular highlight, but Wardley’s own backhand remained a threat.

The fight appeared to be fizzling out in the eighth before it burst back into life and swung firmly back in Wardley’s favour in the 10th.

He ensured his stunning story would get another chapter against Usyk when he swarmed Parker in the 11th with a barrage of shots which forced Foster to step in.

It may have been early but Wardley will argue that Parker was taking significant punishment.

There was probably no Dodgers fan more grateful to see the Blue Crew lose badly in the opening game of the World Series than Conrado Contreras. See, the 75-year-old was happy to enjoy any Fall Classic at all.

A year ago tomorrow , the Zacatecas native suffered a heart attack and mild stroke in the moments after seeing his Dodgers win Game 2 of the World Series against the New York Yankees. He spent three days in a medically induced coma at St. Francis Medical Center in Lynwood and regained consciousness to news from jubilant nurses that the Dodgers had won the championship.

The lifelong baseball fan had no idea what they were talking about. His passion for the sport was lost along with his memory.

When family members put on highlights from the 2024 championship during his rehabilitation at a clinic in Gardena throughout the end of the year, the former carpenter would shrug and change the channel. When someone told him that legendary Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela had died, Contreras swore that he had just seen his fellow Mexican pitch at the stadium.

It wasn’t until the 2025 baseball season came along that Contreras’ mind began to truly rebound. He watched games from his longtime home in the unincorporated Florence-Graham neighborhood and learned to love the Dodgers anew. But he didn’t cheer like before. Contreras followed doctor’s orders to stay calm when the Dodgers were losing instead of cursing like the past and quietly applaud when the team was winning when he would’ve previously roared.

He’s the father-in-law of my sister Alejandrina. And I wanted to hang out with Don Conrado for Game 1 of this year’s World Series to experience fandom in all its mortality.

Wearing a flat-brimmed fedora and a blue Dodgers 2024 World Series champion, I caught Contreras just as he was entering my sister’s Norwalk home holding on to his walker with the help of Alejandrina’s husband, Conrad. His father talks slower than he used to and can’t drive anymore, but Contreras is once again the same man his family knows: witty, observant and baseball-crazy.

A schoolyard pitcher in his hometown of Monte Escobedo, Contreras fell in with the Dodgers almost as soon as he migrated to the United States in 1970 to join a brother in Highland Park. He used to attend games every week “when $10 got two people into the stadium and you could also eat a hot dog,” Contreras told me in Spanish before Game 1 began.

His stories from those years were immaculate. Don Sutton throwing a shutout. The Cincinnati Reds always “ready to play to the death.” Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Willie Stargell hitting a home run out of Dodger Stadium in 1973 “and all of us just staring above our heads in awe.”

Contreras was such a fan that he took his pregnant wife Mary to watch Valenzuela pitch on the day in 1983 that Conrad was due because they were giving out “I (Heart) Fernando” T-shirts, an anecdote that left their son flabbergasted.

“What happened to the shirt?” Conrad asked his mom in Spanish.

“I threw it away,” replied the 61-year-old Mary.

“They’d cost a lot of money now!” he groaned.

“They were cheap! The color really faded fast.”

Los Angeles Dodgers two-way player Shohei Ohtani hits a two-run home run during the seventh inning of Game 1 of the World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays at Roger Centre on Friday in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays won, 11-4.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

The family continued to attend games through Conrad’s teenage years but stopped “when even the birds couldn’t afford to attend,” Mary said. Conrad, 42, thinks the last time he went to a game with his dad was “at least” 20 years ago. But they regularly watched games on television. It was he who administered the CPR a year ago that saved his dad’s life.

“He was walking around the house angry all that game,” Conrad said.

“No, well, Roberto was making me mad,” Conrado replied, his nickname for Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. “But I can’t get mad anymore.”

I asked how he thought this year’s series would go. He mentioned Shohei Ohtani, whom he kept calling el japonés in a respectful tone because, well, his memory can be fuzzy.

“He strikes out too much, but when he hits it, he hits it. If he plays like that, they win the series. But if Toronto hits, forget it.”

One more question before game time, the one too many liberal Latino Dodgers fans are belly-aching over right now: is it ethical to root for the team considering they haven’t been too vocal in opposing Donald Trump’s deportation campaign and owner Mark Walter has investments in companies that are profiting from it?

“Sports shouldn’t get into politics, but all sports owners are with Trompas,” he said, using a nickname I’ve heard more than a few rancho libertarians use for Trump. He shrugged.

“So what’s one to do? They kept la migra out of the stadium,” referring to an unsuccessful June attempt by federal agents to enter the stadium parking lot. “If the team had allowed that, then there’d be a huge problem.”

Mary wasn’t as sympathetic. “Latinos shouldn’t let the Dodgers off so easy. But when Latinos surrender, they surrender.”

It was game time.

Conrad slipped into a gray Dodgers away jersey to match his black team cap. My sister, an Angels follower for some reason, wore a Kiké Hernández T-shirt “because he stands with immigrants.”

“The only good thing about the Dodgers is that they aren’t winning with a gringo,” said Mary, who actually doesn’t care much about baseball because she finds it boring. “It’s someone [Ohtani] who doesn’t want to speak English who’s winning it for them.”

Her husband smiled.

“Let’s see if Mary gets into baseball.”

“That’ll be the real miracle,” she snapped back.

Contreras rubbed his hands in glee as the Dodgers went up 2-0 in the top of the third and merely frowned when the Blue Jays tied it in the bottom of the fourth while we were enjoying takeout from Taco Nazo. “His anger comes in waves, it’s a trip,” Conrad said. “He’s calmer but se enoja.”

“Who?” Conrado deadpanned.

When Dodger starting pitcher Blake Snell left the game with the bases loaded and no one out in the bottom of the sixth, Contreras shook his head in disgust but kept his voice calm.

“This is what gets me mad. They should’ve taken him out long ago, but Roberto didn’t. This is what I was afraid of. When Toronto get on, they get on. They won’t stop until they destroy.”

Sure enough, the Blue Jays erupted for nine runs that inning, including a two-run blast by catcher Alejandro Kirk, who had sparked the Jays’ initial rally a few innings earlier.

Earlier in the game, Alejandrina had told Conrado that Kirk was a Tijuana native. The pride in shared roots, albeit generations apart, took a little bit of sting off his home run, which made the score a humiliating 11-2.

“Thank goodness he’s Mexican,” Conrado told his son, patting his knee. “That’s what’s left for us” to be happy about the game.

An inning later, Contreras began to feel woozy. His sugar level was elevated. Mary took off his jacket to fix his insulin device. My sister’s corgi, Penny, jumped onto the couch and lay on his lap.

“They do know when someone someone’s ill, right?” he said to no one before scratching Penny’s tummy and cooing, “You know I’m ill, right? I’m ill!”

When the “massacre” finally ended, Contreras remained philosophical.

“It’s incredible that I’m able to see this. But I’m still malo. My feet hurt, my memory isn’t what it used to be, my sense of balance isn’t there. But there’s the Dodgers. But they need to win.”

Conrad went to the bedroom to grab his father’s walker.

“Do you want a Toronto shirt now?” he joked.

His dad stared silently. “No, that would give me another heart attack.”

Premier League holders Liverpool’s title defence continues to stutter as Brentford’s recovery persists.

Champions Liverpool suffered a fourth successive Premier League defeat as they lost 3-2 at Brentford to continue their miserable run of form in London.

Arne Slot’s stumbling side fell behind after five minutes on Saturday when Dango Ouattara volleyed in following a long throw, and Kevin Schade went through to make it 2-0 in the 45th.

Milos Kerkez replied for the visitors in first-half stoppage time with his first Liverpool goal from Conor Bradley’s cross.

Liverpool’s expected second-half siege never really materialised, however, and Igor Thiago restored Brentford’s two-goal advantage from the penalty spot on the hour mark.

Mohamed Salah gave Liverpool hope with a clinical finish in the 89th minute, but they had left it too late.

It is the first time since 2021 that Liverpool have lost four successive league games, with three of those matches being in London after defeats at Crystal Palace and Chelsea.

They are now sixth in the table on 15 points, four points behind leaders Arsenal, who could extend that margin on Sunday when they host Crystal Palace.

Brentford’s second win in a row moved them up to 10th place, two points behind Liverpool.

Brentford fans taunt Liverpool manager Slot

The home fans took delight in taunting Liverpool manager Arne Slot with chants of “you’re getting sacked in the morning”, and while the Dutchman need not worry about that, the sense of his side’s title defence wilting was palpable.

They looked fragile at the back and were often out-muscled by Brentford. Doubts about Salah’s lack of impact will also continue, despite him slamming home a fine late goal to end a more than a month-long scoreless run in the Premier League.

Brentford’s threat from long throws could not have escaped Slot’s attention, but his side were caught cold by the tactic on a chilly night in southwest London.

Michael Kayode wound up a long delivery into the box, and when Kristoffer Ajer flicked it on, Ouattara reacted superbly to hook his volley past Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Liverpool responded with chances for Florian Wirtz and Cody Gakpo, but they were not convincing and were undone again as halftime loomed. Mikkel Damsgaard’s superb long pass sent Schade away, and he kept his composure to beat Mamardashvili.

Kerkez fired home from close range in the fifth minute of stoppage time, despite fierce Brentford protests about an infringement.

Brentford earned a penalty when Virgil van Dijk clipped Ouattara’s foot on the edge of the area, and after a long VAR check, referee Tim Robinson awarded a spot-kick, and Thiago coolly slotted his shot down the middle.

Salah’s instant control and finish set up a chaotic period of stoppage time that took the game into its 100th minute, but Brentford held on for a thoroughly deserved three points.

When any basketball coach is raving about an opposing player, that sets off an alarm bell for sportswriters to pay attention and investigate.

It turns out all the good things coaches are beginning to say about 6-foot-4 junior guard Donovan Webb of Golden Valley High are true. Canyon Country Canyon coach Ali Monfared said Webb might be the best player in the Foothill League, which held its media day at Canyon on Saturday.

Webb is one of those players who worked hard when nobody was watching. His focus was on improving his three-point shooting, and all those hours in the gym could pay off.

“I’m a gym rat,” he said.

Last season, he was moved to point guard and kept deferring to other players. This season, he got the message to take charge. “We put the keys to the car in his hands,” first-year coach Scott Barkman said.

With a 4.3 grade-point average, Webb said he understands what his role needs to be.

“I needed to take my game to the next level,” he said.

Golden Valley and Valencia will be the co-favorites because of the experience each team has with returning players.

Valencia has its own much-improved player in junior Steven Irons. Last season he was 6-5, 170 pounds. Now he’s 6-7, 210 pounds after eating lots of chicken and rice while working on strength.

“The day we lost the playoff game, I started lifting,” he said.

Said coach Greg Fontenette: “His development has been like night and day.”

Double-doubles are in his future, and it’s not about In-N-Out. He’ll be scoring and providing rebounds to support Valencia’s talented class of 2027 players.

Saugus returns Braydon Harmon, who had a 43-point performance against West Ranch last season.

Hart coach Tom Kelly is in his 26th season for the Newhall school and 36th overall (he was head coach at Burbank Burroughs for 10 years).

Canyon won a 2A championship last season and lost most of its players, but returning is standout point guard Isaac Yuhico, who delivered clutch baskets in the Cowboys’ triple-overtime championship game win over St. Bonaventure.

Former Golden Valley coach Chris Printz has become an assistant principal, but his son, Wyatt, remains on the team. Asked if his father got a pay raise, Wyatt said, “I hope so.”

Conner Peterson of West Ranch was asked about playing against friends in the league. “It’s the same thing playing against your brother,” he said. “You want to beat them.”

Castaic coach Louis Fernando offered optimism about his team, saying, “I don’t have to coach ego and I don’t have to coach effort this year.”

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email [email protected].

To put Sunderland’s start into context, it’s worth remembering how the Black Cats defied expectations to reach the top-flight again.

Regis le Bris’ side finished 24 points behind Burnley and Leeds in the automatic promotion spots and managed just 58 goals in their 46 games.

They required an injury-time winner to edge past Coventry in the play-off semi-finals and they were clear underdogs going into the final at Wembley against Sheffield United, who finished 14 points ahead of the Black Cats.

But Sunderland showed their resilience again, coming from behind in the final and scoring another injury-time winner through Tom Watson to regain top-flight status for the first time in eight years.

It makes this season’s start all the more impressive.

The 17 points Sunderland have accumulated from their nine matches so far is the Black Cats’ equal best start in the Premier League, matching the tally from the 1999-00 season.

Only five newly promoted teams have earned more points from their opening nine matches than Sunderland have managed this season.

All five of those teams, as well as Sunderland in 2000, managed to survive relegation.

“Anyone who is honest enough will say that they never expected Sunderland to start this well, so full credit to them,” Michael Carrick told BBC Radio 5 Live after the win at Chelsea.

“The amount of points they have accumulated already has given them an unbelievable start and that’s something they will want to build on.

“They looked quite comfortable and calm for long periods, but also looked dangerous. They just kept that belief to get the win.

“It’s a textbook away win at an, arguably, bigger team.”