Jon Jones wants his first defence of the UFC heavyweight championship to be against the man widely considered the greatest heavyweight in the history of the promotion, Stipe Miocic.
Jones captured the belt on Saturday after securing a first-round guillotine choke submission against Cyril Gane, just two minutes and four seconds into the main event.
It was the 35-year-old former light heavyweight champion's first fight since February 2020, and there had been questions about how he would look coming off such a long layoff and at a drastically increased weight, but he passed the test with flying colours.
He planted Gane on the mat with his first takedown attempt, and after feeling out a potential guillotine that was not properly applied, he returned to the same move moments later and cinched it up tight.
During his post-fight interview, Jones shared that he knew grappling was his route to victory, and that Gane's limited experience in that department would be no match for his lifetime in the wrestling room.
"I had a strong conviction that if I were to get him down to the ground, the fight would be in my area," he said.
"I've been wrestling since I was 12 years old, and I felt stronger and more comfortable – especially on the ground – than ever.
"With kickboxing you never know what's going to happen – he zigs, I zag – there was a major feeling out process.
"I actually felt a little goofy on the feet, it's been a while, but once I got my hands on him I knew that's where I was most comfortable and that I could take control."
When asked about his interest in taking on the former heavyweight champ, Jones said it is the only fight on his mind.
"Oh yeah, baby," he said. "Y'all want to see me beat up Stipe? One thing I know about the UFC is we give the fans what they want to see.
"Stipe Miocic, I hope you're training my guy. You're the greatest heavyweight of all-time, and that's what I want. I want you, real bad."
Miocic, 40, has not fought since a crushing knockout at the hands of Francis Ngannou in March 2021, but he is the only heavyweight in UFC history to defend the belt three times in a row, during his first of two championship reigns from 2016-2018.
Jon Jones made it look easy as he submitted Cyril Gane in just over two minutes to secure the vacant heavyweight championship in the UFC 285 main event.
Jones, who came into the contest with a 27-1 record and was already considered one of the greatest fighters in UFC history, added another notch to his resume as he added the heavyweight belt to his 15 light heavyweight title fight victories.
Against Gane, Jones was faced with the first size disadvantage of his career, although he did come in as the slightly heavier fighter at 249lbs to Gane's 248lbs.
But the battle was always going to be about whether Gane could prevent the takedowns and stay on his feet, and that question was answered a minute into the first round.
After the first kick of the fight nailed Jones square in the cup, causing a brief delay, the 35-year-old Hall of Fame inductee came out of the restart and immediately secured a takedown.
Gane tried to do the right things, keeping his back up against the cage to aid his chances of getting back to his feet, but Jones stayed patient and waited for his opening.
After initially threatening a guillotine choke that he could not lock up properly, Jones clearly identified a hole in the big Frenchman's defence, repositioning and attacking with the same guillotine choke while Gane was seated upright against the cage.
Once it was on properly, the tap came almost immediately, with the fight stopped at 2:04 into the first round.
But while one legend climbed further into the pantheon of the greatest fighters to ever walk the planet, another suffered a shocking defeat, as flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko was submitted by Alexa Grasso in the fourth round.
An overwhelming favourite, Shevchenko came into the contest on a nine-fight winning streak dating back to 2018, but after surviving a close split decision her last time out against Talia Santos, she again looked a far cry from her dominant best.
Grasso's boxing in the first round illustrated that she may have the edge on the feet, forcing the well-rounded champion to pivot her strategy and spend the second and third rounds largely in top position after a series of takedowns.
The fourth round was neck-and-neck, until Shevchenko threw a spinning back kick, exposing her back and allowing Grasso to latch on, sink her hooks in and work the rear naked choke.
It was not tight enough to finish initially, but the challenger remained calm and slowly adjusted her grip until the champion was forced to tap for the first time in her career.
With the stunning upset, Grasso became the first Mexican woman to ever win a UFC title, and she has a chance to potentially main event a pay per view when it comes time for the inevitable rematch.
Alex De Minaur secured his first ATP 500 title on Saturday after coming from behind to defeat Tommy Paul 3-6 6-4 6-1 in the Mexican Open final.
It was a tremendous week in Acapulco for the Australian, having eliminated world number 10 Holger Rune in the semi-final en route to his seventh title overall, with the first six all at the ATP 250 level.
Against Paul, De Minaur blew a pair of break points in the opening set, and then gave up the break in the very next game, allowing the American to serve things out safely to take the first frame.
But mistakes started to creep into Paul's game the longer the match went. After landing 75 per cent of his first serves fair in the opener and avoiding any double-faults, Paul's first serve percentage dropped to 46 in the second, and he committed a pair of doubles.
He committed another two double-faults in the decider to hand De Minaur the early break, and his play from the baseline also deteriorated, hitting just six winners to go with 14 unforced errors.
Known for his resilience, De Minaur had to save five break points to hold serve in the opening game of the third set, but he held his nerve, and churned out five consecutive games as Paul ran out of gas.
The 500 ranking points will see the Aussie climb to 18th in the world, with his career-best mark of 15th now within reach.
Meanwhile, the fairytale continued for Nicolas Jarry at the Chile Open, with the Santiago-born talent electrifying his home crowd with a 1-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 semi-final victory over Jaume Munar.
Jarry will get a chance for the second ATP title of his career, and the first since 2019, when he meets Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the final.
Etcheverry emerged victorious 7-5 6-3 in an all-Argentine showdown against third seed Sebastian Baez, earning his first final appearance at this level.
Alex de Minaur secured his first ATP 500 title on Saturday after coming from behind to defeat Tommy Paul 3-6 6-4 6-1 in the Mexican Open final.
It was a tremendous week in Acapulco for the Australian, having eliminated world number 10 Holger Rune in the semi-final en route to his seventh title overall, with the first six all at the ATP 250 level.
Against Paul, De Minaur blew a pair of break points in the opening set, and then gave up the break in the very next game, allowing the American to serve things out safely to take the first frame.
But mistakes started to creep into Paul's game the longer the match went. After landing 75 per cent of his first serves fair in the opener and avoiding any double-faults, Paul's first serve percentage dropped to 46 in the second, and he committed a pair of doubles.
He committed another two double-faults in the decider to hand De Minaur the early break, and his play from the baseline also deteriorated, hitting just six winners to go with 14 unforced errors.
Known for his resilience, De Minaur had to save five break points to hold serve in the opening game of the third set, but he held his nerve, and churned out five consecutive games as Paul ran out of gas.
The 500 ranking points will see the Aussie climb to 18th in the world, with his career-best mark of 15th now within reach.
Meanwhile, the fairytale continued for Nicolas Jarry at the Chile Open, with the Santiago-born talent electrifying his home crowd with a 1-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-1 semi-final victory over Jaume Munar.
Jarry will get a chance for the second ATP title of his career, and the first since 2019, when he meets Tomas Martin Etcheverry in the final.
Etcheverry emerged victorious 7-5 6-3 in an all-Argentine showdown against third seed Sebastian Baez, earning his first final appearance at this level.
The longest winning streak of the season was snapped at 16 games after the Philadelphia 76ers came from behind on the road to defeat the Milwaukee Bucks 133-130.
Milwaukee came into the contest boasting the best record in the NBA, and they appeared well on their way to making it 17 in a row after building a 99-85 lead heading into the fourth quarter.
But the 76ers started the last period on a 16-2 run, and ended up scoring 48 in the quarter, finally taking a 127-125 lead with 42 seconds remaining following a Joel Embiid three-pointer.
It was a spectacular showing from Philadelphia's top three offensive options, and it was James Harden leading the way with 38 points on 11-of-26 shooting, adding 10 assists and nine rebounds.
Embiid was terrific with 31 points (11-of-22 shooting) and an equal season-high 10 assists, and Tyrese Maxey continued to thrive since being reintroduced to the starting line-up, scoring 26 points on eight-of-12 shooting.
Giannis Antetokounmpo led the Bucks with 34 points (nine-of-21 shooting) and 13 rebounds, but his seven turnovers were two more than the 76ers committed as an entire team.
With the win, the 76ers (41-22) pulled to within four games of the Bucks (45-18) in the race for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Bam bullies the Hawks
Miami Heat center Bam Adebayo was a destructive force on both ends as his side defeated the Atlanta Hawks 117-109 in front of a sold-out home crowd.
The two-time All-Star shot 10-of-12 from the field and the same from the free throw line for 30 points, 11 rebounds and five assists, while also blocking two shots and snatching a steal.
Jimmy Butler continued to operate as the de facto point guard, dishing seven assists while only attempting eight field goals for his 15 points, 11 rebounds and two steals, while Tyler Herro poured in 20 points (eight-of-21 shooting) with five assists.
Miami are now just two games behind the flailing sixth-seeded Brooklyn Nets as they seek to rise out of the Play-In Tournament placings.
VanVleet lifts the Raptors in overtime
Fred VanVleet hit big shots late as his Toronto Raptors emerged victorious 116-109 in overtime against the Washington Wizards.
VanVleet ended up with an equal game-high 10 assists to go with his 25 points (nine-of-16 shooting), and he hit a pair of three-pointers in the overtime period, while the Wizards could only muster four points as a team after regulation.
It was a game-winning showing off the bench for Gary Trent Jr, with 26 points (11-of-18 shooting), five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Delon Wright was a standout for Washington, tallying six steals to go with 18 points (six-of-10), seven assists and six rebounds.
Marta Kostyuk is through to her first WTA singles decider after defeating Danielle Collins 6-4 6-3 in Saturday's ATX Open semi-final.
Ukraine's Kostyuk prevailed in a closely contested battle against the highest seed remaining in the field, taking the only break of the first set after saving four Collins break points the game prior.
The two women traded breaks to begin the second set, but the 20-year-old Kostyuk was too strong down the stretch, winning five of the final six games.
It will also be the first WTA-level final for her opponent, with unseeded 22-year-old Russian Varvara Gracheva overcoming American Katie Volynets 6-4 5-7 6-4.
The two-and-a-half-hour clash was tight all the way through, with Gracheva only narrowly edging the total point count 101-94.
Meanwhile, down south of the border at the Monterrey Open, world number five Caroline Garcia won her semi-final against Elise Mertens 6-3 6-4.
The reigning WTA Finals champion will have a chance to collect the 12th singles title of her career, and her first of the season, when she meets Croatia's Donna Vekic in the final.
Vekic, the third seed, emerged the 7-5 6-2 victor against China's Zhu Lin, continuing a red-hot run of form that has seen her win 13 of her past 15 matches dating back to New Year's Eve.
Toronto Blue Jays first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr will not play for the Dominican Republic at the World Baseball Classic, withdrawing from the tournament due to inflammation in his right knee.
The 23-year-old slugger injured his knee Friday while running the bases in a spring training game and the team announced Saturday he would not participate in the WBC.
Blue Jays manager John Schneider said an MRI showed no structural damage, and he is not expected to be sidelined for long.
Toronto, though, obviously do not want to take any chances as they head into the 2023 season with high expectations after finishing with 92 wins and reaching the playoffs last year.
Guerrero was named to his second All-Star Game in 2022 after leading the Blue Jays with 32 home runs and 97 RBIs while batting .274 in 160 games.
He is the third Toronto player to withdraw from the WBC, along with catcher Alejandro Kirk and relief pitcher Jordan Romano.
The Dominican Republic begins their WBC schedule next Saturday against Venezuela.
Kurt Kitayama recovered from a double-bogey to remain the outright leader after three rounds of the Arnold Palmer Invitational, but a star-studded chasing pack is well within reach.
Kitayama led by two strokes coming into his third trip around Bay Hill, but he did well to salvage an even-par 72 to stay at nine under after four birdies on the back-nine.
His lead was trimmed to one, with world number two and defending champion Scottie Scheffler joined by Viktor Hovland in a tie for second at eight under.
Hovland was one of three competitors to shoot the round of the day, with a bogey-free 66, while Scheffler had a four-under day with seven birdies and three bogeys.
Alone in fourth at seven under is Tyrell Hatton, who matched Hovland's bogey-free 66 after rounds of 71 and 72, while world number three Rory McIlroy is joined by Harris English at six under in a tie for fifth.
Close friends Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth will likely be paired together for the final round after joining Pierceson Coody – the day's third 66 – in a tie for seventh at five under.
Max Homa and Cameron Young are still in the hunt at four under, while top-10 talents Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele headline the logjam at three under.
Diego Simeone set a new record for matches in charge of Atletico Madrid on Saturday and his players provided a stunning tribute as they crushed Sevilla 6-1 at the Civitas Metropolitano.
Simeone, 54, was presiding over his 613th match as Atletico coach, breaking the record set by the late Luis Aragones.
He was handed with a framed commemorative jersey with "Legend, Simeone, 613" across the back before the LaLiga game, with Aragones' son and three of Simeone's children joining him for the presentation.
Simeone's side followed that up with a fitting homage as they brutally swept aside another of their coach's former clubs.
Memphis Depay scored twice in quick succession before the half-hour mark, his second an emphatic strike from the edge of the box, with Youssef En-Nesyri halving the deficit from close range late in the half.
Atletico need not have worried, however. Antoine Griezmann restored the two-goal lead early in the second half and Yannick Carrasco made it 4-1.
Alvaro Morata netted twice late on – his first coming just after Ivan Rakitic missed a penalty – to wrap up a memorable victory on a momentous day for Simeone.
"A night to enjoy and one that [Simeone] will surely not forget," club captain Koke told Movistar after the game. "But hey, I'm sure he's already thinking about the Girona game because his philosophy in life is like that.
"Bygones are bygones, and he always looks to the next game."
He added: "You can't imagine an Atletico Madrid without Simeone. I've been here for 11 years, he came with a very clear idea, he changed the mentality, brought us all together, given the club the stability it needed and hopefully it will continue for many years.
"He has a year and a half left on his contract and we'll see what happens later."
Griezmann celebrated his goal by running over to Simeone and wrapping him in a huge hug.
Explaining the gesture, Griezmann said: "What is an important day for him is an important day for me. I wanted it to be a magical day for the fans and for my team-mates."
For Simeone, however, his focus turned to Aragones, whom he was coached by as a player at Sevilla.
Aragones died in February 2014, but ahead of Saturday's game Simeone posted a letter to him on social media, an act the Argentinian felt was necessary to outline his emotions.
Discussing the letter after the Sevilla game, Simeone told reporters: "Explaining feelings and emotions is difficult.
"I had no doubts seven or eight days ago, I began to think about what was happening and I understood that there was a person before everything that I had to write to, Luis. I talked about it with the family and they said it was a good idea.
"Why? We have travelled the same path; that respect for an eternal person; and passing the point that places me – by numbers, not by capacity – in the history of Atletico.
"Where I am, [Aragones] knows the difficulty. He knows the anger, the egos, living with the emotions, what the club needs, the coaching staff, that we must not make mistakes, that I must say the right word at the right time.
"We have made mistakes several times, but I am calm, I am at peace, because I am in the place where I want to be, I do what I like.
"I am excited to see when the team stands up and continues fighting until the end."
Kylian Mbappe savoured his "special" achievement of becoming Paris Saint-Germain's outright leading goalscorer on Saturday and declared "there is still a lot to be done."
Mbappe moved beyond Edinson Cavani's tally with his 201st goal for PSG in stoppage time to seal a 4-2 Ligue 1 win over Nantes at Parc des Princes.
The France forward's incredible haul of goals for the Ligue 1 champions has come in only 247 games.
Mbappe was wearing the captain's armband when he made history after Marquinhos was withdrawn in the second half due to injury.
The former Monaco man set the record aged only 24, turning sharply in the box before drilling home with a typically clinical finish.
He told Canal Plus: "I play to make history and I have always said I wanted to make history in France, in the capital of my country, in my city, and I am doing that.
"It's magnificent, but there is still a lot to be done.
Mbappe added: "For me, as a native Parisian, this is special. If someone had said to me I would score the goal to beat the record while wearing the captain's armband, I would not have believed it."
PSG had made hard work of going 11 points clear at the top of the table after taking command early on courtesy of Lionel Messi scoring in a fifth consecutive Ligue 1 game and a Jaouen Hadjam own goal.
Gianluigi Donnarumma gifted Nantes a lifeline when Ludovic Blas beat the PSG goalkeeper at his near post from wide on the left when he was anticipating a cross and Ignatius Ganago equalised with a first-half header.
The champions were not to be denied all three points, though, Danilo Pereira heading them back in front and Mbappe putting the icing on the cake in the closing stages.
Christophe Galtier's side now turn their attention to trying to overturn a 1-0 deficit when they travel to Bayern Munich for the second leg of a Champions League round-of-16 tie on Wednesday.
Mohamed Salah has dreamed of breaking Liverpool's Premier League scoring record since his breakthrough campaign at Anfield.
The Egypt international needs just two strikes to surpass Robbie Fowler's 128-goal benchmark for Liverpool ahead of Sunday's clash at home to fierce rivals Manchester United.
Salah has failed to hit his own lofty standards this campaign, finding the net nine times in 24 league outings for Jurgen Klopp's side.
The former Chelsea and Roma forward hopes he will not have long to wait to celebrate making history for the Reds.
When asked by Sky Sports about beating Fowler's mark, the 30-year-old said: "This record especially, I think for me, it is really special.
"I think when I came, after my first season, I had 32 goals, and I thought I want to be the top scorer for Liverpool in the Premier League.
"I had that in my mind that I need to chase it. That was one of my motivations. Every day I [would] just wake up and I'd want to break that record.
"For me, it is going to be special. To be number one will be special for my career here in Liverpool. It's something I've been really chasing."
Erik ten Hag's United present the perfect opportunity for Salah to enjoy a landmark moment, having netted 10 times in all competitions against the Red Devils – no Liverpool player has scored more.
Salah will look to add to his tally of nine goals in his past five outings against United as he strives to surpass Fowler's haul.
"I think I started to look more at that number maybe when I scored 15, 20," he continued. "But then I was thinking that it is still so far away – more than 100 goals.
"I wasn't sure how many seasons I would be here, because it was my first season and after how many seasons [will it take] to break that record.
"But if you break it after six seasons then that is something great and something that I will be very proud of."
Salah already boasts the record as the top-scoring African in the Premier League, while he grabbed Liverpool's European scoring record with a goal in the recent 5-2 Champions League defeat to Real Madrid.
While he suggested Fowler's record may mark his greatest Liverpool achievement, Salah insisted personal milestones are no replacement for team success.
"I've had good ones at Liverpool," he said of his record-breaking exploits, before adding: "To be fair, as long as we achieve something as a team that is the most important thing for me.
"I don't want to be in a smaller team and be the only one breaking records. For me, I want to win trophies, I want the players to be happy, and I'm in a top club.
"To break that record in a club like Liverpool is something [that is going to be] huge."
Stefano Pioli insisted Milan did not already have their eyes on their Champions League clash with Tottenham after a deserved defeat at Fiorentina.
Milan saw a three-game winning run in Serie A come to an abrupt end after Nicolas Gonzalez and Luka Jovic inflicted a 2-1 defeat, despite Theo Hernandez's well-taken late strike on Saturday.
That left the Rossoneri's top-four hopes in danger with fifth-placed Roma able to move level on points with victory at home to Juventus on Sunday.
Milan visit Tottenham with a slender 1-0 lead ahead of the second leg of their Champions League last-16 clash on Wednesday, though Pioli refused suggestions that match impacted the Rossoneri at Fiorentina.
When asked by Sky Sport Italia if Milan were already thinking about Tottenham, Pioli said: "No no no, that was absolutely not the case.
"Fiorentina played better than us, but not because we were thinking of Tottenham.
"We never thought of Tottenham. We had to do things better. It was a defeat that we didn't want."
Milan had reeled off four straight wins across all competitions without conceding, aiming for just a fifth instance in their history of winning five in a row without their defence being breached.
That never came to fruition after Fiorentina were in the ascendancy from the start at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, where Pioli acknowledged Milan were slow to get going.
"We prepared the match as if it were very important. Fiorentina did better than us in the first half in terms of quality and energy," he added.
"We did better in the second half but the first half was not played well and we were punished."
Only Cremonese, Sampdoria and Salernitana (all six) have lost more Serie A matches than Milan's four in 2023, though Pioli expects the Rossoneri to respond when they travel to Tottenham.
"It will be a different match because tonight's match doesn't count," he continued. "It will be two teams that will play at their best; Milan will certainly be ready."
After a close-season of significant change, the starting grid for the Bahrain Grand Prix has a familiar look with Max Verstappen starting the new campaign on pole ahead of Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez.
Pre-season testing at Sakhir had suggested the reigning world champion and his team would maintain their superiority to start the 2023 campaign, and further evidence to back up that point was provided in Q3.
Ferrari topped the timesheets in the opening two qualifying sessions, but it was Verstappen who reassumed command in the top-10 shoot-out with a time of one minute and 29.708 seconds.
Ominously for the two Ferraris on the second row, Charles Leclerc in third and Carlos Sainz in fourth, Verstappen's lap came following some significant struggles with the balance of the car, issues Red Bull fixed in time for the Dutchman to set the pace and put himself in position to dominate on race day.
Verstappen told the post-qualifying press conference: "I'm particularly happy because my whole weekend up until qualifying was very difficult.
"I couldn't really find the comfortable balance I had in testing and I was just struggling a lot to just get the car together, really. I went into Q1 and everything already felt a bit better, but it was still not, let's say, perfect. So yeah, I'm very happy then in Q3 that we could put these laps in.
"I still think it's not perfect, but in a better direction. So, for sure, for the next race we will have to analyse a bit why from the test to the race weekend it's so different for us, and also for me driving wise.
"But nevertheless, we are sitting here with two cars. So coming off last year I think this is again a very strong start for us. So yeah, very happy with that.
"Luckily in qualifying that's probably the best balance I've had throughout the weekend so far."
Asked about the race, he added: "That should normally be our stronger point than the one-lap pace. So hopefully we can show that again tomorrow."
Verstappen, though, knows he can take little for granted, acknowledging the field is closer than it was last season.
In Q1, first-placed Sainz and Nyck De Vries in 19th were separated by just over a second and, in addition to looking over his shoulder at the Scuderia, Verstappen may also have to concern himself with the threat of Aston Martin, who saw Fernando Alonso qualify fifth in his debut for the team ahead of the two Mercedes.
"They are all very close to us," Verstappen said when asked about to name his closest challengers. "Of course, we have shown really good race pace but we still need to show that tomorrow, and a lot of things can happen also during a race, which sometimes is not in your control.
"So yeah, we just, of course, need to focus on ourselves and try to do the best we can. And hopefully no crazy things will happen."
But Leclerc did not express much hope of Ferrari overhauling Red Bull in the race.
"I think we are only happy if we win," said Leclerc. "But again, realistically, they seem to be very, very quick.
"So I think in those weekends where we are a little bit underneath, that's exactly those weekend that we need to maximise and, and try to get what we can in terms of points.
"So yeah, if a win is possible tomorrow, I will go for it. If not, we'll try and get the maximum points."
Ja Morant apologised after an incident at a nightclub on Saturday led to the Memphis Grizzlies slapping him with a two-game suspension.
The point guard is under investigation by the NBA after appearing to show a gun during an Instagram Live video.
Morant will miss at least two games, the Grizzlies announced, with the 23-year-old to be absent for Sunday's meeting with the Los Angeles Clippers and the showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers two days later.
In a statement released to ESPN shortly after his suspension was confirmed, Morant apologised for his actions.
"I take full responsibility for my actions last night," he said.
"I'm sorry to my family, team-mates, coaches, fans, partners, the city of Memphis and the entire Grizzlies organisation for letting you down.
"I'm going to take some time away to get help and work on learning better methods of dealing with stress and my overall well-being."
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