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• Dr. Emir Crowne to defend Ebony Drysdale-Daley against Jamaica Judo Association's allegations

  Noted sports attorney Dr. Emir Crowne, along with Matthew Gayle, Jason Jones, and Sayeed Bernard, have stepped up to represent Jamaican judo athlete Ebony Drysdale-Daley amidst a heated dispute with the Jamaica Judo Association (JJA). The association, led by Dwayne Barnett, has recently accused the British-born judoka of having two whereabouts failures and being on the brink of a ban, a move that Dr Crowne has vehemently criticized.

  Dr. Crowne, an international sports lawyer with a history of defending athletes in high-profile cases, blasted the JJA for what he describes as a "smear campaign" against Drysdale-Daley. He expressed outrage over the JJA's decision to publicly disclose confidential information about Drysdale-Daley's whereabouts failures in a press release, calling it "absolutely atrocious" and "wildly irresponsible."

  “The Jamaican Judo Association’s action to disclose such confidential information is absolutely atrocious. Athletes enjoy the protection of confidentiality until there is actually some sort of anti-doping rule violation asserted against them,” Crowne explained. He pointed out that an anti-doping rule violation only occurs after three whereabouts failures within a 12-month period, making the JJA's disclosure premature and unethical.

  The JJA's press release came as a response to a video posted by Drysdale-Daley, in which she accused the association of bias in selecting athletes for the Paris Olympic Games. Drysdale-Daley, who made history as Jamaica's first judoka at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021, alleged that her attempts to qualify for the upcoming Olympics were being deliberately hindered by the JJA in favour of her male counterpart, Ashley McKenzie.

  “I feel the federation has shown no impartiality. There is a real question of ethics and integrity. The Jamaican Judo Association is blocking me from attending and competing in my last qualifying event, an event that I have self-funded and paid for,” Drysdale-Daley said in her video.

  The JJA, in its defence, cited Drysdale-Daley’s failure to meet deadlines and her previous conduct at the Commonwealth Games 2022, which they described as "unbecoming of an athlete."

  In response, Dr. Crowne called for the Jamaican Olympic Association (JOA), the International Judo Federation (IJF), and the Jamaica Anti-Doping Commission (JADCO) to investigate the JJA's conduct. “I encourage JADCO, I encourage WADA, I encourage the JOA, I encourage the international federation to take a hard look at this press release and see if it was appropriate to disclose what is otherwise completely confidential,” Crowne asserted.

  Dr. Crowne, known for his representation of athletes like Jamaica’s Ryker Hylton and Briana Williams, argued that the JJA's actions have damaged its own reputation more than Drysdale-Daley's. “In attempting to paint the athlete in a negative light, the Jamaican Judo Association has now painted themselves in a negative light through this breach of confidence, and it should not go unpunished,” he declared.

  The disciplinary process for Drysdale-Daley, who has already received a notice of suspension from the JJA, remains in flux. With Dr Crowne and his team offering their legal expertise, the battle between Drysdale-Daley and the JJA is poised to intensify, drawing significant attention from the sports community as the saga unfolds.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

• Leon Edwards brings in sleep specialist ahead of UFC title defense against Belal Muhammad

  Leon "Rocky" Edwards is leaving no stone unturned as he prepares for his upcoming UFC welterweight title defence against Belal Muhammad. The reigning champion has enlisted the help of a sleep specialist to adjust his body clock to the unusual start time of his fight, set for approximately 5am UK time.

  The highly anticipated bout will headline UFC 304 at Manchester’s new Co-op Live Arena on July 27. Despite being held in England, the event’s schedule has been adjusted to cater to American audiences, with the first prelim starting at 11pm UK time and the main card kicking off at 3am. This late-night timeline is a significant departure from the typical 11pm main event start time that British MMA fans are accustomed to.

  In an interview with talkSPORT Drive’s Andy Goldstein and Darren Bent, Edwards shared his initial reaction to the unconventional fight schedule. "At the start, I was bit like 'Oh, why is it that time?'" Edwards admitted. However, he quickly adapted by seeking professional help. "I've brought in a specialist in sleep and they've given me a plan of how it will work."

  The sleep specialist's plan involves gradually shifting Edwards' daily routine to align with the fight's late start time. "I thought I'd have to train at 5am in the morning every day straight away but they said basically 'Six weeks out we'll start switching your body clock and training'," Edwards explained.

  The process includes adjusting his training sessions incrementally. "So my evening session will now become my first session, so at 5pm I'll do my first session and then I'll train again at midnight. And then each week I'll move both sessions forward an hour to adjust to the time so I'll sleep later and train later," he elaborated.

  This strategic approach aims to ensure that Edwards will be at peak performance when he steps into the octagon in the early hours of the morning.

  The fight holds additional significance given the history between Edwards and Muhammad. Their last encounter in March 2021 at UFC Fight Night 187 in Las Vegas ended in a no-contest due to an accidental eye poke from Edwards that rendered Muhammad unable to continue. This rematch offers both fighters a chance to settle the score and for Edwards, an opportunity to solidify his reign as the welterweight champion.

  As the fight approaches, all eyes will be on Edwards to see if his meticulous preparation, including his innovative approach to adjusting his sleep schedule, will give him the edge he needs to defend his title successfully against a formidable opponent in Belal Muhammad.

   

   

   

   

• Conor McGregor to make his long-awaited return to UFC on June 29

  Conor McGregor will make his long-awaited return to UFC on June 29 after nearly three years out.

  Dana White confirmed that the former UFC featherweight and lightweight champion will fight Michael Chandler at UFC 303 in June.

  McGregor – who has 22 wins and six UFC defeats – has not competed in the UFC since July 2021 when he sustained a horrific leg break against Dustin Poirier, who he had previously fought and lost to six months earlier.

  Speaking about the fight, White said on Saturday that McGregor’s return had been “all about timing”.

  “There’s all kinds of things that go on behind the scenes and it’s all about timing. Chandler’s been ready but Conor hasn’t been ready,” White said.

  “We talked about this in one of the press conferences recently, he had a lot of obligations that he had to deal with.

  “What you don’t want him doing is accepting a fight when he’s got a ton of obligations and he can’t train 100 per cent for a fight, so here we are tonight.”