Oscar Piastri insists he is still targeting a podium finish, despite receiving a grid penalty ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The McLaren driver had initially qualified in second place behind Drivers' Championship leader Max Verstappen, with the Australian's teammate Lando Norris in third.
However, Piastri has since been handed a three-place grid drop after he impeded Kevin Magnussen while exiting the pits during Q1.
The 23-year-old admitted he could not see Magnusson at the chicane at Turns 2 and 3, and tried to get clear of the Dane as quickly as possible, though the steward's review highlighted McLaren's failure to give him sufficient warning that a faster car was approaching.
Nevertheless, Piastri did not let the penalty detract from a generally positive display during qualifying, which subsequently sees Norris take second place on the grid, with the Ferrari pair of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz leapfrogging him to third and fourth respectively.
"I'm really happy with the performance today," he said. "We were so close to pole on track.
"I've been really comfortable with the car from the moment we put it on track yesterday, and I am enjoying my first GP weekend here. We've definitely been on the pace all weekend and confidence is high.
"It is a shame to lose the front row and having to start from P5 as it’s not the easiest track to overtake on. However, we will try our best to recover some positions and fight to finish on the podium."
Max Verstappen paid tribute to Ayrton Senna after tying the Brazilian's record by taking pole position at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
The Drivers' Championship leader equalled Senna's record of eight successive poles set across the 1988 and 1989 seasons, as he seeks his fifth race win of the season.
Verstappen struggled on Friday, finishing seventh on the timesheets after exchanging angry radio messages with his team and several off-track excursions, but bounced back 24 hours later with a best time of 1:14.746 in the final qualification session for Sunday’s race.
And the Red Bull driver felt it was fitting to match Senna's achievement on the 30th anniversary of his death at Imola.
"Of course, it’s a great start to the year, but also very special," he said. "It's 30 years since he passed away at this track, so I'm very pleased to get pole here.
"In a way, it's a nice memory to him. He was an incredible F1 driver, especially in qualifying laps as well.
"[It has been] a really difficult weekend so far, even this morning [in final practice]. I'm incredibly happy to be on pole here. I didn't expect that.
"We made some final changes [to the car set-up] before qualifying, and they seemed to make it feel a bit better, so I could push a bit harder."
Iga Swiatek stormed to her third Italian Open title following a dominant 6-2 6-3 victory over Aryna Sabalenka.
The world number one took just under an hour-and-a-half to deny the world number two, and complete a hat-trick of triumphs in Rome.
The pair were contesting a second final in as many events, with Swiatek saving three championship points before eventually prevailing in the Madrid Open showpiece a fortnight ago.
However, it was one-way traffic this time around. The Pole converted two out of three break points as she controlled the opening set.
Sabalenka was the last player to deny Swiatek in a WTA final, that coming at last year's Madrid Open.
Although, the second seed was helpless as her opponent broke again in game seven of the second set, before wrapping up a fourth title of the season ahead of the French Open later this month.
Data debrief
Landing her third Italian Open title before turning 23, Swiatek is only the second player to achieve that feat after Gabriela Sabatini.
In fact, at 22 years and 352 days old, she is the youngest player to win 10 WTA 1000 titles since the introduction of the format in 2009.
The Pole also became the third player to triumph in Madrid and Rome during the same season, after Dinara Safina (2009) and Serena Williams (2013).
Wayne McCalla is Jamaica’s newest IFBB Pro after capturing the men’s short class physique title at the Roger Boyce Classic in Barbados on May 11.
McCalla, who was named Jamaica’s male bodybuilder of the year at the RJR/Gleaner Sports Foundation’s National Sportswoman and Sportsman of the Year awards in January, beat out competition from Barbados’s Kevon Carter and Suriname’s Raphael Kromokarijo for the crown.
Haiti’s Jean Jahnsen took the title in the medium category ahead of Jamaica’s Rayon Henry and Barbados’ Julian Belgrave.
Haiti also took top spot in the tall class through Marc Louis who won ahead of Barbados’ Bukkiah Providence and Jamaica’s Jevaughn Rosewell.
In men’s lightweight bodybuilding, Suriname’s Rudolph Getrow took top spot ahead of Barbados’ Curtis Kirby and Timon Howard.
At middleweight, the Dominican Republic’s Jeifry Richardson won gold ahead of Barbados’ Sanaj Lewis and Mexico’s Juan Galvan.
Guyana’s Nicholas Albert tool gold in the light heavyweight division ahead of Grenada’s Andrew Hyacinth and Suriname’s Anthony Nekrui while Barbados’ Nicholas Harris won the heavyweight crown ahead of Guyana’s Julio Sinclaire and Aruba’s Albert Kelly.
Antigua & Barbuda’s Shaquelle Thomas won both the men’s open classic bodybuilding and classic physique titles.
Jamaica’s Aldaine Taylor and Thomas’ countryman Jameel Knight were second and third in the bodybuilding section while Barbados’ Jurad Mason and Taylor rounded out the top three in the physique division.
Barbados’ Rashida Belgrave beat out Venezuela’s Lisset Campos for the short women’s body fitness category while Venezuela’s Anyer Camacho won the medium category ahead of Jamaica’s Ashane Gordon-Morrison and Barbados’ Allison Gotip.
Trinidad & Tobago’s Angela Campbell was the only competitor in the women’s open physique competition.
The women’s fit model open title was won by Barbados’ Shanequa Allamby ahead of Slovakia’s Ester Viznerova.
St. Kitts & Nevis’ Toni Nisbett won the women’s short bikini title ahead of Italy’s Eva Leone and Jamaica’s Jolene Miller while Barbados’ Shanequa Allamby won the medium category ahead of countrywoman Danielle Gill and Mexico’s Angelina Aleksandrovych.
The short women’s wellness title went to Guyana’s Hannah Rampersaud ahead of Antigua & Barbuda’s Jeredith John-Jules while the medium section went to Venezuela’s Gil Delgado ahead of the UK’s Shanda Carr and Suriname’s Vanessa Henry-Forster.
The overall titles were distributed as follows: Men’s Physique-Jean Jahnsen, Wellness-Gil Delgado, Body Fitness-Rashida Belgrave, Bikini Fitness-Toni Nisbett, Bodybuilding-Nicholas Albert.
Max Verstappen takes pole position at the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, equalling Ayrton Senna’s record in the process.
It is Verstappen’s eighth consecutive pole in Formula One after he recorded a best time of 1:14.746 around the track in the final qualification session for Sunday’s race.
The Dutchman will share the front row with Oscar Piastri, though he may receive a penalty for impeding Kevin Magnussen in Q1.
Piastri’s McLaren team-mate Lando Norris finished just behind him in third, while the two Ferraris, Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz, rounded out the top five after failing to build on their strong starts.
Red Bull’s Sergio Perez failed to make it past Q2 after dropping to 11th, while Fernando Alonso was forced to pit before the end of Q3, finishing last.
In a mouthwatering clash where speed, flair, defensive and shooting abilities were put to the test, Jamaica’s Jhaniele Fowler-Nembhard, Shanice Beckford, and Kadie-Ann Dehaney toppled compatriots Romelda-Aiken-George, Shamera Sterling-Humphrey, and Latanya Wilson as West Coast Fever extended their unbeaten run with an epic 57-56 win over Adelaide Thunderbirds.
Saturday’s clash at the RAC Arena, was always expected to be a spicy affair, and it didn’t disappoint as the mettle of West Coast Fever was tested against their Adelaide Thunderbirds counterparts, in what was their most formidable challenge this season.
The Fever overcame a sluggish start, as their tenacious defensive pressure and remarkable athleticism ensured they stayed in the game, and they maintained composure when it mattered most to make it six from six at the top of the table.
Dehaney delivered a standout performance for the Fever, as she amassed an impressive total of 68.5 Nissan Net Points. Her dominance was particularly evident in the first and third quarters, where she showcased exceptional skill and contributed significantly with 10 deflections and two crucial intercepts.
“We were below standard, especially at the start with our work-rate. We decided at half time that this is the line; when we get back out there, we need to apply the pressure and lift the standard of work-rate,” Dehaney said in a post-match interview, after she shared a dance with her compatriots.
At the other end of the court, Fever’s ace shooter Fowler-Nembhard stood tall with 51 goals from 51 attempts, including an uncharacteristic two-point Super Shot effort. Beckford got the other six goals from 10 attempts, as she was charged with tackling the Super Shot line, but never really found rhythm
A focused Jhaniel Fowler-Nembhard.
The Thunderbirds were again led by Aiken-George, who scored 34 goals from 40 attempts, while Lauren Frew had 11 goals from 12 attempts. Lucy Austin briefly found range from the Super Shot line and ended with eight goals from six attempts, with Georgie Horjus getting the team’s other three goals from four attempts.
Thunderbirds brought the pressure, as they burst out of the gates and dominated the court and the scoreboard early. Sterling-Humphrey and Matilda Garrett showcased incredible athleticism in defence, their aerial skills on full display, while Wilson proved vital in intercepting when Fever were in transition.
Horjus was also lively early on, as she racked up 20 Nissan Net Points, five goal assists, eight center pass receives, and seven feeds, consistently taking on Sunday Aryang, and also provided a reliable option through the middle.
Meanwhile, for the Fever, Dehaney racked up impressive stats early against Aiken-George, with her five deflections and two intercepts.
The Thunderbirds relentless effort, limited Fever’s attacking options, but the momentum gradually shifted when Beckford dropped the league leader’s first Super Shot. Fowler-Nembhard later secured a penalty goal right on the buzzer, to put Fever up 14-12 at the end of the first quarter.
Fever maintained the ascendancy in the second quarter, as they capitalised on their opportunities in front of goal and asserted their authority over the Thunderbirds, who struggled to maintain possession.
However, after a series of positional changes, the momentum again shifted back to the Thunderbirds, as Wilson tallied three deflections and an intercept as the ball swiftly moved from end to end. From there, Thunderbirds eked out a slim two-point lead at 28-26 at the half-time interval.
Shamera Sterling-Humphrey was again prominent for the Thunderbirds.
As the Thunderbirds pressed on in the third quarter, Fever found themselves in uncharted territory, with the unfamiliar feeling of being in a losing position for the first time this season.
Wilson's physicality on the ball proved pivotal for the Thunderbirds, as they chipped away and ramped up their defensive pressure. But in a pivotal moment for the Fever, Jordan Cransberg’s intercept at the centre pass, swiftly led to a conversion by Fowler-Nembhard, followed by a Fever centre pass.
Aiken-George then squandered a straightforward opportunity right under the post, which gifted possession to the Fever.
Fever pressed on from there, and Beckford landed her second Super Shot out of six attempts, bringing the team within two points, before Fowler-Nembhard scored consecutive efforts, the second of which was on the buzzer. Though Fever won the quarter 16-14, the teams entered the final quarter locked at 42 goals apiece.
Sensing danger, Fever, through an outstanding performance from Fowler-Nembhard quickly extended their lead to five within the opening five minutes of the decisive quarter, and though Thunderbirds battled tooth and nail to get back into it, the reigning champions came up just short at the end.
Mike Budenholzer admitted he would coach the Phoenix Suns, even if the team "was on the moon".
The two-time NBA Coach of the Year, who guided the Milwaukee Bucks to the title in 2021, was named Frank Vogel's successor at Footprint Center last week.
Arizona-born Budenholzer returns to his hometown after taking the 2023-24 season out, having previously enjoyed five-year stints with the Bucks and Atlanta Hawks.
The 54-year-old has only missed out on the postseason once in his 10 previous NBA campaign, guiding his teams to six division titles and entering the playoffs as top seeds on four occasions.
Budenholzer now hopes to achieve something similar with the Suns, who endured a disappointing season under Vogel, which culminated in a 4-0 first-round series defeat by the Minnesota Timberwolves.
"It's mind-boggling to me, like mind-blowing, to think that I'm going to be the head coach of the Phoenix Suns," he told reporters during his introductory news conference.
"I'm excited about working with this roster and these players. We have great players and, with great players, comes great expectations. I think we embrace that.
"The biggest message I want you to hear is that I would coach this team if it was on the moon. I would coach this team if it was in Alaska, if these players were in Denmark. I would go anywhere to coach this team."
Tiger Woods vowed he would "keep fighting" after missing the cut at this year's PGA Championship.
The four-time champion will be absent from the weekend at the second major of the season, having carded rounds of 72 and 77 in Valhalla.
Woods concluded his opening round with a bogey-bogey finish, while he hit two triple-bogeys in the first four holes of his second round - doing so multiple times in a single round at a major for the first time.
The 48-year-old, who finished seven over par and 19 strokes behind halfway leader Xander Schauffele, was making his first appearance on the PGA Tour since last month's Masters, and knows he needs to improve ahead of the US Open at Pinehurst in four weeks' time.
When asked about his next steps, the 15-time major champion responded: "Just keep fighting. Keep the pedal on, keep fighting, keep grinding, keep working hard at posting the best score that I can possibly post. That's all I can do.
"I got off to a bad start [in the second round] and the rough grabbed me at [the second hole]. I compounded the problem there at [the fourth].
"[I] just kept making mistakes and things you can't do, not just in tournaments but in majors especially. I hung around for most of the day, but unfortunately, the damage was done early.
"I need to play more. Unfortunately, I just haven't played a whole lot of tournaments. Hopefully, everything will somehow come together in my practice sessions at home and be ready for Pinehurst."
Rick Carlisle hailed the efforts of his Indiana Pacers players after they forced their playoff series with the New York Knicks to Game 7.
Carlisle challenged his players directly in the wake of their loss in Game 5, which put them 3-2 down in the series.
And the Pacers responded with a fine display in a 116-103 victory, which sees the series go down to the wire, with Game 7 set for Sunday at Madison Square Garden.
"It was just activity. We played harder tonight, which was a must," Carlisle said.
"We moved the ball better and we got more rebounds, and that's obviously a big key to the series.
"We gotta brace for Sunday. And we must be ready."
Tyrese Haliburton had 15 points and nine assists for the Pacers, and said: "Coaches challenged our effort, I think that was the biggest thing.
"We had some boneheaded things happen [in Game 5].
"He [Carlisle] just really challenged our group [players] 1-15 on how can we be better."
Jalen Brunson finished with 31 points for the Knicks, but he was not overly impressed by his own performance.
"They try to make things difficult," Brunson said. "And I have to adjust as well. Show me different looks and I have to do a better job of reading it."
Scottie Scheffler was left "shocked and shaking" after his arrest in Kentucky, though the world number one delivered a superb second round at the PGA Championship.
Scheffler was arrested ahead of play starting at Valhalla Golf Club on Friday.
According to reports from ESPN, Scheffler faces charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.
The start of Friday's second round in Kentucky was delayed due to a traffic incident outside the course, with it subsequently confirmed that one person had died in the incident, which did not involve Scheffler.
Speaking to reporters after his second round, Scheffler said: "My main focus after getting arrested was wondering if I could be able to come back out here and play, and fortunately I was able to do that," he said.
"I was never angry, just in shock and I was shaking the whole time. It was definitely a new feeling for me.
"The officer that took me to the jail was very kind. He was great. We had a nice chat in the car, that kind of helped calm me down.
"It was a chaotic situation and a big misunderstanding," he said. "It’ll get resolved fairly quickly I think. I was driving in this morning, trying to get to my warm-up time and I don’t really have an understanding what transpired.
"I did numerous apologies but it was dark, it was raining and they had just had an accident. I didn’t know what had happened at the time but my heart goes out to the family.
"At no point did I try to name-drop myself to defuse the situation. I just tried to remain as calm as possible and just follow instructions."
Scheffler posted a five-under-par 66, moving to nine under for the tournament, and closing within three strokes of leader Xander Schauffele.
Having carded a historic 62 on Thursday, Schauffele could only manage a 68 in his second round, allowing his rivals to close the gap.
Collin Morikawa, who followed up his first-round 66 with an excellent 65, is one stroke back on 11 under. Sahith Theegala is third, on 10 under.
Scheffler is then part of a group that also includes Bryson DeChambeau, Thomas Detry and Mark Hubbard.
Reigning champion Brooks Koepka is two back from Scheffler on seven under.
Rory McIlroy, however, endured a disappointing second round, with the Northern Irishman carding 71 to slide seven shots off the lead.
Tiger Woods, meanwhile, missed the cut after a dismal round of 77.
Paul Skenes struck out the first seven batters and finished with 11 as part of six no-hit innings in his second major league start, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 9-3 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Skenes allowed just one baserunner – Michael Busch’s full-count walk in the fifth – in a dominant performance to earn his first victory. He struck out the side in the first and fanned Mike Tauchman on a 100-mph fastball on his 100th and final pitch – his 12th to reach triple digits.
The No. 1 pick in the 2023 amateur draft became the third rookie with seven strikeouts to start a game, joining Jacob deGrom on Sept. 15, 2014, and Jim Deshaies on Sept. 23, 1986. He also became the first rookie with an outing of at least six no-hit innings and 10-plus strikeouts since Chris Heston threw a no-hitter for San Francisco against the Mets on June 9, 2015.
The Cubs didn’t get their first hit until Christopher Morel singled against Carmen Mlodzinski with two outs in the seventh.
Andrew McCutchen and Jared Triolo homered for the Pirates, who have won the first two games of this series after losing seven of nine.
Kyle Hendricks allowed season highs of eight runs and 11 hits in 4 2/3 innings in his second start since returning from a lower back strain.
Rays’ Alexander flirts with perfection
Tyler Alexander took a perfect game into the 8th inning before Danny Jansen blooped an opposite-field, one-out single and the Tampa Bay Rays held on for a 4-3 win over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Alexander retired his first 22 batters, but Jansen dropped a 1-0 changeup between right fielder Josh Lowe and second baseman Richie Palacios.
Davis Schneider homered two pitches later to draw the Blue Jays within 4-2.
Alexander allowed three runs on three hits without a walk and struck out four. He threw 105 pitches, three more than his previous career high.
Pete Fairbanks pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save in five chances.
Palacios hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning off Chris Bassitt as Tampa Bay won for the 10th time in 14 games.
Streaking Astros edge Brewers
Jake Meyers hit a two-run homer and Jeremy Pena added a three-run shot to lift the Houston Astros to their sixth consecutive win, 5-4 over the Milwaukee Brewers.
It was the eighth win in nine games for the Astros, who moved into third place in the AL West.
Jake Bauers homered and Joey Ortiz added three hits, including a three-run home run for the Brewers, who went 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position.
Pascal Siakam scored 25 points and Myles Turner added 17 as the Indiana Pacers rolled to a 116-103 victory over the New York Knicks to force Game 7 in the Eastern Conference semifinals on Friday.
Andrew Nembhard, Tyrese Haliburton and T.J. McConnell each added 15 points, with Nembhard grabbing six rebounds and handing out six assists. Haliburton had nine assists as the Pacers remained perfect in six home games in this postseason.
The winner of Game 7 in New York on Sunday will advance to face the top-seeded Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals.
Jalen Bruson scored 31 points on 11-of-26 shooting after missing his final 11 shots in the first half. Deuce McBride added 20 points with four 3-pointers as the Knicks fell to 0-3 on the road in this series.
Already decimated by injuries, the Knicks lost starting forward Josh Hart in the fourth quarter due to abdominal soreness.
Hart was seen holding his midsection multiple times during the game and asked to be taken out after he had five points and eight rebounds in 31 minutes.
New York is already without All-Star Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson and Bojan Bogdanovic.
Indiana used a 14-6 run in the third quarter to take control, turning a 61-56 lead into a 75-62 advantage. The Pacers maintained at least a 10-point edge the rest of the way.
The Toronto Maple Leafs hired Craig Berube as their new head coach on Friday, bringing a Stanley Cup champion to a franchise that holds the longest stretch without a title in NHL history.
Berube, who guided the St. Louis Blues to their lone Stanley Cup title in 2018-19, comes aboard just over a week after the Maple Leafs fired Sheldon Keefe following a first-round exit in this year's play-offs.
The 58-year-old Berube, a former Toronto player known for his hard-nosed and disciplined coaching approach, compiled a 206-132-44 record in six seasons with St. Louis. The Blues reached the play-offs in the first four of those seasons, but missed the post-season in 2022-23 and got off to a 13-14-1 start in 2023-24 before Berube was fired on Dec. 12.
Berube did enjoy instant success after replacing Mike Yeo behind the Blues' bench in November 2018. St. Louis was near the bottom of the Western Conference at the time of the switch, but rebounded to make the post-season before winning three play-off series prior to defeating the Boston Bruins in seven games in the 2019 Stanley Cup Final.
He'll now take over a Toronto team that has won just one play-off series since 2006 and last hoisted the Stanley Cup in 1968, a 56-year drought that stands as the longest in NHL history.
The Maple Leafs reached the play-offs in all five of their seasons under Keefe, but he won just one of six post-season series and was let go on May 9 after Toronto lost to the rival Bruins in seven games in this year's first round.
"We had gotten to a place where just a new voice was needed," Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said in announcing Keefe's dismissal. "And that's the unfortunate part of this business. I do not believe that you turn coaches and you keep turning coaches. I don't think that is the recipe for success at all. I just felt at the end of the day, when I look at the totality of his time here, a change was required."
Berube, who also spent two seasons as the Philadelphia Flyers' head coach from 2013-15, inherits a talented roster that produced the second-most goals in the NHL this season. Star centre Auston Matthews led the league with 69 goals, the highest individual total by any player in a season since Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux also had 69 for the Pittsburgh Penguins in 1995-96.
A rugged forward who spent 17 seasons as an NHL player with five teams, Berube has assembled a 281-190-72 overall record as a head coach and was a finalist for the Jack Adams Award honouring the league's top coach in 2018-19.
Berube's hire leaves four teams - the New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, Seattle Kraken and Winnipeg Jets - still with coaching vacancies. The Buffalo Sabres (Lindy Ruff) and Ottawa Senators (Travis Green) previously hired new head coaches within the last month.
Nicolas Jarry defeated Tommy Paul in three sets on Friday to set up a showdown with Alexander Zverev in the Italian Open final.
The men's world number 24 prevailed 6-3 6-7 (3-7) 6-3 in a little under three hours in Rome to reach his first ATP Masters 1000 final.
Jarry earned the only break of serve in the eighth game of the opening set, but Paul - who dropped just one set in four matches en route to this stage - hit back in the second.
Birthday boy Paul lost serve to trail 4-2 at one stage, but he produced one of the shots of the tournament at the ideal moment and soon dragged it back to 4-4.
A gruelling set concluded with Paul taking the tie-break 7-3, but Jarry was unperturbed and won the deciding set with his fifth match point to see off Paul in a gruelling contest.
Data Debrief:
Jarry is the third male Chilean in the Open Era to reach the singles final of the Italian Open after Marcelo Rios (1997-98) and Fernando Gonzalez (2007).
The 28-year-old registered 13 aces against Paul to his opponent's seven and hit 35 winners to 19 in a deserved victory.
Jamaican-born British Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Welterweight Champion Leon Edwards now has a date and an opponent for his next title defense.
The 32-year-old will try to fend off number two-ranked Belal Muhammad in the main event at UFC 304 set for July 27 at the Co-op Live in Manchester, England.
Edwards will enter the fight in the midst of a 12-fight unbeaten streak while Muhammad is unbeaten in his last 10 contests.
The pair fought previously at UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs Muhammad on March 13, 2021 in Las Vegas. That bout ended in a no contest after an accidental eye-poke by Edwards in the second of five rounds rendered Muhammad unable to continue.
After than unfortunate fight, Edwards went on to defeat fan favorite Nate Diaz by unanimous decision in the main event at UFC 263 in Glendale, Arizona on June 12, 2021.
His next fight proved to be his crowning moment as he secured a spectacular head-kick knockout of Kamaru Usman to claim the UFC Welterweight title at UFC 278 in Salt Lake City on August 20, 2022.
Heading into that fight, Usman was on a 20-fight win streak and was the number one pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. The Nigerian also had a win over Edwards back in 2015.
Edwards then went on to defeat Usman again, this time via unanimous decision, in their trilogy fight at UFC 286 in London on March 18, 2023 before defending his belt for the second time with another unanimous decision win over Colby Covington at UFC 296 on December 16 last year.
Muhammad has also been on a tear since that eye-poke.The 35-year-old recorded unanimous decision victories over legends Demian Maia and Stephen Thompson at UFC 263 and UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs Daukas, respectively, to close out 2021.
He then secured a third consecutive unanimous decision win, this time beating Vicente Luque in the main event of UFC Fight Night: Luque vs Muhammad 2 on April 16, 2022.
At UFC 280 on October 22, 2022 in Abu Dhabi, Muhammad won performance of the night for his knockout win over Sean Brady and in his last fight, he defeated former title challenger Gilbert Burns via unanimous decision at UFC 288 on May 6, 2023 in New Jersey.
Alexander Zverev fought back from the brink to reach the Italian Open final on Friday, overcoming Alejandro Tabilo by a 1-6 7-6 (7-4) 6-2 scoreline in the last four.
Zverev was punished for a slow start as Tabilo took the opener within 32 minutes, but the German fought back in a one-hour, 15-minute slog of a second set.
The 2017 Italian Open champion put his foot down from 3-3 in the second-set tie-break, with Tabilo potentially feeling the effects of a fine run that included a last-32 upset of Novak Djokovic.
Zverev upped the intensity in the final set and won a huge 94 per cent of points behind his first serve as his opponent wilted, the third seed reaching the Rome final for a third time.
Data Debrief: Zverev draws level with Becker
Zverev will now face either Nicolas Jarry or Tommy Paul in Sunday's final, which will be his 11th at ATP 1000 Masters level.
That tally pulls him level with Boris Becker for most such finals by a German player since the format's 1990 introduction.
World number one Scottie Scheffler was arrested ahead of the second round at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club.
According to reports from ESPN, Scheffler faces charges of second-degree assault of a police officer, third-degree criminal mischief, reckless driving, and disregarding traffic signals from an officer directing traffic.
The start of Friday's second round in Kentucky was delayed due to a traffic incident outside the course.
Louisville Metro Police Department said a bus had struck and killed a pedestrian in the incident, which Scheffler was reportedly attempting to navigate to enter the course.
Pre-tournament favourite Scheffler carded a four-under-par 67 in the first round on Thursday, putting him five strokes behind early pacesetter Xander Schauffele.
Mike Conley Jr. said his return had completed the Minnesota Timberwolves after they crushed the Denver Nuggets to force a Game 7 in the teams' Western Conference semifinal series.
The Nuggets had the chance to eliminate the Timberwolves at Target Center on Thursday after going 3-2 up in the series, but the hosts roared back to tie things up with a 115-70 rout.
Anthony Edwards led the way with 27 points and Jaden McDaniels added 21 on 8-of-10 shooting, with the Timberwolves' win the second-largest NBA Playoff victory by a team facing elimination in history.
Edwards put the team's improvement down to the return of guard Conley, who missed Game 5 after suffering from soreness in his right Achilles tendon.
Asked what had changed for Minnesota, Edwards said: "We got Mike Conley back. That was it."
Conley said: "Obviously I wanted to play the last game. I just couldn't move at all. Tonight it was a no-brainer.
"I was going to try to find a way. We're just better when we're a complete team."
MVP Nikola Jokic had 22 points and nine rebounds for the defending champions, who were stunned by a 20-0 first-quarter run from the third-seeded Timberwolves.
Asked how Denver would look to forget about the loss, Jokic said: "I think we shouldn't.
"I think we need to let it sink in. It's a great loss. They destroyed us, and we should learn from it."
Rory McIlroy felt relieved to have salvaged a five-under 66 from a "scrappy" opening round at the PGA Championship as he and a host of other big names chase Xander Schauffele in Kentucky.
Schauffele leads at Valhalla Golf Club after carding a historic 62 on the first day, with fellow Americans Tony Finau, Sahith Theegala and Mark Hubbard in a tie for second place at six under, three off the lead.
McIlroy is in a large group that also contains Collin Morikawa, sitting four shots off the pace at –5.
Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler are also among the prominent players chasing Schauffele, as they sit on four under after Thursday's action.
It was a more difficult day for Jon Rahm, who shot a one-under 70, but he would have gladly taken that score when he had bogeyed four of his first six holes, while Tiger Woods is at +1 after a 72.
McIlroy's last major win came in 2014 at this tournament and venue. He came into the event in form after two straight wins and remains in contention despite not playing at his peak.
"I rode my luck a little bit," McIlroy said to Sky Sports. "I hope I can drive it like Rory in 2014 over the next few days as I didn't drive it very well [in round one].
"My fairway woods were okay. My scrambling and iron play is coming together, so if I can do all that and hit fairways I am feeling pretty good.
"I sort of felt like it was pretty scrappy for the most part. I don't really feel like I left many out there and I thought I got a lot out of my game.
"Had some good up-and-downs, the chip-in on six. I had a little bit of a scrappy part around the turn there, but not really happy with how I played but I am at least happy with the score."
Masters champion Scheffler will focus on his own game instead of focusing too much on Schauffele's stunning exploits.
"Yeah, I mean, there's nothing I can do," Scheffler said. "Xander went out and played a great round in the morning, and I'm not really going to worry about trying to shoot 9-under. I'm just going to go out and try to hit good shots and play my own game.
"I'd like to clean up a few of the mistakes. I missed two putts I felt like I should have holed, but that's going to happen when the greens get a little chewed up. A couple things I can clean up going into Friday, but overall it was a solid round."
Woods, meanwhile, has accepted inconsistency will be part of his game at this stage of his career, but felt frustrated to end day one over par.
"I am getting stronger for sure," Woods said. "It's just that I don't play a whole lot of competitive rounds.
"Each day is a little bit different. Some days, it's better than others. It's just the way it is. My body is just that way. Some days, it feels great, and others a bit of a struggle.
"I struggled with the speed of the greens. It was a grind. I should have been under par for the day but I am over par and we have a long way to go.
"It is a big-boy golf course. It has gotten longer or maybe I have just got shorter!"
Schauffele sunk nine birdies in a bogey-free round to take the lead. It is just the fourth time a 62 has been carded at a major, with Schauffele matching the record both he and Rickie Fowler equalled in round one of the 2023 US Open.
Branden Grace had previously gone round in 62 at The Open in 2017, though those efforts all came on par-70 courses, whereas Valhalla is a par-71.
Schauffele also beat the course record of 63, set by Jose Maria Olazabal in 2000.
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