Khamzat Chimaev-Dricus Du Plessis UFC 319 press conference ignites crowd

Khamzat Chimaev-Dricus Du Plessis UFC 319 press conference ignites crowd

Khamzat Chimaevlooked delighted. The source of his mirth was a boisterous crowd gathered in Chicago for the final press conference before he fights UFC middleweight champion Dricus Du Plessis at UFC 319 on Saturday, Aug. 16. Boos drowned out Du Plessis as he tried to answer the first question. "Well, that was one of the best boos I've heard,'' Du Plessis said when the noise finally died down. "Well done, gents, well done.'' Almost as loud as the boos were the cheers for Chimaev, the Russian-born fighter with a bushy beard, scarred lip and mischievous grin. He has electrified fans with brutal victories en route to a 14-0 record and his first title show almost feels overdue as he prepares to face South Africa's Du Plessis (23-2). "Are you asking me if this is the fight of the year?'' UFC's Dana White said in response to a question at the press conference, and he grinned. "Yes, this is a big fight.'' Maybe even bigger than initally realized gauged by the energy of the crowd that Chimaev fed with the grin and tough talk. "Just going to go and (mess) him up, bro,'' he said of Du Plessis. "That's it, man.'' Chimaev also said, "I come to take over, man. Take his head.'' Take his head? The crowd roared. Of course the real show will take place in the octagon at the United Center when the 31-year-old fighters clash in a fight scheduled for five rounds. "You have two of the best in the world right now in their prime for the title,'' White said. "This is one of the best fights we've had in a long time. I don't know how it plays out.'' The sound of the crowd will let everyone know. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:Khamzat Chimaev vs Dricus Du Plessis UFC 319 press conference electric

byMario Satorik

in

August 15, 2025

Khamzat Chimaev-Dricus Du Plessis UFC 319 press conference ignites crowd

Khamzat Chimaev-Dricus Du Plessis UFC 319 press conference ignites crowd Khamzat Chimaevlooked delighted. The source of his mirth was a bois...

Read More

After two up-and-down NFL seasons, is a former No. 1 pick primed for a breakout?

After two up-and-down NFL seasons, is a former No. 1 pick primed for a breakout?

Bryce Young entered the NFL with major expectations. A Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at Alabama, he was selected No. 1 overall in 2023 by the Carolina Panthers based on his throwing accuracy and calm demeanor in the pocket. But his first two seasons were anything but smooth. As a rookie, Young threw for 2,877 yards and 11 touchdowns but 10 interceptions and posted a 2-15 record. He was also sacked 62 times, the second-most in the NFL. The team's poor performance led to head coach Frank Reich's being fired 11 games into the season. After he threw three picks and zero scores over the first two weeks of the 2024 season, he was benched for Andy Dalton, a veteran who continued as starter for the next six games but was sidelined after a car accident resulted in a thumb injury. Young, 24, stepped in for Dalton ahead of the Week 8 matchup with the Denver Broncos and never relinquished the role, showing major signs of promise the rest of the way. That has led his teammates and league analysts to believe he still has what it takes to lead an NFL franchise. "A lot of great quarterbacks have been benched," NBC's Chris Simmssaid on "Chris Simms Unbuttoned.""Part of being an NFL quarterback is getting knocked down and getting your ass back up and going, 'You know what? I'm going to still keep fighting and I'm going to show everybody that they're wrong.'" Young did that and more. Over his last 10 games in 2024, he threw for 2,104 yards and 15 touchdowns, with only six interceptions, for a passer rating of 88.9. Carolina won only four of those matchups, but its offensive stats were up across the board down the stretch. Young finished the season on a high note, going 25-for-34 passing for 251 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions in an overtime victory against the Atlanta Falcons. "You saw a totally different guy," Simms said of Young's play down the stretch, noting his improvement in decision-making and pocket presence. "You saw the right steps to be excited for Bryce Young going into Year 3." That level of play also caught the eye of Panthers tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders. "Everybody definitely sees the change," Sanders told NBC News. "One thing I've learned from Bryce is not getting too high with the highs or low with the lows. Attacking the day the same way every day." Sanders added that Young's competitiveness has been evident in training camp this summer and that he has shown leadership off it. "The way he carries himself as a person off the field — not even just talking about football here — off the field, how he carries himself as a person, as a man. The energy he brings when he walks into the room." That energy most likely increased after the 2025 NFL draft. The Panthers bolstered their offense by selecting Arizona star wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan at No. 8 overall. The 6-foot-4 McMillan has the height, speed and catching ability to provide Young with another reliable weapon in the offense to go along with veteran receiver (and former All-Pro) Adam Thielen and 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette. Premier League preview: Will Liverpool repeat or is this finally Arsenal's year? Major League Baseball's cheapest team is also among its hottest Matthew Berry's 100 Facts You Need To Know Before You Draft in 2025 The team also bolstered its defense by giving cornerback Jaycee Horn a four-year, $100 million contract extension and signing safety Tre'von Moehrig from the Las Vegas Raiders. The Panthers finished third in the NFC South and fourth the previous year. They hope another step is taken in 2025, which largely depends on Young. "I'm super confident. That comes from this building," Young said at anews conferenceduring training camp. "Relying on the coaching staff and team around me, that's really where I get my confidence from. I'm grateful to be part of the organization."

byMario Satorik

in

August 15, 2025

After two up-and-down NFL seasons, is a former No. 1 pick primed for a breakout?

After two up-and-down NFL seasons, is a former No. 1 pick primed for a breakout? Bryce Young entered the NFL with major expectations. A Heis...

Read More

Trump and Putin's changing relationship to take center stage in Alaska

Trump and Putin's changing relationship to take center stage in Alaska

In his first term, PresidentDonald Trumpmet with Russia's Vladimir Putin six times but one moment stood out. It happened in Helsinki, Finland, in 2018 when Trump, standing next to him, suggested he believed Putin's denial that Russia interfered in the 2016 election over the findings of U.S. intelligence. At the time, Trump said U.S.-Russia relations had "never been worse" than before they met but that had "changed." Now, Trump is set to hold his first one-on-one meeting with Putin of his second term at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. MORE: Ukraine, left out in Trump-Putin summit, fears setbacks on key peace issues The backdrop for Friday's highly-anticipated summit is a darker one, amid Russia's relentless onslaught on Ukraine and Putin presenting a frustrating obstacle to Trump's professed desire to end the war. The meeting will spotlight their relationship -- one that Trump said during the 2024 campaign was so strong he could end the conflict on his first day in office or even before. "It seems that Donald Trump used to think that he understands Putin well and has a good rapport with him, but over the last few months we've seen him alter his position in that regard and actually become more frustrated with Putin. I think he's becoming more moderated in his expectations about what the meeting can bring," said Maria Snegovaya, a senior fellow for Russia and Eurasia with the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Trump called Putin a "strong leader" in his first term and a "genius" shortly after his forces first invaded Ukraine. Early in his second term, Trump said that Putin would be "generous" in peace talks and Ukraine more difficult. Trump made several public demands of Ukraine, including that it would have to give up its goal of joining NATO and possibly cede some territory, while notably not setting any such red lines for Russia. The president even sympathized with Putin's status as a global pariah, saying in February that he would "love" for Russia to rejoin the Group of Seven nations and that it was a mistake for Moscow to have been expelled from the company of world leaders following Putin's annexation of Crimea. "Look, nothing's going to happen until Putin and I get together, OK?" Trump said back in the spring. MORE: Trump said only he could get Putin to make a Ukraine peace deal. It hasn't happened. Over the last few months, however, Trump's tone toward Putin has shifted. "I've always had a very good relationship with Vladimir Putin of Russia, but something has happened to him. He has gone absolutely CRAZY!" Trump wrote on his social media platform in late May. Trump expressed repeatedly that he's "disappointed" in the Russian president as strikes intensified between Russia and Ukraine this summer. In July, Trump said he was fed up with the "bull---- thrown at us by Putin." "He's very nice all the time, but it turns out to be meaningless," he said. "We're not happy with Putin. I'm not happy with Putin. I can tell you that much right now, because he's killing a lot of people," Trump added. Trump has kept American-made weapons supplied to Ukraine through a deal with European partners and recently slapped steep secondary tariffs on India, one of the largest purchasers of Russian oil, in indirect pressure on Moscow. Still, Trump held back on his threats to impose harsher sanctions on Aug. 8 if Putin did not agree to a ceasefire. Instead, on that date, Trump announced he would host the Russian leader on U.S. soil for a one-on-one meeting. "He has more that he could do in order to push Putin to come to the table," said William Taylor, a former U.S. ambassador to Ukraine currently serving as a senior fellow at the Atlantic Council. So far, Trump has tempered expectations about Friday's summit. He's called it a "feel-out meeting" and the White House described it as a "listening exercise." MORE: In Alaska, is Putin offering Trump peace or a trap?: ANALYSIS At the same time, he warned again this week of "severe consequences" if Russia didn't end the conflict. "I think that Trump believes that strongmen of Putin's kind are to be negotiated with eye to eye, and he wants to feel the ground to see what he gets from the meeting with Putin. The problem with that is Putin is also a shrewd manipulator and he has the KGB background, he is known to be very convincing and make people like him in person," said Snegovaya. John Bolton, Trump's former national security adviser, said Putin's goal for this summit is to get back into Trump's good graces. "What Putin wants to get back, he's not so worried about the sanctions, he wants the relationship back with Trump. We'll see if he gets it," Bolton said on ABC's "This Week."

byMario Satorik

in

August 15, 2025

Trump and Putin's changing relationship to take center stage in Alaska

Trump and Putin's changing relationship to take center stage in Alaska In his first term, PresidentDonald Trumpmet with Russia's Vla...

Read More

India celebrates Independence Day, in photos

India celebrates Independence Day, in photos

India celebratesthe day the country gained independenceafter the partition of British India in 1947. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors.

byMario Satorik

in

August 15, 2025

India celebrates Independence Day, in photos

India celebrates Independence Day, in photos India celebratesthe day the country gained independenceafter the partition of British India in ...

Read More

BMW Championship: Second round tee times, how to watch, leaderboard Friday

BMW Championship: Second round tee times, how to watch, leaderboard Friday

USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. Robert MacIntyreprobably didn't want Round 1 to end. After finishing the opening round of the BMW Championship withsix consecutive birdies to take a three-shot leadat Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland, MacIntyre will look to keep the momentum going in Friday's Round 2. The FedEx Cup Playoffs is in its second leg this weekend, and MacIntyre will be the target for the event's 48 other challengers. The next closest on the leaderboard isTommy Fleetwood(-5), who birdied the final hole Thursday to move to within three shots of MacIntyre (-8).Tournament favorite Scottie Schefflersits in third place at 4-under par. USA TODAY Sportswill be following everything happening on the course at the 2025 BMW Championship. Here are updates from Round 2 of the PGA Tour's second FedEx Cup Playoffs event: 1. Robert MacIntyre: -8 (F) 2. Tommy Fleetwood: -5 (F) 3. Scottie Scheffler: -4 (F) T4. Rickie Fowler: -3 (F) T4. Ben Griffin: -3 (F) T4. Viktor Hovland: -3 (F) BMW CHAMPIONSHIP:Updated tee times, full leaderboard The second round of the 2025 BMW Championship starts at 9:21 a.m. ET on Friday, Aug. 15. The 2025 BMW Championship, the second event of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs, will be televised nationally on the Golf Channel and NBC. It can be live streamed viaESPN+,PeacockandFubodepending on the time. Here's the full broadcast schedule for all four rounds: All times Eastern Friday, Aug. 15 9:15 a.m.-6 p.m. onESPN+ 2-6 p.m. on Golf Channel,Fubo Saturday, Aug. 16 9 a.m.-6 p.m. onESPN+ 1-3 p.m. on Golf Channel,Fubo 3-6 p.m. on NBC,Peacock Sunday, Aug. 17 9 a.m.-6 p.m. onESPN+ Noon-2 p.m. on Golf Channel,Fubo 2-6 p.m. on NBC,Peacock All times ET. 9:21 a.m. — Harry Hall, Jason Day 9:32 a.m. — Matt Fitzpatrick, Si Woo Kim 9:43 a.m. — Brian Campbell, Denny McCarthy 9:54 a.m. — Ryan Gerard, Daniel Berger 10:05 a.m. — Chris Gotterup, Jacob Bridgeman 10:16 a.m. — Sam Burns, Sungjae Im 10:27 a.m. — Hideski Matsuyama, Robert MacIntyre 10:43 a.m. — Collin Morikawa, Corey Conners 10:54 a.m. — Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood 11:05 a.m. — Justin Rose, J.J. Spaun 11:16 a.m. — Cameron Young, Ludvig Aberg 11:27 a.m. — Tom Hoge, Bud Cauley 11:38 a.m. — J.T. Poston 11:54 a.m. — Xander Schauffele, Michael Kim 12:05 p.m. — Kurt Kitayama, Thomas Detry 12:16 p.m. — Ryan Fox, Taylor Pendrith 12:27 p.m. — Lucas Glover, Sam Stevens 12:38 p.m. — Viktor Hovland, Akshay Bhatia 12:49 p.m. — Nick Taylor, Shane Lowry 1:05 p.m. — Brian Harman, Patrick Cantlay 1:16 p.m. — Keegan Bradley, Maverick McNealy 1:27 p.m. — Ben Griffin, Russell Henley 1:38 p.m. — Scottie Scheffler, Rory McIlroy 1:49 p.m. — Andrew Novak, Harris English 2 p.m. — Jhonattan Vegas, Rickie Fowler Listed below is the top 10 golfers in the FedEx Cup standings. These are the golfers that have qualified for the BMW Championship this weekend. For a full list of standings,click here. Scottie Scheffler: 5,456 points Rory McIlroy: 3,444 points J.J. Spaun: 3,344 points Justin Rose: 3,220 points Sepp Straka: 2,783 points Russell Henley: 2,579 points Ben Griffin: 2,555 points Tommy Fleetwood: 2,433 points Justin Thomas: 2,395 points Harris English: 2,269 points Our team of savvy editors independently handpicks all recommendations. If you purchase through our links, the USA Today Network may earn a commission. Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY:BMW Championship second round: How to watch, tee times

byMario Satorik

in

August 15, 2025

BMW Championship: Second round tee times, how to watch, leaderboard Friday

BMW Championship: Second round tee times, how to watch, leaderboard Friday USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this articl...

Read More

Raiders' Ashton Jeanty shows big-play ability in joint practice with the 49ers

Raiders' Ashton Jeanty shows big-play ability in joint practice with the 49ers

HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The 49ers bottled up Raiders running back Ashton Jeanty for the most part Thursday, similar to what Seattle did ina preseason game a week earlierin holding him to minus-1 yard on three carries. But Jeanty still provided a reminder in the joint practice of why he wasdrafted sixth overall this yearby Las Vegas. He found an opening to the left side of the offensive line, hit the hole hard and was off and running for a 72-yard touchdown. "He learns and he grows with every single experience," Raiders quarterback Geno Smith said. "That's something that's going to make him a great player because he's getting better (each) day. He definitely took another step today." The teams practiced in front of more than 2,000 fans at the Raiders' facility, and they will meet in a preseason game Saturday at Allegiant Stadium. The domed stadium will provide a much different atmosphere than the outside fields in which the temperatures pushed 100 degrees. San Francisco coach Kyle Shanahan said he is planning to play at least some starters on Saturday, including possibly quarterback Brock Purdy for the first time this preseason. But the banged-up 49ers are missing several potential starters to injuries that kept them out of the practice Thursday and also will for the upcoming game. Defensive end Nick Bosa (neck) was among those not practicing, a list that included safety Jason Pinnock (heel), cornerback Tre Brown (heel), guard Ben Bartch (elbow), cornerback Upton Stout (calf), wide receiver Jordan Watkins (ankle) and defensive end Robert Beal (abductor). Then on Thursday, defensive tackle C.J. West hyperextended his knee and is expected to miss at least one week. "I think there are three healthy starters on defense right now, so I have to decide on those three guys," Shanahan said about the game Saturday "But it does put a lot more pressure on the threes. The twos become the ones, the threes become the twos, and we don't really have threes right now. I look at it all and how much time you're getting in the next few weeks, and I'd like to get a lot of work for as many guys as I can on Saturday." The Raiders are much healthier, but rookie wide receiver Dont'e Thornton — who has been practicing with the starters — banged his head and left practice. Raiders coach Pete Carroll said he didn't think the injury was serious. Keeping it mostly calm The intensity between the former Bay Area rivals increased as the temperatures rose, but the four skirmishes were minor. "We were out here missing 20 guys," Shanahan said. "We have some positions that don't really have enough to go. If you get punched and you throw a punch back, I told the guys, it shows how mentally weak you are because all you're going to do is leave five guys left to do the whole practice." Carroll said it was important for the focus to be on the tasks at hand. "We come here to play good football and get better, and I think both sides did a great job of showing that," Carroll said. Pumping up a teammate Raiders wide receiver Tre Tucker dropped a pass at one point in the practice, and Smith immediately went over and gave him a pep talk. Tucker responded by making two outstanding touchdown catches, one falling on his back in the end zone and the other over 49ers standout cornerback Deommodore Lenoir. "We strive for perfection, but we're all human," Smith said. "The main thing whenever a guy makes a mistake or anything happens out there that we don't want to happen, it's about showing that we have each other's back. That's what we're here for, and they do it for me as well." Seattle in Las Vegas The 49ers and Seahawks are NFC West rivals, so it should be a little surprise that the Raiders' defense looked a little familiar to San Francisco players. Carroll is in his first season in Las Vegas after 14 years in Seattle where he made the Legion of Boom defense among the NFL's fiercest. "You could see them doing that now, which is pretty cool," Purdy said. "I think they're going to continue to get better with it when you've got (Raiders defensive end) Maxx Crosby and those guys rushing the pocket. They had a couple good reps today of getting in there, so disruptive, but still pretty good scheme-wise overall. So it was good going up against them." ___ Freelance writer W.G. Ramirez contributed to this report. ___ AP NFL:https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

byMario Satorik

in

August 15, 2025

Raiders' Ashton Jeanty shows big-play ability in joint practice with the 49ers

Raiders' Ashton Jeanty shows big-play ability in joint practice with the 49ers HENDERSON, Nev. (AP) — The 49ers bottled up Raiders runni...

Read More

Germany tells Israeli government to stop West Bank settlement construction

Germany tells Israeli government to stop West Bank settlement construction

BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany on Friday called on the Israeli government to stop settlement construction in the West Bank after Israel's far-right finance minister said work would start on a plan for thousands of home that would divide the Palestinian territory. Germany "firmly rejects the Israeli government's announcements regarding the approval of thousands of new housing units in Israeli settlements in the West Bank," said a foreign ministry spokesperson in a statement. Plans for the "E1" settlement and the expansion of Maale Adumim would further restrict the mobility of the Palestinian population in the West Bank by splitting it in half and cutting the area off from East Jerusalem, said the spokesperson. Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced on Thursday that work would start on the long-delayed settlement, a move that his office said would "bury" the idea of a Palestinian state. In a statement, Smotrich's spokesperson said the minister had approved the plan to build 3,401 houses for Israeli settlers between an existing settlement in the West Bank and Jerusalem. Germany has repeatedly warned the Israeli government to stop settlement construction in the West Bank, which violates international law and U.N. Security Council resolutions. Such moves complicate steps towards a negotiated two-state solution and end to Israeli occupation of the West Bank, said the spokesperson. (Writing by Miranda Murray, Editing by Rachel More)

byMario Satorik

in

August 15, 2025

Germany tells Israeli government to stop West Bank settlement construction

Germany tells Israeli government to stop West Bank settlement construction BERLIN (Reuters) -Germany on Friday called on the Israeli governm...

Read More