Connect with us

Sports

Tom Aspinall Says He Was Barred from UFC 309 News Conference

Published

on

Tom Aspinall Says He Was Barred from UFC 309 News Conference

British interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has revealed he was barred from attending the UFC 309 news conference held in New York on Thursday. Despite being a major topic of interest among fans, the event’s focus remained on the headline bout between reigning champion Jon Jones and veteran Stipe Miocic.

The crowd at Madison Square Garden erupted with chants of “Tommy, Tommy”, showcasing their support for Aspinall and adding to the tension. However, Jones, 37, has consistently deflected questions about facing the 31-year-old Briton and expressed visible irritation. Earlier this week, Jones used an expletive when speaking about Aspinall and urged fans to stop chanting his name during the press conference.

“I asked to be at the press conference and I was told no,” Aspinall disclosed on the UFC’s weigh-in show. “I was trying to go but I got blacklisted.”

Advertisement

UFC President Dana White has stated that the winner of Saturday’s title clash should face Aspinall. However, Jones has pushed back against this notion, claiming a fight against the interim champion “does nothing for my legacy”.

Aspinall earned his interim title by defeating Russia’s Sergei Pavlovich at short notice last year after Jones pulled out of his planned bout with Miocic due to injury. Yet, instead of setting up a unification match with Aspinall, Jones was booked to face the 42-year-old Miocic, a former heavyweight champion.

In a lighthearted jab to prompt a response, Aspinall even bought his dog a toy rubber duck after fans joked that Jones was “ducking” him. Despite this, Jones’ irritation has continued. The American fighter walked out of a TNT Sports interview before it commenced, reportedly unwilling to face more questions about Aspinall.

Advertisement

Aspinall confirmed to TNT Sports on Friday that he has requested an in-cage confrontation with the winner of the Jones-Miocic fight but is still awaiting a response from the UFC.

As anticipation builds, the question remains whether a future clash between Jones and Aspinall will materialize, or if Jones’ reluctance will continue to sideline the British fighter from a high-profile unification bout.

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sports

Prograis announces retirement after Benn Defeat in Emotional Farewell

Published

on

Prograis announces retirement after Benn Defeat in Emotional Farewell

Former world champion Regis Prograis has officially announced his retirement from boxing at the age of 37, following a decisive defeat to Conor Benn on Saturday night.

The bout, held at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, marked the end of Prograis’ distinguished career, with the American revealing afterward that he had already made the decision to retire well before stepping into the ring.

Speaking to Ring Magazine, Prograis disclosed that the fight had long been planned as his farewell appearance. “Going in, I knew I was going to retire. This is my last fight. I knew this months ago – I just didn’t tell anybody but I was terrified going into this,” he said.

Advertisement

Despite the loss, Prograis reflected positively on his final outing, highlighting the scale of the event and the calibre of his opponent. Facing Benn in front of a crowd of around 70,000 provided what he described as the perfect stage to conclude his career. “It’s a great fight to be my last against someone like Conor Benn, someone that was strong – an arena like this with 70,000 in a stadium. I couldn’t ask for a better going away party, perfect end to my story,” he added.

In a candid admission, Prograis also confirmed pre-fight concerns about his physical condition. Reports suggesting he had been dealing with an injury were accurate, he said, revealing that he had seriously considered withdrawing from the contest as recently as 24 hours before fight night.

“The rumours about me being hurt were true. I wanted to pull out of this fight so bad a month ago but kept pushing. I was terrified and thinking about pulling out even yesterday,” Prograis explained.

Advertisement

The former two-time super-lightweight world champion retires with a professional record of 30 wins and four losses, including 24 victories by knockout. Over the course of his career, he captured the WBA super-lightweight title in 2019 and later added the WBC version of the belt, cementing his place among the division’s elite fighters.

Continue Reading

Sports

Salah and Ngumoha Fire Liverpool Past Fulham in Premier League Clash

Published

on

Salah and Ngumoha Fire Liverpool Past Fulham in Premier League Clash

Liverpool FC secured an important Premier League victory over Fulham FC, with goals from Mohamed Salah and rising talent Rio Ngumoha sealing the win.

Salah once again proved decisive, continuing his consistent attacking output with a key contribution that helped set the tone for Liverpool’s performance. The Egyptian forward remains central to Liverpool’s title ambitions, delivering when it matters most.

Ngumoha, meanwhile, added further gloss to the result, underlining his growing reputation with a composed finish. His contribution highlights Liverpool’s ability to blend experience with emerging youth talent.

Advertisement

The victory strengthens Liverpool’s position in the Premier League standings as they maintain pressure in the race at the top, while Fulham are left to regroup after a difficult outing.

Overall, it was a controlled and efficient performance from Liverpool, with both established stars and new faces stepping up at a crucial stage of the season.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Sports

Nike investigating issue with World Cup kits

Published

on

Nike investigating issue with World Cup kits

Nike is investigating a design flaw affecting several national team kits ahead of this summer’s FIFA World Cup, after visible issues emerged during the recent international break.

The problem, described as bulging around the shoulder seams, has been particularly on kits worn by teams including England national football team, France national football team, and Uruguay national football team.

A spokesperson for Nike acknowledged the issue, noting that while player performance is not affected, the visual quality “is not where it needs to be.” The company emphasized that it is working swiftly to resolve the problem for both players and fans.

Advertisement

Nike supplies kits for a wide range of teams participating in the tournament, including co-host nations Canada and United States, as well as countries such as Brazil, Netherlands, Croatia, and South Korea.

The seam issue appears on both the high-performance “match” shirts worn by players and the more widely sold “stadium” versions for supporters, prompting complaints from fans who have already purchased the kits. In the UK, the England stadium shirt is priced at £89.99, while the match version retails at £134.99.

Nike has been the official kit manufacturer for England’s men’s and women’s teams since 2013, and the company reiterated its commitment to maintaining high product standards.

Advertisement

The kits were engineered with performance cooling technology to help players cope with the expected high temperatures during matches across the host countries—United States, Canada, and Mexico—when the tournament kicks off on 11 June.

England are scheduled to begin their campaign on 17 June against Croatia national football team in Arlington, Texas, while Scotland national football team will face Haiti national football team on 14 June in Massachusetts.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending