Former champion Conor McGregor is expected to be sidelined until next July after suffering a torn ACL and meniscus against Max Holloway at UFC 329 in Las Vegas.
The Irishman collapsed to the mat just seconds into the main event on 11 July after throwing a single kick.
UFC president Dana White has now confirmed the severity of the issue, dismissing rumours that the 38-year-old carried a pre-existing condition into the octagon.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, White addressed footage of his star fighter performing leg exercises.
“I have no idea. We had him on FaceTime tonight, ringside, but you know, Conor McGregor’s out for a year.”
A familiar injury setback
Medical evaluations revealed extensive damage to the knee, mirroring the exact injury he suffered in his opposite leg during a points victory over Holloway 13 years ago.
This latest setback marks another extended absence for the former dual-weight champion, who was making his highly anticipated return after a five-year hiatus.
His previous appearance ended in similar agony when he sustained a broken leg during a second consecutive defeat by Dustin Poirier.
The Holloway bout also marked his first appearance since a civil jury found him liable for a 2018 sexual assault, a verdict he unsuccessfully appealed earlier this year.
Rehabilitation and future plans
Despite the severe diagnosis, the veteran fighter has already confirmed he will undergo surgery and remains optimistic about a swift recovery.
He has recently been seen operating weight-machine exercises, noting that he is walking without crutches and can activate his quad under resistance.
Addressing his supporters on social media, the Dublin-born fighter expressed confidence in modern regenerative medicine.
“I returned to competition within nine months to fight Diego Brandao back then. With today’s regenerative medicine advancements and improved training methods it is well within my realm to return by next summer.”
He added that he maintains absolute discipline as he navigates this latest career obstacle.
Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles suffered a rare 200m defeat after pulling up with a hamstring cramp during the US National Championship final in New York.
The 29-year-old was comfortably leading the race before stopping abruptly down the home straight at Icahn Stadium.
Audible gasps echoed from the crowd as the American sprinter grabbed his left leg and limped across the finish line in 50.88 seconds.
College athlete Garrett Kaalund capitalised on the incident to win the national title with a time of 20.04 seconds.
‘Just a cramp’ halts dominant run
This marked only a fourth defeat over the distance for the reigning world champion since he began asserting his dominance in 2018.
Two of those previous losses occurred in the finals of the last two Olympic Games, where he ultimately settled for bronze.
However, the Florida native was quick to alleviate any serious injury fears when speaking to reporters immediately after the race.
“I just felt a grabbing sensation and I’m like, ‘Yeah, this is the time to stop, there’s no reason to keep pushing that’,” said Lyles.
“So I just decided to cut it off. To be honest, it’s just a cramp.”
“I just need to get stretched out and I’ve got some electrolytes here, just gonna chug them down. I’ll be good.”
Sprint workload takes its toll
The sprinter had already demonstrated his exceptional form earlier in the weekend by dominating the shorter distance.
He clocked an extraordinary world-leading time of 9.79 seconds to win the 100m final on Friday evening.
That victory followed an even faster wind-assisted run of 9.76 seconds during his semi-final heat.
He later conceded that such intense physical exertion may have compromised his body for the longer event.
“Running two 9.7s in one day is kind of crazy, and I think I underestimated how fast that really was when trying to come back,” he added.
“This does show me what it takes to keep going and kind of puts a perspective on how kind of great Usain Bolt was.”
Jefferson-Wooden cruises to women’s title
In the women’s 200m final, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden secured her second consecutive national title in commanding fashion.
The reigning world champion crossed the line in a season-best time of 21.69 seconds.
Her main Olympic rival, Gabby Thomas, opted out of competing at the New York event.
Attention now turns to the newly introduced Ultimate Championships, where a substantial prize pot will attract a star-studded field.
“I feel like with women’s sprints today it’s like that every single time we line up,” Jefferson-Wooden stated.
“I watch their races. They watch mine.”
“These next few years are going to be interesting to see.”
Jackson Koivun claimed his first PGA Tour title in just his third professional start by holding off world number one Scottie Scheffler to win the 3M Open in Minnesota.
The 21-year-old finished three strokes clear after shooting a five-under-par 66 in Sunday’s final round at TPC Twin Cities.
His triumph shattered the tournament scoring record as the young American completed the week at a staggering 25 under par.
Scheffler pressure fails to break rookie
Scheffler had set a formidable clubhouse target of 22 under following a blistering final-round 63.
The world’s top-ranked golfer was seeking his first tournament victory since January’s American Express event.
However, the overnight leader maintained his composure despite intense pressure, delivering a bogey-free weekend to secure the trophy.
A spectacular 10-under-par 61 on Saturday had initially propelled the recent amateur standout into a commanding three-shot advantage over Emiliano Grillo and Ben Kohles.
A rapid rise up the rankings
Having only turned professional following the US Open in June, the victorious prodigy’s transition to the elite level has been remarkably swift.
A missed cut at his debut John Deere Classic was quickly followed by a promising tie for 10th at the Isco Championship.
This landmark victory catapults the rising star 124 places up the FedEx Cup standings to 70th position.
“I heard the crowd saying, ‘Scottie’s coming, Scottie’s coming’ but I just tried to blank that out and play the golf I knew I could.”
“I love this game, it’s everything I do, and I just want to say thanks to my parents for getting me into this and supporting me on my entire journey.”
Comparisons to golf’s modern greats
The Minnesota triumph featured an astonishing 24 birdies and two eagles across the four days.
Golf analyst Simon Holmes believes the new champion possesses the necessary qualities to reach the pinnacle of the sport.
“If you look at some of the talent that has come through that college system – Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa and Viktor Hovland – you’d say he is at least on a par with all of those players.”
“But there is something in him that sets him apart from that group.”
Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar has secured a historic fifth Tour de France title, safely navigating Sunday’s final stage in Paris to join the sport’s greatest names.
The 27-year-old dominated this year’s three-week race, ultimately finishing six minutes and 26 seconds ahead of Belgian rival Remco Evenepoel in the overall standings.
By claiming another yellow jersey, the UAE Team Emirates leader equals the all-time record shared by cycling legends Eddy Merckx, Miguel Indurain, Jacques Anquetil and Bernard Hinault.
A historic triumph in the French capital
The world’s most prestigious cycling event concluded with its traditional procession into Paris, allowing the overall leader to comfortably maintain his commanding time advantage.
It caps off an extraordinarily dominant campaign for the all-conquering Slovenian, who is now one of only five men to win the Tour five times.
Evenepoel was forced to settle for the runner-up spot despite a valiant effort throughout the demanding 21-stage route.
Del Toro shines on Grand Tour debut
Further down the general classification, there was remarkable success for Mexican sensation Isaac del Toro.
The 22-year-old captured third place overall in what was an astonishing debut appearance at the famous race.
His breakthrough performance ensures UAE Team Emirates can celebrate having two of their riders on the final podium steps.
Mayo defeated defending champions Kerry 1-20 to 1-17 at Croke Park on Sunday to win the All-Ireland final and end a famous 75-year wait for the Sam Maguire Cup.
The westerners finally broke one of sport’s most notorious droughts with a thrilling victory over the pre-match favourites.
Generations of heartbreak were washed away in Dublin, ending a wretched run of 11 consecutive championship final defeats.
Breaking the legendary 1951 curse
The county’s agonising barren spell stretched all the way back to their last Gaelic football triumph in 1951.
According to local legend, a priest cursed the winning squad after their boisterous homecoming celebrations on the back of a lorry disrupted a funeral.
That folklore dictated the title would never return to the west coast while any member of that fabled team remained alive.
Dr Mick Loftus, the final surviving member of the 1951 side, passed away in 2023 to set the stage for this historic weekend.
Overcoming the defending champions
Standing in their way were the 39-time record winners, who mounted a late surge to desperately test their opponents’ nerve.
However, the challengers held firm to secure a memorable three-point victory and spark wild celebrations among their travelling supporters.
The triumphant captain delivered an emotional message to the loyal fans who had endured decades of bitter disappointment.
This is the stuff of dreams, so to every Mayo boy or girl around the world, dream big things because everything is possible and we showed that today.
Jack Coyne
He added that the squad always kept the faith through the darkest moments to finally reach the pinnacle of the sport.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has insisted the highly anticipated heavyweight clash between Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua must take place in the UK unless their legally binding contract is renegotiated.
Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh is reportedly keen to stage the fight later this year at a time that guarantees maximum global viewership.
This ambition has led to Madison Square Garden in New York emerging as a preferred alternative venue for the monumental showdown.
Alalshikh would require special exemption from Wembley Stadium’s strict curfews to host his proposed 2am UK start time in London.
Contractual obligations stand firm
However, Joshua’s camp remains adamant that the current paperwork specifically locks the blockbuster bout into a British location.
The two-time former world champion recently maintained his winning momentum with a swift second-round stoppage of Kristian Prenga.
That victory occurred just 24 hours after his heavyweight rival comfortably dealt with Mariusz Wach in Thailand, keeping their meeting firmly on track.
“There’s a reason we put contracts together,” Hearn stated following his fighter’s recent victory.
“We insisted that this fight was in the UK. I know that AJ will sometimes want to be a little bit of a peacekeeper, but the reality is he said to me, ‘I want the fight in the UK’.”
Preserving a domestic legacy
While acknowledging Alalshikh as a crucial partner in the boxing landscape, Hearn stressed that any venue change requires complete mutual agreement.
The Matchroom boss recognised the immense prestige of fighting at Madison Square Garden.
Despite that global appeal, he emphasised the generational importance of hosting this specific domestic rivalry on home soil.
Joshua himself believes that moving the long-awaited meeting abroad would significantly tarnish the legacy of both fighters.
The Olympic gold medallist confirmed that the national stadium was the sole location discussed when negotiations initially commenced.
“When these conversations started, there was no other venue or location that was ever mentioned,” Joshua explained.
“This is the road map. You fight, come back, fight, and then providing you’re victorious, you’ll be fighting Tyson Fury in the UK, basically Wembley.”
Magomed Ankalaev delivered a dominant fifth-round stoppage victory over Bogdan Guskov at UFC Fight Night in Abu Dhabi as he looks to reclaim the light heavyweight championship.
The former champion completely outclassed his opponent at the Etihad Arena, securing the finish two minutes and 41 seconds into the final round.
Guskov, stepping in on short notice after Khalil Rountree Jr withdrew with an injury, essentially surrendered under a barrage of heavy ground strikes.
It marked a vital return to the win column for the 34-year-old Russian, who was making his first octagon appearance since losing his divisional crown last October.
Frustrating pursuit of a reluctant opponent
The 205-pound main event was rarely competitive, characterised largely by the Uzbekistani fighter continuously circling away to prevent any meaningful striking exchanges.
Ankalaev completely controlled the statistical battle, out-striking his overmatched rival by 122 blows to just 42 across the bout.
“He wasn’t engaging in the striking. I was trying to find him but he kept getting away. I’ve said this before, when a striker comes out against me in a fight, I have to go hunt and find them.”
Forced to change tactics, the number one ranked contender utilised his wrestling in the championship rounds to keep his elusive opponent grounded.
Guskov offered minimal resistance to the late takedowns, eventually prompting his own corner to desperately plead with him not to give up.
Title ambitions and heavyweight dreams
Ankalaev approached the contest fuelled by nine months of frustration following his devastating knockout defeat to Alex Pereira.
“I was out for a long time, but now I’m back and I’m going to start my hunt for the thing I lost.”
With current light heavyweight king Carlos Ulberg sidelined indefinitely by a knee injury, the immediate path to a championship bout remains slightly unclear.
However, the Dagestan-born martial artist has set his sights far beyond simply regaining his lost 205-pound hardware.
He remains determined to secure a trilogy bout against Pereira, publicly confirming his willingness to follow his Brazilian rival up to the heavyweight division to settle the score.
American cyclist Sepp Kuss has narrowly escaped a potentially fatal fall during stage 20 of the 2026 Tour de France after crashing into safety netting on a sheer mountain descent.
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider lost control at high speed on a right-hand bend while approaching the iconic Alpe d’Huez finish line.
He collided with a low wall and flipped over the edge, but was miraculously caught by barriers strategically installed by racing organisers ASO.
Praise for life-saving safety measures
TNT Sport pundit Matt Stephens believed the horrifying incident could easily have ended in tragedy.
“This could have been a life or death moment. The other side of that netting is a precipitous drop.”
“The organisers have played a blinder. They knew that if anybody got it wrong, that’s where they’d maybe come off. I think that netting might have saved his life.”
Road cycling inherently carries extreme risks, especially during the gruelling final days of a three-week Grand Tour when competitor concentration inevitably wanes.
Fellow analyst Robbie McEwen highlighted the pure intensity of the race and the severe consequences of a single error.
“You’re racing at the limit. You make one tiny mistake and it’s very, very costly.”
Stage 20 victory slips away
The dramatic plunge was actually the American’s second crash of a chaotic finale, having earlier fallen inside a dark tunnel.
He had previously launched a blistering attack from a breakaway group with 17 kilometres remaining and looked poised for a memorable mountain victory.
Instead, Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz capitalised on the misfortune to reel him in, surging past to secure the win for EF Education-Easypost.
Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel also overtook the bloodied but smiling breakaway leader in the closing metres to claim second place.
Pogacar closes in on fifth yellow jersey
Further down the mountain, overall race leader Tadej Pogacar safely negotiated the treacherous penultimate stage without incident.
The Slovenian superstar now holds an unassailable lead of more than seven minutes over Evenepoel in the general classification.
He is fully expected to ride triumphantly into the finish on Sunday to claim a historic fifth Tour de France title.
While four riders have tragically lost their lives throughout the long history of the prestigious event, extensive safety improvements mean there have been no competitor fatalities since 1995.