Oklahoma senior Faith Torrez has claimed the NCAA gymnastics all-around title on Thursday in her season debut across all four events following an injury-plagued year.

The 2026 championship victory in Fort Worth, Texas, saw the collegiate athlete defy the odds with a stunning total score of 39.7875.

Torrez defeated a stacked field of Olympic and world champions to secure the highest individual honour in American collegiate gymnastics.

Miraculous recovery stuns gymnastics world

Prior to the dramatic semi-final, the Sooners star was not considered a front-runner for the coveted crown.

She had been restricted to the uneven bars and balance beam since February and had not competed in all four disciplines at any point this season.

“If you would have told me probably two and a half weeks ago that I would be in this position right now doing four events, like living out my dream right now, I’d probably laugh at you.”
“I had no intentions of doing this at the beginning of the season, middle of the season, but to be here and have everything kind of just play out as it did was really amazing.”

Oklahoma advance as rivals falter

Head coach K.J. Kindler revealed her star pupil only requested to resume floor training following the SEC championships in late March.

Remarkably, the newly-crowned champion had not completed a full floor routine until earlier this week.

Kindler praised her athlete’s incredible air awareness and physical resolve after such a prolonged absence from full-intensity competition.

The historic individual victory helped propel the defending champion Sooners into Saturday’s national team final.

LSU and Florida progress to national final

LSU gymnast Kailin Chio, who held the top national ranking for the majority of the campaign, finished as the overall runner-up.

Florida standout eMjae Frazier secured third place as the Gators comfortably won the afternoon session.

LSU were forced to battle until the final rotation to edge out a resurgent Georgia side to keep their title hopes alive.

Meanwhile, highly-fancied UCLA struggled following an uncharacteristic fall from Olympic gold medallist Jordan Chiles on the bars.

World Athletics has rejected the applications of 11 elite competitors, including Olympic champion Roje Stona, to switch their nationality to Turkey following an investigation into a co-ordinated state recruitment strategy.

The global governing body discovered the requests were driven by lucrative financial packages offered through a fully financed government club.

Officials determined this mass migration was specifically engineered to bolster medal prospects ahead of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.

The Turkish national delegation struggled at the recent Paris 2024 Games, securing eight overall medals but failing to top the podium in a single event.

Olympic and world record holders denied

Jamaican discus thrower Stona, who claimed gold in the French capital this summer, was among the most prominent figures in the blocked group.

Former women’s marathon world record-holder Brigid Kosgei also featured on the extensive list of those attempting to transfer their allegiance.

The rejected cohort ultimately consisted of five Kenyans, four Jamaicans, one Nigerian, and one Russian athlete.

The remaining track and field stars denied clearance span multiple disciplines:

Safeguarding international regulations

A special review panel assessed the submissions collectively after noticing striking similarities across the submitted paperwork.

Allowing the athletes to transfer their nationality would impinge upon and compromise the imperatives underlying the World Athletics eligibility rules and transfer of allegiance regulations.

World Athletics

The organisation stated this state-funded approach fundamentally contradicts the core principles governing international sport.

As a result of the decisions, the athletes are not eligible to represent Turkey in national representative competitions or other relevant international events.

World Athletics

Former UFC champion Ronda Rousey has dismissed criticism surrounding her age as she prepares to fight Gina Carano in California on 16 May, marking her first mixed martial arts bout in a decade.

The 39-year-old will face her fellow American at the Intuit Dome following a lengthy hiatus from the octagon.

Carano, 44, is also stepping back into professional competition for the first time in 17 years.

This extended absence for both fighters has led pundits to question the competitive viability of the upcoming Netflix-broadcast event.

Double standards in mixed martial arts

The former bantamweight champion highlighted the lack of scrutiny faced by male athletes of a similar vintage.

She specifically pointed to 38-year-old former UFC heavyweight titleholder Jon Jones as a clear example of double standards within the sport.

“I never hear Jon Jones’ age being brought up as a disqualifying factor. Why are we even talking about this?”
“It’s not like my ovaries are fighting.”

Jones effectively retired in 2025, though UFC president Dana White has consistently dodged media questions regarding his potential return.

Neurological safety protocols

The Californian combat pioneer originally retired in 2016 following consecutive stoppage defeats to Holly Holm and Amanda Nunes.

She has previously acknowledged that repeated concussions forced her early departure from professional competition.

As a strict precaution, both returning athletes will undergo stringent neurological testing before their bout under Jake Paul’s MVP promotional banner.

During a recent press conference in New York, the outspoken star shifted her focus toward the contentious issue of athlete compensation.

Challenging the UFC revenue model

She confirmed that every competitor on the May fight card is guaranteed a minimum payout of $40,000 (£29,500).

“I hope that everyone sitting here today is getting the biggest pay day of their career, and I hope after this event we can raise that ceiling higher and higher until it is on par with the highest-level boxers.”

Compensation remains a heated topic in the industry, particularly after boxer Conor Benn recently secured a reported £11m deal with White’s Zuffa Boxing.

The UFC currently allocates approximately 20% of its revenue to athletes, a stark contrast to the 60% share typically seen in boxing.

Former marquee names Nate Diaz and Francis Ngannou will also compete on the card after departing the premier organisation over financial disputes.

“Everybody on this stage is a leader because they took a stand and said ‘no’ and they’re worth more,” said Rousey.

British heavyweight Anthony Joshua has returned to intense training alongside former rival Oleksandr Usyk in Ukraine, four months after surviving a fatal car crash.

Unlikely alliance follows tragic accident

The 35-year-old’s boxing future appeared uncertain following a tragic incident in Nigeria that claimed the lives of two teammates.

However, the Watford-born fighter quickly resumed gym work before travelling to eastern Europe to link up with the unified heavyweight champion.

The partnership marks a remarkable shift in dynamics after the Ukrainian dethroned Joshua in 2021 and retained the belts in their 2022 rematch.

Gruelling circuits and newfound motivation

Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn revealed the joint sessions have provided his fighter with a much-needed psychological and physical resurgence.

Hearn detailed a brutal regime involving tempo sprints, kettle-bell routines and heavily weighted sledge pulls overseen by the pound-for-pound star.

“When I was there, he’d be doing these circuits, like he’s doing these tempo sprints,” Hearn stated.

“He would do his sprints, then he’d go over and do this kettle-bell circuit, then he’d do sledge – with this f***ing big fitness trainer standing on the sledge.”

Setting sights on future challenges

The former undisputed cruiserweight king has actively taken on a motivational role during the gruelling workouts.

“What you didn’t see was times when AJ was all out on his heart rate and Usyk was going: ‘Push, push, push,'” Hearn added.

“You’ve got the pound-for-pound number one, you’ve got the guy who he beat twice – who’s probably the biggest star in the sport – and it’s incredible.”

This unique collaboration has left the British promoter convinced that his heavyweight contender is now fully prepared to defeat domestic rival Tyson Fury.

Ellie Scotney has become Britain’s youngest-ever undisputed boxing champion after defeating Mayelli Flores to secure the super-bantamweight titles.

The 28-year-old Catford fighter claimed the historic victory on Easter Sunday, capping off a remarkable journey to the pinnacle of the sport.

Her triumph marks a stunning rise for an athlete who initially quit the ring as a child due to a total lack of female opponents.

From childhood temptation to undisputed champion

Scotney first stepped into a boxing gym at the age of nine, enticed by the promise of sugary snacks rather than sporting glory.

I always mess around and tell the story that my brother came home with a Mars bar and a Ribena, and I was like: ‘I want that!’

Ellie Scotney

The devout Christian abandoned the gloves after just a year because women’s boxing lacked the necessary infrastructure to provide her with competitive bouts.

She eventually returned to the sport eight years later to forge a path alongside a groundbreaking new generation of female fighters.

Paving the way for future generations

The undefeated Londoner now finds herself inspiring the next wave of athletes in a rapidly transforming landscape.

I walk in the gym now, and there’s probably as many girls as boys, and the girls are really good.

Ellie Scotney

She credits trailblazers such as Jane Couch, Christy Martin, and Katie Taylor for bearing the load and breaking down traditional sporting barriers.

Despite her elite status as a unified world champion, the 122lb titlist insists she remains grounded and strictly focused on encouraging others in her community.

Family backing and a pending reward

Family support has been a constant pillar throughout her ascent to the top of the super-bantamweight division.

My mum loves it. I think she aged about 10 years during the Flores fight, but the joy and the backing my family give is just endless.

Ellie Scotney

As she celebrates etching her name into the British history books, the newly crowned undisputed queen is also reportedly awaiting a unique bonus prize.

American YouTube star turned boxer Jake Paul famously owes the historic champion a car following her Easter Sunday achievement.

The future of LIV Golf is in serious doubt following an emergency executive meeting in New York amid reports that the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund is considering withdrawing its financial backing.

Executives from the breakaway circuit held urgent discussions on Tuesday to address mounting concerns over the project’s long-term viability.

The sovereign wealth fund has reportedly poured almost $5bn into the controversial league over the past four years.

However, the UK-based entity behind the enterprise posted significant operating losses of £461.8m in 2024 alone.

Mounting financial pressure and strategic shifts

Speculation surrounding the tour’s potential demise aligns with a broader strategic shift from its primary financial backers.

The Saudi fund, which manages nearly $1tn in global assets, recently outlined a revised investment blueprint for the remainder of the decade.

This new approach mandates a strict focus on achieving sustainable value and increasing overall investment efficiency across their vast portfolio.

Consequently, tour executives are believed to be evaluating an exit strategy while determining the immediate next steps for the golf venture.

Mexico City disruptions and player reactions

Despite the backstage turmoil, preparations for this week’s scheduled tournament in Mexico City are continuing.

Yet the atmosphere at the venue has been notably strained, with Tuesday’s media obligations abruptly cancelled.

Officials blamed local power outages for the sudden closure of the media centre and the abandonment of scheduled press conferences.

Meanwhile, competitors remain officially in the dark regarding any impending collapse of the Saudi-backed circuit.

Former Masters champion Sergio Garcia insisted that the roster still trusts the reassurances provided earlier this year.

“Honestly, we aren’t going to listen to anything except for what Yasir [Al-Rumayyan] told us at the start of the year, that he is behind us, that they have a project for many years.”

The Spanish veteran acknowledged the swirling rumours but maintained that players have received no official updates regarding an imminent shutdown.

Former two-weight world champion Conor McGregor has confirmed he will return to the UFC this summer after settling a high-profile legal dispute at Dublin’s High Court.

The MMA star reached an agreement with former fighter Artem Lobov regarding the multimillion-pound sale of the Proper No. Twelve brand.

A trial was scheduled to begin on Wednesday, but legal representatives for both parties informed Mr Justice John Jordan that a settlement had been reached.

The judge commended the sensible resolution, noting it spared the court’s time on what was ultimately a matter of negotiation.

Focus shifts to summer octagon return

McGregor was not present at the hearing, but his barrister Mark Lynam read a brief statement on his behalf confirming his imminent comeback.

“I’m satisfied that this matter has been resolved and I can focus on my training and this summer’s fight.”

“I want to thank Artem for his hard work for my whiskey business.”

Lobov, a Russian-Irish fighter who originally sought legal action over proceeds from the 2021 sale to Proximo Spirits, told reporters he was happy with the outcome.

Long-awaited comeback for the Irishman

The former featherweight and lightweight champion has not competed since suffering a devastating leg break against Dustin Poirier.

That trilogy bout ended in the first round, beginning an extensive rehabilitation period that has kept him sidelined for several years.

He was previously scheduled to face Michael Chandler, but a broken toe forced him to withdraw from that matchup at just two weeks’ notice.

Speculation now suggests a July return in Las Vegas, with current featherweight contender Max Holloway emerging as a potential opponent.

The Dublin native is expected to headline the flagship card of International Fight Week.

Issuing a stark warning to the lightweight division on social media, he declared his intention to “knock people out for my money”.

Oleksandr Usyk has claimed the number one spot in the men’s pound-for-pound boxing rankings following Terence Crawford’s retirement, while Tyson Fury has missed out on the top 10 despite winning his comeback fight.

Fury defeated Arslanbek Makhmudov by unanimous decision in London on Saturday to mark his sixth successful return from retirement.

However, the heavyweight’s latest victory was not deemed significant enough to elevate him back into the sport’s elite cross-division conversation.

Usyk assumes top spot

Unified heavyweight champion Usyk moves to number one following an undefeated 24-fight professional career.

The 38-year-old Ukrainian last fought in July 2025, delivering a one-sided knockout victory in his rematch with Daniel Dubois.

He will next defend his WBC title against kickboxing star Rico Verhoeven at the Pyramids of Giza in May.

Inoue and Rodriguez complete top three

Undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue sits second on the list after maintaining a blistering fight pace.

The Japanese star secured four victories in a single calendar year and will next face compatriot Junto Nakatani at the Tokyo Dome.

Unified junior bantamweight titleholder Jesse Rodriguez takes the third position following a dominant 10th-round stoppage of Fernando Martinez.

Opetaia debuts as Fury seeks Joshua bout

Cruiserweight champion Jai Opetaia has made his debut on the list at number 10 following a unanimous decision win over Brandon Glanton.

To join him in the rankings, Fury will likely need to deliver a definitive performance against a top-tier opponent.

The British fighter has already targeted a high-profile domestic showdown with Anthony Joshua later this year to force his way back into contention.