Latest news with #Fighters
The Mainichi
15 hours ago
- Sport
- The Mainichi
Baseball: Fighters' Koki Kitayama misses no-hitter in 9th inning vs Giants
TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Nippon Ham Fighters right-hander Koki Kitayama came within two outs of a no-hitter Thursday in their 4-1 win over the Yomiuri Giants in interleague. The 26-year-old Kitayama (5-2) took a perfect game into the seventh inning at Tokyo Dome before issuing his only walk with two outs, and Takumi Oshiro ended a no-hit bid by ripping a 1-2 forkball for a solo home run to right with one out in the ninth. "It was a precious experience. Not managing to achieve it means I'm still weak in some aspects, and I'll keep setting the bar high to eventually accomplish it one day," said Kitayama, who struck out five in a 122-pitch gem for the Pacific League-leading Fighters. Giants starter Iori Yamasaki (6-2) had allowed one run over 17 innings in his past two starts but was roughed up early as Daigo Kamikawabata doubled in a run in the second before Ariel Martinez, Yua Tamiya and Chusei Mannami plated a run each in the third. Kitayama, named the 2022 Opening Day starter despite being the Fighters' eighth-round draft pick just months earlier, said he will "keep giving my best to repay" the faith shown by skipper and former MLB player Tsuyoshi Shinjo. In other action, Jon Duplantier (3-3) had a four-hit shutout, fanning 12 as the Central League-leading Hanshin Tigers beat the Lotte Marines 2-0.
Arab News
2 days ago
- Sport
- Arab News
PFL MENA showdown: Hattan Al-Saif vows dominance, Nour Fleyti promises a surprise
The heat is rising ahead of the much-anticipated showdown in the Professional Fighters League MENA, as Saudi fighter Hattan Al-Saif and Lebanese contender Nour Fleyti exchanged fiery statements that set the stage for an electrifying bout scheduled for July 4 at the Green Halls in Riyadh. For the latest updates, follow us @ArabNewsSport Speaking at the official pre-fight press conference, both fighters exuded confidence and determination, making it clear this is more than just a match — it is a clash of wills. Al-Saif said: 'I don't care who I'm facing — I'm ready for anyone.' She dismissed any concerns about her opponent, and added that victory in combat sports is not accidental but the result of relentless dedication. 'Winning doesn't happen by chance — it's a result of continuous hard work and commitment,' she said. 'I'm prepared for any opponent. Every fight requires a different strategy.' When asked about criticism of Arab women in combat sports, Al-Saif responded firmly: 'I don't pay attention to outdated opinions. I'm doing what I love and chasing my goal.' Fleyti said: 'I love surprises — watch my answer inside the cage.' She expressed her excitement to finally step into the PFL MENA cage, describing it as a long-awaited opportunity. 'I respect Hattan as a fighter,' she said, adding: 'But she'll be facing me — and I'm stronger. I will surprise everyone inside that cage.' Fleyti promised a thrilling performance: 'Expect a fun fight. I don't find fighting difficult — I enjoy every second of it.' A battle of pride and passion awaits as the two fighters prepare to face off. With Al-Saif's unwavering confidence and Fleyti's bold promises, Riyadh is set for a showdown that transcends sport. One question remains: Who will prove to be the stronger force inside the cage? The answer awaits on July 4.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Craig admits to 'illegal move' in controversial 'no contest'
Scotland's Paul Craig has urged UFC fans not "to persecute" Rodolfo Bellato after he was accused of "hamming it up" by "flopping" to the canvas following a kick to the face during their light-heavyweight contest in Atlanta. Craig admits it was "an illegal move" that resulted in the fight being ruled a no contest. Advertisement The fight had been postponed from 14 weeks ago when the 29-year-old Brazilian pulled out with a cold sore - and this time it was cut short seconds before the end of round one. "A few people have messaged me regarding this and are saying that it looked a bit floppish - like he was maybe hamming it up," said the 37-year-old Craig. "I don't want to think any fighter is looking for an easy way out in this sport. We're all fighters, we're all in the UFC - the pinnacle of of our careers - and we're looking to put on performances. But I can see where people are looking at it and think it looks a bit floppish, like he's maybe taking a dive." Craig admitted it was "raw at the moment" but did not want to think that might be the case. Advertisement "I was in the neutral corner, I was looking over and I was seeing him kind of flop like he was trying to wrestle the referee and he was in a daze, but when I spoke to him, he seemed pretty compos mentis and he was like, 'I don't know what happened'," he added. "You know what, it's my fault as much as it is his fault. We shouldn't be looking to persecute him if he's taking taken the knee - it was an illegal move." To make matters worse for Craig, he had moved back up a weight hoping to put a three-loss streak behind him in what was the final fight of his current UFC contract. "I'm now in the best shape I've ever been in," he said. "I was wanting to make a stamp in that division and say, hey, I am back. Advertisement "I've got to take positives from it. I felt good in there and I was moving well. I was landing my shots and my shot selection was perfect. "But, in the heat of the moment, I thought he was standing up, so I throw my axe kick, looking to land a heavy upkick to his face." Craig pointed out that a no-contest was at least not as bad as another defeat and is hopeful of a rematch with Bellato. If not, he is willing to go up against "any light-heavyweight the UFC offers" and believes he could even repeat his 2018 win over current champion Magomed Ankalaev if given the chance. More MMA from the BBC
The Independent
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Independent
UFC fighter accused of faking KO explains bizarre reaction to kick
Rodolfo Bellato has denied he was 'acting' in his fight with Paul Craig at UFC Atlanta, where the pair fought to a No Contest after a bizarre scene on Saturday. Scotland's Craig threw an up-kick at Bellato, an illegal strike given the Brazilian was on a knee, but it appeared to miss Bellato's head and strike his neck. Bellato, 29, fell to his back while protesting to the referee, yet when he hit the mat, he appeared to be unconscious – with his eyes closed and body limp. The referee then halted the fight and approached Bellato to check on him, but the light-heavyweight appeared to jolt awake and try to grapple the official. It was a strange scene, considering Bellato was conscious during his short fall to the mat, and it led many fans to criticise the Brazilian and accuse him of acting. But Bellato has now hit back, after the fight was ruled a No Contest, writing on Instagram: 'I saw some things on the internet, saying I was an actor there and stuff.. the moment I was on the ground, I didn't expect to get kicked in the face (illegally).. 'It was a strong kick, when I looked at the judge to complain, my whole body began to tingle and my vision disappeared.. after that I don't remember anything. 'Anyone who's known me the longest knows I would NEVER do this, I've never run from war [...] Why would I fake something after all I've been through and on top of that winning the first round?' His comments are unlikely to sway the opinions of several fighters, including former interim lightweight champion Justin Gaethje, who tweeted: 'Biggest flop in MMA history.' Angela Hill added: 'Am I crazy for thinking he faked this? How do you look at the ref and complain on the way to being ko'ed?' Former light-heavyweight title challenger Anthony Smith said on ESPN's post-fight show: 'You see his eyes come to the referee to protest, and then he realises: 'Maybe I can get a free win.' Lays there, pretends he's unconscious, jolts back awake allegedly. 'The referee comes over. That is a man that is awake, pretends to grapple the referee as if he's unconscious, trying to get a cheap win. I've been doing this a long time, and I know what it looks like when somebody is faking it.' 'Flopped to try and get a DQ...' wrote Kyle Daukaus, while Renato Moicano tweeted: 'Bro wtf!!! He fell looking to the ref lol [then] was out.' Craig, however, said he did not wish to believe that Bellato would fake his reaction to the kick. The 37-year-old said in a post-fight interview: 'A few people messaged me regarding this, and they're saying that it looked a bit floppish, like he was maybe hamming it up. 'I don't want to think any fighter is looking for an easy way out in this sport. We're all fighters. We're all in the UFC, the pinnacle of our careers, and we're looking to put on a performance.'
The Sun
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Sun
Kamaru Usman breaks down in tears after picking up first win in nearly four years vs Buckley at UFC Atlanta
KAMARU USMAN was moved to tears after winning his do-or-die octagon return. The former welterweight and pound-for-pound king returned to the cage for the first time in 20 months early this morning in the main event of UFC Atlanta against Jaoquin Buckley. 5 5 5 5 There were serious concerns that Usman's time at the top was a thing of the past following three straight losses to Leon Edwards and Khamzat Chimaev. But the 38-year-old rolled back the years with a suffocating display across five rounds to earn a unanimous decision victory courtesy of 49–46, 49–46, 48–47 scorecards. An emotional Usman teared up in his post-fight interview as he said: "It's been a while. I needed to get that monkey off my back. "I know I'm still able to do this at the highest level. "Sometimes when you're going up against a young, hungry guy like that, very talented, very aggressive, you've got to pull out the skills and use your experience. "And that's what I did tonight." Usman insists victory over the surging Buckley has shown his detractors he's still very much at the top of his game. He said: 'I know it's a running joke, everybody wants to get on the internet and talk s***, 'Oh, his knees, his knees.' JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS 5 "Well, shut the f*** up, I can still do what I do. "I could do that to anybody [in the welterweight division], any one of them. "But like I said, I needed to get that monkey off my back. "Early on in my career as I was rolling, once I had that monkey off my back and I knew I was rolling, I was able to open up. "And you guys saw those spectacular knockouts. I still got them in there.' Following his dominant return to the win column, Usman has set his sights on becoming a two-time king of the welterweights. He roared: 'I have been, and always will be, the f**king boogeyman."
